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The Best Wooden Pencils

March 25, 2025 - Posted by Connie to Guides, Pencils, Wooden Pencils

Artists, designers, and students all rely on wooden pencils for drawing and writing. They offer a wide variety of lead grades to choose from—often more than mechanical pencil leads can—and there’s nothing quite like the earthy scent of a freshly sharpened pencil.

Read on to see what wooden pencils we recommend for writing, drawing, and more.

Top Choice: Staedtler Mars Lumograph Pencils

Whether you’re writing or drawing, you can’t go wrong with Staedtler Mars Lumograph Pencils.

Whether you’re writing or drawing, you can’t go wrong with Staedtler Mars Lumograph Pencils. Their leads are smooth with just the slightest bit of tooth, which provides nice control. It’s resistant to smearing and erases cleanly, too.

It comes in lead grades from 10H to 12B, so there are plenty of options for drawing and writing. We should note that some lead grades are only available in sets, though.

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Table of Contents

Wooden Pencil Considerations

Lead Grade

At JetPens, we use the European lead grading system. H leads are harder and create lighter marks. B grades are softer and create darker marks.

While a pencil’s core is called “lead,” it’s not the same as the heavy metal you’re familiar with. Pencil lead is made of a mixture of graphite and clay (so don’t worry: it’s not toxic!). The amount of graphite and clay is what determines the pencil’s lead grade. The more graphite a lead has, the softer and darker it is. On the other hand, more clay means the lead is harder and lighter.

Hard leads create clean, smudge-resistant lines. You may want to use them for sketches that will be inked later, or technical drawings that require precision. Soft leads, on the other hand, make dark, expressive lines that work well for graphite artwork and writing.

Different regions use different lead grading systems. In this guide, we’ll be following the European system, which uses H for hard leads and B for soft leads. If the lead grade has a number, it represents that pencil’s hardness or softness compared to other lead grades. For example, a 5B lead is darker and softer than a 3B lead, while a 5H lead is lighter and harder than a 3H lead.

HB and F are the most balanced lead grades, with F being a little harder. If you’re in the United States, you’re probably familiar with the #2 pencil, which is the same as HB lead.

Erasability

A good pencil is easy to erase. Keep in mind that harder and softer lead grades will be a little more difficult to erase.

The biggest advantage of pencils over pens is that they can be erased (unless, of course, you’re using a Pilot FriXion). Be sure to pick a pencil that erases cleanly with very little effort. A great eraser will definitely help, too.

Harder lead grades tend to leave behind a “shadow” when erased. That’s because hard lead grades create lighter marks, so you’re more likely to press down on the tip. This creates indents in the paper, and it’s harder for an eraser to pick up graphite in the indents. Softer lead grades, on the other hand, can smear when erased and are more difficult to erase precisely.

Feedback

H grades tend to have more feedback.

Feedback is the textured feel of the graphite on the paper. If a pencil lead grips the writing surface or feels scratchy, it has high feedback. Pencils that glide smoothly over paper have low feedback. You want to find a pencil that has balanced feedback for your use. It should feel comfortably smooth, but have enough grip for control, too.

H grades tend to have higher feedback and may be unpleasant for some to use. B grades are often smoother, but they may feel uncontrollably slippery on smooth papers.

Smudge Resistance

Some pencils are more prone to smudging than others.

While all pencils will smudge slightly, the amount depends on how much graphite is used in the lead core. H grades are less likely to smear, while B grades are more likely to smudge.

Left-handed writers should look for pencils that have high smudge resistance. Artists, on the other hand, may want to look for pencils that smear easily so they can blend graphite for shading effects and other techniques.

Sharpening Experience

High-quality pencils sharpen cleanly without lead breakage or wood splinters.

High-quality pencils sharpen cleanly without lead breakage or wood splinters. Some pencils are even made with wood that creates a nice smell when freshly cut, so sharpening becomes a pleasant experience.

Take a look at our Best Pencil Sharpeners guide for recommendations.

Shape

Most wooden pencils have hexagonal or triangular bodies.

Most wooden pencils have hexagonal bodies that are less likely to roll away. Some pencils have triangular bodies, which gently guide your fingers into an ergonomic tripod grasp.

Wooden Pencil Recommendations

The Best Wooden Pencils for Writing: Blackwing Pencils

For a buttery-smooth writing experience, Blackwing Pencils are the way to go. The Blackwing Natural uses lead similar to HB.

