20 Best Lead Holders For Drawing (2023 Updated)

For: Durability, Lead Indicator, Grip, Build Quality, Weight, Feel Against: Comfort, Sharpener cap performance Staedtler’s durable, best-known lead holder, which has been produced seemingly forever, recently added lead hardness indications etched into the clamp of the metal clip.

Simply align the arrow on the barrel with the desired lead type by turning the bottom of the clip. Unfortunately, only the 7 hardnesses sold by Staedtler in its 2mm Mars Carbon lead series are indicated (4B, 2B, B, HB, H, 2H, 4H).

Still, this is a boon for those who have multiple lead holders and need an identification aid for differentiation purposes. Materials quality and construction are just as good as before, and the lead tube is still solid brass.

If cared for properly, these should last for many years. Alas, the shallow hole inside the sharpener cap provides a point only on the very end of the lead, so it’s best for emergencies only. Thanks to good weight and balance, grip and drawing performance remain first-rate, but in long-term use the metal grip might cause some finger soreness.

Therefore, those who use these primarily for writing might look to another model with an all-plastic grip (such as Staedtler’s own 788c, which might prove more comfortable and is lighter to boot). Verdict: Despite price increases in recent years, this is still probably the best lead holder you are likely to find, well worth its somewhat lofty price tag.

I purchased this lead holder as a backup for the current one I have. This lead holder has become my main drawing pencil. I don’t need a pencil extender when the whole pencil gets short. I just replace the lead itself and keep drawing.

Most of the standard leads from B, H, & HB are available to use with it. There is a removable lead sharpener built into the back of the lead holder. And there is a lead sharpener designed for the lead holder to sharpen the pencil leads.

I really like how these pencils feel in my hand when drawing on paper. They have a part where you can grip for more control when drawing concepts and portraits in my sketchbooks. I mostly use them during my free time.

I do recommend people get these pencils if you’re into art.

Bad puns aside, this pencil is absolutely lovely to sketch (and write) with. The 2H lead that came with the pencil is perfect for laying down construction lines for drawing and painting. I especially like the control over exposed lead that I get compared to a regular wood pencil (or even a thinner mechanical pencil).

Plus, the knurled metal grip gives the whole unit a nice weight to it. Definitely recommend getting the Staetdler lead pointer along with this lead holder – it gives a much longer point than the emergency sharpener hidden in the cap.

#sweepstakes.

Forget pencil sharpeners and wooden pencils. This clutch pencil has a nice balance and weight to it. I Interchange different 2mm leads from 6B through to B and H (favourite is 2B for sketching). Just press the top to release more graphite – then detach the handy push release and twist it around to sharpen the graphite/lead tip.

When sketching tapping out the graphite dust from the lid after sharpening is good for rubbing in some tone to create depth and smooth graduation and shading to your work. Having two of these pencils is good so you can switch straight from HB (or harder) to a softer lead for shading/darker tones.

I don’t use wood pencils anymore – these Staedtlers are great for laying on tone at an angle – just as you would with traditional wood pencils. The pocket clip keeps the pencil on-hand and ready for use, rather than rummaging around in a pencil case.

Good product.

I recently purchased one of these clutch pencil for general use at school. It is fantastic! I am very pleased with how smoothly it writes. The built in sharpener makes having a perfectly sharp pencil all of the time, super easy.

Great for school and the upcoming external exams. 10/10 would recommend.

Budget-Friendly, good quality lead holder! This one includes a singular red-colored Uni Mitsubishi lead inside the “pencil”, ready to go for first-time use! The red lead itself feels very much like a colored pencil core, but it is still pretty smooth for colored lead! The lead holder itself functions as advertised, with the red plastic body standing out from the other burgundy-colored lead holders of the same line.

Despite the plastic, the metal grip and clip still give this lead holder a sturdy, classy feeling—it’s definitely not your average mechanical pencil. And speaking of which, the drop-clutch mechanism of the lead holder is something I have to get used to.

I know many lead holders tend to have this kind of mechanism, but it still catches me off-guard occasionally to click the button and watch the lead fall to my palm, especially because this lead holder looks very similar to many mechanical pencils on the market, save for the thicker barrel holding 2mm graphite sticks.

