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

@Modestas_Gardziu

Жыл бұрын

Amen!

@MatSmithLondon

Жыл бұрын

Yes- this is the only thing that prevents me going back to the normal 4H pencil :) They always fall out of my ears...

@am11744

Жыл бұрын

Spot on 👍🏻

@Allegedly2right

Жыл бұрын

It’s behind your ear under yer specs

@sally6457

Жыл бұрын

So you're the one who nicked my pencil!!

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.

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.

@MatSmithLondon

Жыл бұрын

I'm completely with you on that - 4H is really the best. Need a good light to see the mark sometimes as it doesn't exactly go down thick :) but at least you can really make an accurate mark.

@1paparico

Жыл бұрын

I feel your pain! I used a pen to mark out a mortice and the joiners in the shop went very quiet...By the time I started my own joinery business I was into Norris 3 h and a Japanese marking knife. I use pens still, and coloured pencils for different edge treatments or job ID.

@audibleadventures9004

Жыл бұрын

Decent for say cutting out floor boards and cutting ply etc. Rough work but yeah I've got both in my pocket

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)

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.

@williamhall8460

Жыл бұрын

Couldn’t agree more!

Over the last 49 years on the tools (still not retired !) I have never really strayed away from the traditional Cumberland Rexel black edge carpenters pencil. I love the fact that the 3 colours tell you at a glance the hardness of the pencil has stayed the same. They are so easy to sharpen to what ever shape you need. I do use mechanical pencils for general work I use the Hultafors (which you did not feature ) , I changed the lead to a harder one and like the way you can get the lead out of the end of the cover if you do not get it out of the cover and after a couple of years nothing has broken, . For fine work I use either a marking knife or a Pentel Graphgear 1000 0.7 mm pencil with 4H lead. . The advantage of the Graphline is the fact that the tip fully retracts so does not get damaged a problem I have found with other makes . I also always have a red double ended sharpie in my pouch .

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

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

@MatSmithLondon

Жыл бұрын

How can you write measurements down on the nearest stud with a nail?

@paulfrost8952

Жыл бұрын

@@MatSmithLondonhe’s marking out not writing Numbers down.

Love these videos! You have helped me to renovate my house, i watched all your videos. Unfortunately, didnt have to money to hire professionals, so your videos were absolutely invaluable! Thank you so much for all your hard work, please keep going! Thank you!

I've been using a pica for the last year and love it. Hasn't missed a bit.

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

@davidc8982

Жыл бұрын

IKEA pencils for me

The Tracer every time, Never Had a problem with lead retracting. great video.

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

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

@captbill279

Жыл бұрын

I was thinking "can it be attached to a retracting pencil pull". I can't live without mine now.

@MatSmithLondon

Жыл бұрын

@@captbill279 Retracting pencil pull, sounds interesting - got a link?

@captbill279

Жыл бұрын

@@MatSmithLondon These are the best but there are several others out there... kzread.info/dash/bejne/c6WKwc9pl9PLfto.html

We were doing a roof in the rain and my friend pulled out a chemical pencil, it drew over wet metal no problem, I was impressed!

I got really excited about the Tracer pencil when I first saw them. Bought one, loved it, then bought them as gifts for my dad and brothers in law. Then they started breaking..! Same thing as Dan described; lead no longer gripped by the pencil. Two died on me that way. You also have to get that whole tube to replace the leads which seems very wasteful especially as you have to then get the two green leads with it too - which I don't use. Keep meaning to send the duff pencils back to Tracer...

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

@Ultimate-roofing-square.

Жыл бұрын

Hi Lee, not just me then. 🙌🏻

When it's more convenient to use my wooly hat as a holder I use regular carpenters pencils. The rest of the time when I'm drawing from my hip I use a tracer. Might try the pica fat one next after hearing Dan chat about it. Cheers.

I use a standard 2mm mechanical pencil. The leads are cheaper, the pencil isn't bulky, and you can buy whatever hardness suits your task.

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!

@cuebj

Жыл бұрын

4H works as a marking knife. Can't get them in ordinary stationery shops now as they make good knives

@sally6457

Жыл бұрын

I worked for a staircase manufacturer, everyone used a Bic ballpoint pen. (Not generic ball point, they had to be Bic, it was the only brand that always worked on mdf)

@normanboyes4983

Жыл бұрын

The very best pencil is the cheapest one. I probably lose more pencils than I use. Maybe I should buy a really expensive one and stick an AirTag on it it.😉

@Si-jk4iy

Жыл бұрын

On that theme, for finishing and cabinetry work I use a 0.5mm propelling pencil, to keep the line both super fine, erasable and consistent. They are cheap and reliable to boot. I love it.

