staedtler lumograph clutch with 4b lead for me. They are consistently smooth whereas other pencils I have used such as Derwent are, in my experience, quite gritty.

I also use Staedtler mars lumagraph, also mitsu bishi- hi-uni and tombow mono100

I use Staedler 4H to 6B. I usually do my initial sketch with an F pencil though since I find that it gives me a light outline without having as much impact (indenting of the paper texture) as using the 4H. I shade from 4H up so that my shading doesn’t get grainy which seems to happen if I go to a softer lead at the start

I am not an expert, but I use Faber-Castell, General, and Prismacolor Turquoise. Probably not the best, but they work for me.

Derwent pencils are awesome! I have also used Staedtler, and they are very nice. I think the Derwent are a bit smoother.

I use mostly some cheap graphite pencils from Action its a Dutch 1 € shop.
I mostly use HB pencils for sketching and somtimes 2B and 4b
They come in a tin box with 10 pieces for 0,89 € and are from 5H to 5B.
Are softer than expected and the soft grades have thicker mines.
The 5h seems to me only a little harder than a 2h pencil and the 5B like an 8B.
And hb pencils from the same store for € 0.37 for 10 pieces, they even have a useful eraser and do not scratch.

Since I have to buy everything myself, I prefer to save my money.

I’ve been drawing for a couple of months sometimes, after a couple of years did not draw or paint anything.
I save my other materials until I have practice again.

Are softer than expected and the soft grades have thicker mines.
The 5h seems to me only a little harder than a 2h pencil and the 5B like an 8B.

It is true that often cheap pencils tend to be softer than more expansive ones, at least these in the “H” range. I never found cheap 6H or 7H pencils. I have to choose them from a good brand (I would think to Faber Castell, Staedtler or Koh-I-Noor, as I can find them around).

As for very soft graphite, I use Cretacolor thick leads (I find 2B, 4B and 6B) or the Faber Castell graphite pens, I think the code 2900 (up to 9B). Those later ones are thick graphite leads covered with varnish, to keep hands clean (they have no wood at all).

I recently bought a mechanical 0.7 mm Pilot pencil that I always care in my pocket, that I use for outdoors sketches on a small A6 size sketchbook. I use rather soft leads in it, mostly B or sometimes HB depending of the paper quality.