Faber-Castell Castell 9000: 16 Grades Since 1905

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 — The Castell 9000 at 17.3 cm, drawn to scale.

Product facts

Product: 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 range: $under $5 per pencil (multi-packs divided by the count)

Notes on these facts

Made by Faber-Castell AG, Stein, Germany. Made in 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. Price: example listing.
Price bands are typical US retail, checked October 2026.

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. 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 — 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 or the everyday Ticonderoga No. 2. Japan’s equivalent drawing pencil, with 17 grades from 6B to 9H, is the Tombow MONO 100. For color, Faber-Castell’s oil-based artist line is 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 (19)

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