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The carpenter pencil is quite a handy tool for those whose life is related to making something with their own hands. Consequently, it’s very important to find the perfect tool which will work nicely for a long time.
Thus, identifying the best products is not an easy task. It is quite time-consuming, so we spent 35 hours analyzing and revealing the truly high-quality products. Go on reading to learn more about these items and one of them will be the best carpenter pencil for you.
Top 10 Carpenter Pencils
| Rank | Review | Product Name | Price | Package Quantity | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | | Graphite Pen and Pencil Co | 12 | 43717 | |
| 2 | | Swanson Tool AlwaysSharp | 8 | 43655 | |
| 3 | | IRWIN STRAIT-LINE | 6 | 43625 | |
| 4 | | FastCap FatBoy | 1 | 43564 | |
| 5 | | Impex | 72 | 43533 | |
| 6 | | ForestChoice | 12 | 43505 | |
| 7 | | BON | 12 | 43474 | |
| 8 | | Swanson Tool | 5 | 9.0 | |
| 9 | | Dixon | 12 | 43685 | |
| 10 | | Stanley | 1 | 43654 |
Best Quality: Graphite Pen and Pencil Co
At the first glance, you might think there is nothing special about these hexagonal-shaped pencils made by Graphite Pen and Pencil Co. However, as soon as you start using them you will be more than satisfied with their performance. And for a good reason! They have received many good reviews.
The barrel is made of real wood and the core is made of real graphite. Although, it’s not enough to prove its top quality, lots of users have admitted its ability to resist water and write without any significant changes. Does this say something to you?
This item comes in a variety of colors, which means that the wooden barrel is covered with a colored finish. In addition, it’s not a single item, but a box of twelve identical pencils all of the same color, which will serve you for a really long time.
They have a standard length which is equal to 8 inches. And the lead is №2 or HB, which is why it can work decently for any purpose.
- Water resistant
- Made of real wood and graphite
- They sharpen well
- They come in a variety of colors
- The bond is not a good quality, thus lead falls out often
- The lead can break inside
Swanson Tool AlwaysSharp: Easiest to Use
If you are looking for a carpenter’s device you might be astonished by the Swanson Tool AlwaysSharp. This is a kind of mechanical pencil that looks like a carpenter’s pencil but instead of replaceable leads, it has tips with fine points.
The device itself is a plastic barrel, which has 8 tips inside. The load process is very unusual even for a mechanical pencil: the container is loaded from the back, and literally, each tip fits into another tip. Thus, if the lead is short you can change it for another, just pushing the old tip into the back of a pencil, which will make a new tip reveal. This is the easiest mechanical device to use.
This set comes with two mechanical items and 8 tips with sharpened leads. Each is blue with yellow insertions, particularly, clips. Furthermore, there is a transparent cap that prevents the sharp points from breaking.
- Constantly sharp points
- The set comes with 2 pencils and refills for them
- The tips are sturdy
- There is no eraser like mechanical pencils usually have
- It’s difficult to write with them because of the shape of the point
IRWIN STRAIT-LINE: Good for Woodworking
IRWIN STRAIT-LINE is another wooden tool. There is nothing special about it, if you are not an experienced user of carpenter’s devices. However, if you have used any of IRWIN’s competitors, you are already familiar with their weak points, which are considered and resolved in IRWIN’s product.
Thus, they have an oval shape, which is why you can be absolutely sure that it will always stay where you put it, and it will never roll down. This advantage is highly valued for woodworking, when it’s always needed next to your hand. In addition, the lead is easily readable and leaves marks on any surface, for which it deserves extra points.
The pack comes with 6 IRWIN pencils, the barrels of which are covered with a blue finish. They are not pre-sharpened, but they can easily be sharpened to an extra fine point with a utility knife.
- Firm lead, stays unbroken for a long time
- It sharpens well
- They work on wet surface
- They come unsharpened
- They don’t leave very dark marks
FastCap FatBoy: Top Mechanical Pencil
The FastCap FatBoy is a mechanical device that was specially designed for professional use. What can be better than constant tracking and adjusting the point according to your needs? It’s easy to do all that with FatBoy.
In fact, this device has an aluminum housing, which holds the lead however you want. In addition, the sharpness can be easily adjusted from blunt to an extra sharp point. In addition, your hand will be thankful to you if you are a fan of long writing with a pencil. You won’t feel any discomfort or cramps since it is lightweight.
