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Quick answer
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.
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Leads drawn to scale at 60 mm; the tube is drawn by eye.
Product facts
Product
Pentel Super Hi-Polymer mechanical pencil lead, 0.7 mm HB, 30-lead tube (C27-HB; 3-tube pack C27BPHB3-K6)
Graphite and polymer lead; tube of 100% recycled plastic (Pentel of America)
Price range
$under $5 per item
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Notes on these facts
Made by ASTRUM Corporation (Tokyo), called Pentel Co., Ltd. until April 1, 2026; Pentel remains the brand. Made in 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. Price: example listing.
Price bands are typical US retail, checked October 2026. Conversions to US dollars are approximate, at October 2026 rates (US$1 = ¥158 = ₩1,330 = NT$32.5 = CN¥6.7 = SEK 9.9 = DKK 6.7 = ₺49.6 = C$1.41 = A$1.43 = CZK 21.7; €1 = US$1.12; £1 = US$1.32; CHF 1 = US$1.21).
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 and 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 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.
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.
Our pencil grades guide 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 and uni Nano Dia 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.
