Best pencils: picks & comparisons
Best pencils: picks & comparisonsOur best-of roundups and head-to-head comparisons of pencils, each with a direct answer and sourced specs. 10 Stationery Times guides, each with a direct answer and sourced specs.
Pencil Grades Explained: HB, 2B, F & What No. 2 Means
Pencil grades explained: H means hard, B black and F firm, from 12B to 10H. A US No. 2 pencil is an HB; 2B is two steps softer. Each maker sets its own scale.
Best Mechanical Pencil: 9 Picks, 0.2 to 0.9 mm
Which mechanical pencil is best? The GraphGear 1000 overall, plus picks for writing, drafting, comfort, unbreakable lead, premium and budget, by lead size.
Best Mechanical Pencils for Drawing: 6 Picks by Line
The best mechanical pencils for drawing: Graph 1000 for Pro, rOtring 600, Orenz, Kuru Toga, Sharp P205 and GraphGear 1000, with lead sizes and grades.
Best Lead Holders & 2 mm Clutch Pencils for Writing
Best lead holders and 2 mm clutch pencils on published specs: Staedtler Mars Technico 780, OHTO Wooden 2.0 and Kaweco Special 2.0, with sizes and prices.
Best Wooden Pencils for Writing: Blackwing to Hi-Uni
Best wooden pencils for writing on published specs: Blackwing 602, Pearl and Matte, uni 9800, Hi-Uni, Ticonderoga No. 2 and Derwent Graphic, with grades.
Best Colored Pencils for Beginners: 5 Picks Compared
The best colored pencils for beginners: Faber-Castell Black Edition, Prismacolor Premier, Tombow Irojiten, KOH-I-NOOR Progresso and Albrecht Dürer.
Prismacolor vs Polychromos: Wax or Oil Colored Pencils
Prismacolor Premier vs Faber-Castell Polychromos: wax vs oil cores, softness, blending, lightfastness, colors, breakage, set sizes, price and origin.
Uni Kuru Toga vs Pentel Orenz: Rotation vs Sleeve
Uni Kuru Toga vs Pentel Orenz compared: rotating lead vs sliding sleeve, lead sizes, breakage, line width, Kuru Toga DIVE vs Orenz Nero, and which to buy.
Best Drawing Pencils: Lumograph, MONO & More
The best graphite pencils for sketching, by use: STAEDTLER Mars Lumograph, Tombow MONO 100, uni Hi-Uni, Castell 9000, Derwent Graphic, Kimberly and Blackwing.
Best Colored Pencils: Polychromos to Luminance
The best colored pencils by use: Faber-Castell Polychromos, Prismacolor Premier, Caran d'Ache Luminance, Goldfaber, Albrecht Dürer and Holbein compared.