But, the plus-side to having a drop-clutch is that I can adjust it to the amount of lead I want to draw with, so I can extend it to use more of the side of the lead without fear of breakage, or I can shorten it to take advantage of a nice, sharp “pencil” tip.

Overall, this lead holder is the best of both worlds between a wooden pencil and a mechanical pencil, offering a nice, sturdy pencil core with the portability, style, and function of a mechanical-like pencil, save for the drop clutch.

The red is especially nice for subtle outlines, light sketching, and minor corrections/notes.

I have high expectation for this Uni lead holder based on raving review from a youtuber’s recommendation as a replacement for pencil for sketching But I have to say I’m disappointed. * The knurled metal surface is uncomfortable (not super uniform and high quality like most Japanese product) * Even it is lighter weight than full aluminum holder, the metal part still makes it heavier than pencil and front heavy, and as a result it is not comfortable to use for sketching (if wooden pencil is a 10, this makes the sketching experience a 6) * Lastly, it’s minor but still bugs me.

The plastic portion is really cheap and it feels like a $1 china plastic pen. A $3 Japanese mechanical pencil has way better quality plastic than this $7 holder. And it’s not a particular comfortable pen for writing either (because of the unrefined knurled metal surface).

This is one of my favorite lead holders. It’s lightweight, balanced towards the tip, with great knurling, and a super solid clutch mechanism. It’s a very nimble feeling holder to write with. I bought the red holder but I don’t use the red lead.

I immediately swapped it for some Uni HB lead for regular writing so I can’t comment on the quality of the colored lead. My holder is several years old and has seen regular use without any issues at all or any signs of wear.

Would definitely recommend.

I already own a Rotring Rapid Pro leadholder which set me back quite a bit (33USD). It is great but after just receiving this one I am amazed that a leadholder costing just under $10 can be so nice. I bought this as something to carry about daily since I wanted to leave the more expensive Rotring at home.

This one will substitute nicely as the weight is almost a bit heavier and it looks very nice also. I enjoy writing and sketching with it. There are some cons for me though as the lead indicator is very stiff and I haven’t been able to move it yet.

It seems permanently stuck on the HB position. The bottom of the pencil also doesn’t seem to have a sharpener in the cap like most other lead holders. Anyway the pencil looks great and feels good in hand so for the price it is a score.

I absolutely love this lead holder! The metal barrel is a nice change of pace, and I don’t have to worry about it cracking over time like the plastic barrels. The weight is nice, and overall very solidly built.

I’m a little upset that Blick doesn’t carry the Alvin lead refills, because the staedtler refills are a tad too long to fit completely flush (it seams Alvin doesn’t like staedtler). Oh, and because there isn’t a single review ANYWHERE on the internet for this, here are the degree indicators available in the window: HB, F, H, 2H, 3H, & 4H.

Great build and material quality, great balance, and I expect this lead holder to last me a long time, I am so glad I found this lead holder, I had been searching for one like this, with the design and build quality of the traditional vintage metal body lead holders of the past, it matches up to my vintage Charvoz 23, and is just a joy to use, I use mine for drawing and sketching.

Koh-I-Noor has translated the look and feel of their Toison d’Or wooden pencils to a mechanical lead holder, right down to the color scheme, hexagonal shape, diameter, and relatively light weight. For comparison, Caran d’Ache did something like this with their Fixpencil but at a much higher price.

Although every manufacturer seems to feel obligated to add a clip, a pencil needs to be rotated continually to maintain a sharp enough writing/drawing edge, and the clip gets in the way. The Koh-I-Noor product is no exception, but their clip is cleanly removable, leaving no ugly notches or bumps.

Very cool at a good price.

When my old Staedtler finally conked out after 30 years service I thought I would try something different. I came across this which looked quite similar but which I expected would be a lightweight clone.

So is it as good as the Staedtler? Well. yes and no. It is not as well constructed but it is very comfortable in the hand. Every craftsman and draughtsman gets used to the feel of the tools with which he earns his living to the point where he can tell the difference in two apparently identical items.

See what happens to a snooker pro when you give him a new cue. So this Koh-I-Noor took a while to adjust to and now is one of my favourite clutch pencils.

I really like this pencil. It’s all metal and it contains a little sharpener inside the tip where an eraser might be. That comes in handy but it’s so small. Don’t sharpen the lead over a garbage can.

