So, 2B or not 2B? Is that your question?
2B is darker.
this post was submitted on 25 Dec 2025
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2B||!2B
4B is not 2B, and yet it's darker
Of course, because 4B is 2 2Bs and if 2Bs are darker, then 2 2Bs are darkerer.
Don't get me started on 8Bs
You're well on your way to a proper hive there
Lol, I was just countering your joke
I don't remember ever using 8B, but 6B and 7B is fun to use for shading.
Only Anish Kapoor is allowed to use 8B.
All good, I'm just having fun
More Bs means it's softer, so more graphite will get onto your paper when you draw a line, which makes it darker.
More Hs means it's harder, so less graphite. The advantage is that it doesn't get used up as quickly and you can draw finer lines, although the latter is kind of a given either way, since you're using a mechanical pencil.
Ding ding, this is the exact right answer.
For technical drawings, you generally want to use 6H and up for lines you're probably going to erase, 2H for real drafting, and 2B and up is for shading and thicker work. We'd occasionally do "structural" lines in 4B.
I doubt you can find a mechanical pencil with 4B and over though.
Thanks for the real world examples!
Thanks. I got a lot of HB refills and when I use them I can't even see the marks
Then you know you need darker. I use HB, 2B or 4B depending if I write (2B, HB) or sketch (4B, sometimes 2B)
What I want is a darkest
2B.
/thread
2B, for the Glory of Mankind.
More B=softer=darker, but also losing sharpness faster
More H=harder=lighter, but keeps its point longer.
I've got a range of pencils from 4B to 6H. Every pencil hardness has its use.