I wouldn't be using graphite if this product didn't exist.Why?I use graphite mainly for quick sketches that I produce at high volume. For this you need cheap paper, or it gets expensive fast. The problem with this is that conventional graphite performs very poorly on every cheap paper I've ever been able to find.For example when drawing on what is labeled as "sketch" paper sold in 50 or 100 sheet pads, I find that the surface becomes unworkably slick much too fast, the pressure sensitivity and tonal range are too narrow, and it's impossible to make bold, dark lines without actually carving grooves into the paper.All of this is much less of a problem on a high quality surface like Bristol board, but that's far too expensive to use for as many sketches as I ... MoreI wouldn't be using graphite if this product didn't exist.Why?I use graphite mainly for quick sketches that I produce at high volume. For this you need cheap paper, or it gets expensive fast. The problem with this is that conventional graphite performs very poorly on every cheap paper I've ever been able to find.For example when drawing on what is labeled as "sketch" paper sold in 50 or 100 sheet pads, I find that the surface becomes unworkably slick much too fast, the pressure sensitivity and tonal range are too narrow, and it's impossible to make bold, dark lines without actually carving grooves into the paper.All of this is much less of a problem on a high quality surface like Bristol board, but that's far too expensive to use for as many sketches as I do.That's where these pencils come in. They make drawing on cheap paper much more like drawing on Bristol board. You can get rich shadows and bold black lines, and they layer much better without the surface getting nearly as slick.There are *some* compromises.They're noticeably less erasable than traditional graphite, so I'd recommend doing the initial lay-in with a traditional graphite pencil. They also drag on the paper a little more than regular graphite, but nowhere near as much as a charcoal or carbon pencil. They will layer directly over regular graphite just fine, which carbon and charcoal will not.I bought these in 2b, 4b, 6b, and 8b, and find it useful to have all of them so I can draw with minimal use of an eraser by just starting light and switching to a darker pencils as I progress to refine and reinforce the linework rather than erasing.The 2b's are (as one might expect) most similar to a conventional pencil, and are perhaps of dubious usefulness for that reason; the 8b's, though they get just as dark as a charcoal pencil, tend to get used up relatively quickly because they don't hold a point long.If you were to buy just one to test these out, I'd probably recommend the 4b.

I use this pencil specifically for contour drawings/basic outlines, specifically the 2B weight. It provides just enough hardness to make a definitive, solid line (that doesn't smear too easy), and is durable enough to last (so far) over 3 dozen contour drawings. The ONLY draw back is that if you use an automatic/electric sharpener, you have to find the right one as most do not work with this specific lead. Personally I use the sharpener include with the Faber-Castell perfect pencil kit(s) and that seems to work fine.Note: the other weights (they only go deeper in the B grade so far as I know) are the same in terms of line render, but do smear much easier. Also, because of the lead type, their blending ability is less than that of traditional B weight pencils. I'd ... MoreI use this pencil specifically for contour drawings/basic outlines, specifically the 2B weight. It provides just enough hardness to make a definitive, solid line (that doesn't smear too easy), and is durable enough to last (so far) over 3 dozen contour drawings. The ONLY draw back is that if you use an automatic/electric sharpener, you have to find the right one as most do not work with this specific lead. Personally I use the sharpener include with the Faber-Castell perfect pencil kit(s) and that seems to work fine.Note: the other weights (they only go deeper in the B grade so far as I know) are the same in terms of line render, but do smear much easier. Also, because of the lead type, their blending ability is less than that of traditional B weight pencils. I'd be interested in an H or even 2H weight if they made such.

These pencils are serious about blackness. As advertised, they are non-shiny; compared to other pencil work you don't get that irritating glare. None. No glare at all.The color is actually different from regular graphite pencils.. a more pure black ... side by side examination shows that normal pencils are really a sort of greenish or yellowish black by comparison. So if you choose to combine the two in a single drawing, they will stand out as distinctly different.I experimented with the 8B. It doesn't really erase at all, so get it right the first time.Oh and they're from Staedtler so you know they are top quality through and through.