Parents recognise this box before they read the label. The deep blue Pelikan carton with the cartoon crab has been on Pakistani stationery shelves for years, and it is usually bought as the step up from the cheapest school set rather than as a first pack of colours.

The pencils are hexagonal, which matters more than it sounds. Six flat faces give the fingers something to lock onto during a long colouring session, and stop the pencil rolling when a child puts it down mid-page. Barrels are lacquered in their own lead colours with the Pelikan name printed along the side.

Twelve colours handle ordinary school work. The 24-colour box doubles the range, and the extra shades are the useful ones rather than near-duplicates: separate light and dark tones in the greens and blues, plus pink, purple, grey and browns that make drawing people and landscapes less of a compromise.

Leads are soft enough to lay down colour without pressing hard, which is what keeps points from snapping in a child's hand. Both boxes have a fitted card tray, and the pencils arrive sharpened and ready to use.

Safencia lists Pelikan coloured pencils at Rs. 750 for the 12-colour box and Rs. 1,465 for the 24-colour box, with Cash on Delivery across Pakistan. WhatsApp confirms stock, your city and delivery charges before dispatch.

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