The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 11 letter word TECHNOPHILE
T
E
C
H
N
O
P
H
I
L
E
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "Someone great with gadgets — tho’ he may be awkward with pencil" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case someone great with gadgets — tho’ he may be awkward with pencil = technophile.The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.
What does TECHNOPHILE mean?
TECHNOPHILE noun- A person who is very enthusiastic about technology, especially one who enjoys the advances in computer and media technology.