Faber-Castell TK Clutch Pencils And Lead

The first pencils were clutch pencils, with ways of sealing thin lead strips inside a wooden casing only coming later. But they're still popular, especially among artists. Mostly used for thicker leads, from 2mm upwards, they're wonderfully versatile tools, with advantages over wooden pencils that make them better tools for some people and purposes.

The lead can still be sharpened using a lead pointer, but unlike a wooden pencil, the balance remains the same as the lead is used, never wearing down to a stump. Leads are available in a wide range of grades, and the simplicity of a clutch pencil means you can spend more time thinking about what you're using it for, not about the tool.

Given Faber-Castell's long history of pencil making, going back for over 250 years, it's no surprise that they'd still be producing these classic art tools.