Pilot Mechanical Pencil Lead Neox Graphite 0.5mm, HB, 40 Leads (HRF5G-20-HB)

I use a mechanical pencil all day, every day, unless I absolutely must use a pen. Meeting notes, planner/schedule/bullet journal, etc. I love this lead! I've long used the Pentel high polymer HB that you can buy everywhere and honestly, I don't mind it. But this Neox is really nice! I suspect it will wear quickly, but it writes beautifully (almost more like B than HB), and erases easily. I'm using a Pentel Orenz 0.5 (new to me and I'm madly in love!) and the sliding lead sleeve ensures that breakage is not an issue. I haven't tried it in my beloved old standby Pentel P205 yet. I wish the price point were more favorable, so I'll have to wrestle with my conscience before I re-order. But it's nice.

Oh how I wish they still carried this on Amazon. This lead is amazing. It’s perfectly soft, very dark, and smooth as butter but barely smudges. Using in a Kuru Toga is almost a perfect combination. This was a great purchase for the price and I highly recommend and I have ordered more from a third party but am hoping they will restock at some point

I'm an artist with a strong preference for pen and ink but these graphites have me picking up my pencil a lot more these days. They are butter smooth and very dark for a pencil. You still have to contend with that unfortunate graphite shimmer but that can be corrected by a matte finishing spray, and you'll definitely want to spray it because it's extremely prone to smudging. If Faber Castell can put their matte black formula into a mechanical lead, even of 2mm diameter, they might supercede these pilot neoxes for me. But until then I'm more than content to keep buying and sketching with these. I'm feeding them into a Staedtler 925-35-05 and have not experienced any breakage or jams. They are more expensive than other leads but money is really no object here; mechanical leads are all extremely cost efficient. This one tube has at least a book worth of sketches in it. If you're going to spend hundreds of hours drawing use good tools. Edit 1-23-2022 I'm taking an anatomy course right now. Added a foot sketch.

Writing this for the "Pilot Mechanical Pencil Lead Neox Graphite 0.5mm, 4B". I have compared it to other leads for your convenience, see an attached photo. I use a mechanical pencil mostly for writing, prefer softer and darker leads that don't scratch paper and don't break too often, mostly use 3B and 4B leads. I haven't bought leads for years (they never end in my drawer), decided to buy a few fresh ones of different brands and see what's up with the quality these days. Please see the comparison photo of HB rOtring, 2B rOtring, 3B Uni, 3B Pilot, and 4B Pilot. Note, to test erasing, I applied the same eraser with the same force twice for each lead type. In general, all the compared leads are good, made in Japan, no big cons (don't scratch, don't break). Rotring, however, disappointed - 2B lead was breaking several times during a few lines of writing, HB scratched paper a bit. I didn't expect that from rOtring. Could be an old dried-off stock of graphite though. Pilot 3B is softer than Uni 3B. Conclusion: my preference hasn't changed - Pilot 3B. I think, depending on your needs, the entire line of Pilot Neox Graphite should be considered as the first option to buy.

The Neox 0.7mm lead is functional in that the lead is durable. functions well in pencils with a retracting drafting sleeve. The shade is dark enough to make good copies. The lead goes on smoothly making for easier drawings and calculations. Smudging of the drawing lead on drawing paper was minimal. A good product. The Neox 0.5mm lead breaks more often than others. Durability is a question. However, I write or draw with a heavy hand? Lead does not go on as smoothly as others. Works best in pencils with retracting drafting sleeve. Lead shade is not as dark as needed for good copies.

Smooth, dark and strong. Noticeably darker and stronger than my Pentel 3B lead. This is my third attempt at purchasing a darker lead and the most satisfying so far. I really like it and I have no need to go any darker. The darkness of the line fluctuates quite a bit between using firm pressure vs using soft pressure. I’m left handed and I’ve had no issues with smudged lines. Erases fairly clean.

I like using a mechanical pencil, and like the .5mm, but when the line gets that fine, the HB hardness takes more pressure to the paper to show up. Enter the Pilot Neox graphite. The graphite is smooth, and the amount of pressure needed makes for a less tired hand. I've done some sketching with them, too, but I tend to smudge the image when I drag my hand across the page. Depending on how you hold a pencil and the smoothness of the paper used, smudging could occur with writing, but for me it's not a deal-breaker.

Lead quality and feel is great. Nice and bold and writes super smoothly. The mechanism for the case is also super nice. However, as a lefty this lead smudges too much. Not the fault of the lead, just the nature of 4B lead which leaves more graphite behind as you write. Stick to 2B or lighter if you are left-handed :)

Cumplen lo que prometen. Buena calidad

Not sure what it was, but this lead kept breaking so I had to return it. Also, it sounded "squeaky" when writing

When I first saw the price of these leads compared to locally available brands, I almost didn't buy it. But you definitely get what you pay for. This is the smoothest, darkest (for the grade), and all around best lead I have ever drawn with. Now that I've tried it, I don't want to put anything else in my pencils.

良かったです。

Very nice lead! Velvety smooth flow when writing and darker than others I’ve use. Other leads leave a sheen or shine with their markings, but not this one. As such it’s easier to read in some artificial lights. I use this in a Rotring 600 and find that it advances more smoothly and efficiently in that pencil’s mechanism than any other lead I’ve tried.