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Chalk marker or deep hole pencil

Updated: 23 October 2026

You are choosing between a green chalk pen and an extendable pencil, and the packet language makes them sound like the same tool. They are not. Chalk puts a drill dot you mean to wipe off. A deep hole pencil puts a graphite line you can sharpen, and it only reaches as far as the hole is wide. This page is that fork. Felt pens, which leave permanent ink, stay on the [deep hole marker buying guide](/hub/diy-supplies/deep-hole-marker/sub/deep-hole-marker-buying-guide). The prices and stars are in the [deep hole marker comparison](/hub/diy-supplies/deep-hole-marker). A qualifying purchase can earn us a commission at no extra cost to you.

You are choosing between a green chalk pen and an extendable pencil, and the packet language makes them sound like the same tool. They are not. Chalk puts a drill dot you mean to wipe off.

Our top picks

Nicpro Nicpro (45 mm mechanical set)

Best overall

Nicpro Nicpro (45 mm mechanical set)
8.5/10about £11.99
View offer
Charles Bentley Charles Bentley (Marxman twin pack)

Best value

Charles Bentley Charles Bentley (Marxman twin pack)
7.9/10about £9.75
View offer
Tracer Tracer Pencil 2.0 (12-lead kit)

Alternative

Tracer Tracer Pencil 2.0 (12-lead kit)
7.1/10about £16.79
View offer
On this page
  1. 1.A dot you can wipe, or a line you can sharpen
  2. 2.How far the chalk in this set is sold to go
  3. 3.How far the pencil is sold to go
  4. 4.Which one to take to the till

A dot you can wipe, or a line you can sharpen

Take chalk when the job is one press through a shelf, a hinge, or a back box. Take the pencil when you need a line on timber. Do not expect either one to do the other's job. Who should skip a named listing, including the aluminium kit, is on best deep hole marker. A chalk marker fires a small green dot. In this set that is the Marxman (4.6 from 1,562 reviews), the Bentley twin pack (4.6 from 2,013), and Trueshot (4.6 from 196). Reviews describe a bright dot on brick, wood, and steel that wipes. It will not scribe a joinery line. One press, one dot. A pencil lays graphite. The Pencil 2.0 states 100 mm in a 3 mm hole or 145 mm in a 6 mm hole, so you can run a short line. It will not spray a chalk burst. Graphite is not waterproof ink. If the mark has to stay bright after a wipe, neither side of this fork is the right pen.

How far the chalk in this set is sold to go

The Bentley twin pack states up to 50 mm and 250 bursts. The single Marxman listing does not print a millimetre figure. UK retailers put a standard green Marxman at about 45 mm or up to 50 mm. Do not invent a 100 mm claim for B01MZYQHF8. A black Marxman sold for roughly 50–100 mm, listing B0185Y54PI, is not in this set. Trueshot is the chalk tool past about 50 mm: up to 100 mm and a replaceable cartridge. It does not state a shot count. Tracer's page says up to 350 and Screwfix says about 250, so neither count is tested on this ASIN. Do not heat that can above 50 °C or pierce it. A 100 mm chalk claim is not 145 mm of lead in a 6 mm hole.
Nicpro Nicpro (45 mm mechanical set)

Testsieger

Nicpro Nicpro (45 mm mechanical set)
8.5/10about £11.99
View offer

How far the pencil is sold to go

The Pencil 2.0 only gets its long reach in a wide enough hole. Up to 100 mm deep needs a 3 mm hole. Up to 145 mm deep needs a 6 mm hole. A bracket hole under 3 mm does not inherit the 145 mm figure. The lead is 2.8 mm, so the hole has to admit that lead. The Tracer Pro at about £24.95 claims up to 145 mm and does not repeat the 3 mm and 6 mm pair. The review line is 3.8 from 551, and the lead will not stay out. Aluminium is not evidence of a tougher clamp. If you only need about 45 mm and spare leads, the Nicpro set at about £11.99 is the fixed-nose line: 26 leads of 2.8 mm claimed, and 4.7 from 11,335 reviews. It is not an extendable 145 mm pencil.

Which one to take to the till

Take the Bentley twin pack, or the single Marxman if you accept an unstated depth, when you need a wipe-off dot around 50 mm. Take Trueshot when that cavity is deeper and you want a chalk cartridge. Take the Pencil 2.0 when you need a graphite line and the hole is about 3 mm or 6 mm. Take the Nicpro set when 45 mm is the whole job. Felt is the mark that stays. If the wall cannot take permanent ink, do not solve this fork by buying a long nib.

Common questions

When is a chalk dot the better mark?
When you need one drill point behind a hole and you intend to wipe it off. Shelves, hinges, and back boxes are that job. The Bentley twin pack states up to 50 mm. Chalk will not give you a joinery line along timber, so do not buy it for scribing.
When do I need a pencil line instead?
When the mark has to be a line you can sharpen, on timber or a similar surface, and you can match the hole width. The Pencil 2.0 is 100 mm in a 3 mm hole or 145 mm in a 6 mm hole. A pencil will not spray a dot the way chalk does.
Is Marxman the same tool as Trueshot?
No. Both leave green chalk, and both are sold as removable. In this set the Marxman class is about 50 mm, while Trueshot's listing says 100 mm and a replaceable cartridge at about £11.45. Shot counts on other sites do not transfer to the amazon.co.uk bullets, which omit them. A black Marxman sold for 50–100 mm is a third product and is not these listings.
Will chalk reach as far as a Tracer pencil?
Not on the figures in this set. Bentley states up to 50 mm. Trueshot states 100 mm. The Pencil 2.0 states 145 mm only in a 6 mm hole, and 100 mm in a 3 mm hole. Match the reach to the cavity you measured.
Why might I still skip the £24.95 pencil?
Because the Tracer Pro is 3.8 from 551 reviews and the lead often will not stay out. The Pencil 2.0 is about £16.79 with the hole-width pair stated on the listing. The Nicpro set is about £11.99 if you do not need more than 45 mm.
What if I want a mark that stays?
That is permanent felt, not this fork. A chalk dot is meant to wipe, and graphite is not sold as waterproof ink. The buying guide sets out the 20 mm, 30 mm, and 45 mm felt packs, including the packs that never state a nib length.

Related pages

How to use a deep hole marker

Deep hole marker

Best deep hole marker for the hole in front of you

Deep hole marker buying guide: match type and reach

Deep hole marker through brackets, hinges and boxes

Sources

Public UK sources and the amazon.co.uk listings compared on this page. Updated 22.10.2026.

  1. Tracer deep hole pencil (retrieved October 2026)
  2. Tracer Pro kit (retrieved October 2026)
  3. Tracer Trueshot (retrieved October 2026)
  4. Screwfix Trueshot (retrieved October 2026)
  5. Charles Bentley Marxman (retrieved October 2026)
  6. Selco Marxman (retrieved October 2026)
  7. Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 9 (retrieved October 2026)
  8. General Product Safety Regulations 2005 (retrieved October 2026)
  9. HSE INDG273 solvents (retrieved October 2026)