What is mechanical pencil lead?

Mechanical pencils are writing devices, usually made of plastic, that contain replaceable cores of graphite inside. Mechanical pencil lead refills can be inserted inside the pencil to be used continuously. The advantage is that the pencil doesn’t run out in the same way that a traditional wooden pencil does. So, mechanical pencils and mechanical pencil lead can be a smart addition to any back-to-school shopping list.

Various brands of mechanical pencil lead are available, including Paper Mate, Pentel, and TUL.

Paper Mate mechanical pencil lead

How do I refill mechanical pencil lead?

The process of how to refill a mechanical pencil is straightforward. Simply remove the pencil eraser at the end and insert the replacement pencil lead inside the pencil. Then, replace the eraser and click the eraser top to funnel the new lead into the writing tip.

Do mechanical pencils use lead?

The term ‘mechanical pencil lead” is commonly used to refer to the refills inserted into mechanical pencils so they can be continually reused. However, these refills aren’t made of actual lead. Most mechanical pencil leads are made of graphite, a crystalline form of carbon.

What types of lead for mechanical pencils are there?

Mechanical pencil lead has different widths, including 0.5, 0.7, and 0.9 millimeters. The larger the lead, the bolder the writing will be.

0.5 mm mechanical pencil refill lead

Mechanical pencil lead 0.7 mm

0.9 mm lead mechanical pencil

0.7 mechanical pencil lead

Mechanical pencil lead can also vary in terms of the graphite’s hardness and darkness. The most common type is No. 2, which has graphite with medium hardness and darkness.

#2 mechanical pencil lead

Mechanical pencil lead can also come in other colors beyond the traditional black. For example, red lead can be used for editing papers.

Colored mechanical pencil lead

Red lead mechanical pencil

Black mechanical pencil lead