@flyfifer2724

Жыл бұрын

Jeremy has some interesting techniques to his carpentery. I think his knowledge and views of routers and routing is really good too.

Would like to see these put to the test and compare their use; how wide the lines are, cost, easy to refill, etc.

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 .

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

It is mentioned in the video that the point of a standard carpenter's pencil can break off and is then unusable - not if you put a point on both ends! Complete the task in hand with the second point and resharpen when convenient. As a draughtsman in pre-CAD times this was usual practice and it didn't matter which way round that you pick up the pencil either.

Always use traditional wooden pencils both standard and carpenters, was trained from an early age how to sharpen and ways have chisels and sandpaper around so no-brainer ! Cheap as chips so leave them all over, so never far away, or behind the ear ! If I need to make a mark through a deep hole then my classic Steadtler 2mm clutch pencil is the go to ! I have many better things to spend ten quid on than a pencil !

42 years using standard pencils, I’m seeing everyone using the new fantastic mechanical pencils so i fell for it. First hour the belt clip broke and after contacting tracer they said there proud of there product and it will be replaced no problem, the second one lasted a day and the lead is much too soft it’s somewhere in a drawer now. Im back to my 2h pencil with the old fashioned spring holder on my pouch 😊

@mesolithic86

Жыл бұрын

been a carpenter 20 years and 2h standard pencil is what i always use.. they stay behind my ears nicely too lol

@jimgeelan5949

Жыл бұрын

@@mesolithic86wait until you start wearing glasses that goes out the window 😂 thats why i use the spring clip in my pouch

After 36 years I still use Green Blackedge, you have two profiles for scribes, you can sharpen the lead to adjust the scribes (one at each end) they will not roll off a roof like the newer scribes and are only a quid.

@kevindesilva4588

Жыл бұрын

Not if you buy them by the box or half box then they get down to 30 p each !!

i bought one of the tracer pencil things on reccomendation from another joiner. broke the little holder thing a week later and never used it again. shame they only seem to offer a very soft lead. easy enough if you always work with timber say your always on roofs or whatever. my most used pencil is the bog standard 2h staedtler school pencil. get a nice fine mark where you need it. theyre too hard for a roof job or whatever though so i just have the bog standard mostly howdens pencils for that. always find it weird they give away that type of pencil as a kitchen company.

I love the tracer ,I also have saker deep hole maker and two other mechanical pencils for finer lines.

I have had now three Pica pencils and all of them broke within weeks. The little tabs that should hold them on your pants break off and you pull the sheath out with the pencil every time.... Now i am back to a mechanical 2mm pencil from Rotring.

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

Pica all the way had mine for six years still going strong. Tracer tried them first kept retracting as you said

It'll always be the trusty orange Bacho for me.. Made the mistake of buying cheap Parkside ones from Lidl once. Shapening those are a nightmare as they seem to have used Australian Buloke to make them with.

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

As I take most of my advice from Japanese craftsmen, I stopped using pencils. I scribe with a knife. I have several actual special scribing knives but a cutter works fine too. I line and mark up most my joinery just with some cuts and as an added bonus, your saw will find the line most appealing to fall into. I do have to add I generally only work with wood, and I’m more into special joinery (keyword being precision here) so I wouldn’t even know how I would scribe on pvc or something like that.

@MatSmithLondon

Жыл бұрын

I think these pencils are more for general purpose work as opposed to fine work. e.g. marking a line on a joist above your head / writing measurements on a plasterboard wall, etc...

@poelmeister

Жыл бұрын

@@MatSmithLondon Yeah true, I suppose so. I literally just mark on wood.

Love the Ox. Clip it on to your belt or pocket and it clicks back in after use

I use a Thorvald, I think it's excellent😊

Got to be the yellow and black school HB pencil for me.

Ox medium lead carpenters pencils are a decent shout, 12 pencils lasted me well over a year.

The MK1 pencil, preferably 4H is always the best bet in my experience.

I like to use the old school ones for fine work latches etc tracer for the rest

The best carpenter pencil I've owned was a Festool one they made as a promo, but sadly I've never seen them again. The Wickes one fall apart and the other wooden ones are ok. I've never tried one of the new fangled ones.

@edmundhodgson2572

7 ай бұрын

on amazon, a bit hard for me but great on mason ry/plaster etc

The green Blackedge every time for me!✏✏✏

@Ultimate-roofing-square.

