--- title: "Pencil Grades Explained: HB, 2B, F and No. 2" canonical: "https://stationerytimes.com/guides/pencil-grades-explained/" description: "Pencil grades explained: the H and B scale from 12B to 10H, how US No. 2 maps to HB, why HB varies by maker, and which grade suits writing, drawing and tests." category: "Pencils" published: 2026-10-21 updated: 2026-10-21 author: "Ellis Penhale" publisher: "Stationery Times" sources: 14 products: - name: "STAEDTLER Mars Lumograph 100 graphite drawing pencil (12B–10H)" brand: "Staedtler" brand_origin: "Germany" made_in: "Germany" material: "PEFC-certified wood (Staedtler doesn't name the species), hard-bonded graphite core" released: "1930" price_band: "$ (under $5 per pencil (multi-packs divided by the count), typical US retail, October 2026)" manufacturer: "Staedtler Mars GmbH & Co. KG (Nuremberg)" model: "100" url: "https://www.staedtler.com/de/de/produkte/bleistifte-und-zubehoer/bleistifte/mars-lumograph-100-zeichenbleistift-m100/" guide: "https://stationerytimes.com/guides/staedtler-mars-lumograph/" - name: "Ticonderoga No. 2 HB Wood-Cased Pencil, Yellow" brand: "Ticonderoga" brand_origin: "United States" made_in: "China" material: "Wood case (responsibly managed forests, per Ticonderoga), graphite core, eraser glued into a metal ferrule" released: "1913" price_band: "$ (under $5 per pencil (multi-packs divided by the count), typical US retail, October 2026)" manufacturer: "Dixon Ticonderoga Company (USA), part of F.I.L.A. Group (Italy)" model: "X13806 (pre-sharpened 12); X13924 (unsharpened 24)" mpn: "X13806" gtin: "072067138064" url: "https://weareticonderoga.com/products/classic-pencils/classic-yellow-wood-cased-pencils-sharpened" guide: "https://stationerytimes.com/guides/ticonderoga-2-pencil/" - name: "Tombow MONO 100 graphite pencil (6B–9H)" brand: "Tombow" brand_origin: "Japan" made_in: "Japan" material: "Cedar wood case per The Journal Shop (glossy black lacquer, gold foil lettering, ring cap), ultra-fine graphite core" released: "1967-09" price_band: "$ (under $5 per pencil (multi-packs divided by the count), typical US retail, October 2026)" manufacturer: "Tombow Pencil Co., Ltd." model: "MONO 100" mpn: "MONO-1002H" url: "https://www.tombow.com/products/mono100/" guide: "https://stationerytimes.com/guides/tombow-mono-100/" - name: "uni Hi-Uni graphite pencil (10B–10H)" brand: "uni" brand_origin: "Japan" made_in: "Japan" material: "Wood case, graphite core" released: "1966" price_band: "$ (under $5 per pencil (multi-packs divided by the count), typical US retail, October 2026)" manufacturer: "Mitsubishi Pencil Co., Ltd." model: "HU" mpn: "HUHB" gtin: "4902778972984" url: "https://www.mpuni.co.jp/products/pencils/black/uni_series/hi_uni.html" guide: "https://stationerytimes.com/guides/uni-hi-uni-pencil/" - name: "Blackwing 602 (firm graphite, set of 12)" brand: "Blackwing" brand_origin: "United States" made_in: "Japan" material: "Incense-cedar wood (California and Oregon), Japanese graphite core" released: "2011" price_band: "$ (under $5 per pencil (multi-packs divided by the count), typical US retail, October 2026)" manufacturer: "California Cedar Products Company (Cal Cedar), Stockton, California" sku: "105330-2026" gtin: "820933110252" url: "https://blackwing602.com/products/blackwing-602-set-of-12" guide: "https://stationerytimes.com/guides/blackwing-602/" - name: "Faber-Castell Castell 9000 graphite