Fisher Space Pen?

[ofpwriter]

So i bit the bullet (pun intended ) and ordered one 'cause I've always wanted one and kind of needed a break from PG2. Now I'm stuck waiting it to arrive hopefully sometime early next week and thought I relieved some of the anxiety of waiting by askin few questions about it.

 

I read old topics about the subject and someone mentioned that the refills don't last long. How long do those last? Longer than for example a Pilot G2 one? Have you managed to break one, and how much abuse did it take? Did I just spent too much money for yet another crummy ballpoint??

 

- O

Edited January 8, 2012 by ofpwriter

[ajcoleman]

In my experience, when I used one as my primary pen, it was good for 3 or 4 months, significantly longer than a standard gel pen refill, though not as long as a standard international (Parker-style) ballpoint refill. Of course the fine point refill lasted much longer than the broad.

 

Never broke one, other than breaking the plastic tip off one with a pda stylus on one end. Even on that one the pen worked just fine. I had a one pick up some scratches and dents when it fell out of my pocket in the driveway, got run over by the car a few times and left in the snow for a while, but when I found it, it worked just great.

 

Don't expect it to write like a gel or fountain pen -- it is a ballpoint, but the Bullet Space pen is very high quality, wonderful to carry in a pants pocket, leave in a car, toss across the room when someone asks to borrow a pen, and will take all kinds of abuse you wouldn't inflict on a fountain pen. I still carry one for those times when I need a ballpoint. I use it rarely now, but it never lets me down. I don't think you will be disappointed.

Edited January 7, 2012 by ajcoleman

[someonesdad]

Well, I wouldn't call it a crummy ballboint, but it still is cr@ppy because it's a ballpoint. I bought one of those bullet pens 35-40 years ago for backpacking. It doesn't get used much, but it still writes just fine when I need it to. I've never needed a refill because it's just used as an emergency pen.

[JefferyS]

I bought a Fisher Space Pen 5 years ago, and it is my most stolen pen (that is, someone asks to use it for a minute, and likes it so much it doesn't get returned). A smooth, reliable BP.

 

Does anyone know of a nice pen that will accept Fisher Space Pen refills?

[ajcoleman]

 

 

Does anyone know of a nice pen that will accept Fisher Space Pen refills?

 

The Fisher refills are sold with a plastic adapter that slips on the back of the refill to make them compatible with Parker style refills, and lots of pens take those.

[mcbender]

I believe Fisher also makes refills compatible with Cross pens and some older Papermate pens.

 

Edit: see here http://www.spacepen.com/refills.aspx

Edited January 8, 2012 by mcbender

[JefferyS]

Does anyone know of a nice pen that will accept Fisher Space Pen refills?

 

The Fisher refills are sold with a plastic adapter that slips on the back of the refill to make them compatible with Parker style refills, and lots of pens take those.

 

 

Good news! Thanks much.

 

 

[kaissa]

I believe Fisher also makes refills compatible with Cross pens and some older Papermate pens.

 

Edit: see here http://www.spacepen.com/refills.aspx

 

I have one of those and frankly did not see any difference in the way it writes with any other type of ballpoint ink. I am a B Visconti gel refill and Pilot G2 refill fan by the way.

 

The fact that I can use it under extreme conditions is for sure a plus.

 

Regards,

[XiaoMG]

I have one of those and frankly did not see any difference in the way it writes with any other type of ballpoint ink. I am a B Visconti gel refill and Pilot G2 refill fan by the way.

 

The fact that I can use it under extreme conditions is for sure a plus.

 

Regards,

I got five of the bullet pens for the durability/reliability aspect (one for me, four to share), and the back of the cartridges leaked in all of them. I contacted Fisher, and they promptly sent me some replacement carts, which when put into the pen for a brief while, started leaking again. They didn't drip or anything, but there was always a little smear of ink around the butt-end of the cartridge where it was supposed to be sealed. The cartridge did not last very long, though it's very possible that the issue was not a lack of ink but rather a lack of internal pressure.

 

I found the writing experience quite a bit inferior to even other ballpoints at the time. One of only three pens I really regretted buying. That said, if you get one that doesn't leak or have any problems, it may be a fine writing tool that will last a long time.

Edited January 8, 2012 by XiaoMG

[ofpwriter]

In my experience, when I used one as my primary pen, it was good for 3 or 4 months, significantly longer than a standard gel pen refill, though not as long as a standard international (Parker-style) ballpoint refill. Of course the fine point refill lasted much longer than the broad.

 

...

 

That helps me to plan ahead, as I can't get refills locally. Thanks. That is if this pen grows on me... which I think/hope it will.

 

 

I got five of the bullet pens for the durability/reliability aspect (one for me, four to share), and the back of the cartridges leaked in all of them. I contacted Fisher, and they promptly sent me some replacement carts, which when put into the pen for a brief while, started leaking again. They didn't drip or anything, but there was always a little smear of ink around the butt-end of the cartridge where it was supposed to be sealed. The cartridge did not last very long, though it's very possible that the issue was not a lack of ink but rather a lack of internal pressure.