Жыл бұрын

😲👊🏻✏️

Sorry guys, tried the pica and the tracer gone back to the staedtler red for wood and green blackedge for block/masonry.

A good Wet finger I always find works a treat 😅

my favourite marker is pica ...wish they would do a harder pencil insert wears down too quick but very good

@lmilne4859

Жыл бұрын

Stonemason led 10h like slate.

@Rompestromper

Жыл бұрын

They have a hard lead for joiners for the small pencil, its called hardness H, love that combo a lot

Im a furniture maker and I use the Pica fine Dry. I love the precision and build quality, can absolutely recommend it.

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

Ordinary HB for carcassing and a 2H for 2nd fix.

I remember having to shout out "Out side" "Inside" or "on it" when passing work back down below for cutting.

Hardwood timber carpenters pencils, quicker to sharpen, can sharpen both ends 1 fine point/ 1 fine flat. Gives 5mm and 10mm/15mm margins (pencils thickness). Can't beat them.

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

Whichever colour of the kids’ felt tips that hadn’t dried out is my favourite 😅

The pica was developed by NASA for marking toobefourz on the space shuttle, the Soviets just used a pencil. Probably

The standard round pica dry marker, had it over 3 years been ran over by vans, dropped off roofs, stood on sat on, rain, snow, you name it. Never once stopped working. Only issue is the sharpener has rusted and is blunt. Failing that a traditional carpenter pencil cant be beaten

Hi Dan, I had a tracer aswell with exactly the same problem.

@Ultimate-roofing-square.

Жыл бұрын

Yes I certainly did give them a good go.. must be us Dean… 😂

I do like my Tracer but I can’t find my bloody Spare leads at the moment 😂. I still of course use a traditional carpenters pencil and actually Enjoy taking a small break to sharpen it with my Stanly knife. 👍🏾

I have the pica and the ox, had the pica for 4 years. Id hate to go back to sharpening pencils again ,unless I got paid by the hour 🤣😂😅

Being in the trade 50 years 2H or 4H Staedtler normal pencils, no gimmicks goes behind your ear cheap and never fails to work. Keep it simple 😉😀

You can’t beat screwfix pencils, and they are free. Plus you get a free coffee while you’re helping yourself.

Sharpie pro, mostly, then any thick leaded pencil

Spent a small fortune on these types of pencils. They don’t hold up metal tube detaches from the plastic . I was recommended on a chippy forum nearly 15 years ago to use caran d ache all metal lead holder. Bought three at different sizes. They are the best for me 2mm lead. Also got the Pentil all metal 2mm propelling pencil it’s heavy but good quality. Overall the Swiss made caran d ache is my favourite. They also have a sharpener in the top button

For you professional types I can see why so these markers would matter But I'm sticking with the traditional pencil with it's 1/4 and 1/2 dimensions that stop them from rolling off ladders 🤣

Staedtler every day for finer stuff, can’t get the tracer sharp enough with the supplied sharpener. Winds me up!!

Tracer pencil holder breaks, the lead slips, I use Ox, stronger pencil holder and sharpener built in to the holder and all the leads are available online.

Another informative video about something that I didn't know I needed. But I will say it's not lead don't call it lead... Yes I am fun at parties 😂

I use what ever my kids have left laying around.

Pica for me 👌🏽

My favorite "pencil" is the soapstone, or pencil I've got in my pocket..even charcoal stick... I found walking to the variety store. If it marks a line... what's the fuss about. (I lose far to many 'pencils', to spend money on designers ones.)

I bought x2 Tracer pencils and 1 of them wouldn’t feed the lead out! I did complain and a replacement was immediately sent out. Has anyone used the Marxman professional marking tool? If so, what are your views on them?

@madintheheid

11 ай бұрын

Marxman markers are good kit. Always shake once or twice before use, and remember to engage the safety when you're done.

I've been taught to use a technical 0.5mm pencil and then sand down the end to a chisel point for accurate marking 🙂 All relative to hand made detail furniture or hand cut dovetails.

@ricos1497

Жыл бұрын

I don't quite get that to be honest. If you're cutting dovetails, which I do regularly, you just need to aim for the side of the line up to which you want to remove (I can't think of a situation where you wouldn't be removing waste on at least one side of - and including - a line). A chisel point makes no odds, other than making it harder to see. Obviously, a knife to scribe the depth of the dovetails rather than a pencil too. I'm just an amateur mind you, but I rarely see gaps in my dovetails!

