Fisher Space Pen

[Immortal Wombat]

Ok so I know this place is mostly about fountain pens and such, but it's a forum I'm a member of with a pen section so I thought I'd give it a go (and it does say EVERYTHING pen and ink right?).

This is a famous and well loved ball pen that lots of people carry in their pocket every day. Its pressurized cartridge allows it to write upside down and the special ink formulation is tolerant of extreme temperatures.

I recently bought a matte black bullet with clip





It is deeply pleasing to me as an object and it fits nicely into my wallet. I was annoyed at first that the cartridge rattled inside the case but a layer of tape fixed that and now it feels much more solid.

The issue I'm having, and the reason for this thread (although feel free to use the thread for general discussion of the space pen) is that it seems not to like writing at a shallow angle from the paper. 45° seems to be the maximum angle it will tolerate, any further from perpendicular and you get nothing. I'm rather upset that an expensive pen specifically designed for writing 'at any angle' is this finickity when supermarket disposables have no trouble writing at much shallower angles.

Anyone else that has a space pen please let me know if yours has the same issue. I would really love to continue using this pen and hope it's just an idiosyncrasy of this particular refill, rather than a symptom of all space pens. Also, I have heard that the 'fine' refill is nicer to write with than the 'medium' that comes with the pen, if anyone can confirm or deny this (and if it can write at a shallow angle) I'd be very grateful.

Thanks for reading

 

[Acmemfg]

The boatload of dollars, time, and resources spent to develop this pen for the NASA space program was phenomenal. This was during the time the US was going head-to-head with the Russians competing in "The Space Race". Of course the USSR acknowledged they too had a concern about supplying their Cosmonauts with a writing instrument that would write in space, upside down and subject to all those other conditions to be found up there......the Cosmonauts were given pencils........

 

[Immortal Wombat]

http://www.snopes.com/business/genius/spacepen.asp

 

[craig87c]

What size is the ink cart?

 

[Immortal Wombat]

As I said it came with the medium. I've ordered the fine to try

 

[lwt210]

I have one in the stainless finish. I also have a Fisher AG-7 space pen.

Both are stellar performers.

I have found that the "bold" cartridges work well for me but do not last as long as the medium ones. I have never tried a "fine" tip model.

As far as the angle that you are using it, I am not sure that is going to be "fixable" by a different sized point. It might be........but I would guess that when using your Bullet, you might have to adjust your angle.

My bullet also rides in my wallet. If you have issues with your pocket clip coming off, I fixed that with just a small dab of Gorilla super glue.

 

[Immortal Wombat]

As far as the angle that you are using it, I am not sure that is going to be "fixable" by a different sized point. It might be........but I would guess that when using your Bullet, you might have to adjust your angle.

Yeah that's what I was afraid of. Could you do me a giant favour and tell me whether yours writes past 45°?

 

[craig87c]

Hmm. Nice actually doesn't write past 45deg either.

 

[djm2]

Mine goes to about 35 degrees or so, but the clarity of that which is written deteriorates. Does write upside down -- I wonder if that is the focus of their "any angle" statement?

 

[craig87c]

That's what I've always assumed they meant. You can write holding the pen normally as you are flipping around in zero gravity.

 

[lwt210]

Yeah that's what I was afraid of. Could you do me a giant favour and tell me whether yours writes past 45°?

How's this?



It is do-able at 45 but not real smooth.

 

[Immortal Wombat]

edit: Big thank you to those above who tested the angles for me

Mine goes to about 35 degrees or so, but the clarity of that which is written deteriorates. Does write upside down -- I wonder if that is the focus of their "any angle" statement?

Yeah I'm sure that's what they mean too, it's just that when I'm writing on anything even slightly awkward like my knee when i'm reclining or a piece of folded paper in my other hand when i'm shopping it's very easy to lose ink flow - which seems a bit poor tbh.

 

[KQY61]

Hi,

I have had one of these since the late 70s. It was invaluable for 20 years of fire/rescue work. Writes on the report forms in any position, even if the paper is wet with every sort of fluid (mechanical and bodily) on it you care to name. The cartridge is even better if you put it into a Rotring machined brass pen!

Stan

Here it is. Well used. Rotring 600 with a Fisher space pen refill in it.



I have a passel of these, all mech pencils of all the diameters, both black and silver, both fixed and retractable. This is the only Pen, though. I am more of a pencil guy, being an engineer and draftsman. I have dozens of mech pencils and lead holders. I still prefer to sketch out circuit designs with pencil on paper, then hit the CAD later.

But, this is a Pen Forum. No pencil geeks, right? So, my only pen that isn't a freebie type ballpoint (ugh, I know!) is really this Rotring 600. Unless we also chat about technical drawing pens here (which are the permanent version of a pencil for me). All I have seen until today is fountain pens, though, which are not My Thing at all......

Stan

 

[Vercin]

its a ball type .. so if its at a stepper angle .. the ball doesn't make contact. As simple as that. I got no issues tho .. even when I tried just now I can't really grip it in a way to write at a that steep angle. But that's just me .. I get it that you may have different grip/need.

I got one as gift from rickbone .. nifty little bugger. It has the medium black refill in it. Great little pen to carry it everywhere.

No rattling at all tho .. the refill moves inside yours? or I didn't get that part right .. and the clip is rock solid also.

​

 

[mmack66]

Great pen, though something isn't right if the ink cartridge rattles around inside the pen.

 

[Immortal Wombat]

if its at a stepper angle .. the ball doesn't make contact. As simple as that.

Well yes, but other less expensive ball pens don't give me that problem (even pressurised ones like this). I guess I was just hoping it was a manufacturing flaw with that particular refill instead of a common trait of all fisher space pens

No rattling at all tho .. the refill moves inside yours? or I didn't get that part right .. and the clip is rock solid also.

​

Yeah it moved less than a millimetre but it was enough to give it a cheap tinny feel, it's fine now though I've made the refill a few microns fatter with a layer of tape. The clip on mine is solid too, I think it's the aftermarket clips for the bullet pens that have the reputation of being unreliable as they just hold on with friction (unless you glue them as the poster above said)