My Personal Carpenter's Pencil...

Possibly the most important tool in my entire workshop...

The ability to mark accurately before cutting is essential when working with wood. I have used many pencils over the years, all with some sort of trade off or compromise between form and function, comfort and durability. And so, I set out to build the definitive carpenter's pencil for myself. I narrowed the requirements down to these four:
1. A lead that could withstand being pushed up against a piece of wood turning at 3000 RPM without breaking.
2. It had to have rugged brass hardware, inside and out to withstand being used all day, every day in demanding conditions.
3. It had to be comfortable in my hand as it is held off and on for hours at a time.
4. It had to be beautiful. I don't believe that you have to trade functionality for style...if you really set your mind to it.

And so, here it is - my own personal carpenter's pencil. I go nowhere without it.

It uses a thick 2mm lead. The eraser section pops off to hide a sharpener underneath to keep the point razor sharp when I need to make precise lines on a piece of wood. The solid brass hardware takes a beating not just on the outside, but the entire body of the pen is a strong brass tube underneath the wood. The grip, burned in by guitar strings, ensures that the pencil is comfortable to hold and won't slip out of your fingers whether you're making marks on turning wood in your own workshop or working a crossword puzzle by candlelight. And, as you can see from the pictures, the exotic King Cocobolo wood complements the antiqued brass hardware to make the one of the most handsome-looking writing implements in my collection.

Dings and dents, sawdust and scratches - I'd never trade my trusty carpenter's pencil for anything else. It's my solid workmate. My constant companion.

Looks beautiful! I think you and I must have had similar thought processes. I too wanted something with a thicker, more robust lead, and a built-in lead pointer. I also wanted a custom made meaningful shop pencil that I would feel happy using. And... I ended up with the exact same kit as you, down to the finish. Only difference is, I went with Amboyna Burl instead of king Cocobolo, and I didn't add grip to mine. I've been very happy with it for about a year so far!