Keeping a marker on your person is one of those small jobsite problems that never really gets solved. Pencils migrate to the truck. Sharpies end up behind a trim board. Klein’s answer is the Skribes Retractable Marker Holder (86700), an $8 tether that now sits alongside Klein’s Skribes marker line, and it sells for less than the markers it holds.
What You Get for $8
At its core the 86700 is a retractable reel with a 4-foot coated stainless steel cord. One end clips to your pocket or belt with a 360-degree rotating metal clip, the other grips the marker.
Two interchangeable rubber boots cover different barrel sizes, so it takes Klein’s own Skribes paint and permanent markers plus most flat carpenter pencils. It all weighs about an ounce and the housing is ABS plastic.
- Model: Klein Tools 86700 Skribes Retractable Marker Holder
- Price: $7.98 at Amazon, about $8 at Lowe’s
- Cord: 4-foot coated stainless steel, retractable
- Fits: Skribes ultra-fine, fine, and chisel tip markers, paint markers, and flat carpenter pencils via two rubber boots
- Clip: 360-degree rotating metal pocket clip
- Weight: about 1 oz
It is shipping now from Buy Now on Amazon, and Lowe’s stocks it in store.
The Competition Is Cheaper and It Is Not Close
Klein is not the first company to tether a marker. CH Hanson’s Pencil Pull has been around for years and typically sells for less than the Klein. PencilPull Pro takes a carabiner approach, and Kobalt sells its own version at Lowe’s.
What Klein adds is the two-boot system, which handles both round marker barrels and flat pencils without buying separate holders.
Early user feedback is mixed. Some owners report the reel tension failing within weeks, while others run them daily with no complaints.
At $8 that is a low-stakes gamble, but it is worth knowing the failure mode exists.
Why It Matters
This is a small product, but it says something about where Klein is heading. The Skribes line, ModBox storage, and the 2-in-1 adjustable wrench all point at tradesmen who buy consumables and accessories on repeat.
An $8 tether is an impulse buy at the register, and Klein wants that purchase happening inside its own ecosystem.
For the actual buyer, the honest math is simple. If you already like the Skribes markers, the holder is a no-brainer.
If you are happy with a Sharpie and a cheap lanyard, nothing here changes that.
More Klein Coverage
Klein has been busy this year across hand tools and storage.
We covered the 2-in-1 adjustable wrench that hides a pass-thru ratchet, the ModBox 3-drawer rolling box, and the magnetic combination square trend it is riding along with everyone else.