Mitsubishi 9852 Pencil, B, Set of 12

Mitsubishi's 9852 writing pencil has the classic American pencil look, with the body lacquered in that familiar golden yellow and a pink eraser. But unlike most yellow pencils, this is a premium writing tool. Mitsubishi 9852 offers a smooth feel and dark, clean marks. The lead is perfectly centered in the cedar body so that it sharpens evenly. And that pink eraser? It's soft and effective, not dried-up and smudgy like other pink erasers.

A few aesthetic details also help this pencil stand out. The paint is thick and smooth, making the 9852 pleasant to hold and use. The typography on the pencil's barrel (it's foil-stamped with "Master Writing" on one side and the model information on the other) is attractively idiosyncratic, with several typefaces and a blue accent for the B grade. The ferrule is an unusual purplish color, which adds one more unique element to this deceptively old-fashioned pencil.

This is the B grade, one step softer than HB, the standard grade for writing. B grade pencils are our favorite choice for writing and sketching. You do have to sharpen a bit more often, but the lines are bolder and darker than HB.

Made in Japan and packaged in a retro pink-and-green box. One dozen unsharpened pencils per box.

About Mitsubishi Pencil Co., Ltd.:

Founded in the 19th century in Tokyo, Mitsubishi Pencil has been one of the world's leading pen and pencil manufacturers for generations. Well-known around the world for their Uni brand of pens and pencils, Mitsubishi continues to innovate and release new products, like POSCA paint markers and an ever-expanding lineup of writing pens.

Fun fact: "Mitsubishi" means "three diamonds," and the name and three-diamond mark of Mitsubishi Pencil predates the better-known Mitsubishi Group by ten years. Despite sharing the same name and symbol, Mitsubishi Pencil is not related to any of the numerous other Mitsubishi companies in Japan.