The Coloured Pencil Set That Goes Everywhere
I have a habit I've never quite been able to explain to people who don't share it: I carry something to draw with. Not because I'm particularly good at drawing, but because there are idle hours on trains and in cafes where having thirty-six colours in a zippered case the size of a passport wallet feels like having options rather than just waiting.
For years this meant a small set of wooden coloured pencils that shed shavings into my bag and required a separate sharpener I invariably lost. The Four Candies Mechanical Coloured Pencil Set solves most of those annoyances for under $19, and does it in a way that takes a moment to appreciate properly.
What's in the Set
Thirty-six mechanical pencils in 2.6mm, each numbered for colour identification, in a waterproof zippered carry case. Also included: a slim lead-only sharpener, a 4B eraser, a blank DIY colour chart to fill in, and a full set of 36 replacement leads - one for each colour. The whole thing is more considered than the price suggests. No loose pencils rattling around, no hunting for the sharpener, no mystery about which brown is which.
Who This Is For
- ✏️ Sketchers, doodlers, and journal-keepers who want colour without fuss
- 🧳 Travellers who want to pack light but not give up colour entirely
- 🎨 Beginners who want a full palette to explore before investing in professional sets
- 🎁 A genuinely practical gift for a creative person who already has everything they asked for
The Honest Character Assessment
Several reviewers who also own Prismacolor, Polychromos, or Koh-I-Noor sets have weighed in on this, and the consensus is consistent: these behave less like traditional coloured pencils and more like thin wax crayons in a mechanical pencil body. That description sounds like a criticism but it isn't really. The leads are chunky enough that they don't snap under normal pressure, the pigmentation is good, and they blend reasonably well with a light touch. They leave a slight residue you blow off as you go, which is normal for wax-core leads.
What they aren't is artist-grade. You won't get the fine detail work or the layering depth of a premium pencil set. For sketching, colouring, journaling, planning, or any context where you want colour that works reliably and travels without drama, they're excellent. For finished portfolio work, buy Prismacolor.
The Sharpener Is Better Than It Has Any Right to Be
The included sharpener is a slim tube that takes the lead only, catches all the shavings inside, and empties with a tap. Multiple reviewers specifically called this out as a revelation - it keeps bags clean and maintains a fine point when you need detail. One note: it clogs if you go too long between emptying it, but the fix is just a tap over a bin. Only one sharpener comes in the box, so treat it accordingly.
💡 Yen's Note
The colour-to-number system is the clever part. Fill in the blank DIY colour chart when you first get the set - test each pencil and write the number next to the swatch. A couple of reviewers noted that the printed chart doesn't perfectly match what they received (the "tan" in one case turned out to be a metallic gold), so building your own reference from the actual pencils takes five minutes and saves confusion later.
The Erasability Caveat
The listing says erasable, and this deserves a nuanced note. The included 4B eraser works reasonably well. Standard rubber erasers don't. If clean erasure is critical to how you work, that's worth knowing in advance. For casual sketching where you're mostly erasing light marks and early lines, the included eraser handles it fine.
| ✅ Works Well | ⚠️ Worth Knowing |
| 36 colours plus 36 replacement leads included | Wax-core leads - more crayon-like than traditional pencil |
| Lead-only sharpener catches shavings cleanly | Only one sharpener in the box |
| Waterproof zippered case, genuinely travel-ready | Erasable with the included 4B eraser only - standard rubber doesn't work well |
| Good pigmentation, leads don't snap easily | A few colour-to-label mismatches reported - build your own chart |
| Numbered pencils, DIY colour chart included | Not a substitute for professional coloured pencils for detail work |
| Refillable - extends the lifespan beyond a typical pencil set | Sharpener clogs if not emptied regularly |
Worth It?
At $19 for 36 colours, spare leads, a proper carry case, and that surprisingly clever sharpener - yes, without much hesitation. It's a set that earns its place in a bag rather than a drawer. Not everything needs to be professional grade to be genuinely useful, and this is one of those things.
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