Pica-Dry Longlife Automatic Pencil 3030

This is the best marking pencil I've seen. The thick lead doesn't easily break, and because it is a mechanical pencil, I don't need to worry about sharpening most of the time, but the built in sharpener on the case makes it easy to get back to a fine tip of I need a precision point.

I love these pencils. I have bought several for myself and a set for my dad too. The plastic holder is one of my favorite features. It clips well in a work apron or tool belt and keeps the pencil right at hand. The sharpener at the bottom is excellent when needing to put a sharp point back on the lead. It’s so convenient. The pencil itself works so good. Its thin neck gets into tight areas easily, such as when tracing a stencil or duplicating another piece. I used to use # 2 wooden pencils for marking and they didn’t perform nearly as well. Also, the lead advance button on top moves the lead ahead just the right amount. I rarely get a broken lead because I’ve advanced the lead too long. I have no negatives to say about these pencils. Buy these original mechanical carpentry pencils, not the Chinese knock-offs.

16 bucks for a pencil, 1$ a stick for the refills, how is it worth it you may ask? Well, every once in a while it’s nice to spend money on the small things we use everyday but don’t think about how often we really do use them. I am a commercial/industrial electrician. We do massive piping infrastructures in every building we work in. Miles of large and small pipes being ran, bent, and cut. And with every stick there’s generally a mark or two that needs to be made. Constant pencil sharpening with razor knifes, pencil always falling out of your ear or hard hat or snapping in your pocket, etc. Well this pencil is the answer to most of those problems. Heavy duty graphite that doesn’t break easily by any means, I use it daily on block and concrete walls, Sheetrock, rigid and emt piping that’s loaded with oil, and for writing material lists or bending situations we need to achieve. This pencil is hands down the best writing apparatus I have used in the field. The oils and paints on concrete or piping tend to destroy the sharpie marker tips rather quickly. Yet this pencil marks thru it all and never gets messy. It has a nice holder that you can place In your pocket or attach to your hard hat like I have, and on the end of the holder there is a sharpener for adding a point to the lead. I’ve been using it daily for about 3 weeks and the first lead stick is still going strong. I bought the 10 pack of refills for it as well. Seems like they will last me quite a while. They also sell colored graphite as well as just black. If you are in the trades of any type then this pencil is worth the premium price it asks for. Longevity will be the only factor that determines whether or not I purchase another one. But only time will tell. For now it’s a 5 star worthy purchase. The only con I have is it doesn’t have an eraser. Not that they ever do a great job anyways but sometimes it would be nice to have it. But I feel that the pencil is designed to last a long time and the erasers never do so that’s probably the reason why it doesn’t exist. *****Update***** After about 14 months of owning this pencil it is still functioning like the first day I got it. It is super durable and just a very well made device. The lead lasts forever when marking on pipes or using as a writing tool. Concrete or block tends to run thru it faster but still not bad. I’ve since purchased the colored inks as well (Green, Blue, White) They are an amazing add esp when working in dimly lit areas for visual purposes. The colors work great on pipe and walls but they go much faster than the regular lead. Just wanted to write this update to say this is indeed a worthy investment and since my first purchase I’ve bought a second pencil for use at home because I can’t go back to regular pencils even for home projects now haha.

I haven't used it much but I think it's great. So much easier than using a traditional pencil, and the sharpener is built in. My son is in construction and turned me onto it. If he uses it, I figure it will last me the rest of my life.

Great functionality, even works on composite decking so you can see it, and all around awesome. My only quibble is that it eventually loosens up from the scabbard and fall out rather easily, and for the third time now I look down for my pencil and all I have is an empty scabbard clipped in. So that’s $45 in pencils gone back to the wild yonder, which is not great. I might wrap some masking tape around whatever I get next.

The pica mechanical pencils are my go-to pencil in the shop. I own multiple of these pencils and keep them stashed in various spots in the shop. Easy to carry in your pocket with the holster. The sharpener at the end of the holster is brilliant. The way they are made should take a lot of abuse and last a long time.

Works great

A must have!! This is worth the price. This is the second pencil I have purchased for myself and simply love these. I've given a few to friends and colleagues too. The durability is amazing. First, the sleeve clips and holds amazingly well to your pocket, toolbelt, or whatever you clip it too. At first, I thought the clip would break since it grabs tight with small loops to stay put and needs a little manipulation to unclip and use the sharpener, but the plastic is strong and well designed. Second, the pencil stays put in the sleeve without having to fully seat it in the sleeve. I have yet to have it fall out on me. Having a sharpener on you is invaluable. How many times have you dulled or broken your pencil and needed a quick sharpening? Give yourself 30 seconds and you’re back in business. I’m not allowed to carry a knife or blade on job sites, so having a safe sharpening solution on hand is key. Third, the extended shaft lets you mark down deep “holes”, and it fits in a ¼” hole. I’ve used all the leads, and my favorites are the white and blue water jet resistant leads. They’re not wax and stand up to a wet saw and do eventually wear off in dry situations. All the leads, including the black graphite are perfect for wood, metal, painted surfaces,….. endless possibilities. They are not too soft, and a ten pack will last a long time.