Bruynzeel pencils

Bruynzeel pencils

Bruynzeel is a Netherlands pencil and art supply brand, now owned by Sakura of Japan. A couple of years ago, we took a look at the Bruynzeel High Grade pencil. Today, we’ll look at three more pencils:

  • Bruynzeel Triple Grip
  • Bruynzeel design pencil 8615
  • Design by Bruynzeel-Sakura 8815
  • Bruynzeel pencils

    The Triple Grip is a triangular pencil, just slightly oversized. I like the shape and dark blue colouring quite a bit.

    The design pencil 8615 is hexagonal, and finished in grey, with a black cap and red cap ring.

    The design 8815 is round and has a natural finish, with black cap.

    The two design pencils are also marked “Holland”.

    The Bruynzeel name has a different font on each pencil. Maybe the name is considered distinct enough to not require consistent branding?

    Bruynzeel pencils
    Bruynzeel pencils
    Bruynzeel pencils

    The two design pencils write quite nicely (much better than the High Grade), while the Triple Grip unfortunately is just average. I would say the 8815 stands out as another rare example of a high quality round pencil.

    Bruynzeel pencils

    My thanks to blog reader Huib for sending me these pencils.

    18 Replies to “Bruynzeel pencils”

    1. Nice informative post on these rare pencils. I’ve seen mentions about colored pencils by this manufacturer before, yet I do not believe I have ever seen them in any online or physical stores.

    2. I have been in love with Bruynzeel products ever since I was a kid. Recently I’ve tried a lot of brands, Derwent being the dominant one around here, and just decided to go back to Bruynzeel, probably selling all my Derwent sets (and there’s a lot of them!). It’s a shame Bruynzeel products are so rare for I haven’t even seen the other lines mentioned in this blog. Thus I consider myself really lucky for having the large set of coloured pencils, another smaller set of the same and Aquarel pencils as well as the Design 8615 set.
      I think the 8615 just might be my favourite graphite pencils, I like the, way better than the Cretacolor, Faber-Castell or Derwent ones I have. On top of that, they are seriously the prettiest pencils I have ever seen — I think it’s important, especially in creative work, to have materials that are of good quality, pleasant to use and nice to look at.

    3. i seem to be a lucky person. i discovered bruynzeel 20 years ago when we bought two sets of 50 . these are with out a doubt the best pencils i have ever used and i have never been impressed with anything else since. my older brother even managed to exactly replicate the the beautiful tin they came in which required the use of all 50 pencils. only soft lead i’ve ever managed to blend colours with out the use of another medium.

    4. Can anybody tell me where I can acquire Bruynzeel graphite pencils I have the sakura 8815 – they are the best ever pencils for drawing. Mine are getting smaller by the day and I want to stock up if I can….many thanks Ewok

    5. Appassionato di disegno ,ho sempre usato per i miei ritratti,nature morte e paesaggi,i pastelli bruyinzeel desygn .
      Da un pò di tempo ,questi pastelli non si trovano,e se qualche negozio a Roma ce li ha,sempre in un numero di colori limitato ,perchè ?
      D

    6. i just bought these pencils and it’s good to read that most of the reader’s are satisfied by them. the box was very attractive which was the reason i bought it. i got the graphite pensils for my sketching and drawing and without a doubt they are awesome :)

    7. A friend gave me a collection of odds and ends of bruynzeel aquarel pencils and I love them and am desperately searching in the US for them and can only find them on UK and Dutch sites. The are much softer than then the Derwent pencils that dominate the market her, the color is more saturated, they feel almost like oil pastels or crayons and less like pencils.

      Anyone know an online retailer that carries them? My red is down to a nubbin and I have only an odd assortment of greens and browns left.

    8. I am an illustrator and picture framer – I’ve also worked in art supply stores for a number of years and had access to many different brands of graphite pencils. I personally found Bruynzeel Design 8615 to be the smoothest for drawing, just from having spent a good amount of time sketching with graphite in subway trains and bars and comparing the feel of Bruynzeel to other pencils. If what I’ve read online is true, the 8615 has been discontinued, with the 8815 as it’s replacement – they are also no longer available in North America, and are a rarity in the UK as well. Hopefully, I’m wrong about this. When I look for them online, I mostly come to pencil forums such as this. Does anyone know of an online source for the 8815, or have an opinion on a pencil that’s equal to or better than the 8615 specifically? I would be grateful to know, Hafsa, where you got your set.

      Chistery – have you tried Caran d’Ache Supracolor Water Soluble Pencils?

    9. I recently managed to win an eBay auction for a mixed batch of 97 of the 8615s, and ended up paying about 14p each for them. Wonderful pencils, and very high quality. Sadly, though, only one HB in the batch, but the F and B are both wonderful for writing with — the Bs are especially smooth.

      Unfortunately, though, there doesn’t appear to be an easy source of the replacement 8815s in the UK; I only saw one web store that sold them, and even then, only in an artists set.

    10. Pencils4artists sell bruynzeel colour, aquarel and graphite pencils in singles and in sets and they ship worldwide.

    11. I have a tin box of 20, 8605 pencils, never used. Bruyzeel design. I’m an artist, oil painter, and my sweet mother
      sent these pencils to me over 25 years ago. I’ve used my prismacolor premier wax-based pencils some but I really
      enjoy painting so my pencils mostly go unused. well, I thought you might find this interesting.

    12. I would love to have your tin of 8605’s John McCall. I do not know if they are made anymore and I have some old ones I like and wish I had more.

    13. After having posted that I thought the bruynzeel 8615 pencils were no longer being sold, and the 8815 were difficult to get, I stopped looking at them. Now it’s a few years down the road… just this evening I googled bruynzeel out of boredom. I see that Dick Blick is selling a set of 12 8815’s from 2H TO 9B. Has any one tried them? Do they measure up to the 8615’s, or is it the same graphite?

    14. I have Bruynzeel 8605 Design/Dutch made pencils for sale to people in the USA. New old stock, loose, no box, variety of colors.

    15. I have original, Dutch made Bruynzeel Design 8605 and Bruynzeel Fullcolor pencils for sale. NOS, loose pencils and also an unopened wood box of the Fullcolor .

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