Workshop Pencils and Markers - share your thoughts!

[kyrbz]

Stabilo “All” Pencil. If you’ve never used these they are awesome! They look and feel like a regular graphite pencil, but write with a darker line, and on any surface - wood, metal, plastic, seemingly the lot. Superb things but not many folks know about them. 9/10.

Hadn't heard of the Stabilo "All" pencil. Gonna have to give them a try.

Some marking related things I use a lot. Ticonderoga HB's are my regular go to pencil. I like silver lead in a lead holder for marking steel. The fast Cap pattern markers are really handy but wear out fast. Sola deep hole pencil and red/blue pencil, Soapstone, carbide scribe, German pencil sharpeners, Ranger "55" sharpener, Sharpies, etc.... Not pictured items I use a lot are 5mm mechanical pencils and Magic Rub erasers.

 

[F-22]

I use a Lyra pencil



Very similar to the Pica and Sola and Belispitz too.

Also love the deep hole marker from Pica, lasts very long and always marks well. But really pricey.

 

[GeoBruin]

Fisher Space pen refills will write on most materials.
I think one of the exceptions was certain brands of baking parchment.
They come in multiple colors.
Unfortunately not white.
The silver version isn’t bad for marking on dark wood, or black steel surfaces.
You get a fine line, and no need to sharpen.

I'm a big fan of the fisher space pen refills and I "hack" them into other pens but I never thought to look for them in anything but black. Silver would be awesome in lieu of the "silver streak" pencils for steel.

 

[gahrajmahal]

I just broke my retractable carpenter pencil holder this week. Got to get a couple new ones like this.

 

[mogandave]

I like the Elephant 2B pencils, the Staedtler exam erasers and the Aroma Office sharpener.

I do miss the Staedtler electric eraser and Panasonic electric sharpener I had but they were 110V so I gave them away when I moved overseas. Gave away the drafting machine and board as well, but don't miss them...

 

[Dave455]

Hadn't heard of the Stabilo "All" pencil. Gonna have to give them a try.

You have to be a little careful with Stabilo - most of the “All” pencils are chinagraph / grease pencils.

The one in question is the “All - graphite”. Think the part no. is 8008.

I first encountered these in the photographic world, used for writing on slide mounts.

Then in the aviation world, they’re the only pencil that can write on plastic covered maps.

 

[Ilikeike]

These are in my garage.
I really like the greasy smooth feel of the graphite they use in the Black Wing.

Made in USA cedar Pointe are good general duty
I buy the sharpies in black blue and red by the hand full. And an occasional Milwaukee .

 

[propmaker]

I used to carry 2H drafting pencils and a small sharpener in my pocket. Several months back I switched to the Pica pencils and they are now my go to. I work mostly with wood, when I mark metal I often put blue painters tape down and mark with a pencil. I see guys mark with sharpies.... where do you put the blade when your mark is an 1/8" wide

 

[plinker]

For most woodworking and some carpentry, I prefer the oversize #2 pencils like these, https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01N2YENRN/?tag=atomicindus08-20

Metal work I use a couple different things,

Markal 96000 trades marker, sort of a grease pencil or crayon, marks nice, and comes off with brakekleen. Menards is a bit cheaper on these, plus has refills.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B005YSEAL8/?tag=atomicindus08-20

Super met-al paint pen, Really good for metal and decent control, though sometimes the paint is thinner, I like these for marking out metal to be plasma cut as it's about the same kerf. The paint does dry fairly fast. I do them to number batteries and such, Also if I want something more permantly marked such as U-joint yokes where you want them lined back up.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00UNFP5O8/?tag=atomicindus08-20

Markal silver-streak Silver pencil, general use metal marking
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B004HMC7JE/?tag=atomicindus08-20


I usually have an assortment of sharpies and ink pens as well.

 

[Trapps]

On my speed shelf (easy access to frequently used items):



I love the Dixon pencils; they fit my grubby paws, they sharpen easily and hold a point. Probably due to the larger diameter lead.

The Pentel Graphigears are great for drawing.



For ink I like Pilot G-2.

 

[humber2]

The constipated mathmatician had a problem and he worked it out with a pencil.

 

[RTM]

Oh geez, I think I have almost everything listed here.

