Castell 9000 - a genuinely classic pencil - was launched by Count Alexander von Faber-Castell in 1905. Its quality and finely graduated degrees of hardness have made it a firm favourite with artists and illustrators. Its lead is fully bonded with the wood surround and is therefore particularly break-resistant. The Castell 9000 is available in 16 different degrees of hardness, making it the ideal pencil for all technical and artistic applications. Tin consists of 12 graphite pencils in varying degrees of hardness: 8B - 2H.