The rectangular body prevents the pencil from rolling off sloped roofs or uneven workbenches. Its wide, flat graphite core can be sharpened to a chisel edge, allowing it to draw clear lines on rough lumber, concrete, or stone without snapping.
Heard on the job
Toss me a carpenter's pencil so I can mark these studs before we start cutting.
Insider tip
Never sharpen it with a standard pencil sharpener. Use a utility knife to carve the wood back and expose a quarter inch of the lead.