Pencils: Graphite Grades, Mechanical & Coloured Pencils

Reading the grade

Graphite pencils in the UK and Europe use a letter scale. H stands for hard: lighter, crisper lines that smudge less, useful for technical drawing and guidelines. B stands for black: softer, darker lines that shade beautifully but smudge more easily. HB sits in the middle and is the everyday writing pencil for school and home. F (firm) sits between HB and H.

Grade	Feel	Typical use
4H – 2H	Hard, pale	Technical drawing, light construction lines
H, F, HB	Balanced	Writing, schoolwork, general notes
B – 2B	Soft, dark	Sketching, bold writing, exam answer sheets that ask for soft pencil
4B – 8B	Very soft	Shading, tonal drawing, expressive sketches

Grading isn't fully standardised, so one maker's HB may feel closer to another's B.

Wooden or mechanical?

Wooden pencils are cheap, pleasant to hold and let you vary the line by how you sharpen. Mechanical pencils keep a constant line width (0.5mm is the common choice, 0.7mm is sturdier, 0.3mm is very fine) and never need sharpening, which makes them popular for maths and technical subjects.

Don't forget

A good rubber: plastic or vinyl rubbers erase cleanly; kneadable putty rubbers lift graphite for artists
A sharpener with a canister to catch shavings
Lead refills in the right width and grade for mechanical pencils
A pencil case or tin so tips don't snap in a bag

Pencil types to browse

HB & graphite pencils

Boxes of everyday HB pencils for home and school, plus mixed-grade packs for drawing.

Shop now for HB & graphite pencils

Mechanical pencils

Refillable pencils in 0.3, 0.5 and 0.7mm, from simple plastic bodies to weighted metal drafting pencils.

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Coloured pencils

Wax- or oil-based colours for colouring, illustration and highlighting notes. Watercolour pencils blend with a wet brush.

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Sharpeners & rubbers

Canister sharpeners, desk sharpeners and clean-erasing rubbers to keep pencils working.

Shop now for Sharpeners & rubbers

Coloured pencils in brief

Wax-based coloured pencils are soft and blend easily; oil-based ones tend to hold a sharper point and build up in layers. Watercolour pencils can be used dry or brushed with water for a painted effect. For children, thicker "jumbo" barrels are easier for small hands to grip. If you're drawing seriously, head over to art & sketch.

Browse another drawer

Notebooks & Journals Pens Planners & Diaries Desk Accessories Filing & Organisation Art & Sketch School Supplies Office Essentials Cards & Envelopes Washi Tape & Stickers Gifts for Stationery Lovers

Not sure where to start? Our paper weights guide and fountain pen guide are good first reads.