Staedtler have been making pencils at the Nuremberg factory for nigh on 180 years, history books cite Friedrich Staedtler as being the first craftsman to make pencils from start to finish long before that, way back in 1662.
It is no surprise therefore that they are renowned for making high quality wooden cased pencils. The Staedtler Noris 120 has a 2mm diameter lead that is available in 2B, B, HB, H & 2H grades, each is identified with a different colour on the end. This system of letters & numbers refers to varying hardness of the lead, this was it is reported started by English pencil makers in the early 19th century. The grading system is often different in the US it seems, with # being followed by a number. Did you know that although we refer to it as lead a pencil is not made from lead but graphite? This also means that you cant get lead poisoning from a pencil.
The hexagonal iconic yellow & black stripe design of the Noris has been a staple in both school & workplace stock cupboards for as long as I can remember. The gold print along one side proudly displays the company name, country of origin, range & grade. The bar code & other id line up in another panel.
The Noris pencil’s wood is certified by PEFC as being sourced from forests managed in an ecologically & socially sustainable manner. The lead is light-weight and sharpens well although it didn’t break too often in use, which is probably due to Staedtler’s special lead formulation that they say makes it “unbelievably break-resistant” as the pencil wears down and becomes too small to be comfortable in your hand then a pencil extender is ideal. Check out our review of the 10 best pencil extenders for more info.
No matter what you choose a pencil for be it writing, drawing or sketching this reasonably priced pencil is available both individually & in packs of 12.
