These pencils are sharpened and ready for use right out of the box. I prefer soft lead that makes it easy to place clear dark writing on paper especially for writing in my checkbook or doing crosswords on newspaper. The lead does not break when pressure is applied as I write. These pencils do it right but the lead doesn’t smudge at all. Erasers work nicely to thoroughly remove writing without a mess or damage to paper. I’m thinking these pencils are a very thrifty value for high quality. Highly recommended especially if your kids keep losing pencils and you want to keep a supply without a lot of expense.