Pentel Stein Enhanced Silica Pencil Lead - 0.5 mm - Red

This lead is garbage. It breaks too easily. It's rough and drags on the paper.

The red 0.5 lead Mars Micro Color by Staedtler remains unsurpassable. Pentel is still far away. I have tried any and all red leads.

Being new to the colored lead fad I decided to buy the three biggest brands of 0.5mm lead. Staedtler Mars MIcro (blue), UNI-ball (red), and Pentel Stein (red). I wanted to buy each brand in red but mars was only offered in blue.

Erasability: Both the Pentel and Mars leads were impossible to erase and act like an indelible pencil. The UNI however erased as easy as normal graphite. (I tried using both normal pencil erasers as well as the premium hi-polymer erasers).

Durability: Both the Pentel Stein and the UNI appeared to be fairly comparable in their durability (the UNI may be slightly stronger). The MARS lead reminded me of those 2 foot long rubber pencils that you use to play with as a kid (huge fail)

The left handed smudge: writing more like an indelible pencil both the MARS and Pentel appeared to be resistant to smudging. Although the UNI smudged noticeably less than a standard graphite lead it could not compete with the other two.

Color and depth: Both the Mars and UNI appear to write with a deeper and smooth feel while the Pentel offers a slightly more crisp feel.

Overall I am most impressed with the UNI however will be investing in the Pentel because I need an indelible pencil for work.

does anyone have this lead is it good for just writting ugh... i need help

This is the HB lead I've been looking for all my life. Smooth, very little smear if any, and strong! I just ordered the HB Soft and B as well. I annotate in the margins as I read, and prefer to use pencil on the books that have thin paper (my scriptures). This lead is the best for that purpose that I have found.