Faber-Castell Pitt Graphite Matte Pencil Set, Metal Tin of 8 Graphite Pencils and Sketching Accessories (HB, 2B, 4B, 6B, 8B, 10B, 12B, 14B), Penci...

I'm not sure if these are truly graphite but they feel pretty close to it. They are matte but you can see minimal shine in the light, erasable with some ghosting. Compared to Staedler Lumograph Black they are harder/lighter but also smoother on paper & erase better. They don't smudge much so they are not great for smudging/blending techniques with stumps & tortillons but that's good news for sketchbooks & journals.

I stumbled upon these Faber-Castell Pitt matte graphite pencils ("FCP") by accident and took a chance buying them. I'm glad I did. I typically use only Tombow MONO graphite pencils (which, I think are the best). As others have mentioned in other reviews, these FCPs do impart a wonderful, deep, dark black-ness (if you need it). And since they're matte, they add an interesting effect to a graphite drawing. I wouldn't draw using only FCPs (tho, not saying you couldn't or that they wouldn't be appropriate for that) but would def combine with with regular graphite pencil. The leads seem strong (they don't seem susceptible to easy breakage); they sharpen nicely; they do leave obvious ghosting when erased (so apply carefully); but they apply smoothly/nicely (no "crumbs" or specks) and they smudge/shade fairly well (but not as well as regular graphite but that could be a benefit as the FCPs aren't as messy as soft/dark regular graphite). I would recommend these as a supplemental addition to anyone's graphite palette, especially when in need of adding bold dark/black elements to a drawing. NEW UPDATE: To add to my earlier review, I've had a chance to use these pencils steadily for a couple of months. I still like them. But be warned that these particular pencils flake quite a bit after being applied. All graphite pencils have a tendency to flake off of a drawing a little bit over a long period of time (if not sprayed with a fixative). But these seem highly susceptible to flaking over a short period of time. Just be prepared to either: (i) use a workable fixative as you progress on your drawing; or (ii) if waiting to use a fixative until the drawing is finished, be prepared to go back over/re-do areas of your drawing if you're wanting to have the strong black tone that these pencils can provide. Cheers!

Dark and matte as advertised. Almost looks like charcoal but not quite. They work really well. Im going to use up the 14b first, but I love this set.

These are awesome with a real matt finish. They are becoming my favorite pencils. Soft and easy to use without much pressure. Great quality pencils. Definitely recommend them.

I love these pencils. The matt is fabulous, no glare, or shine. The Pitt or cils give fantastic details