Carpenter's Pencils ~ Which Is The Best?

Dan Cox shows us his favourite carpenter's pencils and marker pens.

SHOPPING

Pica 6060 Big Dry Longlife Construction Marker
(Refillable Carpenter's Mechanical Pencil)

TRACER Complete Deep Hole Marking Kit
(Deep Hole Construction Pencil, Permanent Marker Pen & 120mm Lead Set)

Ox Tuff Carbon
(Marking Pencil Value Pack OX-P503201)

Rexel Blackedge Carpenter's Pencils
(Hard Pack of 12)

Dan's Ultimate Roofing Square and Essential Hinge Jig.

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#diy #woodworking #homeimprovement

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[HomeRapidRepair]

The best pencil is the one you can find when you need it 😂

[tinytonymaloney]

Love the Tracer pencil, you didn't mention the tiny sharpener blade moulded into the pencil cover. Believe it or not I actually had mine a good year or so before I realised it was even there. I used to sharpen the point on a sanding block. An apprentice on a job pointed it out one day. Oh what it is to get old. 😂😂

PS, meant to add, there are different colour leads available too, I found the the yellow leads ideal for marking on corrugated bitumen roofing sheets.

[francois]

Tried the pica, went back to the regular carpenters pencils. Ours are of an oval cross section in the Netherlands. The advantage I feel over the pica style is ease of sharpening, no messing with the sharpener at the butt of the holder. And I can sharpen them into the shape I need atm. I can use the sides of the pencil to scribe a shape along a irregular wall, or use it as a temporay spacer. Also, most important, dirt cheap (sometimes free as goodies in promotions)

[ljones]

I've tried them all, did full circle and have reverted back to rexels/stanley carpenter pencils. Everything else I feel is a little gimmicky, the Picas are good but they're bulky, especially the big one. (I'm a carpenter who works inside and out) can't beat the Rexel (Blue Red and Green depending on time of year/materials etc). Even a few Staedtler Noris pencils in the glovebox for finer work or for my scribers.

[LeeTillbury]

Hi Dan. I had two tracers fail on me with the exact same issue. Bought the same size Pica and it's been perfect 👍🏻

[allanstephenson]

50 yrs a Joiner, always liked a standard 4h pencil. When starting my apprenticeship I took a conventional carpenter's pencil to work. My boss at the time took it off me and chopped it up with an axe. He said it was like trying to mark something out with a poker.

[johndonson]

The single most important factor in pencil analysis is “Does it stay behind my ear “ if not straight in the bin .

[jonfenwick]

Was looking for a tracer for ages, finally got one. Love it.

I do find, as it attaches to my trousers, I am never without a pencil now though.



It does have its drawbacks, though, if you do drop it the lead breaks easily, and the yellow lead doesn't seem to be visible, at least on what I've used it on.

Great little pocket attachment though, it's right they're, pride of place on the work trousers. Right next to the knive, tape, and my new tiny knipex grips
Always ready for anything there

[richardlove]

40 years a carpenter joiner, just get yourself a big box of normal everyday round 4h pencils and a decent pencil sharpener…costs next to nothing and you can keep the pencil behind your ear….the least amount of big bulky, mechanical fiddely, bollocks hanging off you on the job the better.

[TurinTuramber]

I enjoy sharpening my pencil, its like a snooker player chaulking his cue. 30 seconds to think or switch off.

[katluke]

I’ve used Pica Hultafors and Tracer over the last few years.Tracer sharpener is rubbish and front segment regular comes apart as well as when the weak clip breaks the pencil starts falling out of the holster.Hultafors is a funny shape I could not gel with but is a reliable unit, as for the Pica the sharpener is in the wrong place and the holster wears over time allowing the pencil to fall out. At the moment I’m using Pica again .

[jackrussell]

4 inch wire nail, never wears down, old school bricklayers carried a sharp bit of slate in the pocket to mark brick cuts

[DelH]

Pica for me, they also have a yellow and red wax insert for the glass/tile marking.

[soylentgreen]

Best pencil the one I’ve just nicked from behind my workmates left ear❤

[fireblaster]

HB pencil all day long. Don’t waste ya money people the wheel has already been invented

[mdat]

Cant be a steadler hb pencil for second fix, and and a carpenters pencil for first fix. Bith fit in my cap nicely. Unlike the tracer, thats in a elasticated band on my tape holder

[Killerclown]

Screwfix, Argos and betting shop pencils were good for free. But you can’t beat Blackedge, I’ve been using them for 36 years. 👍

[benguy]

I use and have used a full graphite pencil for years. Holds a sharp tip for longer

[HenryTyrrell]

I’ve tried the lot and now stick to the staedtler carpenters pencils. Well made, no slipping of the lead or peeling in 2, good consistency of the wood for sharpening. I found the pica lead too soft, and had to take the extra second to put it into its sleeve rather than into my pouch without looking. Irwin also make a decent sharpener for chippys pencils

[dannymurphy]

Just to throw one out there, a top woodworker called Jeremy Broun says it's better to use a 1mm ballpoint pen as the line is more consistent than a pencil. It is an interesting idea!