--- title: "Pentel Super Hi-Polymer Lead: Sizes, Grades & Counts" canonical: "https://stationerytimes.com/guides/pentel-super-hi-polymer-lead/" description: "Pentel Super Hi-Polymer pencil lead explained: 0.2 to 1.3 mm sizes, 12- and 30-lead tubes, HB vs #2, grades from 4B to 6H, recycled tubes and where it's made." category: "Accessories" type: "Pencil lead" published: 2026-10-22 updated: 2026-10-22 author: "Ellis Penhale" publisher: "Stationery Times" sources: 9 products: - name: "Pentel Super Hi-Polymer mechanical pencil lead, 0.7 mm HB, 30-lead tube (C27-HB; 3-tube pack C27BPHB3-K6)" brand: "Pentel" brand_origin: "Japan" made_in: "Japan" material: "Graphite and polymer lead; tube of 100% recycled plastic (Pentel of America)" price_band: "$ (under $5 per item, typical US retail, October 2026)" manufacturer: "ASTRUM Corporation (Tokyo), called Pentel Co., Ltd. until April 1, 2026; Pentel remains the brand" model: "Super Hi-Polymer" mpn: "C27-HB" gtin: "072512031162" url: "https://www.pentel.com/products/super-hi-polymer-lead-0-7mm-30-pieces" --- # Pentel Super Hi-Polymer Lead: Sizes, Grades & Counts > Pentel Super Hi-Polymer is Pentel's everyday mechanical pencil lead and the best-selling lead refill on Amazon US. Pentel of America sells it from 0.2 to 1.3 mm, in tubes of 8 to 30 leads, with HB equal to a #2 pencil. Its catalog says the lead is made in Japan, in tubes of 100% recycled plastic. - URL: https://stationerytimes.com/guides/pentel-super-hi-polymer-lead/ - Category: Accessories - Author: Ellis Penhale - Published: 2026-10-22 - Updated: 2026-10-22 ![Pentel Super Hi-Polymer 0.7 mm lead refill tube with three loose leads beside pencil writing](https://stationerytimes.com/images/raster/pentel-super-hi-polymer-lead-16x9.png) *Leads drawn to scale at 60 mm; the tube is drawn by eye.* Original drawing (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) | |---|---|---|---|---|---|---| | Pentel Super Hi-Polymer mechanical pencil lead, 0.7 mm HB, 30-lead tube (C27-HB; 3-tube pack C27BPHB3-K6) | Pentel (by ASTRUM Corporation (Tokyo), called Pentel Co., Ltd. until April 1, 2026; Pentel remains the brand) | Japan | Japan | Graphite and polymer lead; tube of 100% recycled plastic (Pentel of America) | – | $: under $5 per item | - Made in (Pentel Super Hi-Polymer mechanical pencil lead, 0.7 mm HB, 30-lead tube (C27-HB; 3-tube pack C27BPHB3-K6)): Japan. Pentel of America's 2022 product catalog, on its lead refills page, says "Country of Origin: Lead made in Japan." It doesn't say where the tubes are made, and Amazon and Pentel's US store don't state a country. Source: https://pentel.mywestamerica.com/2022_Product_Catalog/92 ## Key takeaways - Pentel of America's 2022 catalog lists six sizes: 0.2, 0.3, 0.5, 0.7, 0.9 and 1.3 mm, from 8 leads (1.3 mm) to 30 leads per tube. - The 0.7 mm HB 3-tube pack (C27BPHB3-K6) ranked #1 in Mechanical Pencil Refills on Amazon US on October 22, 2026, with 23,722 ratings. - The 0.5 mm comes in the most grades: 4B to 6H, 12 hardnesses in all, per Pentel's catalog. - Retailers list each lead at 60 mm (2.4 in), the standard length, so it fits any pencil of the matching diameter. - Pentel's catalog says the lead is made in Japan; Pentel's Japanese site dates its first Hi-Polymer lead to 1960. ## What is Pentel Super Hi-Polymer lead? **It's Pentel's standard refill lead for mechanical pencils, sold in the US in tubes of 8 to 30 leads.