--- title: "Faber-Castell Castell 9000: 16 Grades Since 1905" canonical: "https://stationerytimes.com/guides/faber-castell-9000/" description: "Faber-Castell Castell 9000 graphite pencil explained: 16 grades from 8B to 6H, SV bonding, 17.3 cm size, sets, its 1905 launch, and where it's made." category: "Pencils" type: "Wood pencil" published: 2026-10-20 updated: 2026-10-20 author: "Ellis Penhale" publisher: "Stationery Times" sources: 19 products: - 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" --- # Faber-Castell Castell 9000: 16 Grades Since 1905 > The Faber-Castell Castell 9000 is a wood-cased graphite pencil for drawing, drafting and writing, launched in 1905 and sold today in 16 grades, 8B to 6H on Faber-Castell's German site. Faber-Castell says the lead is bonded to the wood for break resistance. JetPens lists it at 17.3 cm long; it is made in Germany. - URL: https://stationerytimes.com/guides/faber-castell-9000/ - Category: Pencils - Author: Ellis Penhale - Published: 2026-10-20 - Updated: 2026-10-20 ![Dark green hexagonal Faber-Castell Castell 9000 pencil drawn to scale at 17.3 cm (6.8 in) long; inset: 16 grades from 8B to 6H](https://stationerytimes.com/images/raster/faber-castell-9000-16x9.png) *The Castell 9000 at 17.3 cm, drawn to scale.* Original drawing (SVG): https://stationerytimes.com/images/faber-castell-9000-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) | |---|---|---|---|---|---|---| | 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 (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 - Faber-Castell's German site lists the Castell 9000 in 16 degrees of hardness, from 8B (softest) to 6H (hardest). - Faber-Castell credits Alexander Graf von Faber-Castell with putting the 9000 on the market in 1905, more than 120 years ago. - JetPens lists the 8B at 17.3 cm (6.8 in) long, 7.5 mm across at its widest and about 5 g. - A common art set holds 12 pencils from 8B to 2H, 12 of the 16 grades. - Boxes of 12 HB pencils at three US retailers put the 9000 in our $ band, under $5 a pencil. ## What is the Faber-Castell Castell 9000? **The Castell 9000 is Faber-Castell's classic wood-cased graphite pencil, sold one grade at a time and in sets for drawing, drafting and writing.** Faber-Castell, based in Stein near Nuremberg, Germany, says Alexander Graf von Faber-Castell put it on the market in 1905. It is one of two German pencils that art shops stock grade by grade, alongside the [Staedtler Mars Lumograph](https://stationerytimes.com/guides/staedtler-mars-lumograph/). An August 2026 roundup of drawing pencil sets named it its Editor's Choice, though such lists earn affiliate commissions. ## Faber-Castell 9000 specs | Spec | Value | |---|---| | Maker | Faber-Castell AG, Stein, Germany | | Grades | 16: 8B to B, HB, F, H to 6H | | Lead | Fully bonded to the wood ("Spezialverleimung SV") for break resistance (Faber-Castell) | | Article number | 119012 for the 2H (EAN 4005401190127); 119000 for the HB box of 12 | | Length | 17.3 cm (6.8 in) per JetPens; 17.5 cm per Digitec | | Diameter | 7.5 mm at widest (JetPens) | | Shape | Hexagonal (JetPens) | | Weight | About 5 g (JetPens, 8B) | | Finish | Water-based varnish (Faber-Castell, Digitec) | | Eraser | None | | Made in | Germany | The grades, launch year, bonding and finish come from Faber-Castell's German site; size, shape and weight from JetPens. Faber-Castell doesn't publish a length. ## What grades does the Castell 9000 come in? **Faber-Castell says the 9000 comes in 16 degrees of hardness, which retailers list as 8B to 6H.