Pica Pencil 3030 / Pica Dry Longlife Automatic Pen Long Lasting Life Easy To Use

Great design allows for the accurate marking of surfaces through drill holes of 2 plus inches; its thick lead, 2.8mm, makes it less liable to break and more suitable for marking rough surfaces however its built-in lead sharpener allows you to maintain a sharp point for precise marking on smooth surfaces; its cleverly designed clip means it will never accidentally fall out of your pocket; its bright green colour makes it stand out on a workbench; its body feels nice and thick in your hand and of course it is German engineered making it a quality tool.

After wasting my money on cheaper deep hole markers [despite screwing them on securely, the sharpener caps came loose and dropped off to be lost forever and the loading mechanisms failed, rendering them useless] I came a across a review that mentioned PICA as a better alternative. As a professional tradesperson, I use marking tools all day and, after a few months use, I am WELL impressed by this! The scabbard-type holder stays put in the elasticated loop on a small tool-pouch on my work trouser belt - never dropped out yet. The pencil fits snugly into the scabbard so doesn't drop out, but is easy to remove with finger and thumb. The feed mechanism is solid and well made. The leads take a good, sharp point from the sharpener in the tip of the scabbard [no cap to come loose and be lost!] enable accurate marking, but the unsharpened lead is thick & tough enough to use for rough marking on plaster, brick etc. All in all, a very well made and solid piece of kit. My only regret is I didn't discover it years ago!

Love this pencil, so much better than the tracer. It doesn't randomly jump out of the holder, even after 6 months of daily use. I've spent more on lost tracers wish I hadn't been so tight to start with

Just get my pen, open to check and found out that end bit (sharp) missing. Sad. But as the product seems good.

I work as a gas engineer installing heating systems and I would say for my line of work this pencil is perfect. I’ve listed a few reasons below. Previously I would go through a pen or pencil every few days due to it falling out of my pocket and breaking or misplacing it. However the holder for the pica has prevented this from happening as it clips securely onto my trousers and the bright green makes it easy to notice if misplaced. I would often have to swap between various pens and pencils as they struggled to mark brick, tile and marble. I haven’t found a material the pica can’t mark. The pica is also handy for marking in small holes due to how thin the tips is and the ability to extend the lead to reach into deep holes. I’ve had the pica with me every day for the past 3 months and have yet to lose it or run out of lead, so while the price is a little steep at first It will pay for its self in time through saved pens/pencils and usefulness.

I've got about eight of these spread about in all my different tool kits. I just find them the perfect design for a pencil when you're onsite. The leads aren't too brittle, you can sharpen them for more accuracy - though for precise work you may need something finer, You can mark deep holes. If you get used to putting it back in it's sheath You'll always know where it is. I've still got the very first one I bought 4 years ago - I've never lost or broken one yet. I've tried other similar designs but I seem to keep coming back to the Pica. The newer versions have mostly aesthetic improvements but they do seem to work a bit smoother, they seem to grip the lead a bit tighter and they are more secure in the sheath. Other than that they are the same great design.

Wish I had one of these 30 years ago. How much time would I have saved scatting around looking for a pencil o er the years. Clip it into your pocket and you always know where it is. Cheaper "copy" refills available on Amazon.

Ok