We recently moved, and our son's new school specifically asked for Ticonderoga pencils. I had heard of them, but hadn't bought them because they do cost more. These are great! Very high quality pencil, made of cedar wood so they smell amazing. Easy to sharpen, they don't constantly break while trying to get a point. The eraser on these is also a much better quality than cheaper pencils. It doesn't smudge the paper. Definitely worth the additional cost, the quality is SO much better.