By far the best pencil in the world for drawing and one of the best for writing. The only one I like more for writing is the Mitsubishi Hi Uni in B hardness. However, the 2B and the entire 9000 series are the best quality graphite for drawing. I won't mention that they last much longer before needing to be sharpened, or that the tips don't break like in almost all other brands, or that Faber Castell is by far the oldest and therefore most experienced company for pencils in the world, because these are well-known facts. I will mention other details that might help others. Firstly, due to their hardness, they don't lose accuracy like the equivalent 2B pencils of other companies. One observation I have confirmed is that the graphite inside the pencils is a mixture of a type of carbon blended with clay, which is then bathed in liquid wax to make them even more durable. The more clay they have in the mix, the harder the pencil tip is (see hardnesses H, for example), while the more graphite they have, the softer and darker they write (see hardnesses B). In previous years, before Technical drawing also passed to the digital generation and analog Technical drawing with pencil disappeared in our days, Faber Castell made their pencils with the intention of using them for Technical drawing, so there was a higher proportion of clay, and the mixture was even finer in order to make the tips stronger and more resistant to time and breakage, as well as to leave a perfect uniform tone on the paper. Nowadays, although the company hasn't changed much, especially in terms of quality, at Jumbo they have a different graphite recipe, even the regular 9000 pencils have more graphite, so especially in the soft hardnesses like 2B and above, the pencils leave a darker tone than the old ones. Strangely enough, whenever I have ordered 9000 pencils, I have received both the old and the new ones, so I noticed the obvious difference. I use them for freehand drawing and because the quality is at the same level, I can't distinguish any as better. Also, I don't think the average user would notice the difference. I mentioned these because many people judge them based on the old recipes, which is fair, because now the 9000 pencils are as dark as almost all other brands, but they are still far more durable and high-quality than all of them. I repeat, only for writing (or quick careless sketching), I would choose Mitsubishi Uni Star or Hi-Uni (or Blackwing as a third option)