The Pounce is good if used correctly. I met the person who designed it at a quilt show. Before first use be sure and pound it hard for at least 100 times. He literally slammed it down as hard as he could. That's why it's called Pounce. You don't pounce it on the stencil though. The Pounce slides across the stencil. I like the iron off chalk that comes with it.