Yah thirty years ago I had a Space Pen. I like the theory . . . in practice it SUUUUUUUCKED : way, way, way too skinny, too slick, ever so slightly it would pee ink . . . just enough to be a glob on the ball when I went to write something leaving a blot on the paper. Wouldn't write on the work forms at work that had carbons. I HAD to use a ball point. Fountain pens don't work well with carbon forms. I fooled around with the space pen and different refills and finally assigned it guard duty in the drawer with all the other "quality" pens I couldn't stand to use. See last photos. Talk about a shorty, I thought this would be the sheeet ! This thing is so bad the ball literally squeaks while I write. Seriously . . they can't figure out how to make a ball bearing point pen not squeak when all the others do not squeak ? ? ? ? It keeps the Space Pen company.
The other pen bellow it, the hexagonal pen, I really wanted to work. I love that thing ! Nice heft too.
but
the knurls are totally ineffective, too slick and too tapered, I can hardly hang onto it to write. Worst of all the tip wears out and the ball falls out before the ink is used up in the cartridge. This thing is worth some serious money as far as a collector's item but crap to write with. Shame . . as I said I really like it in theory.
I don't know about shorty pens and sitting down wrong. I carry my pen in my shirt pocket and have a back up in my little belt pouch tool pouch. I rotate some. The back up is ALWAYS the Velocity (see box bellow).
I really dig the Schrade tactical fountain pen. I just like fountain pens best. But I also rotate in other pens that I like something about but as far as using those to write with I usually regret it and go back to the three shown here because . . . they write best.
The Schrade is very reliable as long as you use ink that is on the thin side and you keep using it and don't let it sit around and dry up. A little warm water therapy and it starts writing again. I refill the "disposable" ink cartridge using a little inexpensive, basic, hyper dermic glue bottle; see woodcraft woodworking tools supply. Super easy and clean once you get the hang of it. Wear thin rubber gloves until you do; that ink soaks into your skin and will be with you for a day or two.
See the "hype" on the card board box ? "Smoothest Pen In The Universe". THAT'S NOT HYPE. This thing is worlds better than any fancy five dollar refill cartridge I have ever put in a fifty dollar "quality" pen. and wait for it . . . you can get a box of 12 pens for eight or nine dollars.
I don't care for the triangular grip, I like round knurled grips best like on the silver colored pen. But the triangular rubber grip on the inexpensive Bic Velocity is plenty grippy and comfortable.
As far as the silver knurled pen in the first photo (a Zebra F-701 Stainless Steel ). . . I trimmed down the length of the ink filled core from the Bic Velocity and made it work in the silver pen. Good stuff.
These suck almost as much as a Space Pen
don't get the f-701, its uncomfortable for even short usage IMO and its a little heavy which could be an issue for some people
