The wax used in the Premier Soft Core Colored Pencils is a soft wax, which makes their color lay down smooth and creamy. The Scholar Colored Pencils use a combination of a soft and hard wax. The soft wax used in the Scholar pencils is the same as used in the Premier Soft Core pencils but a harder wax is also added, making the Scholar pencils a little harder and less prone to breakage. The purpose of this slightly harder lead in the Scholar set is to aid developing artists as they learn the right amount of pressure to apply when working with colored pencils. The percentage of pigment used in the Premier Soft Core Colored Pencils is also greater, resulting in more vibrant colors.