** That covers 8 B grades, HB, F and 6 H grades. ![Faber-Castell Castell 9000 at 17.3 cm long drawn to scale, and its 16 grades from 8B to 6H, with the 12-pencil art set covering 8B to 2H](https://stationerytimes.com/images/faber-castell-9000-grades.svg) *The 12-pencil art set covers 8B to 2H; the four hardest grades, 3H to 6H, are sold separately.* Faber-Castell's German product page lists every grade from 8B to 6H in its grade picker, and Cowling & Wilcox gives the same span. | Range | Grades | Count | Typical use | |---|---|---|---| | Soft (B) | 8B, 7B, 6B, 5B, 4B, 3B, 2B, B | 8 | Shading and sketching | | Middle | HB, F | 2 | Writing | | Hard (H) | H, 2H, 3H, 4H, 5H, 6H | 6 | Drafting, light precise lines | The 12-pencil art set takes all eight B grades, HB, F, H and 2H, which is why it suits drawing better than drafting. JetPens and other shops also sell single grades such as the B and 8B, so you can fill gaps in a set one pencil at a time. ## What is SV bonding? **SV bonding is Faber-Castell's process for gluing the lead to the wooden case, and the company says it makes the lead more break-resistant.** Faber-Castell's German site calls it "Spezialverleimung SV" (special gluing), and DeSerres and Staples repeat the claim. We haven't tested drop or sharpening breakage ourselves. ## Which Castell 9000 set should you buy? **For drawing, the tin of 12 from 8B to 2H is the usual starting point; for writing or drafting, buy single grades.** - **Shading and sketching:** the 12-pencil art set (8B to 2H), or a smaller set of soft grades. - **Writing:** HB or B, sold in boxes of 12. - **Drafting:** H to 4H for light, precise lines; the 9000 tops out at 6H. Smaller tins of 6 also exist, and the grade mix varies by country, so check the list on the tin before buying. ## How does the Castell 9000 compare to the Staedtler Lumograph? **The two are close in size and use; the main difference is range, with the Lumograph adding grades at both ends.** | | Castell 9000 | Mars Lumograph 100 | Blackwing 602 | |---|---|---|---| | Grades | 16 (8B–6H) | 24 (12B–10H) | 1 (firm) | | Length | 17.3 cm | 17.5 cm | 20.5 cm | | Eraser | No | No | Yes, replaceable | | Made in | Germany | Germany | Japan | If you write more than you draw and want an eraser, compare the [Blackwing 602](https://stationerytimes.com/guides/blackwing-602/) or the everyday [Ticonderoga No. 2](https://stationerytimes.com/guides/ticonderoga-2-pencil/). Japan's equivalent drawing pencil, with 17 grades from 6B to 9H, is the [Tombow MONO 100](https://stationerytimes.com/guides/tombow-mono-100/). For color, Faber-Castell's oil-based artist line is [Polychromos](https://stationerytimes.com/guides/faber-castell-polychromos/). ## Where is the Faber-Castell 9000 made? **Faber-Castell Singapore lists the Castell 9000 as "Made in Germany".** The German retailer office-partner.de agrees for the HB box of 12. Faber-Castell's German site says almost all writing instruments from its main plant in Stein use its water-based lacquer, but the pages we found don't name the factory for each grade. ## Frequently asked questions ### How many grades does the Faber-Castell 9000 come in? Faber-Castell says 16 degrees of hardness, and its German site lists them as 8B, 7B, 6B, 5B, 4B, 3B, 2B, B, HB, F and H through 6H. ### When was the Faber-Castell 9000 introduced? Faber-Castell says Alexander Graf von Faber-Castell put the Castell 9000 on the market in 1905. ### What is SV bonding on the Faber-Castell 9000? SV (Spezialverleimung, special gluing) is Faber-Castell's name for bonding the lead fully to the wooden case. Faber-Castell's German site says it makes the lead break-resistant, and DeSerres repeats the claim. ### Faber-Castell 9000 or Staedtler Mars Lumograph? Both are German drawing pencils sold one grade at a time. The Lumograph has 24 grades from 12B to 10H; the 9000 has 16, from 8B to 6H, so