Broken Pencil

[DJohnson]

When sharpening my pencils, the 4H, 2H, H AND 2B went just fine. But when I tried to sharpen the B pencil, about 1/2 cm or so, the graphite was broke all the way through the pencil and just slipped out of the wood. Is this common or just a low quality brand? I have a couple different brands. This is my Artist's Loft Pencils.

Details

[MaryAnne Long]

Dayna,

Since pencils are the least expensive of all the equipment you need to do art, it pays to buy good names.  I have tried at least eight brands and by far, the best are Tombow MONO high-precision drafting pencils -- so smooth - they glide across the paper. Here's a link to give you an idea of price for a pack of 12 (from 4H to 6B).    I buy them when they are on sale for less than $10 a pack at the local office supply shop. Have outfitted my senior citizen art class with them.  I notice Nolan uses them.  Other good names are Staedler Lumograph and Uni Mitsubishi.

I could never figure out what the F pencil is for so I use it for the initial sketching.  Bought two single Tombow  pencils on sale the other day for 79 cents each.

aloha

mea

[Val]

This can happen if the pencil has been dropped, even the pricier ones. I had two like this a few years back that I received in an order, and contacted the supplier and they replaced them for me. If the store is nearby perhaps you can get it exchanged.

Artist loft are a lower grade pencil which is fine for beginners to start with. If you buy a better quality you will notice quite a difference. Some leads can have hard spots as I found out. If you are near a shop try a couple of different brands, most art shops have a little scratch pad handy that you can try a few pencils on. 

[MaryAnne Long]

Dayna,

I recently had a watercolor pencil burst open.  The color part got wet and it swelled up and burst through the wood.  Luckily, it was not a color that I ever used.

aloha

mea

[DJohnson]

Thanks for all the input. I did replace this one with a Faber-Castell and noticed a huge difference, both in sharpening and in the way it writes, compared to the others. The Artist's Loft was a whole set, so I guess I'll weed them out with the better ones as I go.

[Anant]

When sharpening my pencils, the 4H, 2H, H AND 2B went just fine. But when I tried to sharpen the B pencil, about 1/2 cm or so, the graphite was broke all the way through the pencil and just slipped out of the wood. Is this common or just a low quality brand? I have a couple different brands. This is my Artist's Loft Pencils.

Details

Early on someone suggested get the best pencils you could afford so I end up spending $100 and got these with replacements leads
https://www.amazon.com/STAEDTLER-780-PR5-Leadholder-Sharpener/dp/B01CNYYRCW/ref=mp_s_a_1_13?crid=3HDZ0R0IX1LU9&keywords=staedtler+780&qid=1649360745&sprefix=steadtler+780%2Caps%2C203&sr=8-13

Doesn’t break
Pencil length and weight never changes
I only use 4H 2H HB 2B 4B and 6B now thinking of adding couple more to collection
It is like Golf - we know we are not tiger woods but might as well have have callaway and ping