Pica-Dry was the world’s first Deep Hole Marker – or at least that’s what the German manufacturer, Pica-Marker, claims. In fact, this product was introduced in Europe by Pica Germany in 2008, many years before other models appeared and today, the 3rd generation of the Pica-Dry – with new additional features – has already been on the market for several months.
3rd Generation
This product idea, with automatic lead feed by the push of a button, has quickly established itself to be useful in troubleshooting for professional craftsmen. What are the reasons for this success story? Is it just the principle of marking for spots that are difficult to reach, such as through deep holes? Or is there even more to it?
What is striking about the unusual design is the large green quiver. The fact is that the craftsman always needs his marking device to hand in his pocket. This is the only way he can use one hand to hold a spirit level, for example, and with the other hand pull the pencil out of the quiver and make the necessary mark – and so the big green quiver makes a lot of sense.
Always at hand
In doing so, the clip on the quiver plays a central role. Here in the 3rd generation, the clip is exceptionally strong and so cleverly constructed that it is durably stuck to your pocket. As a result, the quiver stays firmly on the trousers while you pull out the pen and mark. In addition, with this principle of the quiver on the trousers, the risk of losing or misplacing your pen is reduced. Another innovation built into the quiver is a sharpener for the lead, providing everything in one device, and saving a lot of time with annoying searches.
But what about the marker itself? A closer look into the inner design of the 3rd generation mechanical pen reveals that the highest demands on product quality are met. No cheap mechanics from China or India are used, but instead, the most innovative and high-quality push mechanics are installed. Pica calls this new in-house development the “Power Lock Mechanism”. According to the company, the focus is on values such as precision, reliability and durability.
The central point for the longevity of a construction marker is the working life, determined by a sufficiently high lead holding force. This is where the wheat is separated from the chaff. Craftsmen told us about construction markers that stopped working prematurely. You often have to mark under tough everyday conditions, on construction sites with plenty of dust when working with cutting discs, plus moisture from wet cutting or rain. They call this problem “lead slip”.
The new 3rd generation Pica-Dry is well equipped for these extreme situations. Because the progressive interaction of the new “Power Lock Mechanism” on the one hand with the new “effective dust and moisture protection” on the other hand – clearly recognisable by the green cap on top of the pen – reduces the problem significantly. Our tests have shown that in this way the working life, in terms of lead holding force, triples compared to the previous model. When compared to the existing competitor products, the lead holding force is extended many times over.
In conclusion, we are dealing with a marking tool for professionals, that withstands the tough everyday conditions, especially in the building trade, for a satisfyingly long time.
For further information on the Pica-Dry Deep Hole Marker visit pica-marker.com/en/pen/pica-ink
