The Fisher SPACE Pen.

Gorog

Gorog

Joined
Mar 4, 2011
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515
It has gas pressurized, phixotropic ink that is pumped onto a tungsten carbide ballpoint at an ungodly psi considering its miniscule size, allowing this beastly little fiend to write upside down and in zero gravity, and at extreme temperatures. Just for bragging rights, it can also write underwater and through grease, and its supposedly pretty tough to break, considering its construction. I have tested its capabilities and it works. You can get the bullet pen model, it comes in black or chrome, at Staples, if you want it immediately, or if you are capable of practicing self control, unlike me, when buying, you can purchase them through Amazon or directly from the web site, which I will not mention for fear of invoking the WRATH OF HOWARD WALLACE, (and the other moderators for that matter...I was kidding, by the by, Howard is cool.). When you buy from Amazon or the website of the Space pen, you will get a much greater selection to choose from, so that's what I recommend. But, before you pen afficianado's go out of your homes, sparkly eyed with passion, skipping and singing to the chant "I'M GETTING A SPACE PEN, IT WRITES THE BEST!" PLEASE listen to me. It does not write the best. If your pens don't go everywhere with you, if you hand pen your thank you letters in fancy calligraphy and curse out every smudge or ink splatter, if you are a connisseur of fine writing utensils and will accept nothing short of the finest, most crisp and deep lines money can buy, DO NOT BUY THIS PEN!!! It writes exactly like an ordinary ballpoint pen, the only difference is that this one is waterproof, boil-proof, freeze-proof, anti gravity, and anti-grease. That's it. So, please don't murder me if you did not read this thread entirely, bought the pen, and find out it is only average at actually writing, though the phixotropic, pressurized ink refills do write up to 12000 feet according to the website. Okay? Cool. Now, I bought the bullet space pen, the original one, not the one that looks like an actual .337 or .325 or whatever, its just called the bullet because it is streamlined. If I were to buy again, I would buy one that was at least 4 inches bigger, WITH A CLIP. It did not come with a clip at Staples, which I am definitely regretting not investing in at the time, because MAN is the bullet space pen easy to lose sight of, its tiny and black, a bad combination. So, thats that. I got to go do the dishes...I abhor, I abominate, I DESPISE DISHES!!!!!!!! But that's life. See you all later. Peace.
Oh, and if any one owns, or gets, the really expensive commemorative models, tell me about it or update me with pictures, please! They look awesome, though I would not personally pay more than twenty dollars for any pen that was not solid, precious metals or minerals. That's just me, though, if you're game for it, go right ahead! Peace.
David
 
I have been using those pens for over 25 years.

I worked as an industrial mechanic and a refrigeration tech. The Space Pens won me over because they would write upside down, sideways, under water, through grease and oil. And in very very low temps.

Rite in the Rain also has them under their brand name at a lower price. Made by Fischer too.
 
When NASA first started sending up astronauts, they discovered that ball-point pens would not work in zero gravity. To combat this problem, NASA scientists spent a decade and $12 million developing a pen that writes in zero gravity, upside down, underwater, on almost any surface including glass and at temperatures ranging from below freezing to over 300C.

When confronted with the same problem, the Russians used a pencil.
 
I have a few
a chrome bullet w/clip I keep in my car and the Astronaut pen (basic clicker) I use for work
they write well enough, very consistent, and they will write on almost anything, even wax paper
it's a nice pen for the money but I'm no pen connoisseur
also have a cheapy plastic one that I keep in my notebook
they all use the same refills

cheapy (mines in blue)
S251_Open%20Side_900.jpg


basic Astronaut pen AG-7
AG7_Open%20Side_900.jpg
 
I have a bullet pen in my mini kit (along with a leatherman, Fenix flashlight & small screwdriver). It works fine, no matter the temperarture or writing surface (like the coated rite in the rain paper). But it blobs, smears and generally doesn't look great.

I also have a rite in the rain "military" style metal barrel clicker pen that is great. It has a fine line and all the good points of the fisher bullet but writes better. Its also cheaper, as I recall.
 
I have one somewhere. My Dad got it for me at Canaveral when he was TDY there for Gemini, long before they hit the general market.
 
I was tired of pens never working so I bought a Hinderer Extreme duty pen with a fisher pen cartridge and OMG IT works every time and I love it and picked up 3 other fisher space pens to give to family members.
 
Cool, I'm glad you like your space pen cartridge. I'm just here to help spread the OMG's and AWZOMES. Speaking of spreading the awesome, has anyone heard of the seller Quirky? They just put out a new product called the Mantis, and it looks like a a rocket ship, it is pretty cool. Here is PICTURE!
quirky-mantis-led-lamp.jpg

Peace.
 
I use every pen I can with the fisher space pen cartridge
it works every damn time without fail
the new one come with a parker adaptor
great never fail
product
eds
 
jmsodpc said:
When NASA first started sending up astronauts, they discovered that ball-point pens would not work in zero gravity. To combat this problem, NASA scientists spent a decade and $12 million developing a pen that writes in zero gravity, upside down, underwater, on almost any surface including glass and at temperatures ranging from below freezing to over 300C.

