The Best Clutch pencils & Lead Holders, Rotring, Faber castell, Staedtler + Why I Use Them? 

Mitsubishi Hi-Uni does make clutch graphite holders. They have a maroon barrel. The cap at the end comes in different colors to distinguish various graphite grades. Grade is also written on the side. It has a knurled grip section. They also make an unmarked one for any grade. You can get replacement graphite in packs of 6. My favorite clutch ‘pencil’. Thanks for the great vid.

Funny story .... I have been using the Faber Castell leads for years now and I never knew they had a clutch holder, I have just used the leads in my hand. I just loved them. I guess while going through Amazon one night I found the clutch not knowing what it was so I searched Google. I kinda feel foolish but I live in a really small town so small in fact that the only place to buy art supplies was in a travelers shop where vacationers can buy trinkets to remind them of their stay here. I would go in to see a friend who worked there. I casually mentioned that there no art supplies here in town so where did these artists buy their supplies. And low and behold she told me that there was a cubby in the back where they (the artists) would tell the owner what they needed and she would get extras to go into the cubby so others to buy if they wanted to try something new. Only thing is they never asked her to buy the clutch pens because they already had them and she was not an artist so she did not know they went in hand in hand. I bought them to go with the graphite stick in 9b , I just thought they got smaller as the darkness got lighter, after all they were 9b and 2b. I had a really hard time finding the clutch's in the 2b and 4b as I wanted to have it written on the barrel I did find them but I am still waiting for the 4b to come in the mail ( Amazon delivery sucks here and I could not find them both at any art supply stores online). Well, there is my journey into clutches, I used to use mechanical pencils but got tired of them always breaking I absolutely will not go back. Have a lovely day everyone who sees this!! Rose.

The Rotring Art Pencil absolutely is the Rolls Royce of clutch pencils. Back in like 2006 I was buying some art supplies before starting art college and I went into this weird little art shop in my town that was like a time capsule. It was stocked full of art, drafting, surveying, and stationery tools but almost all of it was leftover new old stock from like the 80s but I didn't entirely realize it at the time. Anyway, I bought an Art Pencil for $9 because I loved the form factor. I took it home and drew with it that night and fell so head over heels in love with it I went back the next day and bought the other one they had so I'd have it as a backup. I've kept the one pristine in it's original box so far but the first one I bought I used so much through art college and years after that the body is literally worn shiny smooth now. It was actually only like 5 or so years ago now did I realize these are no longer made, haven't been made in years, and apparently sell for ridiculous money when they come up on Ebay. To this day I still say it is without a question THE best designed sketching/drawing clutch pencil ever made. However, that Faber Castell looks quite similar and I had no idea that existed until your video so I will for sure be picking up a few to try out and maybe have as backups in case I ever run my two Art Pencils into the ground.

Excellent, thank you. It's always a relief to have it confirmed that I'm not the only one who's enthusiastic about these things. Probably better not to get me started on this subject, but I can't resist putting a word in for the Wörther Shorty pencils. They're endearing ... and indestructible in workshop conditions, surprisingly. Clutch pencils have so much going for them, but I still enjoy using wooden ones more just on account of the lightness - an advantage they share with goose quills, but that's another story.

Thank you for the informative video, I will be taking the plunge into the world of lead holders. Life is truly a great adventure!

I also have the Faber Castell ones. A handful just like you have, for the same reasons. I have the fat one too but I bought a set of two. Comes with the lead packets. I think they are very economical. Like you said, saves time sharpening them. Great video, thank you.

A reason for sharpening the wood pencil to expose a long, tapered length of graphite or charcoal was, I learned in my life drawing class, to be able to use the side of the lead to create a broad mark as well as a fine line, depending on how the lead is placed on the paper. Much like a well made, say, #20 watercolour brush, you can create the finest hair line as well as a full, broad mark in one stroke, without lifting the brush (or the pencil) from the paper. It's a different technique.