Soapstone for certain metal projects, gross work.
Wooden carpenters' pencil for gross wood work.
Chalkline for REALLY gross wood work, chalk somewhere.
0.5mm mechanical pencil for use with the Incra Jig for precision stuff (can't make my 0.3 work to save my life on anything
Somewhere I have a big fat mechanical pencil with a 5.6mm lead in round shape, almost an art pencil
Misc old mechanical drafting pencils, not sure where my pointer is these days....
Hock marking knife for pre cutting, often followed by a pencil to darken it up. Utilitas and other striking knife types too. Violin knife from Hock (Crown marking knife is near the bottom of the list)
I buy tons of decent wood pencils at GS & ES, keep the #2 handy for losing about the garage. The Blackwings and other nice ones stay in the house, to only come out for special projects.
Silver welding pencil, and yellow and white grease pencils for dark wood marking. (Listo and peel a color type)
Big fat sharpies to use instead of Dykem for sharpening edges prior to sharpening.
Regular sharpies just to get rid of the herd that has accumulated over the years.
Carbide scribes, and Starrett non-carbide scribes for metal projects, with or without Dykem / Sharpie if needed.
MKE Markzall is a fairly new discovery for shop labeling work, love them >> Sharpies
Pilot or other 0.35 roller balls for a bit of permanence
Various fine and extra fine sharpie types pens in different colors for darkening lines, or lightening lines, on dark wood or metal (often foreign born, so much more diversity and quality than sharpie)
Fountain pens with fine or extra fine nibs for office work.

Wall mount crank pencil sharpener or two (one with a vise mounting block), and a couple of German pocket sized ones for field portability or a really sharp point

And Pentel type white erasers for when I make mistakes, and the old abrasive style for cleaning contacts.

I think the Pico type is the only thing I don't have that's been listed.

And yeah, I too started life as a Draftsman also, which leads to my fascination with pens and pencils.

 

[F-22]

Hey, anyone uses these?

The chinese seem to have copied the Pica markers and pencils. TBH it's probably not much worse than the original product, and at around 1€/pen compared to 7€/pen...

 

[RivennHewn]

Surprised nobody has sung the praises of the Hovel yet


“ Høvel a more useful tool and an impactful object in your colleciton”

 

[Leaflessshadetree]

I can't hold on to a pencil long enough to worry about what kind it was, they disappear faster than tape measures. I haven't had a decent carpenters pencil in decades. Seems like the leads come prebroken and the wood is presplit.

When I started as a draftsman lead holders were still around and I have a variety of them along with pointers, leads and wax. The "old" guys swore by wooden pencils. Possibly because their electric sharpeners were the only Hi-tech piece of equipment they knew how to use but more likely to annoy us young guys that were annoying them by clicking on the computer.
Other than CAD I mostly used mechanical pencils (.3, .5 and .7mm) with blue lead (Final drawings were ink).
I collected a shoe box full of common pencils and pens over the years from various moves and abandoned desks. The office I work in you can't give away a used writing implement.

 

[Dave455]

Hey, anyone uses these?

The chinese seem to have copied the Pica markers and pencils. TBH it's probably not much worse than the original product, and at around 1€/pen compared to 7€/pen...

I’ve seen some of these around, sold under a variety of names.

I’m quite sensitive about the quality of things like pens, and pencil lead, and I’ve never encountered any Chinese pen or pencil that comes close to a good quality western example.

I suspect that if you have never tried the genuine item, or are not particularly picky, they will probably seem o.k.

Personally, I find the quality of the Pica products to be first class. The pencil lead is just superb - leaves a dark line, not prone to breaking, and even has some of the feel of the Stabilo “All” graphite pencil when it comes to writing on different surfaces.

Similar experiences with the Pica pens. My oldest is probably 3+ years old, I’ve used it a lot, it still works superbly, and doesn’t dry up.

My gut feeling is that the Chinese would have to go some to match these, and judging by a Youtube comparison I saw a couple of months back, they haven’t, but these may suffice for some!

 

[F-22]

I’ve seen some of these around, sold under a variety of names.

I’m quite sensitive about the quality of things like pens, and pencil lead, and I’ve never encountered any Chinese pen or pencil that comes close to a good quality western example.

I suspect that if you have never tried the genuine item, or are not particularly picky, they will probably seem o.k.

Personally, I find the quality of the Pica products to be first class. The pencil lead is just superb - leaves a dark line, not prone to breaking, and even has some of the feel of the Stabilo “All” graphite pencil when it comes to writing on different surfaces.

Similar experiences with the Pica pens. My oldest is probably 3+ years old, I’ve used it a lot, it still works superbly, and doesn’t dry up.

My gut feeling is that the Chinese would have to go some to match these, and judging by a Youtube comparison I saw a couple of months back, they haven’t, but these may suffice for some!

I ordered a couple to try... I have an original Pica marker for a few years now and it works great, but I kind of baby it cause it cost me so much.

I have a lyra pencil and with lots of lead so I don't really need the lead holders, though I assume I could use the lyra lead in those (tbh maybe I have pica lead and use them in a lyra holder).

 

[Jeff]

Ticonderoga triangle pencils and large my first pencils. 3mm lead holder. Dixon long reach. Various paint and felt markers.

