MetaChat - Picky, pedantic question:

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04 March 2009

Picky, pedantic question: I have to use some #2 pencils at a civil service test on Sunday. Last night, I bought some #2 pencils. But they were marked "HD" Would these still count? Is there any difference between HD #2s and plain vanilla #2s? Thanks in advance.

post by: jason's_planet at: 12:26 | 9 comments

Are you sure it was HD, not HB? HB is the same as #2, but I've no idea about HD.

posted by Daniel Charms 04 March | 12:33

It's HB. Sorry.

posted by jason's_planet 04 March | 12:48

Yep, HB is the standard for writing pencils/#2s. See also. I dunno why it's called a "#2 pencil", though.

posted by Specklet 04 March | 13:12

I like #1 pencils. So soft and easy to write with! #3 pencils, on the other hand, are tools of evil.

posted by Stewriffic 04 March | 13:35

HB is from the English system of grading pencil hardness, #2 is from the American system.

#1 = B
#2 = HB
#2.5 = F
#3 = H
#4 = 2H

While you might expect the numbering to go to 11, it goes to 9 (9B very soft, 9H you'll put someone's eye out).

posted by jamaro 04 March | 13:45

Also, mechanical pencil lead is generally HB. I use mechanical pencils for just about all my writing and sketching.

posted by sakura 04 March | 14:10

I use 9B for portraiture, 9H for discipline.

posted by Lipstick Thespian 04 March | 14:25

Those High Def pencils have such a fine point that it takes forever to color in one of those little circles.

posted by Ardiril 04 March | 16:15

OK, so HB and #2 are pretty much synonymous.

Great! Thanks!

posted by jason's_planet 04 March | 17:18

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