pencil (8B–6H)" brand: "Faber-Castell" brand_origin: "Germany" made_in: "Germany" material: "FSC-certified wood, bonded graphite lead" released: "1905" price_band: "$ (under $5 per pencil (multi-packs divided by the count), typical US retail, October 2026)" manufacturer: "Faber-Castell AG, Stein, Germany" model: "Castell 9000 Bleistift" url: "https://www.faber-castell.de/produkte/BleistiftCastell90002H/119012" guide: "https://stationerytimes.com/guides/faber-castell-9000/" --- # Pencil Grades Explained: HB, 2B, F and No. 2 > Pencil grades describe how hard, and so how light, the graphite core is. H means hard and pale, B means black and soft, and HB sits in the middle, with F between HB and H. Ticonderoga's US No. 2 is an HB. There is no international standard, so each maker sets its own grades. - URL: https://stationerytimes.com/guides/pencil-grades-explained/ - Category: Pencils - Author: Ellis Penhale - Published: 2026-10-21 - Updated: 2026-10-21 ![Six sharpened graphite pencils drawn to one scale, labelled with their grades: Blackwing 602 (firm, about B), Ticonderoga (No. 2 = HB), Tombow MONO 100 (6B–9H, 17 grades), uni Hi-Uni (10B–10H, 22), STAEDTLER Mars Lumograph (12B–10H, 24) and Faber-Castell Castell 9000 (8B–6H, 16)](https://stationerytimes.com/images/raster/pencil-grades-explained-16x9.png) *Six pencils to one scale, with the grades each one is sold in.* Original drawing (SVG): https://stationerytimes.com/images/pencil-grades-explained-cover.svg. Drawings © 2026 Stationery Times, reusable with credit under CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). ## Product facts | Product | Brand | Brand origin | Made in | Material | Released | Price range (typical US retail, October 2026) | |---|---|---|---|---|---|---| | STAEDTLER Mars Lumograph 100 graphite drawing pencil (12B–10H) | Staedtler (by Staedtler Mars GmbH & Co. KG (Nuremberg)) | Germany | Germany | PEFC-certified wood (Staedtler doesn't name the species), hard-bonded graphite core | 1930 | $: under $5 per pencil (multi-packs divided by the count) | | Ticonderoga No. 2 HB Wood-Cased Pencil, Yellow | Ticonderoga (by Dixon Ticonderoga Company (USA), part of F.I.L.A. Group (Italy)) | United States | China | Wood case (responsibly managed forests, per Ticonderoga), graphite core, eraser glued into a metal ferrule | 1913 | $: under $5 per pencil (multi-packs divided by the count) | | Tombow MONO 100 graphite pencil (6B–9H) | Tombow (by Tombow Pencil Co., Ltd.) | Japan | Japan | Cedar wood case per The Journal Shop (glossy black lacquer, gold foil lettering, ring cap), ultra-fine graphite core | 1967-09 | $: under $5 per pencil (multi-packs divided by the count) | | uni Hi-Uni graphite pencil (10B–10H) | uni (by Mitsubishi Pencil Co., Ltd.) | Japan | Japan | Wood case, graphite core | 1966 | $: under $5 per pencil (multi-packs divided by the count) | | Blackwing 602 (firm graphite, set of 12) | Blackwing (by California Cedar Products Company (Cal Cedar), Stockton, California) | United States | Japan | Incense-cedar wood (California and Oregon), Japanese graphite core | 2011 | $: under $5 per pencil (multi-packs divided by the count) | | Faber-Castell Castell 9000 graphite pencil (8B–6H) | Faber-Castell (by Faber-Castell AG, Stein, Germany) | Germany | Germany | FSC-certified wood, bonded graphite lead | 1905 | $: under $5 per pencil (multi-packs divided by the count) | - Made in (STAEDTLER Mars