The lead loading process is very easy as well — all you need to do is to push the lead into the holder from the front side. This item also has a clip, thus you can keep it inside your pocket, however you can get rid of it if it bothers with you. As additional advantage, it has an eraser built into the button which reveals the lead.
- Durable product, resists water
- Comes with eraser
- Made of aluminum, thus it’s lightweight
- The lead falls out of the barrel
- There is no built-in sharpener
Impex: Great for Marking
Impex is a well-known manufacturer of fine stationery. One of the products which is worth a user’s attention, especially a fan of carpenter’s utensils, is the Impex Carpenter’s Pencil. There is nothing extraordinary about it; however, many users have noted its performance as one of the best.
This item has a hexagonal shape of the wooden barrel, which is covered with a colored finish. Indeed, the manufacturer has introduced a variety of colors to suit the user’s taste, and all of them will be useful to spot a lost tool easily. Real graphite accompanies the wooden barrel, hence this product leaves well-seen marks on any surface.
The pack comes with 72 pieces inside, so they will be enough to cover your needs for a year and even more. However, unfortunately, they are not pre-sharpened, so you should prepare them by yourself.
- Made of real wood and graphite
- Thick graphite
- Leaves well-seen marks on any surface
- Manufacturer doesn’t provide a single item product
ForestChoice: Best Cedar Carpenter Pencil
ForestChoice provides a naturally-made carpenter’s pencil. Indeed, it can be considered as the best cedar one made. Probably, this is the reason for it being very sturdy, hence you can be confident with it if you accidentally drop ForestChoice on the concrete floor from a reasonable height.
In fact, the same appears in the lead. It stays firm without any obvious sign of chipped spots. You don’t need to worry about accidental breakage while sharpening your pencils to a fine point.
What else is there to say? This is a nice sample of the best carpenter’s writing too, and the manufacturer is considered the same way, hence it provides a pack of twelve truly good pencils for use. However, there is no option to select the color of the barrel, as the other producers provide.
- Made of real cedar
- Sturdy barrel and firm lead
- They don’t come pre-sharpened
- They come only in one color – green
BON: Ideal Carpenter Pencil Set
The manufacturer BON is one of those which provides optimally-designed products. Thus, one of its items appeared in the chart of the best carpenter pencils. There’s no need to say that this sample is an ideal set for carpenters.
They come in a wooden barrel. It is covered with a red finish and black imprinting with the product details on it. It also has a hexagonal shape. Altogether, the red barrel and the hexagonal shape, makes this pencil easy to spot on any surface when it accidentally drops down.
The pencil has a hard graphite, and it leaves black marks on the surface. Along with a wooden barrel, the lead can resist any destructive influence, hence you will enjoy using it for a long time. The pack comes in a plastic case, with four pencils inside.
- The pencil is very durable and sturdy
- Made in the USA
- It splinters while sharpening
- Hard lead leaves barely visible marks in daylight
Swanson Tool: Perfect for Builders
Although Swanson has already appeared in this chart of the best, there is another product which is quite useful and, as it shows, quite practical.
The first thing which stands out is the color of the body – it’s neon red. This will be an advantage to finding this tool on any surface, which is especially useful for builders. With the hexagonal shape of the barrel and the easily visible marks left by the lead – this is perfect for builders.
The set comes in a pack that includes 5 pieces. All of them have a neon red cover with big white letters saying “SWANSON” on them.
- Easy to find on any surface
- Lead can be applied on wet surface
- The barrel splits or breaks while sharpening
Dixon: Carpenter Pencil with Finest Point
The well-known brand Dixon has created another professional pencil which provides an unforgettable experience. Thus, it’s on the chart of the best carpenter pencils.
First of all, it should be admitted that this pencil has the same standard features that appear in other products. Thus, let’s take a closer look at what exactly makes this item more distinguished.
In fact, the best quality feature is the lead. It provides rich black writing, and it will never make you experience any roughness, since it glides smoothly on any surface. In addition, it’s neither soft nor hard, it’s just right as it should be.
The wooden body is covered with dark red paint, hence you can be sure that this product will always stay in sight. The pack comes with twelve pieces.
- The lead remains unbreakable
- It leaves very visible dark lines
- They are quite small for a carpenter
- The bond is not a good quality, thus the lead shifts
Stanley: Brightest Carpenter Pencil
The Stanley carpenter pencil is a bright reminder of where it is located. You probably will never lose it. Unlike the previous samples, this pencil is made of a linden wood, which is not a very common material for pencils. However, this feature adds uniqueness to this pencil and more professional features.
