Review: Papermate Mirado Black Warrior

Once upon a time, the Papermate Mirado Black Warrior was considered one of the best wood-case pencils available. Then Papermate moved production from the USA to Mexico. Ever since, people have complained about how inferior this pencil is to the original.

I purchased a pack of 8, made in Mexico. I thought I would be unable to compare them to the USA version, then lo and behold, I found a USA Black Mirado Warrior tucked away at the bottom of the center console in my car.

After just a few moments, these are ways I found that the USA version surpasses the Mexico version: 

• sharpening feels smoother
• tip is more uniform in appearance after sharpening
• body doesn’t crack

This pencil was worth something when made in the USA, but is not worth its inexpensive price as currently manufactured in Mexico.