PSI Carpenter Pencils

[alinc100]

Hi All,
A couple of 'firsts' for me today. I ,after ordering and waiting for bushings, thinking I already had them was able to turn 2 of PSIs Carpenter Pencils. I hade recently bought the kits in an order from Exotic Blanks. As a person who uses a pencil everyday I'm always on a search for the perfect pencil.15 years ago(or more)I loved making wooden pencils from the 0.9mm Pentels but experience has taught me the thinness of the wood isn't durable enough for jobsite usage/rugged tasks. Now in my daily tasks the 2.8mm Pica Pencil is a very handy pencil as we write on a lot of felt, fiberglass , wood and aluminum. My other daily use pencil is the Pentel Graphgear500 in 0.9mm. In my quest to make similar I figured I'd try these. So firsts for the PSI kits and first time with McKenzie Pen Works Diamondcast, The pink one below. My first impressions are: One: The pencil is 2.0mm not 2.8mm like the Pica,I should have paid more attention. Two: As other reviews I've read(while waiting on the correct bushings is the sharpener leaves plenty to be desired, the lead just spins. Back to old school knife or sandpaper like drafting class. Three: The instructions say .495" dia ,the bushings measure .485" dia , so I wrapped masking tape on the bushings to get closer to .495. realistically with the hardware .485 is a better fit than the listed .495. Time will tell to see if I can learn to like the pencil with shop usage.

 

[jschoolcraft]

Curious to know how you like them. I've been trying to decide on a pencil to replace the cheap, flat, carpenter's pencil I use in the shop and was looking at the Mini Sketch and Deluxe Sketch. I've never used a pica but they're definitely popular on youtube.

Another alternative to the sharpener is a dedicated pointer. I used them quite often with the matching mechanical pencil.

 

[BHuij]

I'm a fan of the PSI Mechanical Pencil (not a great name). It feel well-built, I have been using one as my shop pencil for the last few weeks. It uses 2mm leads and has a lead pointer built into the underside of the cap that works acceptably well.

 

[alinc100]

Curious to know how you like them. I've been trying to decide on a pencil to replace the cheap, flat, carpenter's pencil I use in the shop and was looking at the Mini Sketch and Deluxe Sketch. I've never used a pica but they're definitely popular on youtube.

Another alternative to the sharpener is a dedicated pointer. I used them quite often with the matching mechanical pencil.

I really like the Pica. This seller is the cheapest I've seen. https://www.ebay.com/itm/354054631535 Part of me is tempted to cut one apart and reverse engineer a custom turning to fit. In that vein I've ordered a 'cheaper' similar pencil on eBay to scavenge/dissect first. I can't bring myself to cut up a Pica ,yet even at $10. LOL I may start the process by layout a CAD drawing of known dimensions.
First impressions on the PSI Carpenter pencil is it is top heavy.

 

[alinc100]

I'm a fan of the PSI Mechanical Pencil (not a great name). It feel well-built, I have been using one as my shop pencil for the last few weeks. It uses 2mm leads and has a lead pointer built into the underside of the cap that works acceptably well.

In 2023 I built 10 of the PSI Stratus Pencil Kits for myself and the guys I work with. many keep them off the jobsite as a 'treasure'/ too nice to use. I've noticed fitment issues with the cap being loose ,has similar sharpening issues as the Carpenter pencil. Probably the same mechanism in both and likely in the Vertex ,etc. I have a Vertex kit here somewhere, haven't turned one of those in 15 plus years-ish.
On a postal scale The Pica minus sheath weighs in at 0.5 OZ, The Carpenter (alumalite) at 1.7 Oz, The Stratus(wood) at 1.5oz

 

[Edgar]

I believe the Carpenter Pencil From Exotic Blanks is made by Rizheng rather than PSI. (They call it an Eco Carpenter). That might account for the difference in bushing sizes.