Lumograph 100 graphite drawing pencil (12B–10H)): Germany. Staedtler's German and international product pages carry a "Made in Germany" mark. Galaxus lists Germany as the country of origin for the 2B, and JetPens also describes it as made in Germany. Source: https://www.staedtler.com/de/de/produkte/bleistifte-und-zubehoer/bleistifte/mars-lumograph-100-zeichenbleistift-m100/ - Made in (Ticonderoga No. 2 HB Wood-Cased Pencil, Yellow): China. Stop & Shop lists China for the 24-count unsharpened pack and Giant lists China for the 18-count sharpened pack; a distributor listed China for the 30-count 13830. Some 12-count listings (13882 at Monk Office, 13806 on eBay) gave Mexico when we first checked. F.I.L.A.'s Italian site lists production sites for Dixon in Appleton, Wisconsin and Tultitlán, Mexico, so origin can vary by pack. Ticonderoga's product pages don't state it; check the box. Source: https://stopandshop.com/groceries/product/ticonderoga-2-pencils-yellow-24-ct-pkg/213861 - Made in (Tombow MONO 100 graphite pencil (6B–9H)): Japan. The Journal Shop lists Japan as the country of origin, Brand Name Pencils lists its MONO 100 HB as made in Japan with the JIS mark, and The Gentleman Stationer also says made in Japan. Tombow's Japanese pages don't state a country. CW Pencil Enterprise wrote in 2017 that "the Mono pencils are no longer made in Japan, but rather in Vietnam", without saying whether that covered the MONO 100, and bleistift.blog found other Tombow pencils (ippo!) made in Vietnam, so check the pencil or box you buy. Source: https://brandnamepencils.com/product/mono-100-hb - Made in (uni Hi-Uni graphite pencil (10B–10H)): Japan. Hunter Paper Co. lists the single Hi-Uni pencil and the Art Set as made in Japan, and STL Art Supply and The Journal Shop say the same; we found no retailer listing another country. Mitsubishi Pencil's Japanese product pages don't state it. Source: https://hunterpaperco.com/products/mitsubishi-hi-uni-pencil - Made in (Blackwing 602 (firm graphite, set of 12)): Japan. Blackwing's description of its 2026 factory film, quoted by Kottke, says the graphite is formulated in Kofu, Japan, the pencils are pressed and lacquered at a woodworking facility in Tokyo, and they are imprinted, fitted with the ferrule, checked and hand-packed at Blackwing's headquarters in Stockton, California. Blackwing's FAQ names California and Oregon incense-cedar and Japanese graphite; The Journal Shop's FAQ says the pencils are crafted in Japan. Blackwing's product page doesn't state a country of origin. Source: https://kottke.org/26/09/how-blackwing-pencils-are-made - Made in (Faber-Castell Castell 9000 graphite pencil (8B–6H)): Germany. Faber-Castell Singapore lists the Castell 9000 tin of 6 as "Made in Germany", and the German retailer office-partner.de gives "Made in: Germany" for the HB box of 12. Carl Roth and Digitec have also listed Germany (both now block automated reading). Faber-Castell's German site says almost all writing instruments made at its main plant in Stein use its water-based lacquer. Source: https://www.faber-castell.com.sg/6-pieces-castell-9000-graphite-pencil-in-tin-id ## Key takeaways - Mitsubishi Pencil gives its HB core as about 7 parts graphite to 3 parts clay, its 10H as 4 to 6 and its 10B as 9 to 1; Tombow gives its HB as 65% graphite and 35% clay. - Ticonderoga sells its classic yellow pencil as No. 1 (B), No. 2 (HB), No. 2.5 (F), No. 3 (H) and No. 4 (2H). - Faber-Castell's German FAQ maps numbers differently: 1 = 2B, 2 = B, 2½ = HB, 3 = H and 4 = 2H, so its No. 2 is a B. - Japan's JIS standard defines HB by the reflectance of a written line, 0.30–0.47; Tombow says it holds its own HB to a darker 0.30–0.38. - Ranges differ by line: STAEDTLER Mars Lumograph 12B–10H (24 grades), uni Hi-Uni 10B–10H (22), Tombow MONO 100 6B–9H (17), Castell 9000 8B–6H (16). ## What do pencil grades like HB, 2B and No. 2 mean? **A pencil's grade tells you how hard its graphite core is, and so how dark its line is: H means hard and pale, B means black and soft, and HB sits in the middle.** STAEDTLER spells them out as B = Black, HB = Hard Black and H = Hard. A number in front sets the step: the higher the number, the harder the H or the softer the B. F, between HB and H, stands for Firm, per Mitsubishi Pencil and Tombow. The US No. 2 is a number for the same middle grade: Ticonderoga sells its No. 2 as HB. This explainer is based on makers' published grade charts and specs; we haven't compared the grades side by side ourselves yet. ## How do the pencil grades compare? **From soft to hard, the grades run from the B numbers through B, HB and F to the H numbers, and each band suits different work.** Uses below are the makers' own descriptions. | Grade | Core and line | Maker's suggested use | US number (Ticonderoga) | |---|---|---|---| | 9B–3B | Most graphite; softest, darkest | Drawing (STAEDTLER) | — | | 2B, B | Soft, dark | Writing; B for school pencils (Faber-Castell) | No. 1 = B | | HB | Medium | Writing and office (STAEDTLER, Faber-Castell) | No. 2 = HB | | F | Firm, between HB and H | Writing | No. 2.5 = F | | H, 2H | Hard, lighter | Writing (STAEDTLER's writing grades) | No. 3 = H, No. 4 = 2H | | 3H–10H | Most clay; hardest, palest | Technical drawing and cartography (STAEDTLER) | — | The example pencils each cover a different slice of that scale: | Pencil | Grades sold | Made in | Price band | |---|---|---|---| | [STAEDTLER Mars Lumograph 100](https://stationerytimes.com/guides/staedtler-mars-lumograph/) | 12B–10H, 24 grades | Germany | $ | | [uni Hi-Uni](https://stationerytimes.com/guides/uni-hi-uni-pencil/) | 10B–10H, 22 grades | Japan | $ | | [Tombow MONO 100](https://stationerytimes.com/guides/tombow-mono-100/) | 6B–9H, 17 grades | Japan | $ | | [Faber-Castell Castell 9000](https://stationerytimes.com/guides/faber-castell-9000/) | 8B–6H, 16 grades | Germany | $ | | [Ticonderoga No. 2](https://stationerytimes.com/guides/ticonderoga-2-pencil/) | HB (also sold as No. 1 to No. 4) | China (most packs) | $ | | [Blackwing 602](https://stationerytimes.com/guides/blackwing-602/) | One firm core, about B per Blackwing Japan | Japan | $ | Price bands use our site-wide ranges ($ under $5, $$ $5–20, $$$ $20–75, $$$$ over $75), per pencil. ![Grade scale from 12B to 10H with ranges: Mars Lumograph 12B–10H (24 grades), Hi-Uni 10B–10H (22), MONO 100 6B–9H (17), Castell 9000 8B–6H (16); Ticonderoga numbers 1 = B, 2 = HB, 2.5 = F, 3 = H, 4 = 2H; Faber-Castell numbers 1 = 2B, 2 = B, 2½ = HB, 3 = H, 4 = 2H](https://stationerytimes.com/images/pencil-grades-explained-scale.svg) *The grade scale, the ranges four makers sell, and two number scales that disagree about "No. 2".* ## What makes one grade harder than another? **The share of clay in the core: more clay makes it harder and paler, more graphite makes it softer and blacker.