This and the Eberhard Faber extra 1311 are my favorite pencils of all time!! Top quality and the new Grip 2001 is great too, but there's something about these older models that the new ones don't have! And a little history lesson. The company Eberhard Faber (the name of one of Faber's sons) is the company that his son created when he went to America. Essentially, it's the same company, although it has different products that you can find here and in America. Overall, by far the best pencils for writing in the world and depending on your taste, excellent for drawing or painting as well. You'll end up spending more money on cheap pencils, so Faber Castell, in the long run, is more economical for many reasons (they don't break and they write for longer than others). The best pencils by far, even for children!