it covers the everyday range but not the extremes. ### Does the Faber-Castell 9000 have an eraser? The standard Castell 9000 drawing pencil does not have an eraser on the end. Use a separate eraser. ### How long is a Faber-Castell 9000 pencil? JetPens lists 17.3 cm (6.8 in), and Digitec lists 17.5 cm. The difference is probably how each shop measures. ### Where is the Faber-Castell 9000 made? Faber-Castell Singapore lists it as made in Germany, and German retailer office-partner.de agrees. Faber-Castell's main plant is in Stein, near Nuremberg. ## Sources - [Faber-Castell (Germany): Castell 9000 Bleistift, 2H (pencil: article 119012, EAN 4005401190127, 16 grades 8B–6H, launched 1905, SV bonding, water-based lacquer)](https://www.faber-castell.de/produkte/BleistiftCastell90002H/119012) - [Faber-Castell: Pencil Castell 9000 2H (16 degrees of hardness)](https://faber-castell.com/products/PencilCastell90002H/117112) - [Faber-Castell Canada: Castell 9000 (launched 1905 by Alexander Graf von Faber-Castell)](https://faber-castell.ca/products/castell-9000) - [Faber-Castell Singapore: Castell 9000 tin of 6 (Made in Germany, water-based varnish)](https://www.faber-castell.com.sg/6-pieces-castell-9000-graphite-pencil-in-tin-id) - [JetPens: Faber-Castell 9000 graphite pencil, 8B (length, diameter, weight)](https://www.jetpens.com/Faber-Castell-9000-Graphite-Pencil-8B/pd/18407) - [JetPens: Faber-Castell 9000 graphite pencil, B](https://www.jetpens.com/Faber-Castell-9000-Graphite-Pencil-B/pd/18400) - [Digitec: Faber-Castell Castell 9000, 4B (country of origin Germany)](https://www.digitec.ch/en/s1/product/faber-castell-pencil-castell-9000-4b-1x-pencil-5610105) - [Digitec: Faber-Castell Castell 9000, 2H (bonded lead, water-based varnish)](https://www.digitec.ch/en/s1/product/faber-castell-pencil-castell-9000-2h-1x-pencil-5610112) - [office-partner.de: Faber-Castell Bleistift Castell 9000 HB, 12 Stück (pencils, box of 12: maker number 119000, hexagonal, Made in Germany)](https://www.office-partner.de/bleistift-castell-9000hb-12st-n1000046412) - [Carl Roth: Pencil Castell 9000 (break-resistant bonding, Made in Germany)](https://www.carlroth.com/com/en/laboratory-note-books-office-utensils/pencil-castell-9000/p/1t4t.1) - [Cowling & Wilcox: Faber-Castell single 9000 pencils (16 grades, 8B to 6H)](https://www.cowlingandwilcox.com/graphite-pencils/30786-faber-castell-single-9000-pencils) - [DeSerres: Castell 9000 graphite pencil F (SV bonding)](https://www.deserres.ca/products/castell-9000-graphite-pencil-f) - [Staples: Faber-Castell 9000 graphite sketch pencil set, 8B–HB (SV bonding)](https://www.staples.com/Faber-Castell-9000-Graphite-Sketch-Pencil-Sets-Art-8B-HB-set-of-6/product_1722339) - [University shop listing: Faber-Castell 9000 set of 12, 8B to 2H, in metal tin](https://www.aspire.hud.ac.uk/product/JACK-GP9SET/faber-castell-series-9000-pencils-set-of-12-8b-to-2h-in-metal-tin-the-end) - [Goldspot: Faber-Castell 9000 graphite pencil HB, box of 12](https://goldspot.com/products/faber-castell-9000-graphite-pencil-hb-box-of-12) - [Jerry's Artarama: Faber-Castell 9000 graphite pencil HB, box of 12](https://www.jerrysartarama.com/faber-castell-9000-graphite-pencil-hb-box-of-12-v11242) - [Walmart: Faber-Castell pencils (9000 HB box of 12)](https://www.walmart.com/browse/office-supplies/shop-art-pencils/faber-castell/black/1229749_9412206_5658522/YnJhbmQ6RmFiiZXItQ2FzdGVsbHx8Y29sb3I6QmxhY2sie) - [Cleveland Heart: 8 Best Drawing Pencil Sets for Artists (August 2026)](https://www.clevelandheart.com/?p=54794) - [Staedtler: Mars Lumograph 100 (for comparison)](https://www.staedtler.com/intl/en/products/pencils-and-accessories/graphite-pencils/mars-lumograph-100-drawing-pencil-m100/)