Faber-Castell’s jumbo version of the Castell 9000. It’s interesting that the diameter of the cores seem to vary less between degrees than they do in standard-diameter pencils.
They are the same length as the standard Castell 9000, it’s just the diameter that is larger in the jumbo.
The increased diameter of the core amplifies the powdery character of the leads. That’s not a criticism—they’re just as strong as the standard 9000. In comparison, they are of an entirely different character than, say, the Staedtler EX-EXB, which is also a large-diameter pencil, but has a more waxy lead.
Like the Staedtler, they work on surfaces that you might be reluctant to try with a standard diameter pencil, such as marking something rougher like wood.
Contrapuntalism 
That’s an impressive pencil. It’s not for children, correct? Is there another specific market for this pencil?
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That’s what a few of us have been wondering. The jumbo Grip pencil has been a success for them, so perhaps this is just an extension of that idea. What surprises me is that they would market their premium drawing pencil (the 9000) to children, if they are in fact for children.
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Also, given the larger size it may be the kind of thing to keep by the phone for messages (for people who still have land lines). It’s a little harder to misplace or accidentally break.
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What a great pencil! Thank you for showing it. – Is the wood the same as for the standard 9000 pencil? Regarding your comparison to the EX-EXB: The lead of this pencil (and the ones of the EXB resp. EB/7B and EE/8B) differs considerably from the harder grades since it contains soot.
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It seems to be the same wood, though I can’t say for certain. They’re very solid but not very heavy. Imagine what a tin for a dozen of these would look like! Regarding the Ex-ExB: it feels very waxy to me, almost like a crayon.
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Thanks for this blog post.
The second photo is amazing. I didn’t want them until I saw this photo of yours. Now I’m not sure I can resist buying one…
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Thanks Matthias. I think you’ll like them: there aren’t too many instances (so far as I know) of ‘standard’ pencils getting this kind of treatment, so maybe it’s worth getting a few just to have.
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That second photo is superb..but looks too “black” for a Faber-Castell. Matthias sent me an example of the FC Bonanza 1320 ‘B’. I think the”Bonanza” provides the perfect pencil name for FC to play the jumbo card with.( BTW the Bonanza is an excellent pencil in ‘B’ grade and I prefer it much more than the FC Grip 2001).
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Thanks Kevin. I agree about the Bonanza — it’s a very nice writer. Regarding the Grip — if only it came with a darker lead.
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