However, drafting pencils will likely have a lead grade indicator in the cap.ĭrafters will likely have several of the same make of pencils with different lead grades in them.Ī lead grade indicator helps them to quickly identify which grade of lead is fitted to the pencil. General-purpose writing pencils usually don’t have a lead grade indicator, with the lead diameter marked on the barrel or cap. Koh_Noor is the only company that makes 2.0 mm 8B lead for mechanical pencils. 8B Mechanical Pencil LeadĪs we have already seen, the softest mechanical pencil lead grade is 4B, only available for 0.5 mm pencils.Ĭlutch pencils or lead holders are mechanical pencils that take 2.0 mm lead refills. Regarding which brand of mechanical pencil lead is the strongest, Pentel AIN STEIN is widely regarded as the most robust mechanical pencil lead compared to the other brands. ![]() The strength of pencil lead increase with the diameter of the pencil size, i.e., 0.7 mm lead has a greater diameter than 0.5 mm lead and is, therefore, more robust. The Strongest Lead For Mechanical Pencils The darkest mechanical pencil lead is 4B, with Pilot Neox Graphite lead being highly recommended online for being particularly dark compared to the other lead brands. If the lead were any softer, i.e., 6B, it would be unusable as it would be too soft to work in a mechanical pencil without breaking. The softest mechanical pencil lead grade is 4B because of the thin diameter of mechanical pencil lead compared to wooden pencil lead. Pentel, Pilot, and Uni are the leading manufacturers making 4H lead refills. It is not popular manufacturers only make it for 0.5 mm mechanical pencils. It is used for drafting and technical drawing. The Hardest Mechanical Pencil LeadĪs you can see from the mechanical lead hardness chart, 4H is the hardest mechanical pencil lead grade. For more information we cover this in detail in our Ultimate Guide to Choosing Mechanical Pencil Lead Grades 4. With H grades having harder lead and writing a light grey colorĪnd B grades have a softer lead that writes a darker black color. These are combined with a number to represent how hard or soft the pencil lead is. The mechanical pencil lead grade scale uses the same values H (hardness) & B blackness) as the standard pencil lead hardness scale. Pilot Hi-Tec-C Gel Pen - 0.3 mm - Blue Black Length - Posted, 15.6 cm / 6.1 inches Length - Uncapped, 12.6 cm / 5.0 inches Pre-Installed Ink Color, Dark Blue. Instead of 24 Grades from 10H – 12B, there are only ten grades from 4H -4B The main difference between the mechanical pencil lead hardness scale and the wooden pencil lead grade scale is that fewer grades are available due to the thinness of the lead compared to a wooden pencil lead core. Staedtler followed them in 1967 by introducing their 0.5 mm pencil and polymer lead refills.Ĭheck out our Ultimate Guide To The Best Mechanical Pencil Lead for more information on Pentel AIN STEIN and the other top lead brands. The other pencil manufacturers followed suit, with Faber-Castell introducing in 1967 a 0.5 mm mechanical pencil with 0.5 polymer lead. The main difference between these and wooden pencil leads is that a polymer replaced the clay as a binder for added strength.Īs you can see from the diagram above shows how the silicon polymers give their Pentel AIN STEIN Lead its added strength. These Pencils had a new type of lead called Super High Polymer Lead. This changed in 1962 when Pentel launched two new mechanical pencils with 0.7 mm and 0.5 mm lead diameters. ![]() To compensate for the lead not being very strong, the lead diameter of the first mechanical pencils was around 0.9 mm. The lead is also bonded with glue to the pencil’s protective outer wooden case to add strength and prevent breakages in a wooden pencil.
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