Excellent dark tones throughout the Faber Castell Black Matt 1111 series and definitely worth the price difference with the Faber Castell 9000 range for artists as they produce very little sheen / glare that standard graphite pencils give. Good erasability, negligible smudge for the very soft pencils and buttery smooth. Degrees up to 10B provide for the deepest matte blacks I have produced (I use Marie's for 12B and 14B) Compares easily to the most expensive pencils for most part. Highly recommend.