The Fisher Space Pen seems awfully gimmicky, but it actually performs remarkably well. No, you’ll probably never need to use it in zero-gravity conditions, but the ballpoint pen works at any angle, which is definitely a handy feature for an EDC (everyday carry) pen. It also writes over greasy surfaces, under water, and ink still flows at extreme temperatures.
Beyond all that, the Fisher Bullet Space Pen is remarkably compact. While sized to be carried in a pocket, small tool box, or bag, opening the Bullet and attaching the cap gives it the length and feel of a full-size pen.
Advertisement
Bullet space pens are built with brass metal bodies and are available in many different finishes. If there are too many color or style options for you to choose from, try limiting yourself to the popular chrome or matte black styles.
Most bullet pen styles are priced at $15-20, and those with specialty finishes are priced at ~$20+. Replacement pressurized ink cartridges are widely available for $5-8.
Refill point sizes: fine, medium, bold.
Refill colors: blue, black, red, green, burgundy, purple, brown, turquoise, silver.
Only blue and black cartridges are available with bold points.
Buy Now (via Amazon)
More Info (via Fisher)
I misplaced my trusty chrome bullet space pen ($16.50 via Amazon), and took the opportunity to purchase two new ones – a cherry red bullet and a black Cap-O-Matic retractable pen ($12 via Amazon).
Advertisement
All Fisher Bullet Space Pens, except possibly those with built-in stylus tips, are currently made in the USA (as of Feb 2014).
Daniel Reetz
Yes! It is the perfect EDC pen, but not for the reason you would expect.
It is the perfect EDC pen because it fits in the tiny pocket above the normal pocket in a pair of denim jeans – the “watch pocket” or “condom pocket”. I use a pen MAYBE once a day, but I wear the same jeans a few days in a row. So now, I ALWAYS have a pen with me. My brother gave me this pen for xmas, and if he hadn’t told me this little tip, it would be lost in a bag somewhere.
Another subtlety of this pen is that when you remove the cap and place it on the back of the pen, it is the same size as a full-size pen. Much better than the “keychain pens” I have tried in the past.
Yadda
Great pen. The ability to write anywhere isn’t matched by any other writing implement except a regular pencil.
Joe
These are great pens. I have been carrying space pens daily for at least 10 years. They tend to write on paper and surfaces that other pens have issues with or partially write on. The chrome bullet with a fine point blue ink is with me daily. Another very nice pen they have is the X-750. It is a 2 piece as well and just a bit longer then the bullet. It has a rubber grip and is weighted even better.
DC
My only issue with these pens are the lack of a keychain so that i can carry it on mine…I really like it as well though to at least have in my car.
TedJ
Take a look at the Fisher Space Pen Trekker or Tough Touch. Both can be carried on a keyring or carabiner.
Mark Geoffriau
I like the idea but I have to have a pen that will stay behind my ear. Papermate Stick medium blue is all I use now.
Chris Fyfe
It also comes with a silver refill , good for dark surfaces , ie: angle iron . I have one , I’ve carried for about twenty years , lost my other one .
Chris
Dave L
You can get one that’s a more conventional “clicky” type with a plastic body for less. I use one all the time-works when it’s real cold out, makes marks on vertical and inverted surfaces for laying out. Only problem is finding refills, not every office supply has them.
NathanB
They have 100’s of styles
heres a keychain
http://www.spacepen.com/725B-matteblacktrekkerspacepen.aspx
joe
I have always carried a sharpie (fine point), and a pilot pen (precise rolling ball v5).
The sharpie can write virtually in any place that I want to label something.
The pilot pens can, with a little wiggle, write on glass. I have used it to mark glass to cut very accurate glass cuts. The ink will last you for a very long time since the body is mostly filled with ink. The problem I have with these is that when they leak, they stain big time. But their uses out perform that. I just keep an eye out and get rid of it right away if it malfunctions.
But I am talking for work writing pens. For EDC, I mostly use my android phone to jot down notes. Now, that I think about it, a great idea would be if there was a small built in pen in phones…part stylus part pen that can be refilled. no?
Stuart
I have a couple of keychain-sized Sharpies, but never seemed fond of carrying them around.
If I don’t care about size, I carry my special edition metal-bodied Pilot G2.
I have a retractable fountain pen around here somewhere that needs a good cleaning, and recently ordered two Hinderer pens that accept Fisher Space Pen refills.
Then there are the Pentel EnerGel needle-tipped pens I like for desk use, as well as the Hi-Tec pens when I want to write slow and neat.
Then there are the pencils… but that’s a story for another time.
joe
The sharpies I have used for many occasions:
-marking wires when disconnecting them. At work, mostly for HVAC trouble shooting. For a DIYer, for electronic purposes like fixing an LCD screen (at least attempting to) or power tools…(I am good at understand power tools hence why I am here).
-marking paint buckets. For some reason sherwin-williams seems to always get it wrong. Time and time again, they send us the wrong paint color. The thing is that once they send you the color, you cannot return it back because they “mix it”…so it becomes trash if no one else wants that color. So I write the color mixture numbers down with a sharpie….on the 5 gallon buckets or on a paper/wood stick with a sample of the paint.
-use it as a touch up paint. I don’t know why but a lot of people like black….having one of these is useful to touch of nicks and cracks from picture frames to furniture…etc.
-even for hanging frameless mirrors…to get the center and all four anchors at the same place to make it eye pleasing…I use a sharpie to mark the spot on the mirror itself…i know that it will be eye pleacing if the mirror is squared and get rid of the mark with some liquid cleaner that has alcohol in it if I write on the glass instead of painting the area if I mark on the wall itself…marker bleeds through paint. IOW, easier to erase the marker on the mirror than to touch up the wall if you mark it with the sharpie. 🙂
But again, I am talking work related. I know how it feels to have a gold pen. I once owned one and was very happy owning it. I also owned a silver pen, both got stolen. They both made me feel good…but not useful to my work. Just more for a show and tell kind of pens. I got more compliments for those pens then I ever did for my useful ones at work..lol.
FWIW, I saw this pen on TV today and found it interesting.
Livescribe.com
joe
I just remembered that I took architecture/drafting classes, and their pencil was a mechanical one…0.5mm that I still have some of them left. But even then, the lines where not constant. Can you imagine a 0.5mm mechanical pencil not making a constant 0.5mm line? Plus, the led itself was not all the same. Some leads marked dark and others not. Some broke very easy and others not.
I tried using a mechanical a pencil in my trade of work but it did not work out.
The pen/pencils is an interesting area that is not perfect non-theless.
Stuart
When I took a drafting class back in high school (2000 or so), we used 2mm lead holders that worked really well. I still use 2mm pencils every so often, and decent mechanicals with 5mm and 7mm tips. Pentel’s GraphGear 1000 pencils are quite decent – https://14cyiuhvcgv.com/pentel-graphgear-1000-mechanical-pencil-is-excellent-for-shop-use/%3C/a%3E .
JetPens is a great place to browse around if you want to try new writing and marking instruments.