Pencils are one of the oldest and most widely used writing instruments, which originated in pre-historic times when chalky rocks and charred sticks were used to draw on surfaces such as cave walls and animal hides. Rightly said, it is most useful instrument of self expression of all time; it is portable and lightweight invention with capacity to write miles long. Today pencil comes in many types, shapes, sizes and colours and is classified according to its lead hardness, marking material, use, shape, size and manufacture.
Many pencils across the world, and almost all in Europe, are graded on the European system using a continuum from “H” (for hardness) to “B” (for blackness), as well as “F” (for fine point). The standard writing pencil is graded HB. A pencil’s grade was described by a sequence or successive Hs or Bs such as BB and BBB for successively softer leads, and HH and HHH for successively harder ones. A set of pencils ranging from a very hard, light-marking pencil to a very soft, black-marking pencil usually ranges from hardest to softest as follows:
9H-8H-7H-6H-5H-4H-3H-2H-H-F-HB-B-2B-3B-4B-5B-6B-7B-8B-9B
Hardest → Medium → Softest
Different Pencil manufacturers offer various grades, for example Staedtler produces nineteen from 9H to 8B for its Mars Lumograph pencils. Staedtler also produces different kinds of colour pencils for artists.
These wide ranges of grades are used by artists who are interested in creating a full range of tones from light grey to black. For example, Engineers prefer harder pencils which allow for a greater control in the shape of the lead. Technical (with hard grades from 9H to B), Sketching (with soft grades H to 9B), and Designer (with medium grades 4H to 6B).
For more range of pencils visit Pencils , Markers & More.
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