** Pentel calls it "the world's #1 selling lead refills", a maker claim; on Amazon US, its 0.7 mm HB 3-tube pack was #1 in Mechanical Pencil Refills when we checked on October 22, 2026, with 4.8 stars from 23,722 ratings. It's the lead many Pentel pencils ship with, including the [Pentel Quicker Clicker](https://stationerytimes.com/guides/pentel-quicker-clicker/) and [Twist-Erase III](https://stationerytimes.com/guides/pentel-twist-erase-iii/). Pentel of America's product page says the HB grade equals a #2 wood pencil and is guaranteed to scan on test forms. Pentel launched its first Hi-Polymer lead in 1960, as our [Pentel history](https://stationerytimes.com/stories/pentel-history/) explains. ## Which sizes and tube counts are there? **Six diameters, from 0.2 to 1.3 mm, in 12-lead tubes plus 30-lead tubes for the three common sizes.** The counts below are from Pentel of America's 2022 catalog. ![Pentel Super Hi-Polymer lead diameters from 0.2 to 1.3 mm drawn to scale, with leads per tube](https://stationerytimes.com/images/pentel-super-hi-polymer-lead-sizes.svg) *Lead diameters at 1 mm = 40 px, with leads per tube from Pentel's catalog.* | Size | Small tube | Large tube | Grades (Pentel of America) | |---|---|---|---| | 0.2 mm | C502, 12 leads | – | HB, B | | 0.3 mm | 300, 12 leads | – | 4H, 3H, 2H, H, HB, B | | 0.5 mm | C505, 12 leads | C25, 30 leads (HB) | 6H to 4B, plus F (12 grades) | | 0.7 mm | 50, 12 leads | C27, 30 leads (HB) | 4H to 2B, plus F | | 0.9 mm | 50-9, 15 leads | C29, 30 leads (HB) | 2H, H, HB, B, 2B | | 1.3 mm | CH13, 8 leads | – | HB, B | | Lead length | 60 mm (2.4 in), per retailer listings | | | | Tube | 100% recycled plastic | | | | Made in | Japan (lead), per Pentel of America | | | | Price band | $ (under $5 a tube) | | | On Amazon the big packs are the best sellers: C27BPHB3-K6 (three 30-lead 0.7 mm HB tubes, 90 leads) and C25BPHB3-K6 for 0.5 mm. Pentel of America's catalog listed MSRPs from US$1.25 for a 12-lead tube to US$2.50 for a 30-lead tube in 2022. ## Which lead size and grade should you buy? **Match the size printed on your pencil first, then pick HB for everyday writing or B and 2B for a darker, softer line.** A 0.5 mm lead in a 0.7 mm pencil will slip, and a 0.7 mm lead won't fit a 0.5 mm pencil at all. - **0.5 mm** suits small handwriting and comes in the most grades. - **0.7 mm** breaks less under pressure and suits students and standardized tests. - **0.9 mm and 1.3 mm** are for heavy hands, sketching and young writers. - **0.2 and 0.3 mm** are for fine-lead pencils such as the [Pentel Orenz](https://stationerytimes.com/guides/pentel-orenz/). Our [pencil grades guide](https://stationerytimes.com/guides/pencil-grades-explained/) explains what H, F, HB and B mean. As a rule, harder H grades write lighter and stay sharp longer; B grades write darker but smudge more. ## How does it compare with Ain Stein and Nano Dia? **Super Hi-Polymer is the cheaper everyday lead; [Pentel Ain Stein](https://stationerytimes.com/guides/pentel-ain-stein-lead/) and [uni Nano Dia](https://stationerytimes.com/guides/uni-nano-dia-lead/) are the premium leads people move up to.** Both premium leads come in tubes of up to 40 leads and claim extra strength. | Lead | Maker | Tube (0.5 mm HB) | Positioning | |---|---|---|---| | Super Hi-Polymer | Pentel | 12 (C505) or 30 (C25) | Everyday, sold in multi-packs | | Ain Stein | Pentel | 40 (C275) | Premium, ceramic cell structure | | Nano Dia | Mitsubishi Pencil (uni) | 40 | Premium, nano-diamond additive | Pentel's catalog claims 617 feet of writing per inch of Super Hi-Polymer lead. We haven't measured it, and no maker publishes a like-for-like figure for its rivals. ## Is Super Hi-Polymer sold in Japan? **Not under that name: Pentel's Japanese site lists a "Hi-Polymer" lead (ハイポリマー芯) in 0.5 mm only, alongside its premium Pentel Ain.