I did that and it slipped out of my hands. I had to empty out the can to find it again. Funny! Nice lead holder.

This lead holder is very well made. You can feel it when pushing the button to open the jaws, and in how the jaws hold the lead firmly but without any damage. The wood is smooth and well formed to my hand, but I wanted to make it smoother.

I took some very fine sandpaper and sanded all the wood, and then put on a bit of Renaissance Wax Polish on it and rubbed it in. Now it is very smooth and easy to hold. #sweepstakes.

Super legit. Love the weight and feel of this clutch pencil. The grip fits in my average sized hands nicely. With some fatter and heavier clutch pencils my hands gets worn out, but not so with this puppy.

Price is hard to beat (unbeatable?) and props to Cretacolor for making an eco-friendly alternative to wooden pencils and plastic lead holders. The only con to me would be the lack of a clip, but not a deal-breaker or even warrant for one less star.

I will be using this clutch joyfully for a long time to come! P. S. I also purchased the assorted 5. 6 lead set. Nice box, all arrived safely/unbroken. I tried them all out briefly. The charcoal is quite fatter than I am used too, but I have been using the Sanguine oil stick and the 2B and LOVE both.

Three cheers.

This is a great lead holder. It’s durable with a simple mechanism that retracts the leads. Metal teeth hold the lead snug in place while drawing. Since the leads can be fully secured inside, it’s a great tool to keep leads safe in your art bag, purse or whatnot.

#sweepstakes.

Fantastic quality, as expected of Staedtler products. The price put me off at first, leading me to cheaper alternatives which all eventually failed. Should have just purchased the Staedtler first, saving myself the time and money wasted on inferior products.

You’ve likely heard the phrase before and it certainly applies here, “Buy Once, Cry Once. ” All metal construction with precision machining and anodizing. Very precise metering of the lead with each “click” and minimal damage to the leads from the clutch system during use.

The deep midnight blue is quite stunning, will likely purchase another before they are no longer available. Works with colored leads just as well as graphite.

Good combination of weight distribution, feel and price. Looks nice too. Comes with HB lead. I bought this to keep in my bag with sketchbook, but I like it so much I use it all the time for writing. I chose this lead holder because the lead advances by clicking rather than dropping.

As others have mentioned there is no eraser and no metal stick inside the cap to push the lead through. For lead replacements, I’m trying out Uni Mitsubishi Refill in “F” which seems just a tiny bit darker than the Staedtler HB lead.

While researching for sketching supplies I noticed a lack of reviews everywhere I went. So hopefully this helps someone! Review your purchases people! I use this lead holder for sketching every day. Pros: Decent weight.

Knurled grip is nice. Metal body makes this tool feel sturdy. Clutch system is satisfying (I enjoy clicking several times to extend the lead precisely). Dark Blue with chrome highlights looks professional.

Lead indicator indicates. Clip prevents rolling (if there weren’t a clip. then rolling would be a con). Not Rotring expensive. Personal Cons: I could use more weight and a sharper tooth to the knurled grip.

The color fades off of the knurled grip after extended use. TL;DR – Great investment if you will use it every day! Works, feels, and looks like a pen twice it’s price.

This is of better quality to most Chinese manufactured Lead Holders. Although, it not as good as the German manufactured pencils. It has GERMANY printed on the pencil body giving the impression that it is made in Germany, but it is not.

It is made in Korea or China (referring to the “C” in “780 C”). The mechanism operates smoothly and shows no sign of snagging as the lead slides through the jaw. It comes with an inbuilt lead pointer in the push-button which sharpens the leads very efficiently.

I did not get a pencil box included as indicated in the image. This would be a good pencil for any student wanting a robust pencil. If you want real quality, I recommend looking for the German made lead-holders, but this is a good alternative.

Well made except for the built-in sharpener. This seems like a really nifty idea BUT to access this you have to pull out the silver push-in end which is made of smooth, shiny metal. This is impossible to pull out without a pair of flat pliers, as it is impossible to get a grip on it.

Once this is back in place and you have pressed this end in to allow the lead to appear at the other end, it is stuck in place again. A very poor and annoying design feature. If you are using this pencil for fine drawing, the lead is going to need sharpening regularly.

I understand you can buy a Staedtler lead sharpener but this means carrying even more stuff when you are out and about! Apart from this the leadholder seems sturdy. I haven’t used it for any length of time yet, so don’t know how comfortable it will be to use.