@JamesBrown-yn7xr

Жыл бұрын

@@ricos1497 I was exagerating a little for comedy and to highlight the difference between a framer and hand tool cabinet maker role. But a knife, and a torch is good for the pins. But you need a pencil for the tail marking out first. (I'm not so keen on the cut line which runs over the tails) I cannot remember the exact example join when I was shown the technique. But I was fascinated that the instructor considered 0.5mm as not accurate enough.

@ricos1497

Жыл бұрын

@@JamesBrown-yn7xr apologies, I missed the humour! A torch is a good shout, I hadn't considered that. I'm often struggling to see what I'm doing, and I have plenty of headtorches kicking about. One of those magnifying headgear things probably wouldn't go amiss either. In fact, I should probably get my eyes tested.

@JamesBrown-yn7xr

Жыл бұрын

@@ricos1497 I was taught a trick to place a plane or flat block on the bench, then the pins in the vice, place small torch underneath like a phone then align the pinboard onto the tail board so only the tinyest beam of light can seen. Push down hard to prevent any movement. Then you can knife mark and the boards and DTs should fit perfectly without anything sticking out.

@ricos1497

Жыл бұрын

@@JamesBrown-yn7xr that makes perfect sense. I'm going to try that trick next time. Thanks

Not keen on my tracer pencil if I'm honest , seems too bulky and the lead is far too soft , leaves too thick of a line . Regular pencil does the job just fine ! If I need to mark a deep hole I just use the green marxman .

@Jo-xg6rk

Жыл бұрын

Use the sharpener in the holder ..I love my tracer

Pica-Ink are good but they dry out rather fast and you can't refill them. So if you need an ink marker Milwaukee is a fantastic choice. For a classic led-style pencil Pica is still the king. I have noticed that with time one of the pen holders no longer hold my pencil in place. Not sure what happened there.

Pica every time for me😊

The best pencil is the one you can find , or remember where you left it

@garyjohanlon

Жыл бұрын

Get your self what's called a pencil pull .you will never loose your pencil again . Look it up

I like traditional pencils ... cheap, reliable - at least if you go for the better quality ones, and those I suspect will still be a lot cheaper than these new fangled plastic thingies. I'm also not averse to using 'normal' pencils, at least on planed timber where the marks will show up. Chalk, or a big fat marker pen for reducing big, un-planed stuff Fine work - I've got a footprint marking knife which must be well over 30 years old now, beautifully made ... if I can't lay my hands on that, have been known to use a stanley knife, or a stanley blade on its own if something's fiddly

The "lead" is really graphite which is an allotrope of carbon.

Tracer is the best...yellow leads are good for marking paving

Team Tracer here!

The ox just made it out of the shop before it broke👍

@TurinTuramber

10 ай бұрын

I have an Ox 6ft level, had it about 10 years. The vials are all shot and have been for 9 years. So used to holding a smaller level against it not sure I can ever go back to a normal working level.

Pentel AM13 1.3mm Propelling Pencil is the best. Its a normal propelling pencil but with 1.3mm lead and they only cost £5.

Any pencil or marker I might try a pica

Just use a normal pencil if I'm doing carpentry and a cheap propelling pencil if I'm doing joinery. I have never been shown another user for a rectangular lead other than marking the planned edge when marketing up joinery.

Hultafors is my woodworking pencil.

40 plus years of using cheap hb pencils 2h if I’m feeling flush, never really got to grips with carpenters pencils

Not a believer on the “contemporary” answer to the carpenters pencil. I use the traditional, sharpies & a sharp blade for marking tight. Simples

Free ones!!

use the Tracers everyday. The Ox one's are great, but unfortunately the little holsters for them a just gawd awful, they catch the nib every time you put the thing back in making them a nightmare to use all the time 😑

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.

@johnossendorf9979

3 ай бұрын

Wood is good. My sharpener is usually my utility knife. If I don't have it, which is unlikely, I always have my ever day carried for 39 years Victorinox Swiss Champ. It has saved my bacon many many times!

Standard HB pencil. All the 'carpenters' type pencils are too bulky and don't give a fine mark

I vowed I would never pay £8 for a pencil , but now I've tried it, I doubt I'll go back.

i've always used a 2H Steadtler as a shopfitter, much more accurate.

the only pencil I ever need is the at the bottom of the scaffold..... best pencil in the world....😂

my fav is the pen is

Tracer for me....wish they were a little cheaper tho

I just use what ever the suppliers give me

Marxman is great for any holes

i like the old skool pencils no faffing

It fits behind your ear 😅

Which one is the best? The one I have on hand stuck in my hat.