** Pentel Japan says it launched the world's first lead blended with synthetic resin in 1960, a 0.9 mm Hi-Polymer lead, which made one-handed click pencils practical. Today Pentel Japan sells the 0.5 mm Hi-Polymer in HB (C100-HBD, JAN 4902506320544) and B (C100-BD), 16 leads a tube, for ¥110 (about US$0.70) with tax. Pentel doesn't say whether this is the same formula as the US Super Hi-Polymer, so treat them as related lines. ## Where is Pentel Super Hi-Polymer lead made? **In Japan, according to the lead refills page of Pentel of America's 2022 product catalog.** The catalog doesn't name a country for the tubes, and Pentel's US store and Amazon don't state one. Pentel, the brand, belongs to ASTRUM Corporation of Tokyo, called Pentel Co., Ltd. until April 1, 2026. ## Frequently asked questions ### Is HB lead the same as a #2 pencil? Pentel says yes: its HB Super Hi-Polymer lead is equivalent to a #2 wood pencil and is guaranteed to scan on machine-read answer sheets. ### How many leads come in a tube of Pentel Super Hi-Polymer? It depends on the item. Pentel of America lists 12 leads in the 0.2, 0.3, 0.5 and 0.7 mm tubes, 15 in the 0.9 mm, 8 in the 1.3 mm, and 30 in the larger C25, C27 and C29 tubes. ### Will Pentel lead fit a non-Pentel mechanical pencil? Yes, if the diameter matches. Retailers list the leads at the standard 60 mm (2.4 in) length, so a 0.7 mm lead fits any 0.7 mm pencil. ### What is the difference between C505 and C25 Pentel lead? Both are 0.5 mm Super Hi-Polymer. C505 is the 12-lead tube sold in many grades; C25 is the 30-lead tube, listed only in HB. ### Is Super Hi-Polymer the same as Pentel Ain? No. Ain is Pentel's newer premium lead in Japan, which replaced Ain Stein there in 2023; Super Hi-Polymer is the everyday lead Pentel of America sells in multi-packs. ### Is Pentel lead made in the USA? No. Pentel of America's 2022 catalog says the lead is made in Japan. ### Are Pentel lead tubes recyclable or recycled? Pentel of America says the Super Hi-Polymer tubes are made of 100% recycled plastic, as part of its Recycology line; its catalog says the red and blue color-lead tubes are 88% recycled. ## Sources - [ハイポリマー芯 (Pentel Japan: Hi-Polymer lead, first synthetic-resin lead in 1960, 0.5 mm, 16 leads, C100-HBD and C100-BD, ¥110, JAN codes)](https://www.pentel.co.jp/products/mechanicalpencil/lead_hipolymer/) - [Pentel Ain | ぺんてる (Pentel Japan: the premium Ain lead)](https://www.pentel.co.jp/products/mechanicalpencil/lead_pentel_ain/) - [Pentel of America 2022 product catalog, lead refills (sizes, leads per tube, MSRP, 100% recycled tubes, lead made in Japan)](https://pentel.mywestamerica.com/2022_Product_Catalog/92) - [Pentel of America 2022 product catalog, Super Hi-Polymer item list (grades by size, pack codes)](https://pentel.mywestamerica.com/2022_Product_Catalog/93) - [Pentel of America: Super Hi-Polymer Lead, 0.7 mm, 30 pieces (C27-HB; HB = #2, 100% recycled tube)](https://www.pentel.com/products/super-hi-polymer-lead-0-7mm-30-pieces) - [Amazon US: Pentel C27BPHB3K6 Super Hi-Polymer lead, 0.7 mm HB, 3 tubes (rank, ratings, UPC 072512076378), read October 22, 2026](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0016P2A5G) - [Amazon US Best Sellers: Mechanical Pencil Refills, read October 22, 2026](https://www.amazon.com/Best-Sellers-Office-Products-Mechanical-Pencil-Refills/zgbs/office-products/1069814) - [Newegg: Pentel C505-HB Super Hi-Polymer lead (60 mm lead length)](https://www.newegg.com/pentel-c505-hb-markers/p/N82E16848001369) - [企業情報 | アストラム株式会社 (ASTRUM company profile: renamed from Pentel Co., Ltd. on April 1, 2026)](https://www.astrum-st.com/company/)