Staedtler have a well earned and justifiable reputation for quality at a great price and it is admirably upheld by this little beauty. Many artists swear by Staedtler pencils and as this is their own graphite one can expect similar performance here.

There are a wide range of different graphite’s available in the nicely arty 2mm size. There’s at least one very fine artist on’ YouTube’ who cite’s the ‘Mars techno’ as a favourite tool in his armoury.

Which is why I gave it a try; and I’m glad I did. It’s got a solid reliable feel and the ‘Claw’ has a firm grip. At this kind of price why would you hesitate to give one a try?.

Be advised that there is a ‘feelable’ ridge separating the knurl and plastic body. Thinking about sanding down the end of the body! Will consider buying another brand. Disappointed.

I absolutely LOVE these lead holders. I started out with the unmarked holder and three different leads but found myself using them so much I just had to get the marked holders for the leads I was using.

It became a hassle to switch the leads out all the time. It is thin and light but it works well with my hand.

Nice inexpensive lead holder. I like the color coded caps and lead grade printed on pencil.

Bought for the wife as a “charcoal” holder for the artist in her. Coming from an architectural background years past, it was good to see Koh-I-Noor still around and producing solid products! The weight and balance is great and there is no problem with the hold on the lead (charcoal).

It’s more expensive than the plasticky ones you can find, but if you’re using it for work (instead of just fun and dabbling) then consider it an investment in a tool. Remember, when you buy a one-off, do your research and buy accordingly.

You can cheap out on supplies (e. g. charcoals, paints, lead) but when you buy the one-off tools of your trade. pay accordingly as you do not want to have cheap when you can have quality!.

This is the only lead holder I have ever used, so I cannot make a comparison. But, it works very well and is comfortable to use. I like the weight. Being able to retract the lead is a good feature. I chose this particular brand because I have used Koh-i-noor wood encased drawing pencils for a long time and like the quality of the leads.

Clearly a pirated item. The Koh-i-Noor logo began to wear off in days. A genuine one still has a clear logo after long use.

As other reviews have noted, it’s a little bit cheapy-plasticky, but for the price point, it’s a fair value, really. It works, keeps a solid grip on the lead, and is very light and simple.

Didn’t get a chance to use the product. Put a silverpoint tip into it and put it in my shirt pocket. A few minutes later something snapped and shifted in my pocket. Took it out and the tip fell off. Turned it over and the rest of the insides fell out.

Fortunately I found the silverpoint tip. Upon examination it became clear that, while it was sitting in my pocket doing nothing in particular, the plastic piece that fits into the tip broke. It was irreparable.

I bought a replacement at Michaels while I figure out if I want to bother to return this one.

I chose this one because unlike other lead holders, it does not have the metal ‘grip’ on the body, which I find tarnishes quickly and is uncomfortable for me. This holder is mostly plastic, so it’s lighter than the staedtler lead holder that I’ve been using.

It fits and works with the staedtler lead pointer, and with the staedtler leads I already have. I tossed the lead it came with because while sharpening, the lead kept breaking. They also apparently come in different colors; the image for the product is blue, but the one I received was yellow, which was cool because that’s my current favorite color.

Overall very solid and for an excellent price.

These are great drafting pencils. I bought my first Koh-I-Noor pencil 57 years ago and they haven’t changed. They only need to be replaced when you lose them or someone steals them. You also need a special abrasive sharpener to use one, but they seem to last forever also.

When it comes to using graphite, I’ve done away with most pencils and have stuck with Staedtler leads and lead holders. The wonderful thing about using these leads is that you never have to worry about the pencil getting shorter and resorting to using an extender in order to make you pencil last.

These leads lay down super consistently. I’ve been using these leads and Staedtler lead holders now for over five years and I simply wouldn’t use anything else. The ONLY time I use a graphite pencil is when I want something darker than 4B, for which I reach for the Staedtler Lumograph pencil 7B or 8B.

You can sharpen these leads to a needle sharp point using the Staedtler lead sharpener. This allows me to get some of the finest details laid down in a drawing, which really enhance the overall feel and look.

I’m not much of a graphite lover but whenever I need it, I reach for Staedtler – nothing else.