For a buttery-smooth writing experience, Blackwing Pencils are the way to go. They write effortlessly and glide across the page. Blackwing uses their own lead grades for their pencils; Soft, Balanced, Firm, and Extra Firm are similar to 3B, 2B, B, and HB, respectively.

Every Blackwing Pencil comes with a refillable eraser in its iconic ferrule, but we still recommend using a separate eraser for the best results.

Read our guide on Blackwing Pencils to learn more.

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The Best Wooden Pencils for Art: Uni Mitsubishi Hi-Uni Pencils

Artists will appreciate that Uni Mitsubishi Hi-Uni Pencils come in twenty-two lead grades from 10H to 10B.

Artists will appreciate that Uni Mitsubishi Hi-Uni Pencils come in twenty-two lead grades from 10H to 10B. These super-smooth pencils glide across the page, whether you’re sketching, shading, or adding final touches. They’re reasonably resistant to smearing despite their softness, and they erase cleanly, too.

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The Best Wooden Pencils for Calligraphy: Uni Penmanship Writing Pencils

Uni Penmanship Writing Pencils can behave like brush pens depending on the amount of pressure you apply to the tips.

Uni Penmanship Writing Pencils are excellent for calligraphy thanks to their soft 4B and 6B leads. They’re buttery smooth and can behave like brush pens depending on the amount of pressure you apply to the tips. Use light pressure to create thin lines and more pressure for thicker lines.

For Japanese characters, Uni recommends sharpening the pencil, then wearing down the point to create a flat surface on one side. This tip shape makes it easier to create the strokes for Japanese characters.

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The Best Wooden Pencils for Sketching: Koh-I-Noor Magnum Black Star Pencils

Use Koh-I-Noor Magnum Black Star Pencils to add expressive strokes to your sketches.

Koh-I-Noor Magnum Black Star Pencils are thicker than standard pencils, so you can use them to add expressive strokes to your sketches. Try using the pencils at low angles for shadows and to fill in spaces with broad swatches of graphite.

You’ll need a pencil sharpener with a hole wide enough to fit the Magnum Black Star. We recommend the KUM Special Diameter for handheld sharpening, or the Blackwing Desktop Pencil Sharpener if you prefer sharpening at your desk.

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The Best Wooden Pencils for Left-Handers: Uni Mitsubishi 9000 Pencils

Left-handers should pick a pencil that has high smudge resistance and low feedback, and the Uni Mitsubishi 9000 Pencil checks both boxes.

Left-handers should pick a pencil that has high smudge resistance and low feedback, and the Uni Mitsubishi 9000 Pencil checks both boxes. If you’re a left-handed writer who tends to drag the side of their hand across their writing, you won’t see as much smearing. Additionally, since left-handers tend to “push” their writing instrument across the page, a smooth pencil helps the tip glide across the writing surface without catching.

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The Best Wooden Pencils for Designers: Faber-Castell 9000 Pencils

Engineers and designers will appreciate pencils like the Faber-Castell 9000 which are easy to control.

Engineers and designers often use pencils to sketch out their ideas. Faber-Castell 9000 Pencils have some feedback, so they’re easy to control. Plus, the graphite is easy to erase, so cleaning stray marks is a breeze. Choose from lead grades from 6H to 8B, all of which are available separately or in sets.

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The Best Wooden Pencils for Professionals: Tombow Mono 100 Pencils

The Tombow Mono 100 is a pencil with sophisticated looks that’s perfect for professionals.

The Tombow Mono 100 is a pencil with sophisticated looks that’s perfect for professionals. Its glossy black lacquer and gold-foiled details won’t look out of place on an office desk. It writes smoothly with just a hint of texture, and it barely smears, too. It comes in an impressive range of lead grades from 9H to 6B. If you’re particularly attached to a specific lead grade, the pencils are also available in sets of twelve.

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The Best Wooden Pencil for Students: Uni Mitsubishi 9850 Pencil

The Uni Mitsubishi 9850 Pencil is dark enough to fill in multiple-choice exams, yet easy to erase in case of mistakes.

Students need pencils that are dark enough to fill in multiple-choice exams, yet easy to erase in case of mistakes. The Uni Mitsubishi 9850 Pencil is an excellent option. It only comes in an HB lead grade, which is recommended for answer bubbles on test sheets. Its included eraser performs exceptionally well, erasing marks with ease (though we still recommend carrying a separate eraser, just in case).

If you prefer slightly harder or softer pencils, take a look at the Tombow 2558. It comes in H and B lead grades in addition to HB.

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The Best Cute Wooden Pencil: Sun-Star Sakura Saku Pencil

Sun-Star Sakura Saku Pencils are almost too cute to use.

