Field Guy Geeks about Pens

[hafoc]

The Fisher Space Pen will work at temperatures up to 150 degrees f. It will write upside down, in zero gravity, and in the vacuum of space.

I couldn't care less.

What I do care about is that it will write in the temperature range from around zero to 45 degrees f, within which standard ballpoint ink goes so stiff that you could write just about as well with an icepick. The Fisher will write in the cold, and it will write in the wet too; it doesn't tear damp paper as often as a 0.5 pencil does, either.

We are getting to the cold and wet part of the year, so the Fisher gets a new refill today.

Comments

[hafoc.livejournal.com]

Assuming I want to be fumbling with one of my beloved fountain pens while climbing ladders and running around facilities in a snowstorm. I might fall off a smokestack and my Pelikan or my Pilot Vanishing Point might get scratched!

Ballpoints.. pffft. And if you don't want to risk a $20 Fisher ballpoint, the Fisher refills come with converters so you can drop one into a cheaper pen that takes the standard Parker-size refill. The Pentel Client is halfway nice, and doesn't cost much.

[kelvandor.livejournal.com]

I can understand that. I wouldn't want to be hauling around my Waterman in those conditions either :)

On the other claw, with a little work you can pick up a Jinhao on e-flay for almost the price of a Bic-Stic. They write pretty well, and the price would go far towards dispelling any guilt if it got lost or scratched up some.

...not that there's anything wrong with the Fisher SP, I'm just not all that fond of ballpoints (although the folks behind the Uni- series have put out a blue/black ink that looks great).

[hafoc.livejournal.com]

I agree that a FP is what you want to use for any serious amount of writing. And since I still occasionally (for whatever reason) still write a story, or a novel, longhand, and also keep reams of journals full of commentary too inane to inflict on my friends here (which, considering how inane the stuff I DO post is, says a lot), I know whereof I speak.

But I'll still go with a ballpoint when I go into an inspection. While I have learned to pop the cap on a pen and post it one-handed while clinging to a ladder with the other hand (Stupid Human Tricks!) there's nothing better for quick notes under adverse conditions than a pushbutton clicky clicky pen. I have a clicky clicky fountain pen, the unique Pilot Vanishing Point. Highly recommended, not only for its design but because it's just a GOSHDARNED nice writer. It would do, but even so its gold nib can't take the abuse a cheap ballpoint would. And if I damaged that nib, I would cry.

Another fave rave of mine is the Hero 100. I've heard they aren't so good in current production as they were. Well, they also make some similar, cheaper pens with steel nibs. I have one of those too, and it's surprisingly good, assuming you don't mind a teeny tiny bitsy ultra ultra super fine point- or you want such a thing. For tiny writing, where necessary, it's unsurpassed. Use BLACK ink, though.

[kelvandor.livejournal.com]

Well, however you do it, just don't stop writing! :)


Your's are still the worlds I go to when I feel like ignoring this one for awhile.