Ticonderoga #2 HB Pencil: Grade, Size & Eraser

Yellow hexagonal Ticonderoga #2 HB pencil drawn to scale at 190 mm (7.5 in) long, with its green-and-yellow ferrule, eraser and sharpened point; inset: #2 HB graphite, 2.2 mm core — The Ticonderoga #2 at its listed 190 mm, drawn to scale.

Product facts

Product: Ticonderoga #2 HB Wood-Cased Pencil, Yellow (13806, 13830, 13924, 13882)
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 range: $under $5 per pencil (multi-packs divided by the count)

Notes on these facts

Made by Dixon Ticonderoga Company (USA), part of F.I.L.A. Group (Italy). Made in 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. Price: example listing.
Price bands are typical US retail, checked October 2026.

Key takeaways

On the US number scale, #2 corresponds to HB, the middle grade between #1 (B, softer) and #3 (H, harder).
Dixon's 2025 catalog gives a 9/32 in (about 7.1 mm) diameter, and Target lists an overall length of 7.5 in (190 mm).
Quill lists the graphite core of the pre-sharpened 12-pack (13806) and 30-pack (13830) at 2.2 mm.
The yellow Ticonderoga #2 has been sold since 1913; Italy's F.I.L.A. Group has owned Dixon Ticonderoga since February 2005.
Stop & Shop and Giant list China as the origin of the 24-count and 18-count packs; a few 12-count listings say Mexico.

What is the Ticonderoga #2 pencil?

The Ticonderoga #2 is a yellow, hexagonal, wood-cased graphite pencil with a latex-free eraser, made by the Dixon Ticonderoga Company. Ticonderoga’s own history page dates the yellow #2 to 1913. The name comes from graphite found near Ticonderoga, New York, where Dixon bought the American Graphite Company in 1873.

The brand is American, but its owner is not: Italy’s F.I.L.A. Group completed a cash tender offer for Dixon in February 2005, with about 93.5% of shares tendered, according to the SEC filing.

Ticonderoga #2 HB specs

Spec	Value
Maker	Dixon Ticonderoga Company (USA), part of F.I.L.A. Group (Italy)
Grade	#2 / HB
Core	Graphite, 2.2 mm (per Quill)
Length	7.5 in / 190 mm, unsharpened (per Target and other retailers)
Barrel	Hexagonal wood, golden yellow lacquer; 9/32 in (7.1 mm) diameter (Dixon catalog)
Eraser	Glued into a green and gold ferrule (Ticonderoga); latex-free (packaging copy)
Safety	PMA certified (maker claim)
Pre-sharpened packs	12 (X13806, UPC 072067138064) · 18 (X13818) · 30 (X13830) · 72, 240, 480, 1,000
Unsharpened packs	12 (X13812) · 24 (X13924) · 48 (X13922) · 72 (X33904) · 96 (X13872)
Introduced	1913
Made in	China for most US packs listed; Mexico for some

Diameter and item numbers come from Ticonderoga’s product pages and Dixon’s 2025 catalog, which also lists a Classic Yellow 12-count, X13882. Ticonderoga gives the length only as standard, so the 7.5 in figure is Target’s and the core size is Quill’s.

Ticonderoga #2 HB pencil drawn to scale: 7.5 inches (190 mm) long, about 7.1 mm across, with a 2.2 mm graphite core; #2 equals HB on the grade scale between #1 (B) and #3 (H) — A standard #2 barrel is about 27 times longer than it is wide.

What does #2 HB mean?

#2 is the US name for the HB grade, the middle of the scale between soft, dark leads and hard, light ones. The common mapping is #1 = B, #2 = HB, #2½ = F, #3 = H and #4 = 2H.

The equivalence is approximate. No industry standard fixes how dark a #2 must be, so a Ticonderoga #2 and a store-brand #2 can lay down different lines. If you want darker, softer writing, Ticonderoga also sells a #1 (B) yellow pencil, item 13881.

What is the eraser made of?

Ticonderoga says the eraser is securely glued into its green and gold ferrule, and packaging copy quoted by Stop & Shop calls it latex-free. That matters for classrooms with latex allergies. Ticonderoga’s product pages also call the pencils PMA certified.

The maker’s copy also credits an “exclusive #2 graphite formula” and wood “harvested from responsibly managed forests”. Ticonderoga doesn’t publish the formula or name the wood species in the sources we found.

Pre-sharpened or unsharpened: which should you buy?

