3 Pcs 5.6 mm Lead Holder Mechanical Pencils Sketch up Automatic Clutch Graphite Pencil with Built-in Sharpener Lead Pencil For Construction, Draft Drawing, Crafting, Art Sketching(Pink, Green, Blue)

Durable quality, nice! Works great for my son at work.

For years I’ve struggled with marking my plants with various types of permanent markers or even label makers, only to eventually have the labels fade or fully wash off. I’ve tried using pencils through the years, but a traditional mechanical pencil is too fine for most tags, and good ol Ticonderoga is just annoying to have to find a sharpener for. These showed up in my recommendeds for some reason, and I was both overjoyed and felt stupid at the same time—how could I forget clutch pencils are a thing! I’ve been using these out in my greenhouse for a few months now and the thicker lead is perfect! It’s legible and not too fine to write on most labels. I also ordered a name brand 2mm clutch pencil at the same time, which IS to fine to be legible, which is why I mention that feature. These are inexpensive enough that I don’t care if I leave them on the bench and they get wet or rusty when my greenhouse gets watered, but, fwiw, I’ve left it on my bench for 3mos now, and it gets watered every other morning, and it’s still not rusting or giving me issue. The sharpener in the top could be a little better, but for a couple bucks per pencil, I totally don’t mind. I’ve attached a couple pics where you can see how well they write on my plastic plant markers.

I like to use a painterly style instead of a linear style of sketching. Having a larger lead allows me to put down blocks of tone/value. This works well for value studies. I really like the small pocket size for sketching on the go. Almost any drawing pencil works for adding in detail after that. The pencil also works well for toning a page and using an eraser to pull highlights.

I was hesitant to purchase these, because of several reviews from a couple of years ago. These larger, 5.6 mm leads are my go-to for daily sketching practice and warm ups, as well as for larger areas in finished work. This is also the format I prefer for 6B graphite, graphite/charcoal blend for darks, and white for working on toned paper. They get used a LOT, so the lead holders must be durable. This set of three allows quick distinction between the three lead types, which saves time and frustration. Fortunately, the company seems to have resolved the issues mentioned in previous negative reviews. These are sturdy, functional lead holders. Unlike some brands of 5.6 mm lead holders, these can hold a new stick of 4.72” (12 cm) graphite, fully retracted into the holder. This protects the stick and your pocket/bag. This will depend, of course, on which brand of 5.6 mm sticks you buy, as it seems to vary by company. Lead holders are by far my preference, as shavings can be saved and used as powdered graphite, and softer leads are less likely to break. 5.6mm sticks are also convenient because a standard (manual, hand-held) pencil sharpener can be used to sharpen them. These lead holders have been able to securely hold 1 cm (0.39”) remnants of graphite sticks. These holders don’t add a lot of weight, but can take daily use, and an occasional, unintentional, quick trip to the floor. They’ve been used outdoors as well as indoors, and continue to function well. I am considering buying another set and replacing some brand name lead holders with these. UPDATE: I purchased a second set. One of the lead holders has a chip out of the paint, but it doesn’t affect their function. The first set continues to function very well for daily use with graphite sticks, and the second set is working quite well for compressed charcoal sticks and 5.6 mm sketching crayons.

Needed lead holders for 5.6 mm highlighter leads I have and theses were best value option I could find. Work very smoothly, have good heft without being too heavy and very good value for what you get. Would recommend.

Nice lead holder and is longer than others I have used. However, it is metal and very heavy for my hand. When I hold it half way up the barrel though, it is good for loose sketching as the weight keeps the tip touching the paper. The included lead seems to be 2B but slightly paler than my 2B Ibis Sketch Mechanical Pencil lead. At the price point for three holders, this item is good value for money.

Uncomfortable in my female hand.

These are nice affordable, sturdy, 5.6mm lead holders. I puchased them for some lead refills that I already own, that are of a variety of hardnesses. I didn’t even realize that each pencil came with lead. The built in sharpeners are a nice bonus. My only complaint would be I don’t know the hardness of the lead that comes with the pencils.