This is the best mechanical carpenter's pencil that I have found. It has several nice features.
1. Sheath - it has a holster which works great. The holster stays securely connected to my pocket, belt, apron. The pencil stays securely in the sheath even if you just drop it in. The sheath is round so that you can drop the pencil in without lining anything up. I like my Thorvald, but with no sheath it is much more work to take it in and out of pockets and toolbelts. One of the teeth that holds the Thorvald broke quickly.
2. Cap - The cap stays on solidly. Most of the time I grabbed my Thorvald, the cap came out but the pencil stayed.
3. Sharpener - The sharpener gives a very nice, sharp tip that still does not break too much. The downside to the sharpener is that you have to pull the sheath out to sharpen the pencil. Not too big of a deal because I do not need to sharpen often.
4. Lead holding, loading, advancement - the leads go in easily, advance nicely and does not slip.
5. Ability to mark in deep pockets. The end tube is pretty thin (similar to almost all of its competetors) making it easier to mark inside small diameter wholes. You can also advance the lead quite a ways, so you can mark in any hole as wide as the lead diameter.
The only downside to the pica is that it is round, so more likely to roll off of a table. There is a roll stop in the collar, but it is still more prone to roll than something like the ox. Still, I prefer the round Pica because it makes it easier to drop into the sheath.
The Pica leads seem to be great, but I went with the Hultafors refill pack. They are slightly different diameter to the Pica leads, but work just fine. I went with the Hultafors refill pack because of the cool dispenser that clips on my tool pouch. That way I always have refills with me. Tracer makes a similar, even smaller refill.
If you are looking for a mechanical carpenter's pencil, buy the Pica Dry. It works great.
| Manufacturer | Pica-Marker GmbH |
|---|---|
| Brand | Pica |
| Item Weight | 0.704 ounces |
| Product Dimensions | 5.91 x 0.79 x 0.79 inches |
| Item model number | Pica - 3030 |
| Is Discontinued By Manufacturer | No |
| Color | green |
| Pencil Lead Degree (Hardness) | 2B |
| Material Type | Graphite |
| Number of Items | 1 |
| Size | 1 Count (Pack of 1) |
| Line Size | 2mm and Above |
| Manufacturer Part Number | Pica - 3030 |
