HB is the middle of the scale. From there it's going both ways. Hs are harder and Bs are softer. There's also an F thrown into that scale for extra confusion.

HB is the middle of the scale. From there it's going both ways. Hs are harder and Bs are softer. There's also an F thrown into that scale for extra confusion. https://pencils.com/pages/hb-graphite-grading-scale https://pencils.com/pages/hb-graphite-grading-scale