I'm usually a standard graphite user but these pencils are great for the darkest darks of a drawing without the metallic shine that graphite produces. These pencils are a worthy addition to my drawing and sketching arsenal. Finding a sharpener for a particular pencil can be an uphill battle...trust me on this one..the Staedtler two hole metal sharpener model 510-20 (or the single hole 510-10, should be the same blade and angle) matches this pencil perfectly. BTW, the set actually comes with the following grades HB, 2B, 4B, 6B, 7B and 8B.
