Mirado, originally introduced as Mikado, ia a pencil group based n the fact that all the pencils are decended from the Eagle Mikado of the pre-WWII times.  Mikado, which had been long seen on the pencils that were famous in America, were given that name since the word “Mikado” was infact a Japenese word for Emperor. During the 2nd World War, Eagle chose to rename the famed pencil to the Americanized version of the word, Mirado to avoid any negaqtive sentiment associated with the name.

Mirado Pencils

Available in Glossy black with gold lettering under the Mirado Black Warrior brand or in standard yellow hexagonal as Mirado.

Core: . Available in #1/B, #2/HB, #2.5/F, #3/H.
Markings: “USA/Mirado Black Warrior/HB/[two hearts].”
Packaging: Varies from open-stock, to packs of eight or ten, to boxes of a dozen.

Originally produced by Eagle/Berol in New Jersey with later production Lewisburg, Tennessee and Mexico City. Brand eventually aquired by Sanford Corportion group of Newell Rubbermaid company who shuttering pencil production in Mexico City and in 2009 US production also ceased and has been relocated to new facilities in Durango, Mexico. Now the Mirado linein the US market is marketed under the Papermate brand umbrella.

Availability: Widely available in office supply stores, art supply stores, university bookstores, department stores and online.

Black Warrior

What the Mirado Black Warrior has over other pencils that are as widely available is that it is obviously of a higher quality. It is not nicer than the Mirado Classic, but the latter’s yellow color does little to set it apart from cheapos you might find discarded on the sidewalk. The Black Warrior, with it’s black finish, banded brass ferrule and rounded shape, stands out among American pencils when on a desk or sticking out of a shirt pocket.

Mirado pencils are not carried on the Pencils.com store, but the following range of quality graphitei writing pencils are available:

Year:
Introduced early 1900s by Eagle Pencil Company
Materials:
Incense Cedar, Waxed-ceramic/graphite composite core