 

[alinc100]

I carry the Pica pencil along with the .09 Pentel Graphigears. Our work is varied from precise layouts on walls to rougher layouts on concrete. As a Christmas gift to my co-workers I spun a batch of 2.0mm pencils on my lathe ,we've found the darker thicker leads are great on the fiberglass acoustical panels we cut/notch around electrical/thermostats/pipes/obstructions.

 

[kyrbz]

Old school, who remembers Scum-X

 

[Ilikeike]

I’ve seen some of these around, sold under a variety of names.

I’m quite sensitive about the quality of things like pens, and pencil lead, and I’ve never encountered any Chinese pen or pencil that comes close to a good quality western example.

I suspect that if you have never tried the genuine item, or are not particularly picky, they will probably seem o.k.

Personally, I find the quality of the Pica products to be first class. The pencil lead is just superb - leaves a dark line, not prone to breaking, and even has some of the feel of the Stabilo “All” graphite pencil when it comes to writing on different surfaces.

Similar experiences with the Pica pens. My oldest is probably 3+ years old, I’ve used it a lot, it still works superbly, and doesn’t dry up.

My gut feeling is that the Chinese would have to go some to match these, and judging by a Youtube comparison I saw a couple of months back, they haven’t, but these may suffice for some!

Thanks,
because of my tool-a-holic issue, I just ordered $70 worth of Pica ****.

 

[bwringer]

Most of what I do is mechanicking, not woodworking.

I always keep a few silver and gold Sharpies in the collection for marking dark stuff like painted metal, plastic, and rubber.

I keep some other Sharpie colors around as well, red, blue, and green. Milwaukee sells Sharpie-style pens that work OK.

Silver and yellow paint pens are also handy, but can be really annoying because they dry out so easily.

I also keep a couple of colors of cheap nail polish around for things like marking cam chains and camshaft sprockets; sometimes you want marks of two or three different colors so you can get things in exactly the right spot.

And I have a couple of those skinny snoot Pica markers that will mark down inside holes. Very, very handy.

Transfer punches, carbide scriber, etc. are important at times.

 

[VW_Buggsy]

I made a post on this topic on here years ago!

My favorite garage/shop pencils are paper mate "handwriting" mechanical pencils. They are cheap. They are for little kids so they are triangle shaped (don't roll away) and have thick 1.3mm leads and erasers. They are hard to find outside of back to school time though, so I grab a couple packs then. The leads are thick enough that they rarely break on me. Mechanical, so no stopping to sharpen them. If I do need a finer line though I can point the thick lead by rubbing on stone or concrete. The leads are thick enough that I can stick them out pretty far unsupported to lay against a square or do an inside hole. They are pretty ideal for most of the stuff I do with pencils.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B077Q4B6YN/?tag=atomicindus08-20
I get them a dollar general usually (cheaper) but the link above is just to show what I'm talking about.

Zebra "Cadoozles", are similar to the paper mate handwriting. They are triangle shaped, have 2.0mm leads and come in color packs and plain graphite. No erasers and don't erase well though which makes them a second choice.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0105U1YV8/?tag=atomicindus08-20

I don't love the fat regular kids pencils that are round simply because they always seem to be rolling off of everything and trying to escape. Maybe if I found some of those old rubber triangle things I remember from when I was a kid about a million years ago.

I'm really interested in the Pica markers that folks posted up though. Still it's hard to beat the price of the "disposable" ones above and no great loss if lose one or break one in half.

Also (in no particular order):
-------------------------------------------------------------------
White-out
Ticonderoga pencils (including home-made "half pencils")
Dollar store nail polish (various colors for cheap)
Pocket knife (nail, punch, awl, scribe, sharpish rock)
Sharpies
"China markers"/Grease pens
Dirty fingers
Various chalks (sidewalk, chalkboard, chalk-line)
Soapstone/welders pencil
Thin-line masking tape

 

[Zeus36]

0.9mm works best plus it has a sleeve for scales or rulers



Sharpie Extra Fine Point (plastic point) if you can find them (not the Ultra Fine fiber tip)

 

[Garcky]

Hadn't heard of the Stabilo "All" pencil. Gonna have to give them a try.

Some marking related things I use a lot. Ticonderoga HB's are my regular go to pencil. I like silver lead in a lead holder for marking steel. The fast Cap pattern markers are really handy but wear out fast. Sola deep hole pencil and red/blue pencil, Soapstone, carbide scribe, German pencil sharpeners, Ranger "55" sharpener, Sharpies, etc.... Not pictured items I use a lot are 5mm mechanical pencils and Magic Rub erasers.

I've always been partial to Pentel Sign Pens. They're uncommon to find, but art stores carry them. They have a hard fiber tip, 0.7 mm. Black is the only color I've used, but they come in other colors as well. It's a water-based dye ink, which does not bleed though like a Sharpie does. Very precise lines. I used them when I had to produce inked drawings from time to time, too, as an alternative to expensive technical drafting pens. Nobody ever complained. About $25 a dozen, these days. Amazon has them, too.

