Faber-Castell Castell 9000 pencil, single, 8B to 6H

Faber-Castell Castell 9000 – pencil for writing, drawing and sketching

The Castell 9000 from Faber-Castell is a wooden pencil for writing, drawing and sketching, for artistic as well as technical use. It is available in 16 grades from 8B to 6H. Here you order a single pencil; choose the grade from the options.

The pencil came onto the market in 1905. The lead is firmly bonded to the wood by the special gluing process (SV), which makes it break-resistant. That helps if the pencil is dropped or when you shade heavily. The barrel is hexagonal, dark green and finished with a water-based lacquer.

Which grade should you choose?

B stands for soft and black, H for hard and light. The higher the number, the softer or harder the pencil. With the soft B grades you can sketch loosely and shade bold areas. HB and F sit in the middle and are suitable for writing and general drawings. The hard H grades draw fine, light lines and stay sharp for a long time, which suits technical drawing.

Practical tips

Soft grades smudge easily, so place a clean sheet of paper under your hand while drawing. With hard grades, light pressure is enough: pressing hard leaves grooves in the paper that cannot be erased.

Faber-Castell Castell 9000 pencil product details

• Manufacturer: Faber-Castell, Castell 9000 series
• Grades in the series: 8B to 6H (16 levels)
• Barrel: hexagonal, dark green, without eraser
• Length: 175 mm
• Lead: break-resistant thanks to special gluing (SV)
• Lacquer: water-based
• Contents: 1 piece

You will also need: a sharpener for sharpening; the pencil has no eraser.