Finally figured out why my layout marks were looking a bit sloppy

I remember when I first started framing out in the heat of July, my foreman sent me back to the truck specifically for a 'left-handed' speed square beacuse I kept marking my 2x4s on the wrong side of the line. I spent ten minutes digging through the milk crates before I realized he was just messing with the new guy. It's funny how those little shop jokes acutally stick with you long after the project is finished.

I actually prefer the Irwin pencils because the lead doesn't snap as often when I’m scribing against rougher plywood or that salt-treated lumber that eats through everthing. I ussually sharpen mine with an old Stanley 10-049 folding knife instead of those plastic sharpeners they sell near the checkout. It lets me get a much flatter edge on the lead so I can get right up against my Swanson square for a true 90-degree mark. That unlabeled bucket you saw was probably just the ones that lost their stamps during the manufacturing run, though I'd probably still pay the extra nickel just to avoid the headache of a dull point when I'm trying to get the rafters set.

I acutally gave up on those flat carpenter pencils a few years ago. I spent way too much time with a utility knife trying to shave the lead down to a fine point just to get a crisp mark against my Swanson square. If you aren't careful, that thick graphite can easily throw your measurement off by a sixteenth of an inch, wich adds up fast when you're running a long line of decking. I eventually switched over to the Pica-Dry markers for most of my layout work. It doesn't matter which hand you use when the lead is always a consistent diameter. It’s definitely more of an investment than the five-for-a-buck specials at the hardware store, but I stopped losing my mind trying to find a sharpener that actually works on those oval pencils. When I'm doing finish work on a cedar railing or tight miters, I need a line that I can actually trust without guessing which side of the smudge is the real mark.

I switched to one of those Pica mechanical pencils last year and haven't looked back. That long nose gets into deep holes and the lead stays thin, so I’m never guessing where the center of a fat graphite mark is.

When I was doing my deck stairs, marking right trough the pre-drilled brackets without moving them saved me a ton of time. The sharpener is built into the cap too, which is great becuase I usally lose my utility knife under a pile of sawdust anyway. It’s a solid upgrade over those flat pencils.

If you’re still messing with flat pencils for layout on cedar, you’re working too hard. I keep a Dixon 1997 in my pocket for the rough stuff, but for real precision, I’ve moved to the Tajima CR301JF chalk line with the ultra-fine 0.5mm string. It gives a snap that’s acutally sharp enought to follow with a DeWalt DWE575. As for the 'left-handed' pencils, sounds like you’re halfway to looking for a bucket of steam or a board stretcher. Just make sure you aren't using a metric FatMax on a fractional job or you'll relly be in the weeds come Monday.

Quick update—I actually grabbed one of those Pica pencils after seeing the suggestion. It’s way better than trying to sharpen those flat pencils with a utility knife. I’m still laughing at the "left-handed speed square" story, though—I'll have to try that on the next new guy. Has anyone used that Tajima ultra-fine line on rough-cut cedar? I'm curious if the thin string holds up.