Easily my favourite lead holder/pencil. I use it for both sketching and writing, but mostly for sketching.If you're used to wooden pencils, it's comfortable to hold, the plastic feels sturdy, but the pencil itself is light, and the clutch mechanism is easy to use.The only downside (for me) that I can think of is that it needs its own sharpener (one for 2mm lead holders). I honestly don't mind getting the 2mm lead sharpener, but it's something to keep in mind if you're considering getting this pencil.

I was looking for a good sketching pen and the Uni Mitsubishi Lead Holder is a let-down for meThis Staedtler 925-35 is also too heavy so I finally get this Faber-Castell TK 9400Compared to the Uni, the plastic on the FC TK is better, and it's lighter weight than the Staedtler, better suited for fast sketching.It also does away the knurled metal surface on the Uni and Staedtler, which is great.The problem I have with this is the uneven weight distribution because of the small metal section at the front. It's not huge but noticeably annoying.The pen is taper and the slight smaller diameter is another annoyance.I prefer to have a holder that has the balance, weight and feel of a wooden pencil and this just fall short ever so slightly.To my surprise, some ... MoreI was looking for a good sketching pen and the Uni Mitsubishi Lead Holder is a let-down for meThis Staedtler 925-35 is also too heavy so I finally get this Faber-Castell TK 9400Compared to the Uni, the plastic on the FC TK is better, and it's lighter weight than the Staedtler, better suited for fast sketching.It also does away the knurled metal surface on the Uni and Staedtler, which is great.The problem I have with this is the uneven weight distribution because of the small metal section at the front. It's not huge but noticeably annoying.The pen is taper and the slight smaller diameter is another annoyance.I prefer to have a holder that has the balance, weight and feel of a wooden pencil and this just fall short ever so slightly.To my surprise, some Chinese made holders solved all 3 of these short comings but unfortunately not available on Jetpens.

Simple, durable and infallible. I’ve owned many lead holders. l like the convenience of an incremental advance mechanism but I’ve yet to find one that doesn’t quit working properly after even a short while. So I’m just embracing the basic clutch style holder. This fills the bill. If it had a slightly thicker barrel and an emergency pointer in the cap it would be 5 star perfect. But It’s darn good as is.

This pencil is amazing! The weighting feels perfect, no matter how you hold it. It mimics the feel of a wood pencil nicely. The hexagonal shape at the grip helps you turn it between your fingers, but the taper to a circular cross-section near the top reduces friction against the webbing between your thumb and forefinger as you turn it. In other words, its ergonomic design helps you rotate the pencil to use the part of the point you want -- sharpest for writing, dullest for shading, etc. Manipulating this pencil is so natural it feels like an extension of your hand. Amazing elegance for the price.

I don't remember exactly when I got my TK-9000, but it was around 15-20 years ago. It still works as good as new. This thing is probably the best value I have gotten out of any art supply, ever. The jaws that hold the pencil in place are as tight as ever. The green and silver finish is completely untarnished. Some of the gold lettering has rubbed off over the years... that's my only complaint after half a lifetime of using this thing.One thing that I only recently discovered is a good 2mm pencil sharpener. Sharpening gets graphite dust everywhere so it's worth it to have something that can keep that dust contained, like the Uni 2 mm lead sharpener. Sand paper works great, too.

11.66 for a bit of plastic and a clutch mechanism.

I would not say it is good quality but average. I wanted to try out a 3mm lead for drawing as my 2mm 8b leads keep on braking after a period of use. The TK 9400 Faber Castell is not worth the money I paid. If I had seen it in a shop I would have left it on the shelf. But I purchased it mail order. Does not even come with a sharpener in the end cap. Means I have to purchase another sharpener and carry it with me. Not impressed. I paid 4.99 each for my Rotoring 2mm clutch pencils other than the 6b 7b 8b leads breaking with fatigue I had no issue with them. I should just have accepted replacing the leads on the 2mm pencils more often. I wasted my money buying it.

Comfortable, balanced, precise pencils with good overage and range of tone.

I like these graphite clutch pencils. They feel good and well balanced in the hand and they are comfortable to use over long periods of time. Replacement leads are widely available in a wide range of hardness and work out cheaper than equivalent in traditional pencil form - it's also useful that you can buy the pencils with the lead hardness printed on the barrel for easy identification. Faber Castel 6B is the darkest, and offers good -but not the best- black. You'll get a darker black from Kol-i-noor which you could replace with. But it's the barrels that I bought these pencils for. They are a good design wich gives me range to be loose or super precise. The leads are strong enough to stand up to pressure on their side for maximum coverage, and maintain good point ... MoreI like these graphite clutch pencils. They feel good and well balanced in the hand and they are comfortable to use over long periods of time. Replacement leads are widely available in a wide range of hardness and work out cheaper than equivalent in traditional pencil form - it's also useful that you can buy the pencils with the lead hardness printed on the barrel for easy identification. Faber Castel 6B is the darkest, and offers good -but not the best- black. You'll get a darker black from Kol-i-noor which you could replace with. But it's the barrels that I bought these pencils for. They are a good design wich gives me range to be loose or super precise. The leads are strong enough to stand up to pressure on their side for maximum coverage, and maintain good point when line drawing. I highly recommend the two barrel Faber Castel sharpener to accompany these pencils. Ultimately, they are my favourite to use and so I bought three of them across the range.

Great pencil

This is a wonderful pencil. I prefer mechanical pencils for sketching and wanted one that was sturdy and high quality. This one meets those needs. I like that the lead can be fully withdrawn. The lead is very interesting - thick and comes to a point, unlike standard mechanical pencils with thin, flat-tipped lead. Because of that the lead probably rarely breaks. One concern though is I'm not sure how to sharpen it once it starts dulling. But I'll figure it out. This will be my go-to pencil as long as it functions!

My favorite clutch pencils from one of my favorite makers.

Great clutch pencils these. The graphite lays well with little to no balling (with the right paper - smooth / heavyweight, 135Ib by Daler Rowney being excellent for my portraits). The leads are super strong so you can extend them as far as you like and apply heavy lateral pressure when shading. The shafts are smooth and clutter free so you can position it where you want for any stroke. Each pencil has the lead grade printed on the side, so easy to reach for the one you want. You can get a blank for any lead grade if you want. The clutch mechanism is strong, so no slippage or movement. Leads are widely availably. One significant note about grades: they are not as dark as some pencils. I say at least a grade or two lighter (so 4B of these, would equate to a 3B or 2B ... MoreGreat clutch pencils these. The graphite lays well with little to no balling (with the right paper - smooth / heavyweight, 135Ib by Daler Rowney being excellent for my portraits). The leads are super strong so you can extend them as far as you like and apply heavy lateral pressure when shading. The shafts are smooth and clutter free so you can position it where you want for any stroke. Each pencil has the lead grade printed on the side, so easy to reach for the one you want. You can get a blank for any lead grade if you want. The clutch mechanism is strong, so no slippage or movement. Leads are widely availably. One significant note about grades: they are not as dark as some pencils. I say at least a grade or two lighter (so 4B of these, would equate to a 3B or 2B with a normal pencil. I find the highest grade, 6B, to be dark enough. I bought a 9000 series 8B and I only feel I need it when using gray toned paper. I find I don't need anything harder than HB; that's a personal choice of course. I use HB, 2B, 4B, 6B and occasionally an 8B pencil and that is plenty for me. I highly recommend them.