When confronted with the same problem, the Russians used a pencil.
Click to expand...

I got a kick out of that story, but turns out it's not true:
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Uses in the U.S. and Russian space programs

A common urban legend states that, faced with the fact that ball-point pens will not write in zero-gravity, NASA spent a large amount of money to develop a pen that would write in the conditions experienced during spaceflight (the result purportedly being the Fisher Space Pen), while the Soviet Union took the simpler (and cheaper) route of just using pencils.[1] This story is in fact false, as the development of the Fisher Space Pen was done independently of NASA, using private funds, and only sold to NASA (and the Soviet Union) after it was completed.

Russian cosmonauts used pencils, and grease pencils on plastic slates until also adopting a space pen in 1969 with a purchase of 100 units for use on all future missions.[2] NASA programs previously used pencils (for example a 1965 order of mechanical pencils[3]) but because of the substantial dangers that broken-off pencil tips and graphite dust pose in zero gravity to electronics and the flammable nature of the wood present in pencils[3] a better solution was needed. NASA never approached Paul Fisher to develop a pen, nor did Fisher receive any government funding for the pen's development. Fisher invented it independently, and then asked NASA to try it. After the introduction of the AG7 Space Pen, both the American and Soviet (later Russian) space agencies adopted it.
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I'd like to have one of these pens though... the only thing stopping me is the knowledge that I'd probably lose it within a week.
 
Ah, my friend, you need to discover the wonders of Amazon. Just put in Fisher Space Pen, and, after some searching on your part, you will find either a red or blue plastic Fisher space pen for about $4.00, and no one will make fun of you if you buy in bulk. Plus, the cartridges are pretty cheap, if you indeed like the pen and do not lose it. But you WILL like the pen, I guarantee it, or so help me, I will eat a gallon of dirt filled with ungodly insects that I wholeheartedly do not want to ingest. All jokes aside, at four dollars, you can't beat it, really, unless it was a sale I barely got my hands on, and is no longer four dollars, which would be unfortunate. Well, I guess should go now. Peace.
 
I had no idea you could get a Fisher for that kind of money. Thanks:) I never bought one of the high dollar ones simply because I am a chronic pen loser. Seriously, my office must buy 100 pens a year. Many of which I am the culprit responsible for their loss.

I might need to get one sooner than later:)
 
No problem, its why I am here, I believe! Yeah, I was the DUMBHEAD who spent seventeen dollars to get a bullet pen NOW, instead of 4 dollars a piece on two pens LATER. How idiotic that was of me...but, live and learn, live and learn! Okay, I'll see you all later, perhaps with a new thread *hint, hint.*. Peace.
 
Interesting reading thread - will get a couple in with my next Amazon order.

I remember seeing the original adverts for "NASA pens" as a teenager and it sounded as cool as it still does now.
 
I would use mine at work if I weren't so likely to lose it at work. I had a cartridge leak once and had to clean out the inside of the pen but I still like the solidness of the body and such.
I keep mine in my Leatherman pouch EDC kit.
-Space Pen
-bandaids, neosporin
-mini pry bar
-tiny whistle,
-glow stick
-Jetbeam E3S
-Superglue (for now... don't know what to put in it's place.)
-3 inch piece of hacksaw blade.
 
Cool stuff guys. Yeah, learn from my mistake, RedVenom, and buy on Amazon in terms of the space pen. I am not actually a fan of Amazon that much, mean people seem to gravitate towards the review system, but, its good for buying pens, at least. Nice, eyeeatingfish, I only wish I had a leatherman and corresponding pouch, not to mention an actual knife to my name. Hopefully, I'll remediating that problem soon enough.... peace.
 
I have about five, including a "necker" and the way-cool moon landing one.

A good trick is just to buy the refills- locally- and stick them in regular, nondescript Parker pens. If you lose it, you're not crying, and you get the Fisher-pen benefits.


Mike
 
Great idea, Ad Astra. It is good that they make the space pen refills capable of fitting many different pens. Cool stuff. Peace.
 
I've purchused a Shuttle pen, CH4.

Yes, it does not write as beautifully or as finely as some other pens. But it is certainly reliable and it seems sturdy enough.
I keep it in my laptop-bag in case I suddenly have to write on something.

When NASA first started sending up astronauts, they discovered that ball-point pens would not work in zero gravity. To combat this problem, NASA scientists spent a decade and $12 million developing a pen that writes in zero gravity, upside down, underwater, on almost any surface including glass and at temperatures ranging from below freezing to over 300C.

When confronted with the same problem, the Russians used a pencil.
Click to expand...

Except... they did not. NASA did not spent a dime on developing the Fisher space pen. Guess why it's called Fisher space pen? Because Fisher developed it, on his own money.

Yeah, sure, once it was developed and tested to work, they brought them. But before, NASA astronauts used pencils too.

Oh, and the cosmonauts using pencils? Well, they got hold of the pen too once they could. Why? Because broken pencil leads and shavings are a fire hazard that float around the capsule. You do not want fire hazards floating around in a rocket.

EDIT: Oh, someone beat me to it.
 
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