The Faber-Castell 9000 Jumbo Pencil is perfectly suited for quick sketches and draughts as well as shading extended areas and artistic work. The high quality and finely graduated degrees of hardness have made it a firm favourite with artists and illustrators. Its lead is fully bonded with the wood surround and is therefore particularly break-resistant. The 9000 is available in different degrees of hardness, making it the ideal pencil for all technical and artistic applications. This particular pencil is of HB hardness. Faber-Castell is one of the world's largest and oldest manufacturers of pens, pencils, other office supplies and art supplies, as well as high-end writing instruments and luxury leather goods. Headquartered in Stein, Germany, it operates 14 factories and 20 sales units throughout the globe. The Faber-Castell Group employs a staff of approximately 7,000 and does business in more than 100 countries. The House of Faber-Castell is the family which founded and continues to exercise leadership within the corporation.