Man this chalk's gone downhill
For years this has been my go-to chalk whenever I needed to use a blackboard when lecturing. Very dense, sits nicely in the hand, and leaves a remarkably smooth and clear line on the board.
However, the boxes I purchased recently (branded "Alphacolor") just haven't been the same. The chalk lasts roughly 1/3 as long as the old chalk, writes much more choppily, and is in general less comfortable to hold.
I used to recommend this chalk to anyone who asked -- now I'll recommend they avoid it.