Pencils guides
Pencils guidesWooden and mechanical pencils, leads and erasers: graphite grades, lead sizes, mechanisms and which to choose.
Faber-Castell Grip 2001: The Dotted Triangle Pencil
Faber-Castell Grip 2001 graphite pencil explained: triangular barrel, patented grip dots, 175 mm length, five grades from 2H to 2B, eraser version and origin.
Pilot S20: The Birch-Barrel Drafting Pencil
Pilot S20 wooden mechanical pencil explained: 145.6 mm length, 18 g, resin-impregnated birch barrel, 0.3 and 0.5 mm, colors, price and where it's made.
Tombow 8900: Japan's Olive Green Pencil Since 1945
Tombow 8900 pencil explained: six grades from 2H to 2B, the olive green hex barrel, the yellow dozen box, its 1945 origin, price and where it's made.
Tombow MONO Graph: The Shaker Pencil With an Eraser
Tombow MONO Graph shaker mechanical pencil explained: shake-to-advance lead, clip lock, twist-out MONO eraser, 147 mm size, 4 mm sleeve, refills and variants.
Blackwing Matte: The Soft, Dark Blackwing Pencil
Blackwing Matte pencil explained: Blackwing's softest graphite, matte black finish, gold ferrule and black eraser, 20.5 cm size, and how it compares to the 602.
Pentel Smash: The 1987 Drafting Pencil With a Grip
Pentel Smash Q1005 mechanical pencil explained: rubber-block metal grip, 4 mm sleeve, 0.3 and 0.5 mm, 139 mm and 12–13 g, limited colors, and how it compares.
rOtring 800: The Retractable All-Metal Drafting Pencil
rOtring 800 mechanical pencil explained: the twist-and-click retracting 4 mm sleeve, 0.5 and 0.7 mm models, size and weight, how it compares to the rOtring 600.
Faber-Castell Polychromos: Oil-Based Artist Pencils
Faber-Castell Polychromos colored pencils explained: 3.8 mm oil-based core, 120 colors, lightfastness stars, set sizes, Polychromos vs Prismacolor and origin.
Pentel Graph 1000 for Pro: The Light Drafting Pencil
Pentel Graph 1000 for Pro drafting pencil explained: the PG1005 from 1986, 0.3 to 0.9 mm models, 4 mm sleeve, 11 g weight, vs the GraphGear 1000, and origin.
Prismacolor Premier: Soft-Core Colored Pencils
Prismacolor Premier soft-core colored pencils explained: the wax-based core, 150 colors, set sizes from 12 to 150, Premier vs Verithin, and where they're made.
Pentel Quicker Clicker: The Side-Button Mechanical Pencil
Pentel Quicker Clicker mechanical pencil explained: the side button that feeds lead, PD345, PD347 and PD349 lead sizes, 5.7 in size, eraser and origin.
Pentel Sharp Kerry: The Capped Pocket Pencil Since 1971
Pentel Sharp Kerry mechanical pencil explained: the capped 0.5 mm P1035 from 1971, how the posted cap clicks the lead, 12.4 cm size, eraser and origin.
Staedtler Noris 120: The Yellow-and-Black HB Pencil
Staedtler Noris 120 pencil explained: the yellow-and-black HB pencil, its five grades, 2 mm core, red cap, Noris vs Norica, eraser version and origin.
Paper Mate Mirado Black Warrior: Matte Black #2 HB
Paper Mate Mirado Black Warrior explained: HB #2 graphite, 2.2 mm core, round matte black cedar barrel, latex-free eraser, its history and where it's made.
Pentel Orenz: The Sliding-Sleeve Pencil, 0.2–0.7 mm
Pentel Orenz mechanical pencil explained: how its sliding sleeve protects 0.2 mm lead, US models PP502 to PP507, 145 mm length, 10 g and where it's made.
Zebra DelGuard: The Pencil Built Not to Break Lead
Zebra DelGuard mechanical pencil explained: how two springs stop lead breaking, 0.3, 0.5 and 0.7 mm sizes, 137 mm length, soft-lead limits and where it's made.
Tombow MONO 100: 17 Grades, Size & the White Band
Tombow MONO 100 graphite pencil explained: 17 grades from 6B to 9H, 17.7 cm length, glossy black barrel with white band, its 1967 history and origin.
uni Hi-Uni Pencil: 22 Grades From 10B to 10H
Mitsubishi uni Hi-Uni graphite pencil explained: 22 grades from 10B to 10H, the maroon barrel and gold ring, the 22-pencil Art Set, its 1966 debut and origin.
Pilot Dr. Grip Mechanical Pencil: Shaker & Fat Grip
Pilot Dr. Grip mechanical pencil explained: the shake-to-advance Fure Fure mechanism, the 14.6 mm double-layer grip, THE Dr. GRIP specs, US models and origin.
Best Mechanical Pencils for 2027: 8 Picks Compared
The best mechanical pencils compared: GraphGear 1000, rOtring 600, Kuru Toga, Orenz, DelGuard, P205, Twist-Erase III and BIC, with lead sizes and test rules.
Faber-Castell Castell 9000: 16 Grades Since 1905
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.
Pentel Sharp P205: The Classic 0.5 mm Drafting Pencil
Pentel Sharp P205 mechanical pencil explained: the 0.5 mm model of the P200 series since 1970, barrel colors by lead size, 4 mm sleeve, size, and origin.
Pentel Twist-Erase III: The Twist-Up Eraser Pencil
Pentel Twist-Erase III mechanical pencil explained: QE515, QE517 and QE519 lead sizes, how the twist-up eraser works, E10 refills, grip, and where it's made.
rOtring 600: The All-Metal Hexagonal Drafting Pencil
rOtring 600 mechanical pencil explained: all-metal hexagonal body, 0.5 and 0.7 mm models, 142 mm and 22 g, knurled grip, fixed sleeve, and where it's made.
Staedtler Mars Lumograph: 24 Grades From 12B to 10H
Staedtler Mars Lumograph 100 drawing pencil explained: 24 grades from 12B to 10H, lead diameter by grade, 175 mm size, sets, and where it's made.
BIC Xtra-Smooth Mechanical Pencil: 0.7 mm #2 Lead
BIC Xtra-Smooth mechanical pencil explained: 0.7 mm HB (No. 2) lead, 3 leads per pencil, click-eraser feed, packs of 5 to 320, test rules and where it's made.
Pentel GraphGear 1000: Retractable Drafting Pencil
Pentel GraphGear 1000 explained: 0.3 to 0.9 mm models (PG1013–PG1019), the retractable 4 mm sleeve, metal grip, 20 g weight, lead and where it's made.
Blackwing 602: The Firm-Graphite Pencil Explained
Blackwing 602 pencil explained: firm graphite vs Matte, Pearl and Natural, the flat ferrule and replaceable eraser, its 1934 history, size, and where it's made.
Ticonderoga #2 HB Pencil: Grade, Size & Eraser
Ticonderoga #2 HB pencil explained: what #2 and HB mean, 7.5 in length, 2.2 mm core, latex-free eraser, pre-sharpened packs, and where it's made today.
Uni Kuru Toga: How the Rotating Lead Works
Uni Kuru Toga mechanical pencil explained: how the lead turns 9° per stroke, 0.3 vs 0.5 mm, Standard vs Roulette, Advance and Dive, weight and where it's made.