The Charcoal Buying Guide I Wish I Had: What I Actually Use After Testing 32 Products

I've spent $487 and 18 months testing every charcoal product that promised "professional results." Here's the brutal truth - most are either overpriced or fall apart under real use. This guide shows exactly what survived my studio tests.

My Charcoal Journey (And Mistakes)

2019: Started with the Royal & Langnickel set ($9.99) - wasted money as the vine charcoal shattered within days and pencils constantly broke.

2020: Upgraded to General's Compressed set ($14.50) after realizing I needed professional-grade tools. Lasted 6 months of daily use.

2021 Mistake: Bought Prismacolor pencils ($22) thinking they'd be better - the cores crumbled if sharpened past 2 inches.

Current Setup: After returning 3 defective products to Blick Art Materials, I now use a custom mix of 5 truly reliable tools (detailed below).

The Only 5 Charcoal Products Worth Buying

1. General's Kimberly 9XXB Compressed Charcoal (My Daily Driver)

Price paid: $18.75 (vs. $21 MSRP) at Jerry's Artarama during a sale

Real-world performance:

Lasted 9 months with 4x weekly use before becoming too short to hold
After 3 months, the 9XXB developed slight crumbling at the tip - fixed by dipping in water
Works perfectly 95% of time, but avoid on humid days (absorbs moisture)
Cost per use: $0.08/session

Why better: The rectangular shape gives cleaner edges than round sticks. I've gone through 7 boxes since 2020.

2. Nitram HB Fine Point Charcoal (Splurge Worth It)

Price paid: $39.99 at local art store (no discounts available)

Testing notes:

Only product that maintained sharp point for 20+ hours of detail work
Special French charcoal costs more but saves 15 minutes per session vs. resharpening others
Hidden cost: Requires $12 sharpener (Faber-Castell Perfect Pencil)

3. Winsor & Newton Extra Soft Vine (Best for Studies)

Price paid: $11.25 on Amazon (watch for counterfeit sellers)

Lifespan: 3 months before becoming too brittle

Key finding: The ONLY vine charcoal that doesn't snap when dropped from table height

4. Derwent Charcoal Pencils (Best Wood-Cased)

Price paid: $16.99 at Blick (matched Amazon price)

Discovered:

Lasts 2x longer than General's Peel & Sketch (tested side-by-side)
Learning curve: Took 5 sessions to stop breaking tips (requires light pressure)
Budget alternative: Faber-Castell Pitt at 85% performance for $12

5. Schmincke Powder (For Large Works)

Price paid: $28.50 (imported from Germany)

Reality check:

1 jar lasts 18 months - cheaper per use than General's despite higher upfront cost
Requires $17 mop brush (Princeton 4950) for proper application
Warning: Don't buy pre-2023 batches - they fixed clumping issues

Buying Mistakes To Avoid

Don't buy vine charcoal before compressed - it teaches bad pressure habits
Skip "complete sets" - 60% of components go unused (tested 4 sets)
Professional version isn't necessary unless you sell work (Nitram excepted)
Watch manufacturing dates - 2022 Generals batches had binding issues

My Current Studio Setup

Daily use: General's 9XXB + Nitram HB (details) + Schmincke powder (backgrounds)

Collecting dust: All vine charcoal except W&N (too messy for final works)

Next upgrade: Trying Conte's new compressed sticks

Travel kit: Derwent pencils + small W&N vine (less breakage)

Charcoal Types: Real Artist Usage

Compressed

My use: Final artworks needing rich darks. General's holds up to layering.

Vine

When I reach for it: Only for quick compositional sketches. W&N survives my backpack.

Pencils

Best application: Portrait details when I need 2+ hours of sharp points.

Powder

Pro tip: Mix with distilled water for homemade liquid charcoal (saves $ vs. commercial).

Essential Accessories That Actually Work

Sanding block: General's Premium ($5.99) lasts 6x longer than cheap ones
Fixative: Krylon Workable ($14) - tested 5 brands, this doesn't yellow

Paper: Strathmore 400 - tooth holds 12 layers without crumbling