Royal Talens 12 Color Transparent Watercolor Metal Box Set, with Tube of Mixing White, 12-Piece Pencils have light cedar wood casings because it is the best wood for sharpening Pencil casings are glued to the pigment core in a 2 part process to ensure that the core and casing resist separation, even when dropped Pencil cores are perfectly aligned with the casings, ensuring you will not see a Bruyzneel pencil with a misaligned core