 

I found the writing experience quite a bit inferior to even other ballpoints at the time. One of only three pens I really regretted buying. That said, if you get one that doesn't leak or have any problems, it may be a fine writing tool that will last a long time.

 

I wonder if they have separate quality control (manufacturing and even the model in the refill) for the ones actually used in space?? It would be kind of difficult situation: "Houston, we need a refill!"

[jniforat]

I have the astronaut space pen by fisher in a cisele-esque trim, and I use the BOLD fisher bp refill in black and blue...and man it lasts a long time! I live it so much, I didn't even use fountain pens this last fall semester.

[79spitfire]

I used the refill in a Parker Jotter, it was OK. I found it to be kinda bloby and skipy. I went back to the Parker gel type refills. It did last and last, I never did use it up, just got tired of the bloby line!

[cobaltace]

I know I am new to FPN but on this subject, I know a little more than the average pen user. I bought my first Fisher Space pen back in 1980 and still have and use it. These pens are made to be used in extreme conditions and the refills (Parker style) will write a line longer than one mile long. With normal use, the refill will last longer than the normal Parker style refill because of the thixotropic ink. Always ready and always a smooth line for a ball point. I have 7 pens three of which are the AG7 style classic Fisher Space Pen Astronaut model. You will not regret the purchase of this fine ball point. But remember, it is a ball point albeit a very fine one.

[writebyhand]

Use the pen often and the refill may be gone within one month.

 

Occasionally the line will be kind of "blobby," but otherwise the Fisher Space Pen refills are really great - the ink flows well and the line is thick and dark.

 

In my experience the Fisher Space Pen refills run out considerably sooner than a Parker ballpoint refill or Caran D'Ache Goliath ballpoint refill. Use the pen often and the refill may be gone within one month. I would compare it to the refill used in high-end Pilot ballpoints like Dr. Grip and the Vanishing Point, the BRFN-30M-B.

 

All of the Fisher Space Pen refills sold by thewritersedge.com (no affiliation) come with the adapters, mentioned by ajcoleman, for use of the refill in Parker (or Parker-style) pens included. I like these Fisher Space Pen refills a good deal more than the refills Parker sells for its ballpoint pens!

Edited January 9, 2012 by writebyhand

[Tberry010]

I have been using Fisher pens for many years and have the following observations:

The refills last a long time but I can't compare to others since I rarely 'write out' a refill. The refill in my pen now is dated(I think) 10/06.

Most of the time the first few letters written with a a pen that has not been used recently,within the last day or so, blobs and smears a little before smoothing out.

The fine tipped refills seem more likely to leak at the point

I never had one leak from the end

I have 'lost' one in a dryer and found it over three years later and it wrote first time-a little blobby but working.

The full size pen I had was chrome plated,probably brass, and heavy.

I may go places for whatever reason I do not take my fountain pens, but I always have a Fisher Bullet Pen in my pocket.

I like them and hope you will as well.

[Joshua J.]

I found that Fisher pens worked very nicely for about a year, but then became unreliable. It was irritating because the first time it happened I was sure that I had wrote the thing dry, only to break it apart and see that it was still three quarters full. The next one was the same. Then one time I bought three refills at once (I like to stock up on things) and none of them worked very well, at that point I switched to fine tipped Sharpie markers for everyday writing (I still consider felt pens the second best writing tool there is).

All of the pens and refills I had bought were about ten years old, but that's not supposed to make any difference. Regardless of that, based on all the positive opinions I read they must be working for other people and should be one of the best ball point pens out there.

On the up side, if I had been happy with Fisher pens I never would have been driven to search out the ultimate pen (ending up here).

[Meleemaker]

I found that they were very good pens for the average writer. I had a FSP in a baliyo(balisong style pen) which was a LOT of fun....a real lot of fun and everyone would ask about it. It wrote like a dream too, but it wasnt the MOST comfortable. I still have it, and I know exactly where it is. The do write underwater(I wrote on kickboards at the pool sitting on the bottom with my swim students who didnt believe me). I never had many problems, except the pressure to write is a little bit pressury and it skipps a few times. I never had to refill it, and Ive had almost 3 years. Now, I dont write every day or a lot with it, but it lasts a while, never had any damages done to it. But the cartridges arent that expensive. So I think it's worth it, mine was just a novelty with a cool pen.

[mhphoto]

Most days I carry an Embassy Pen loaded with a fine black Fisher refill and it hasn't run out yet after months of everyday use.

[Pen Nut]

I used the refill in a Parker Jotter, it was OK. I found it to be kinda bloby and skipy. I went back to the Parker gel type refills. It did last and last, I never did use it up, just got tired of the bloby line!

 

 

I still have three of them, two bullets & a twist type one, and agree with spitfire that it has got bloby tendancies and is nothing to rave about. Whether or not it writes at extreme temps & underwater etc does not matter that much to me but being used at the roadside by emergency workers I dare say it has it uses. Please dont say you could use a penscil as I believe the Russians pointed this out at some point in the space race.

[cantwell]

I have had a three bullet space pens so far and I am sure the first two will show up one day! I buy these pens specifically for their portability. I always keep one in my pants pocket with my Victorinox Swiss Army knife. It can be a little skippy at times, but if I lose this one I will replace it again

 

Dave . . .