Sun-Star Sakura Saku Pencils are almost too cute to use. Their pink barrels are shaped like cherry blossoms, and the pencil shavings look like fallen petals, too.

The pencils are named for the Japanese phrase sakura saku (さくらさく), which means “blooming cherry blossom.” It was once used in telegrams sent by some Japanese universities to announce passing grades for entrance exams. Whether you use them to fill out an exam or to write in a journal, you can imagine your own future success!

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The Best Luxury Wooden Pencils: Caran d'Ache Swiss Wood Pencils

These luxurious Caran d'Ache Pencils are made with wood that are sourced from Swiss forests.

These luxurious Caran d'Ache Pencils are made with wood that are sourced from Swiss forests. The barrels are coated with clear varnish, so you can see the natural color and grain of the wood. The set has pencils made from pine, beech, and Scots pine, all of which are Bois Suisse certified. It also includes a sharpener and eraser, so you have everything you need to start writing with your new, pre-sharpened pencils.

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Test Results

For our tests, we used an HB pencil from each recommendation. If it wasn’t available, we picked a lead grade as close to HB as possible and noted it in the product name. Keep in mind that harder and softer lead grades will differ in terms of erasability, feedback, and smudge resistance. We created all our tests on 80 gsm Maruman Mnemosyne paper.

Erasability: We used a Sakura Sumo Grip—the top choice eraser in our Best Erasers guide—for the erasability tests. We erased the same amount of times over each swatch.
Smudge Resistance: We ran a finger over the sample to see how much it smudged.
Feedback: We wrote a sentence with each pencil and compared the feedback relative to other recommended pencils.

Product	Erasability	Smudge Resistance	Feedback
Blackwing Extra Firm Pencils
Caran d'Ache Swiss Wood Pencils
Faber-Castell 9000 Pencils
Koh-I-Noor Magnum Black Star Pencils
Staedtler Mars Lumograph Pencils
Sun-Star Sakura Saku Pencils
Tombow 2558 Pencils
Tombow Mono 100 Pencils
Uni Mitsubishi 9000 Pencils
Uni Mitsubishi 9850 Pencil
Uni Mitsubishi Hi-Uni Pencils
Uni Penmanship 4B Writing Pencils

More Resources

Conclusion

Wooden pencils are no-nonsense writing instruments. While artists and writers often swear by mechanical pencils or lead holders, wooden pencils are excellent in their own right. If you’ve overlooked them, we hope you consider adding some wooden pencils to your everyday carry stationery!

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The JetPens Pencil Starter Kit includes a variety of wooden pencils, plus pencil caps, sharpeners, and an eraser.

Check out JetPens Wooden Pencil Samplers to get started on your wooden pencil journey! They include some of our favorite and most popular wooden pencils. The Pencil Starter Kit includes a variety of wooden pencils, plus pencil caps, sharpeners, and an eraser.

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	Lead Grades	Shop Now
Blackwing Pencils	Soft, Balanced, Firm, Extra Firm	Shop Now
Caran d'Ache Swiss Wood Pencils	HB	Shop Now
Faber-Castell 9000 Pencils	6H, 5H, 4H, 3H, 2H, H, F, HB, B, 2B, 3B, 4B, 5B, 6B, 7B, 8B	Shop Now
Koh-I-Noor Magnum Black Star Pencils	HB	Shop Now
Staedtler Mars Lumograph Graphite Pencils	10H, 9H, 8H, 7H, 6H, 5H, 4H, 3H, 2H, H, F, HB, B, 2B, 3B, 4B, 5B, 6B, 7B, 8B, 9B, 10B, 11B, 12B	Shop Now
Sun-Star Sakura Saku Pencil	HB	Shop Now
Tombow 2558 Pencil	HB	Shop Now
Tombow Mono 100 Pencils	9H, 8H, 7H, 6H, 5H, 4H, 3H, 2H, H, F, HB, B, 2B, 3B, 4B, 5B, 6B	Shop Now
Uni Mitsubishi 9000 Pencils	HB, B, 2B, 3B, 4B	Shop Now
Uni Mitsubishi 9850 Pencil	HB	Shop Now
Uni Mitsubishi Hi-Uni Pencils	10H, 9H, 8H, 7H, 6H, 5H, 4H, 3H, 2H, H, F, HB, B, 2B, 3B, 4B, 5B, 6B, 7B, 8B, 9B, 10B	Shop Now
Uni Penmanship Writing Pencils	4B, 6B	Shop Now