Lyra Ferby (short) Standard 12 Assorted Unlacquered

The Ferby short is a chunky triangular pencil with a thick core, made in Germany. This pack has 12 assorted shades on natural timber shafts, so the wood is left bare rather than lacquered. The wide, richly pigmented lead lays down strong colour, and the three sided barrel is shaped to help with grip.

Both share the same triangular, chunky build and thick lead, but the Ferby short has a shorter barrel while the Super Ferby is longer at 17.5cm. The shorter length can suit smaller hands and younger children, and it packs down more compactly. The longer version is at /products/lyra-super-ferby-unlacquered-18-in-a-tin.

The three flat sides settle naturally between thumb and two fingers, guiding a child toward a tripod grip. That is useful for young writers and drawers who still struggle to hold a round pencil steadily. It also stops the pencil rolling off the table, which keeps things calmer during a session.

A short, thick, triangular pencil like this one is a good match, because the wide barrel is easy to grip and the flat sides encourage correct finger placement. The soft, thick lead rewards light pressure with clear colour, so a beginner sees results without pressing hard or tiring quickly.

The 12 include white, lemon yellow, orange, scarlet, pink madder, light flesh, violet, light blue, prussian blue, sap green, van dyck brown and black. That spread covers warm and cool tones plus black for outlines, so a child can handle most everyday drawing and colouring from one set.

The barrel is far wider than a standard pencil, so it needs a jumbo sharpener with a large hole. A twin hole sharpener that offers a wide opening handles it well. Turn the pencil slowly and let the blade do the work, since the thick lead sharpens best without heavy force.

No, these are unlacquered with natural timber shafts, so the wood keeps its bare surface and matte feel. There is no coloured varnish over the barrel. You can still tell colours apart from the pigment on the tip and the shade name printed on the pencil itself.