A huge advantage of this item is its ability to be sharpened in a pocket sharpener. In fact, not every pencil can be sharpened in a pocket sharpener. The lead works nice, and makes writings visible on any surface.
- East to spot
- Writes nice
- Can be sharpened in a pocket sharpener
- Lead is badly bonded, hence it falls out
Carpenter Pencil Guide
If you begin using carpenter pencils or just want to start using them, but you don’t know how to choose them, then these tips will help you to discover all the features. All of them will influence pencil performance in the future.
Firstly, pay attention to what they are made of. Usually, manufacturers produce wooden bodies with graphite inside; however, nowadays, lots of alternatives have appeared, such as a mechanical pencil for a carpenter. These can be made of plastic or aluminum.
The next very important thing is lead.According to the grade of hardness there can be various types of lead inside the barrel. It’s better to have №2 or №1, or HB or H accordingly. HB is softer than H, but both of them work nice. Think about what surface you will work on, and the harder surface, the softer lead you need.
Another thing is shape.In fact, the shape for a carpenter pencil is usually hexagonal; however, sometimes producers make other shapes, e.g. oval or rectangular. This helps pencils to stay where they are and not to roll down.
Another thing, and certainly not least, is the color of the barrel.It’s better to have a bright color, so you will always know where it is.
Sharpening method.Usually, all of the carpenter pencils are sharpened manually with a utility knife, but some of them can be sharpened with a pocket sharpener, too.FAQs
The guide provides some tips that will help you choose the optimal item for you. However, users always have some special questions. Please, check these frequently asked questions, and perhaps, some of them will give you the information you need.
What Is Carpenter Pencil?
A carpenter pencil is a tool that has a wooden barrel of rectangular or elliptical shape, what is nice to keep it on the same place. There is a flat lead inside which is used to mark any type of surface. Usually, it’s longer and bigger than a regular pencil.
What Are Carpenter Pencils Used For?
The purpose of using carpenter pencil is obvious. They are used for marking any surface. In fact, every type of wood has different grade of hardness. Thus, the lead in carpenter pencil is harder than in a regular pencil since it was made to resist the pressure on the pencil.
Why Are Carpenter Pencils Flat?
The flat shape of a carpenter pencil is not someone’s whim — it has quite a rational explanation. In fact, it is much easier to draw a line with a rectangular shape, rather than a round one. Thus, even considering a carpenter’s sometimes uncomfortable positions, this shape is necessary.
What Is Difference Between Carpenter Pencil and Regular Pencil?
- First of all, there are four obvious distinctions between a regular pencil and a carpenter pencil. The first one is the size: a carpenter pencil is bigger and longer than a regular pencil.
- The second distinction is shape. Usually, a regular pencil has a hexagonal, triangle, or round shape, while the carpenter has a rectangular, and sometimes, oval shape.
- The lead in the pencil for woodworking is harder, which allows it to resist breaking from the pressure on the pencil.
- And the last one is the absence of an eraser on a carpenter pencil. It is, obviously, an unnecessary thing to erase writing on wood.
Is Carpenter Pencil Good for Drawing?
They are not the best for drawing, but they can be used for any type of art. It would be even better in conjunction with regular pencils. Anyway, these pencils also have graphite leads, thus they can be used to make some particular effects on paper.
Interesting Facts
Despite having lots of information about these useful and professional tools, they also have lots of facts, which are usually hidden from people. Thankfully, they are collected in this review.
- Carpenter pencil is the oldest type of pencil. They have been used since 14th century.
- These pencils can be used for learning calligraphy, e.g. Old English words are not so difficult to write with.
- The modern look of carpenter pencil was invented by Nicholas-Jacques Conte in 1795.
- The first versions of carpenter pencil were simply bonded two flat wooden slabs, with 1 flat graphite slab inside.
- The lead doesn’t contain lead. It consists of graphite powder mixed with glue.
Hopefully you enjoyed these facts about such an every-day tool. Who knows, perhaps, they will be handy, for example playing games with friends.
Final Words
This quite ordinary but quite astonishing tool for everyday use by carpenters can be a significant helper. Especially, if you have chosen according to the guide and from the above mentioned examples that are listed in the top 10 carpenter pencils. Stay with WoWPencils, and you will always be informed about the best stationery products ever.
References
- Carpenter Pencil – https://en.wikipedia.org/
- Carpenter Pencils – Why Do I Need That Old Thing? – https://mycountryacre.com/
- What Is a Carpenter’s Pencil? – https://www.wisegeek.com/
- Drawing with Carpenter Pencils – http://wentsketching.blogspot.com/