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Who makes the best pencils?

13K views 60 replies 36 participants last post by  mgb 
#1 ·
Who makes the best pencils?
 
#41 ·
free pencils are the best ones. and the best free ones are from pierceys building supplies/ barrett lumber

if i gotta buy em i go to the dollar store when they have them in stock or home cheepo, for finish work i use staedtler 2h pencils and they work great for drawing.

i.e this bad boy which was finished with ink, its a reworking of a band logo
 

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#45 ·
For standard carpenters pencils, I get whatever the lumber store gives me. The last bunch, which are gold, and from Anderson Windows, seem to work very well. They seem to last longer than most pencils I've used recently.

As for smaller diameter pencils, the Ticonderoga pencils are the way to go. I've got a set of log scribes that only fits a regular writing pencil, and I have a box of Ticonderoga's for it.

For mechanical pencils, try these:
http://www.zebrapen.com/products/pen/mlp?c=32
Rectangular lead, a body about the same size as a standard carpenter's pencil, and you never need to sharpen it.
 
#53 ·
Delivery driver showed up one day with a lumber drop and told us they quit giving pencils to the drivers to give away. I told him if he brought me another lumber drop he damn well better have pencils on board or he'll be taking that lumber back to the yard. Next trip he brought us a full box. Then I got a call from the GM of the lumber yards main office to ask me WTF was this that I would send my load back. I told him if they couldn't afford to give away a few pencils when we're spending 2K per load they damn well better start putting pencils back on the trucks for the drivers to give away. They changed that policy and this kid gave us pencils know matter what he was bringing us (Sono tubes, rebar). Support your local lumber yard and they'll take care of ya!
 
#54 ·
only 2 pencils worth discussion

Mirado Black Warrior

and
Palomino Blackwing

probably have to order them on line- you won't find them at staples or artist supply stores like the rest of the crap mentioned.

wife buys them 3-5 dozen at a time
stephen

BTW- I realize this thread was meant as a goof----- but actually, don't pencils fall into the category of" simple things done well"- or "simple things that SHOULD be done well and there is no acceptable excuse for doing them any nther way" ?

Like that effen can opener that fell apart in my hands last week-a freaking can opener!---- wouldn't you think this is a technology that should have been mastered by american industry AT LEAST 100 years ago?

Rant over,
stephen
 
#57 ·
I like the large round ones seem to have softer lead in them which woks better for me when marking steel siding. Last Year at our Home and Garden show I was right next to Pro-Build and they gave me a couple of boxes of them.:thumbsup: Some days I can never find a pencil when I need it.
 
#58 ·
best pencils

dixon red & black
hard for concrete/stone/block
medium wood
soft wont leave dents/wet wood

they only have them at one truevalue by me, and i cant justify a half hour trip for expensive pencils that ill probably lose before i leave the store
so i guess the best are the orange ones i keep forgetting to pay for
 
#59 ·
ive been using ch hanson pencils. but when im roofing i rarely ever have to use a pencil unless im doing wood work or anything. and its funny im the only one on my crew who even cares a pencil and a fine point sharpie in my tools. damn lazy bastids. its always let me use your pencil jacob. and i response go buy your damn pencils my step dad pays you enough. then i get the evil eye.:laughing:
 
#60 · (Edited)
I worked with this great Carpenter who didn't appreciate his trade much.
He did it as a living. He had no love for it.

I was his limited skilled helper, but I loved what I did.
We had a different approach to things.
He saw it as a means to an end. I actually enjoyed my job.
I was early to work and he'd have to kick me off the site.

Anyway, the point of the story is that whenever I'd come
in with some Carpentry related gadget, he'd laugh at me.
But, I taught him a thing or two.

He would always lose his pencils and ask me to borrow mine
because I always had mine. I wore a carpenter's belt, he didn't.
I love this sleeve because it keeps the pencil clipped on to me,
I tend "not" to leave it behind because it seems more valuable
to me than just a pencil alone, I clip it to my t-shirt when working
in odd spaces and the best part is that as the pencil grows shorter
and shorter from being sharpened, I don't have to scrunch up my
fingers in order to use it. It's like the pencil is always full length.

I highly recommend it. BTW, my bud fell in love with it after laughing
at me for having one, so I got him one. He never asked me for another
pencil again because he always had his handy thanks to me.








I love C.H. Hanson. Here's one of their latest pencil inventions:




Here's my little collection of pencil-related gadgets
I've picked up over the years with one crayon holder:

 
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