A pencil lead containing flake graphite which has an ab face having a flatness of at least 2 μm or less and in which an aspect ratio of an a axis or a b axis in the ab face to a c axis is 5 or more is provided with a structure in which nanoparticles having a mv value of 0.05 to 2 based on 100 of a volume average diameter (mv value) of the graphite and having a sphericity of 0.1 to 20 nm or nanoparticles having a mv value of 0.05 to 2 based on 100 of a volume average diameter (mv value) of the graphite and having a specific surface area of 200 to 600 m2/g are brought into contact with the ab face of the graphite or a structure in which they are adhered to the ab face of the graphite.