Why Are Woodworking Pencils Flat? | 2023

May 3, 2021

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When tackling woodworking projects, you will invariably need a pencil to mark your materials. However, rather than use a standard pencil from your stationary drawer, you should use a carpentry pencil. These pencils are noticeably different in appearance than a standard pencil, with a flat edge, rather than cylindrical shape. There are a couple of reasons for this, making such pencils particularly useful for completing woodworking tasks.

No Rolling

One of the main advantages of the flat shape of woodworking pencils is that, unlike rounded pencils, they will not roll away once you place them down. Once you have made a mark on your wood strip or panel, you can place the pencil down and not worry about it falling to the ground rolling underneath your workbench.

Useful as a Measuring Guide

In addition to not rolling around your work space, the flat profile of a carpentry pencil has another application. You can in face use your pencil as a measurement guide. If you need to cut out a gap in a piece of wood, the flat edges of the pencil can be used to measure and scribe down a suitable mark. Woodworking pencils have two differently sized flat edges.

The wider sides are useful for measuring spaces with larger pieces of material, such as boards and beams, while the narrower sides can be used when working with molding and wood trims. If you don’t want to spend ages using a tape measure or ruler to mark out gaps on your materials, going freehand and using your flat carpentry pencil as a measuring guide can save you a considerable amount of time.

Increased Grip

As they have a larger profile, carpentry pencils are also much easier to grip than standard pencils. If you are working for long hours with clammy palms, the broader edges of a flat pencil will ensure you maintain a firm grip as you make marks on materials.