It’s time to make your mark on site with the extensive Pica-Marker range
There are few companies that can claim to have carved out a whole new segment in the hand tool market but, from its inception in 2003, Pica-Marker has been doing just that. When the Pica Ink premiered it was the first Deep Hole Marker. Since then, this precision engineered German product has evolved into a whole range, with unique features and durability guaranteed.
Accurately marking specific areas, materials and surfaces is an inherent component of almost any construction project. Having a specialised tool, such as the Pica-Marker – which has been designed to do just that – will help any of the industry’s many trades to work to the highest degree of accuracy. So just what is the advantage of a deep hole marker? In laying the basis for all of its subsequent products Pica Ink goes way beyond what builders would expect from a humble marker. First and foremost, with a telescopic tip that extends to up to 5cm in length, it can reach the parts others can’t. Need to trace holes through one workpiece to another beneath, for example? That’s not a problem. Indeed, any small, deep hole becomes accessible. If you’re tracing around an object or circular rule – in order to cut material with a hole saw, for instance, or when working with a router – its thin point allows you to make an accurate line much closer to your rule or any traced shape.
Robustness is equally assured. By way of illustration, both the Pica Ink and Dry are supplied with a quiver. The barbed construction on the inside of the clip together with the selection of the strongest material securely holds onto your work trousers enabling you to easily pull it out and return at will without dislodging the quiver itself. It’s also very durable – step on it, drop it and the marker is more than adequately protected.
Multi-tasker
The Pica Ink is a multi-tasker that benefits from a long-lasting cartridge, with no need to shake it or pump it to activate. Available in red, blue and black, it will mark virtually any material be it wood, plastic, paper, metal, glass any building board and much more besides. Forgot to close your Pica Ink and the tip has dried out? Again, the designers at Pica Marker are way ahead of you. Simply remove the acrylic nib inside, turn it 180° and instantly revive your tool.
The heir to the innovation inherent in the Pica Ink is the graphite-based Pica Dry automatic pencil, a solution which is now the Bavarian based firm’s best seller. Here, an automatic lead feed is initiated by the simple press of a button. The patented sharpener in the quiver means you’ve always got the most precise tool you can get at your immediate disposal, and there’s a wide and unique selection of leads available in water-soluble or water-resistant, for different applications from carpenters to stonemasons – as well as colours that include black, red, yellow, white, blue and green.
Any tradie who has used an automatic pencil will tell you that, over time – and ultimately when put under even minimal pressure – the lead will start to push back in use. The design boffins at Pica Marker have solved this issue with a Power Lock Mechanism that provides a long lasting holding power of at least 2kg. Crucially, the quality of the components means that holding force is maintained, prolonging the Pica Dry’s useable life, and ensuring that the lead won’t retreat.
Continuing the theme of versatility still further a scribing attachment is now available for the Pica Dry. It is the combination of the aforementioned power lock – as well as an exceptionally hard steel construction – that provides the necessary muscle to precisely mark most ceramic tiles or glass prior to cutting.
Plenty to ‘Pica’ from
Building on its success Pica Marker has introduced choices in size, with the Pica BIG Dry, and Pica BIG Ink the ideal tools for specific crafts. These are joined by the Pica Fine dry with a 0.9mm graphite tip, which is the ideal tool for joiners. All three green Pica lead-based products have the same important features in common – an umbrella shaped cap and seal ring which prevents water or dust ingress from damaging internal workings, a crucial attribute in typically wet British weather. Moreover, in a brand-new development both the Pica Ink and Pica BIG Ink can be replenished with refill ink.
With its ink and graphite solutions well established Pica Marker has introduced other technologies, including Pica Gel. This dedicated solution for the highly permanent marking of metal will do its job even on rough, rusty, or oily surfaces. Added to the portfolio in 2010, its special heat-resistant formulation can withstand temperatures up to 1,000°C, with an opaque mark that will be visible even on dark surfaces.
As the breadth of the portfolio demonstrates the Pica Marker strategy has always been to introduce new technologies and add further useful and beneficial features. The result is a marking solution for every occasion, which also includes crayons, a marking tube and pencils. As a case in point, the Pica Pocket quiver is the perfect partner to the last of these with an integrated blade for sharpening and a protective holder in one durable unit.
It’s time to draw a line under the use of inferior markers and reach for a tool where every component has been designed for the trades.
For further information on the Pica-Marker range visit Pica Marker | Marking for professionals.
