Having used these pencils since I was in middle school art class, I had to snatch up the complete set of pencils. The price is great, and they last a long time. I have no issues with wood barrel casings, lead consistency, or breakage. I've dropped these pencils on my hardwood floors a million times and the lead has not broke while sharpening. Staedtler pencils are highly reliable and are of the best quality.

About ten years ago, our family took a trip to Europe. I was first introduced to Staedtler drawing pencils in an art store in Paris, France. I was about to purchase another brand of pencil for myself and grandsons, when one of the salesmen came and offered his assistance and highly recommended Staedtler as the best drawing pencil on the market. He was right!!!Love the quality of the pencils and how nicely they sharpen without the leads breaking, the wood splitting, and how they keep their points. Also found out that one doesn't need to press hard to achieve the desired effect.

I've been buying staedtler pencils for the past 6 years. They have a good range of hardness and softness in all the pencils. They are a little pricey but they are worth it as they last a long time. Whenever I sharpen them the graphite inside doesn't break, even if I drop it. I've used them to the point where they are too short to use anymore. They are also soft / smooth to hold, which sounds weird but I've held drawing pencils that start to hurt after a while because of the way I hold them. I recently bought a pack for my brother who just got into drawing and he really likes them.