Great overview. I enjoyed hearing your thoughts on each model, and look forward to trying a 5.6 mm. Thank you. I have the Art Pencil as well, and had no idea it’s valuable. I think it’s great - I like the balance of the design of the art pens too. They’re a bit long for taking outside though. Again, thanks for the great reviews!

So funny you mentioned saving the graphite powder after sharpening your leads, I have been doing the same for the past 3-4 years, and I always use the graphite powder on my drawings, my absolute favorite clutch holder is a vintage Charvoz 23, it was my first clutch pencil ever, and because of it I started collecting and using other brands, but none compare to the Charvoz, great video, awesome collection.

Another great video review. Thank you. Very much appreciated by many nerds out here. I do love my pencils, some to have and others to use. So cool to hear your thoughts. Stay well and remain positive.

I love you, man! You fulfilled the request of many stationery nerds when doing this review. You can say that I still have a lot to try... since I only have the Rotring 300 and Berol Turquoise. However, this guide was perfect and your channel is becoming more complete and entertaining. Keep growing! 💪🏽

I like both, lead holders and wood pencils. Lead holders are more practical. Expensive at the beginning but cheap at the end. But to have a wood pencil in your hands is so light... I do not know how to explain. I like having different brands and see which is better for different uses. I have done many test on my channel. But you made me think about the greatest utility of lead holders, so thanks!!

The steadtler sell their replacement leads with a color coded cap so if you have different pencils with different leads you can difference them by the color also you could've bought the mars techno 788 remove the pocket clip and yo have full plastic body lightweight also i prefer steadtler's graphite over faber castell's even though my favourite is mitsubishi which also sells replacement 2mm leads

Great result with the Rotring Art Pencil - couldn't happen to a nicer bloke!!

I remember I had the rOtring art pencil back in the late 90’s. Lovely balance. Since then I’ve moved onto the Staedtler 787 which are fantastic as they can accommodate 2mm and 3mm

The Japanese pencil imitation looks quite interesting. I was introduced to clutch pencils for use in technical drawings because they are stronger and last longer.

Great video! Bravo!

Did not know Faber Castell made lradholder in 3.mm for darker values above 3 and 4B, thank you for that.

Lovely video! I have a little obsession on leadholders and so I got many brands over the years. But somehow for me, the Faber-Castell ones stand out, something in the shape or colour or built. I just love them. I do use Koh-I-Noor 8b 2mm in one. If you want a sharpener in the push button and a clip you can get the TK4600 model of the same manufacturer. It's the same pencil but it lacks the hardness indicator and has the two extra functions I've mentioned. Also it seems to be cheaper where I live than the standard you've presented in the video, but alas the same exact built.

Good video. Informative. Thanks, man. 👍

Super helpful, thanks!

Love my lead holders, I have recently gotten back in to them. Currently using a decent but cheap propelling type from the dollar store. The clutch mechanism isn't strong enough to keep the lead from spinning when the sharpener snags. Speaking of the sharpener, it is dull. Also comes with a ring to show, HB, B, 2B 3B, 4B. I used to have one of the Staedtler Mars Technico pencils that I bought in the late 1980s for drafting class in school. Nice classic pencil.

Another great review! I've been using Staedtler Mars technico which are pretty nice however I too am not a fan of pocket clips. They are removable but the Staedtlers only have a short section of octagonal shape so they tend to roll without the pocket clip. I ordered 5 blank TK9400 and plan to use my existing Staedtler 2mm leads along with the Staedtler color coded caps that come with the leads assuming they will fit on the TK9400.

Thanks for this review 👍🏻

The Staedtler pocket clip can slide off if you don't like it.

Nice video, idk why i'm watching it. Probably because i already own some clutch pencils, and Kuelox 2mm is on its shipping way. But i also must notice you have a good voice, pretty great to tell tales to a kids.