** STAEDTLER, Faber-Castell, Tombow and Mitsubishi Pencil all say so. Mitsubishi Pencil gives example recipes: HB is about 7 parts graphite to 3 parts clay, 10H about 4 to 6, and 10B about 9 to 1. Tombow gives its HB as 65% graphite and 35% clay. STAEDTLER says it presses and dries the mixed lead, bakes it at a very high temperature, then soaks it in wax to make it strong. Mechanical pencil leads are different: Mitsubishi Pencil says they use plastic instead of clay, and their hardness also depends on firing conditions. ## How does the US No. 2 relate to HB? **On the US scale used by Ticonderoga, No. 2 is HB.** Ticonderoga lists its Classic Yellow pencils as No. 1 B (Extra Soft), No. 2 HB (Soft), No. 2.5 F (Medium), No. 3 H (Hard) and No. 4 2H (Extra Hard), and says the No. 2 is the pencil schools request most often. Number scales aren't universal, though. Faber-Castell's German FAQ charts 1 = 2B, 2 = B, 2½ = HB, 3 = H and 4 = 2H, so a "No. 2" on that chart is a B, one step softer than Ticonderoga's. ## Why isn't every HB the same? **Because no international standard fixes the grades, so each maker defines its own.** Faber-Castell says the classification was never standardized internationally and still depends on the manufacturer. Japan is the exception with a national rule. Tombow explains that the JIS standard sets HB by how much light a written line reflects, 0.30 to 0.47, and only requires the other grades not to swap order around it. Lower reflectance means a darker line, and Tombow says it holds its own HB to 0.30–0.38, the darker part of that range. The published recipes differ too: Mitsubishi's HB is about 70% graphite and Tombow's 65%. Blackwing doesn't use letters at all; its Japanese store rates the firm 602 as roughly a B. ## Which pencil grade should you use? **For writing use HB, for drawing a spread of soft and hard grades, and for bubble-sheet tests a No. 2 (HB).** - **Writing:** STAEDTLER calls HB ideal for writing and lists 2B to 2H as its classic writing grades. Faber-Castell calls HB the ideal office pencil and B the school pencil. - **Drawing:** STAEDTLER suggests 9B–3B for drawing and 9H–3H for technical drawing. The usual 12-pencil Lumograph tin runs 6B to 4H. - **Standardized tests:** ACT says to bring sharpened No. 2 pencils with erasers and no mechanical pencils. Tombow sells an HB pencil for mark-sheet tests and explains that the scanner reads the dark, non-reflective mark. ## Do Japanese and European pencils use the same letters? **Yes, the letters are shared, but the ranges differ.** Tombow lists 17 grades from 6B to 9H for its MONO 100, while Mitsubishi Pencil sells the Hi-Uni in 22 grades from 10B to 10H. STAEDTLER sells the Mars Lumograph in 24 grades, from 12B to 10H. Faber-Castell's Castell 9000 has 16, from 8B to 6H. ## Frequently asked questions ### Is a No. 2 pencil the same as HB? On the US scale, yes. Ticonderoga labels its No. 2 as HB, its No. 1 as B and its No. 3 as H. Faber-Castell's German chart uses a different number scale, on which 2 is a B and HB is 2½. ### Is 2B darker than HB? Yes. B grades have more graphite and less clay than HB, so they are softer and leave a darker line. 2B is two steps softer than HB on the scale (HB, B, 2B). ### What does F mean on a pencil? F is the grade between HB and H. Mitsubishi Pencil and Tombow both say it stands for Firm; Faber-Castell says it may have stood for Firm or