I’m taking academic drawing classes at an atelier and they require us to sharpen our pencils to a long sharp point. The lead and lead holder make this process so much faster. Same quality lead as in their wood pencils #sweepstakes.

These two leads come in a compact slender tube, perfect for storing in a courier bag. These leads will stay in my zippered pouch along with my lead holder, erasors, lead sharpener, etc. This is for those occasions when sketching en plein air and run out of lead.

Yep, they are a compact sketchers version of the spare tire in your car. N. B. Am considering getting some more in different grades of lead. I ordered the 4B grade and think I should get a set of 2B leads to give me a wee bit of latitude of darkness when sketching.

2nd favourite pencil after Caran d’ache pencil!- fixpencil….the expensive but most used…..it’s just the handling & design!

Beautifully engined, great to hold and use.

Good solid little handy pencil

This lead is a blast! Once you open the tube, the wonders of your imagination slides out into your hand. This lead is a portal to other dimensions. When you put lead to paper, nothing can stop you. You are a juggernaut of fantasy and skill.

This is a fine piece of lead.

I generally use this product with Staedtler leads and their lead pointer. This is a great combination and works extremely well for everything from outlining to shading. I purchased several and use a different hardness of lead in each.

This product just feels good in my hand, solid and agile at the same time. Pros: -Nicely balanced and made from quality materials. -Clamp grips leads tightly and securely. -Built in lead pointer (for emergencies) -Nice stippling on aluminum finger rest, easy to grip Cons: -I wish there was a lead hardness indicator built into the holder somehow.

As I use the same holders for different hardness leads It would be nice to have that option.

Good quality

TranslateShow in original languageHabe nichts daran auszusetzen. An Verarbeitung, Funktion und Schreibgefühl kann man wirklich nicht meckern. Hatte schon früher so einen Stift, der mir aber leider durch eigenes Verschulden kaputt ging.

Würde mir so einen Fallminenstift aber auch jederzeit wieder kaufen!.

I love Staedtler leads, they are strong and the color is wonderful and just what an artist expects. This time they arrived in a flat container, which all in all is quite nice, however, I was used to purchasing them in round tubes that I preferred over the flat ones.

These are the only leads I enjoy using and so I will continue to order them, I just wish they had them in the round tubes with each different lead numbers in the tubes. The tubes held twelve of each lead.

I will continue to order from Dick Blick as they offer great prices.

Very smooth, a bit fragile but thats as to be expected of softer grades It’s a very similar darkness/shade level to wood pencil Caran d’ache GRAFWOOD 4b (uni seems to be a tiny bit darker, possibly equal to a cd’a 5b I don’t have) see uni 2mm HB review from “PG10004ever” for a Faber castell comparison detailing an approximate 3 grade shift.

Caran d’ache 2mm lead seems to be smoother, but it’s probably placebo given how g*dawful expensive their lead refills are. oddly, 4b may be where Caran d’ache and Uni intersect, as Uni 2B is a tiny bit darker than CD’a 2B and Uni H is much darker than cd’a H.

cd’a 4H and Uni 3H may share the exact darkness and shade. >tested against cda technograph 2mm B, 3mm 3B, grafwood 4H, H, 2B, and 4B.

My favorite lead for sketching and doing preliminary sketches/block-ins. I took a figurative drawing workshop with Juliette Aristides and she used my lead holder to correct an area of my work on my block-in, she commented how nice the lead was.

This particular line of graphite “lead” does indeed run soft, so be advised that the 2H is more like an “H” or an “F” in other brands, particularly Steadtler, which runs harder IMO. Personally, I don’t mind it, if I need harder graphite I just grab for my 3H leads in this line.

Even the 4H are usable. My go-to brands are this Hi-Uni (of course), Faber Castell 9000 and Tombow. Steadtler is fine, I just don’t reach for it as much. Most lines, once you get into their 4 or 5H graphite, you may as well be attempting to draw in silverpoint, these are softer, so I find that I use all the way to 4H for particularly light lines.

A very versatile graphite line that is particularly suited to artistic applications.

If you are wondering, this has the same feel/color/hue/etc. as Uni Mitsubishi’s Vermillion pencils, I have no reason to believe that there is any difference between the lead in the pencil and these leads.

It’s a nice softer lead that handles smoothly and leaves a rich, colorful line. Makes a nice substitute to a red pen for marking up papers and also for carpentry.