Wonderful it’s very useful thank you very much

Thanks i never even thought of using lead shavings im sure its not new but to me it is makes too much sense!

Mitsubishi Uni makes leads. And they are sold on Aliexpress and Ebay. Got all of them from 4H to 4B. They are simply perfect. But quite expensive. I also tried FC, KON, Staedtler and some of chinese ones(found some that are really good, RedCircle for ex). My favourite is Uni. And there's also a very good lead pointer by Mitsubishi. I've got all of KUM, FC(both mentioned in video), Staedtler, Uni and I think Uni's is the best. Even it got no 3mm one - only 2mm. Speaking about leads: don't be surprised when uni's 4B lead looks darker than KOH's 8B.

Enjoyed your review, and your take on the pencils. I too tend to primarily use the TK9400's. Eventually the gold identifying the graphite wears off. I do wish they used a colored tail cap system to Identify the different graphites in each uth, something that couldn't rub off over time, and could be interchangeable from one clutch to another. Take Care.

Its interesting you put this video out now when I find myself actually moving away from lead holders. For me ive just found for drawing I prefer absolute simplicity and wood pencils are more simple to me. Im not knocking lead holders of course. I tend to overdo it as well so probably bought more than I needed in every aspect. My one big con for lead holders is on most of them if you lose that end cap then really you cant operate the lead holder short of shoving a screw in or something. Thats about it though. Also for sharpening wood pencils its easier and safer at least for me to just use a good vegetable peeler on them. It works great and much faster than a craft knife.

What I do on lead indicators that are difficult to make out is rub some paint, neon if it helps, into the markings and then wipe it clean. I'm kinda particular so I actually use different color paints as well so even at a glance, I know yellow is my 2h, etc..

OMG that Rotring Art Pen....soooo nice

Heh-heh! In the thumbnail, there was the Rotring clutch pencil (which has been discontinued for years). I'm lucky enough to have one. It's probably my favorite.

I like your video rotring rapid pro for clutch pencil is one of the favourite but the rotring you showed in the video look so sick kinda want to get it too.

The faber castells are nice especially the 3.15mm. Those are my favorite

My people.. I actually bought the 2 Art Pencils on eBay for $200 CAD. I remember way back when when the pencil was going for $15. I always meant to pick one up until it was too late. Now I have one to use and the other to keep in pristine shape..

I feel a bit embarrassed to ask this but what is the difference between mechanical pencils and clutch pencils apart from the obvious design and mechanism? Is it that the clutch pencils are for much thicker leads?

My credit card wasn't exactly happy after I'd watched this video and decided I need the whole TK9400 set 🤔 And the sharpener 🤔🤔

Great review, thanks. The Art pencil is probably rare because it's not that nice [imo]. I've got one buried in my garage somewhere, hasn't been used for at least 20 yrs :) TK's are my favourite - design, in use & no clips

I always remove the pocket clip for the same reason as you describe. The clip in conjunction with the useless eraser in the end are the most annoying features of pencils........ thanks to those companies who let us remove the clip without ruining the pencil 😁

Smoothie - As someone who wants to start drawing/sketching...what would be a good selection to get?

Hello, how are you ? smooth i would like to know why most artists like lead holders more than normal mechanical pencils like (0.3 to 0.9) have any specific reason? would it be due to the factor of the lead holder being able to be shaped in the way that the artist likes? (thin or thick tip) or because it doesn't break the tip so much?

This was an excellent review for those of us completely new to clutch pencils/lead holders. I'm particularly interested in the lightweight lead holders, because I have tendonitis, and quite small hands, so I think a lighter one like the Faber-Castell would be more comfortable for me. I was wondering if a lead holder would work to hold the broken ends of expensive colored pencils, so I don't have to waste them. The leads range from 2.8mm to 4mm, with my 3.0mm (Prismacolor) and 3.3mm (Brutfuner) leads breaking rather frequently. Do you know if a lead holder can be used to hold waxy colored pencil leads? Have you ever tested the idea? I was thinking, if I leave a long piece of lead inside the pencil body, the colored pencil lead can't get pushed back inside while I'm coloring with it. What do you think?

thanks !!