 

[engineer2]

Our kids' schools required the purchase of two boxes of new pencils at the beginning of every school year.
We now have a lifetime supply. Literally 300+. This good because I lose pencils faster than most people lose 10 mm sockets.

First rule of a carpentry/woodworking project: Grab a dozen sharpened pencils put one behind each ear, two in your pocket, one in each tool bag, and scatter the rest around the jobsite. By the time you are done, you'll have one left.

 

[iamhomeless]

Industrial sharpies. I end up working with chemicals fairly often, and once they dry it is damn near impossible to erase any mark unless you are using a scotchbrite pad. Alcohol, oil, atf, naphtha, acetone, none of it will screw up your marks.

 

[Dave455]

My most used markers, day to day, are these Pica Ink markers.

I favour them over everything else, mainly because they don’t seem to dry out the way that others do.

There are some other good design features though. You can use them in deep holes, and you can also push back the metal part of the tip as the fibre wears.


I’ve just noticed that Pica have introduced a “Big Ink” oversize version (and offer them in white).

I’ve just ordered a couple. Not sure if they will have the utility of the finer version, but if they work half as well I’ll be impressed!

Probably occupy the mid ground between the regular size shown above, and the “Visor” dry marker.

 

[Firebrick43]

I've had bad luck with Inkzall markers.

Gave up on those and now use Sharpie Pro models or Markal Dura Ink 96023.

interesting. An inkzall will last 2 or 3 times as long for my compared to a sharpie and no issues with dampness.

While I have used markal paint pens I have not tried their markers. They are pretty cheap for a 15 pack, may have to order some!

 

[RedneckWelder]

I use standard black sharpies and Ticonderoga pencils.

For metal work I like Markal paint pens. They seem to **** less than most brands.

I have tried the Silver Streak pencils and did not care for them.

My “shop pen” is a Rotring 600 with Parker G2 size blue gel ink refills. A standard Fisher refill fits these as well. It fits in my uniform pocket pen slot very well.

 

[Dave455]

I've always been partial to Pentel Sign Pens. They're uncommon to find, but art stores carry them. They have a hard fiber tip, 0.7 mm. Black is the only color I've used, but they come in other colors as well. It's a water-based dye ink, which does not bleed though like a Sharpie does. Very precise lines. I used them when I had to produce inked drawings from time to time, too, as an alternative to expensive technical drafting pens. Nobody ever complained. About $25 a dozen, these days. Amazon has them, too.

Those Pentel Sign pens have been around for decades. One of my earliest memories is seeing my Dad use them.

They are probably the “classic” fibre tip pen. Decent quality, and not prone to drying out. The only downside is that the tips do wear quite quickly.

For me, more of a “day to day” item than shop specific, as I find that any shop task I’d use these for, the Pica Ink does better.


Perhaps an interesting insight into Japanese business though. How many other companies with such a design, would have outsourced, cheapened, and eventually discontinued the product, in order to make a short term gain?

Yet Pentel continue to make these pens in Japan, to a good standard, from decent materials, and with decent ink. Thus they continue to make long term profits for their company and their country, from a design that owes them nothing!

 

[TailGunner3000]

I've always been a Sharpie and generic pencil guy. But I recently discovered the Fatboy mechanical pencil. Game changer for me.

 

[Jr5]

My one and only mechanical. vintage.

 

[ctandc72]

I've got a couple Milwaukee markers that work on damn near anything and a couple of paint pens I used for certain things - along with the random Sharpie.

 

[upgrading]

HF is in the Marker game now.

Clog-Resistant Jobsite Permanent Markers, 2-Pack

Amazing deals on this 2Pk Permanent Marker at Harbor Freight. Quality tools & low prices.

www.harborfreight.com

 

[fletcher94]

I almost always have a Milwaukee permanent marker in in my pocket. There better than a standard sharpie but do lack on metal surfaces. Besides soapstone I like markal products. No one specific type or color just whatever I got from the welding supply last.

 

[nadogail]

Carpenters Pencils work well and they don't roll when dropped or laid down.

 

[My Old Tools]

These old drafting pencil lead holders are my go to pencils in the shop. I have a bunch with different leads in them.

https://images.ctfassets.net/f1fiki...2cf419b6b1c7ab0d4a9c4294/22967-0001-3ww-l.jpg

 

[M635_Guy]

I prefer pencils made entirely of sarcasm

 

[KnurledNut]

Years ago, a Mennonite carpenter gave me a Try-Rex B21 pencil to try.
I was instantly hooked and have bought several since.
Fills the gap between a carpenters pencil and a standard #2.
Very comfortable thick triangular shape and I love the red color.
They are made in Lewisburg, TN.