Fine Point. ### What do the letters H and B stand for? H stands for Hard and B for Black, per STAEDTLER, Faber-Castell, Tombow and Mitsubishi Pencil. STAEDTLER and Faber-Castell expand HB as Hard Black. ### Which pencil grade is best for writing? HB is the usual writing grade: STAEDTLER calls it ideal for writing, and Faber-Castell calls a medium HB the ideal office pencil. Faber-Castell names B as the school pencil grade. ### Which pencil should I use for the ACT or a bubble sheet? ACT's test-day page says to bring sharpened No. 2 pencils with erasers and no mechanical pencils. Tombow calls HB the right grade for mark-sheet tests, because the scanner reads the dark mark. ### Why is one brand's HB darker than another's? Faber-Castell says the grades were never standardized internationally, so each maker sets its own. Even makers' published HB recipes differ: Mitsubishi gives about 70% graphite, Tombow 65%. ### What is the softest pencil grade? Of the pencils here, the STAEDTLER Mars Lumograph goes softest, to 12B. Its hardest grade is 10H, which uni Hi-Uni also reaches. ## Sources - [STAEDTLER (UK): Pencils and accessories (B = Black, HB = Hard Black, H = Hard; clay-to-graphite ratio; 20 grades 9H–9B; writing grades 2B–2H)](https://www.staedtler.com/uk/en/products/pencils-and-accessories/) - [Faber-Castell (Germany): Q&A's Blei- und Buntstifte (Härtegrade; not internationally standardized; number chart 1 = 2B, 2 = B, 2½ = HB, 3 = H, 4 = 2H)](https://www.faber-castell.de/service/frequently-asked-questions/faq-pens-and-pencils) - [Tombow (Japan): 芯の硬度・濃度とは？ (6B–9H, 17 grades; HB 65% graphite, 35% clay; F = Firm)](https://www.tombow.com/mamechishiki/p16/) - [Tombow (Japan): 鉛筆の濃さってどういうこと？ (JIS HB reflectance 0.30–0.47; Tombow HB 0.30–0.38)](https://www.tombow.com/mamechishiki/p17/) - [Tombow (Japan): モノ マークシート用鉛筆 (HB, the grade suited to mark-sheet tests)](https://www.tombow.com/products/mono_mark_sheet/) - [Tombow (Japan): press release, MONO mark-sheet pencils (HB; how OMR scanners read marks), September 28, 2015](https://www.tombow.com/press/150928/) - [Mitsubishi Pencil (Japan): 芯の硬さの決まり方 (HB about 7:3 graphite to clay, 10H 4:6, 10B 9:1)](https://www.mpuni.co.jp/customer/pencil/qa_04.html) - [Mitsubishi Pencil (Japan): えんぴつのナゾを解く (H = Hard, B = Black, F = Firm; Hi-Uni 10H–10B, 22 grades; mechanical leads use plastic, not clay)](https://www.mpuni.co.jp/special/qa/mistery.html) - [Ticonderoga (Dixon): Pencils (Classic Yellow No. 1 B Extra Soft, No. 2 HB Soft, No. 2.5 F Medium, No. 3 H Hard, No. 4 2H Extra Hard)](https://weareticonderoga.com/products/pencils) - [Ticonderoga (Dixon): Pencil Makes Perfect (No. 2 is the pencil schools request most)](https://weareticonderoga.com/blog-activities/post/pencil-makes-perfect) - [ACT: What You Need to Know for Test Day (sharpened No. 2 pencils with erasers; no mechanical pencils)](https://www.act.org/content/act/en/products-and-services/the-act/test-day.html) - [Blackwing Japan: 602, 12-pack (Firm, roughly B)](https://www.blackwing602.jp/products/%EF%BE%8C%EF%BE%9E%EF%BE%97%EF%BD%AF%EF%BD%B8%EF%BD%B3%EF%BD%A8%EF%BE%9D%EF%BD%B8%EF%BE%9E-602) - [STAEDTLER (Germany): Mars Lumograph 100 drawing pencil](https://www.staedtler.com/de/de/produkte/bleistifte-und-zubehoer/bleistifte/mars-lumograph-100-zeichenbleistift-m100/) - [Mitsubishi Pencil (Japan): Hi-Uni](https://www.mpuni.co.jp/products/pencils/black/uni_series/hi_uni.html)