Buy pre-sharpened for a quick start and unsharpened if you own a good sharpener and want the full 7.5 in length. The pencils are otherwise the same.

Pre-sharpened (X13806, X13830): ready for tests and first-day supply lists.
Unsharpened (X13812, X13924): a flat end and a little more pencil before the first sharpening.
Black barrel (X13953): the same #2 grade in a black finish, per Dixon’s catalog.

For a refillable alternative with a fixed line width, see the uni Kuru Toga mechanical pencil. For a softer, darker wood-cased pencil at a higher price, see the Blackwing 602. For a round, matte black #2 HB in the same $ band, see the Paper Mate Mirado Black Warrior.

Why is the Ticonderoga pencil yellow?

Ticonderoga says the yellow No. 2 arrived in 1913, but its history page doesn’t explain why yellow was chosen. The ferrule changed more than the paint did. Ticonderoga says it began as brass, switched to green plastic during World War II metal rationing, and kept the green color scheme on a metal ferrule after the war.

Is Ticonderoga better than a generic #2 pencil?

Ticonderoga documents more than most generic packs do: a glued eraser, PMA certification and a 9/32 in hexagonal barrel. Whether it writes smoother is a matter of reviews and our own testing, which we haven’t done yet. The best-known German alternative is the yellow-and-black Staedtler Noris, which has no eraser.

It fits the same standard sharpeners and pencil cases as any #2, including the EASTHILL pencil case and the KOKUYO Neo Critz.

Where are Ticonderoga pencils made?

Most current US listings give China as the country of origin for the yellow Ticonderoga #2, and a few 12-count listings have said Mexico. Stop & Shop and Giant list China for the 24-count and 18-count packs, and a distributor listed China for the 30-count 13830. Monk Office listed Mexico for the 12-count 13882 when we first checked.

They used to be American-made. Dixon’s 2003 annual report said Ticonderoga pencils were made in Versailles, Missouri, while crayons had moved to its Mexican subsidiary, Grupo Dixon. Wikipedia reports that F.I.L.A. announced the Versailles closure after the 2005 purchase.

Today F.I.L.A.’s Italian site lists Dixon production sites in Appleton, Wisconsin, where Ticonderoga says Dixon moved its headquarters in 2019, and in Tultitlán, Mexico.

Because origin varies by pack, check the “Made in” line on the box you buy.

Frequently asked questions

Is a #2 pencil the same as an HB pencil?

Yes, in practice. The US number system maps #2 to HB on the European letter scale, with #1 as B and #3 as H. There is no shared industry standard for darkness, so one brand's #2 can write a little differently from another's.

Are Ticonderoga erasers latex-free?

Packaging copy reproduced by Stop & Shop describes the eraser as latex-free, and Ticonderoga's own product pages call the pencils PMA certified. The maker's pages don't repeat the latex-free claim, so check the box if an allergy matters.

How long is a Ticonderoga #2 pencil?

Target lists an overall length of 7.5 inches, about 190 mm; Ticonderoga's own pages only say standard length. Dixon's catalog gives the diameter as 9/32 inch, roughly 7.1 mm.

Are Ticonderoga pencils still made in the USA?

Not as a rule. Dixon's SEC filings show Ticonderoga pencils being made in Versailles, Missouri in the early 2000s, but that plant closed after F.I.L.A. bought the company in 2005. Current US grocery listings give China, some 12-count listings have given Mexico, and the box states the origin.

What is the difference between pre-sharpened and unsharpened Ticonderoga pencils?

Only the point. Pre-sharpened packs, such as the 12-count X13806 and 30-count X13830, arrive ready to write, while unsharpened packs such as the 24-count X13924 have flat ends and come out slightly longer before first use.

Why are Ticonderoga pencils yellow?

Ticonderoga's own history says the yellow No. 2 was introduced in 1913 but doesn't explain why yellow was chosen. It does say the ferrule began as brass, turned green plastic during World War II metal rationing, and kept the green color on metal after the war.

Who owns Ticonderoga?

Ticonderoga is a brand of the Dixon Ticonderoga Company, which the Italian F.I.L.A. Group bought through a cash tender offer completed in February 2005. The brand is still American, but its parent company is Italian.

Is Ticonderoga better than a generic #2 pencil?

It is the better-documented one. Ticonderoga specifies a glued-in eraser and PMA certification, and its packaging copy calls the eraser latex-free, which many no-name packs don't state, but we have not run our own side-by-side test.

Sources (25)

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