On the topic of clips, I've found that my enjoyment of most mechanical pencils soars if I just take them off. And if the pencil won't allow it, I'll simply rip it off and file down the plastic to a smooth surface.

Hello, Smoothie. I just discovered your amazing videos while I’m in the process of trying to get back into pencil drawing. After watching a few of your videos, I have a question. If you have a moment, could you let me know which you would recommend for a re-beginner: 1) the Pentel P200 series mechanical pencils - all .05 with different lead types OR 2) the Faber Castell TK 9400 series clutch pencils Thanks in advance! I look forward to watching your instructional videos.

Thanks for the insight, which one is the lightest? I am looking for one that has the closest weighting to a wooden pencil as possible. Thanks!

I love the big chunky Koh-i-noor pencil and have 5 of them, 2 triangular ones and 3 of the dearer ones. Also have two Faber Castel 2mm pencils, but I will look out for the 3mm ones as they look quite useful, seem to be around £12 though. I also like the graphite sticks, no wood, no metal, just graphite. Here's a question - what do you think of carbon pencils or are there any carbon refills to fit the 2mm Faber Castel pencils that are any good?

can u compare to pancils from aliexpress? i see some even better then steadtlers

It's insane how much more expensive these pencils are in England! The Staedtler 925's only cost around $13 here in Canada. Also, have you tried taking out the 925s pocket clip (granted it'll roll off the table), it's very easy to take off. On the note of your rapid pro, do you find the cushion lead mechanism bothersome? I own it in the 2mm and I find it pushes back so easily without that much pressure, but the build and overall feeling of the pencil are keeping me from returning it. Have you tried the UNI Mitsubishi 2mm lead refills? They are like an absolute dream, although I actually haven't tried HI UNI woodcase pencils so I can't compare if its the exact same graphite used.

Can I ask what kind of masking tape you use please. I think I saw in one video a black tape? I tried a Frog low tack but it damaged my paper even though I removed it carefully, at an angle :) Hope you can advise - cheers. I'm a relatively new subscriber but loving your videos so far.

I bought that Rotring Art Pencil when it first came out, but I rarely use it because it doesn’t fit into a sharpener which is its biggest drawback.

This will be my first time buying a clutch pencil so I wanna ask about the lead indicator. Can I not change the lead gradation in 2mm pencil? I mean do I have to use only HB lead in one clutch pencil and I have to buy another pencil If I want to use 2mm B lead?

Hi, thanks. Buy the Cretacolor clutch pencil with wood handle (thick, ergonomic for artists). God bless.

Can compare only KIN 5900, 5608 (small and nice) and 5228 (downsized 5900) and FK 9400. FK 9400 is lightest, a bit thinner especially at front and the most comfortable. KIN 5900 is a bit heavier (it's 14g vs 10g), feels heavier, but it's aluminum with the same paint as wooden pencils. It can be found with and without clip. I would prefer without, cause it's placed too low. 5228 is my EDC pen, it's like 3cm shorter and all black, not very comfortable due to clip. 5608 is actually quite ergonomic for it's size, it's thinner, it has coarse texture, but it seems to be a denser material (steel, brass?) and clip is not that sharp at edges. KIN versatils have completely different construction than Faber Castell (which is weird, when I unscrewed tip, I unscrewed clutch mechanism from tube holding lead and when putting it together, it's screwed inside the pencil while overcoming spring, so it was not that easy to put it back). And KIN5608 has nothing in common with other versatils, different mechanism (incremental clutch), materials, feels kind of premium. And the clip is removable!

Excellent video. However, I cannot find this rotring set with the pencil (i can only find with the three caligraphy pens). Could you please reply with a link to buy in the UK? Thanks in advance.

