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Fine Tip Marking Pens?

karoc

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Hemphill Tx
When I watch woodworking or carpentry on YouTube see they are using long felt tip pens, different colors. Have no idea of good brand or what look for. Whats your favorite marking pen?
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danielbuck

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for marking deep holes, ones similar to what you posted are great. I have some, don't remember the brand. come in handy when you're tracing holes in thick steel.

for fine tip marking, Sakura Micron pens. My wife uses them for art project, I perma-borrow a few of them for the garage.


For wood working though, I generally don't use ink, it can soak in. Either a pica pencil, or just a regular #2 pencil, and I have an old metal wall mounted pencil sharpener near by.
 

dscheidt

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for marking deep holes, ones similar to what you posted are great. I have some, don't remember the brand. come in handy when you're tracing holes in thick steel.

for fine tip marking, Sakura Micron pens. My wife uses them for art project, I perma-borrow a few of them for the garage.


For wood working though, I generally don't use ink, it can soak in. Either a pica pencil, or just a regular #2 pencil, and I have an old metal wall mounted pencil sharpener near by.
the pigma micron pens are great, and are available in a bunch of colors, which is handy if you're in to that sort o thing. Craft stores and art supply places usually have them, if you want to get them locally.

The long reach markers were originally made by pica, but they've been widely copied. The one I've been using is Menard's house brand, works okay. I've used a number of different ones, they all seem to be okay, but I lose them before they stop working, so I can't say much about durablity. The pica ones are nice, but I don't think they're $10 nice...
 

MongoTA

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CT
When I watch woodworking or carpentry on YouTube see they are using long felt tip pens, different colors. Have no idea of good brand or what look for. Whats your favorite marking pen?
I have a set of Pica markers. I've used them on tile with a wet saw as well as on wood. They work well, the tip is reversable. Bought off Azamon.
 

whateg01

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doo dah, kansas, usa
I have used pica, but they don't seem to last that long. I don't know if they dry out or if the tip gets dirty or what. I don't use them only on clean metal though. I keep one around for when it's really needed but I wouldn't mind finding a less expensive alternative that works decent.
 

whateg01

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doo dah, kansas, usa
The long reach markers were originally made by pica, but they've been widely copied. The one I've been using is Menard's house brand, works okay. I've used a number of different ones, they all seem to be okay, but I lose them before they stop working, so I can't say much about durablity. The pica ones are nice, but I don't think they're $10 nice...
I searched the Menards app and nothing comes up under fine tip marker that looks right. What are they called? Or the SKU?
 

dscheidt

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I searched the Menards app and nothing comes up under fine tip marker that looks right. What are they called? Or the SKU?

They're part of the 'strykeline' line of markers. I've used the regular ones too, they're good. The hard hat clip on the cap isn't as good as the milwaukee ones, though.

Screenshot 2026-09-13 at 7.06.27 AM.png
 
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loganb

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Omaha, NE
They're part of the 'strykeline' line of markers. I've used the regular ones too, they're good. The hard hat clip on the cap isn't as good as the milwaukee ones, though.

Screenshot 2026-09-13 at 7.06.27 AM.png
Thanks! I've got the pica and like then but as mentioned they're not cheap so a lower cost option, if the performance is adequate would be great.
 

Jagmandave

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Overland Park, Ks.
I bought the ones that showed up in my FB feed, they were pretty cheap and came in 4 colors, I think it was like 12 for $10 or so. I use the heck out of them and they work well - I haven't used one of them up yet so they seem to last pretty well. I use them instead of sharpies....
 

darkzero

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Oct 20, 2011
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SoCal
I use the Pica deep hole markers also but fine tip they are not. When I don't need the extended nib I mostly use the ultra fine tip Sharpies. I used to use the extra fine tips mainly but they were discontinued years ago, really wish they weren't.

The Pica ones last me a very long time. The one I'm curreny using at work is more 3 yrs old but it's about time to replace it. Not because it's drying out, because the nib is just about worn out.

I like the Picas cause they have a "telescoping" tube. As the nib wears the tube can slide to expose more nib. At work I also use cheap white ink long nib markers. Problem with those is if/when the nib wears down from rough surfaces I have to toss em. But they're dirt cheap from Aliexpress.
 

Beerhippie

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Far NE Oregon
for fine tip marking, Sakura Micron pens. My wife uses them for art project, I perma-borrow a few of them for the garage.
I've been using the Micron pens for years, originally for filling out labels for museum collections. We needed a "fast" ink that didn't fade or run if it got wet. The super-fine pens were perfect for insect labels, which are the size of a fingernail and carry a lot of information. If you "fix" the ink with acetic acid, the ink is even fast in alcohol, so perfect for preserved specimens.

Great for marking on lighter-colored metals and such, too.
 

WildBill

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PNW
I got a kit with 10 white and 10 black of these from AliExpress for like $5. I love them and use them constantly on automotive fab stuff and other things. Been using them a ton running all my conduit and wiring for a big solar install. Super handy for marking enclosure mounting, din rail stuff, boxes, conduit mounts etc.
 

maxpower_hd

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Apr 17, 2015
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Massachusetts
I got some generic ones off Amazon and I do like them. My only complaint is the white ones don't work. The seem to have liquid in them but the tips won't **** it up for whatever reason....and I use silver sharpies a fair amount on steel work.
 
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