Check out the Kitaboshi 2.0mm, minimalist design with no clip

use the clutch pencil and your journey to the dark side will be complete LOL. i use a lot of clutch pencils and the TK9400 & 5mm kho-i-noor are my work horse pencils, take a look at a lyra 4766120 clutch holder, tfs.

Do you use still use the Staedtler 925 2mm please ? Did TK9400 completely took its place?

i love my koh-i-noor 5201, mine's yellow too. there is a 5.6mm cluth pencil by koh-i-noor that does have a sharpener that comes off. the version that's made of metal is better than the one you have. i would have got the green faber-castell pencils if they had a sharpener. useless without them.

Also, can you do a video where you only uses clutch pencils and other materials instead of using wooden pencils.

Hi Jon. Just looked online at the TK9400 range and they are around one hundred Australian dollars each. Very disappointed at this price.

I love the faber castel's but I'd wish they made their clutch pencils in aluminium or titanium Iam sucker for durable materials also never underdstood why rotring didn't made a clutch pencil in the same vein as their 600 series

In our country, the Staedtler technico lead holder is actually way cheaper than the Faber castell Lead holder. The Staedtler is only 8 bucks here.

You can take the pocket clips off them all though if you don't like it...

Years late but I'm interested in these type of pencils. I'm somewhat of a beginner and I'd like to know wich one to buy, for me they have to be good quality, cheap and comfortable. I plan to write with them more than to draw but I'll still draw simple things. Wich one of these would you recommend? Also there's not many options where I live so if you could give me a some sort of list so I have more options I'd be grateful

Please read this whole comment. Solid advice. You should seriously have courses on Udemy. The reason why you only have 32.8 K subscribers isn't because you don't have good content( no seriously you have the best content ever) it is because not many people knows about your channel. Like millions of people around the world knows about Udemy for graphic design and drawing courses so if you have courses on Udemy, Jeez, I can't even imagine how popular your courses would be and how much income would you get. Please for the sake of god and yourself, please have paid courses on Udemy(not free courses)( a lot of people are going to pay your courses even if it is super expensive since the content is super duper super duper awesome.) Please apply this to your to-do list and probably( I mean definitely) your channel would rock and fly to 400K or even 900K also your Udemy account would have at least 20,000(this is a huge number of student even though having 20K subscribers on youtube isn't that much because imagine 20,000 * 199$ which is the average fee for one course = 3,980,000$ or even 100,000 students which is 100,000* 199$ = 19,900,000$) (even though Udemy has the courses on sale for only 19$ but you would earn 199$). Also, it is better to have courses STRUCTURALIZED( from level 1 beginner to level 2 intermediate then to level 3 advanced and to level 4 expert). I'm NOT a person from Udemy advertising trying to convince gg. I'm just a student trying to learn art and has sympathy on you that you have only 32K subscribers. I really want that number to increase and also develop my art skills. Also, from a student's perspective, I find it hard to commit to your tutorials because they are not structuralized and I also hope you could explain your methods of doing it like in a course instead of tutorials.

I slide all the pocket clips off my Kohinoor 5900/5217s because I hate them too.

Maruta means log (as in wood) in Japanese!

I haven’t seen those rotring art pens since 1986😂

1) Remove pocket-clips 2) Dry-skin; use skin-cream/-lotion frequently, certainly min. once per day.

What we really need is a 0.2mm pencil with a built in sharpener /s

Where did you learn to draw?

Faber are the most balanced, reliable pencils. They are too long to carry in a pocket, though.

No way, I also have this stupid skin issue too from using the dumb Staedtler technical 2.0 clutch pencil. Well, mine is more severe, I have it all over my hand and it sucks and distracts me from doing art.

£5- £8???? The price of the Faber Castells range from £11 - £15 depending on where you buy it!

Looks too dark. Can’t make out the different colors ☹️ but the content is good

i dont understand how u would still use mechanical pencils, clutch pencils are waay better