Is it worth getting a Fisher Space pen?

[magellan]

Last time anyone posted here was in Dec. of 2007 and it's now Dec. of 2016, so I'm a bit late to the discussion.

But I had to say I luv Space Pens and they are my go to pen as they will write under almost any conditions. I have seen one write on wax paper that I greased with a butter stick, just to try to defeat it, but even that failed. It wrote just fine.

So I'm a big believer in them. I have a modest collection, including the engraved solid Sterling silver, the engraved 24k gold plated, a lacquered standard brass, a lacquered brass Cap-O-Matic, the old nylon tipped stylus model, a silver and black Trekker, two different models of the gold titanium Infiniums, the original chrome Astronaut model, the 45 yr. Anniiversary Astronaut Special Edition, the Space-Tek rubber coated Astronaut, the Pocket Tech Star Spangled Banner Special Edition, and a 70s era brushed chrome model from early on in college. I also custom fit the refills to one of my brass tactical/EDC pens.

 

[wtrm]

https://www.jetpens.com/blog/guide-to-pressurized-space-pens/pt/748

 

[Ferrariblades]

Deleted

 

[gsr]

My answer to the OP question is yes, yes they are.

 

[joelbnyc]

I like a Zebra 701 modded with a 402 for an all-stainless $15 pen that looks like $100. There are various hacks to use various cartridges too, including the Fishers. https://penthusiast.wordpress.com/2014/07/25/the-space-zebra-f-7401/

For Pocket size, I like the Pilot birdy BS-40S, awesome pen.

 

[Monocrom]

What a difference a decade can make. As in, when this topic was started. Fisher has significantly improved the ink flow. Now their refills no longer feel like you're writing with a piece of chalk.

 

[hugodrax]

I bought a Brass pen from Countycomm that has a Fisher pen refill inside. They were selling for half price. I wish I bought a second one, my wife keeps taking my brass pen.

 

[schuster]

What a difference a decade can make. As in, when this topic was started. Fisher has significantly improved the ink flow. Now their refills no longer feel like you're writing with a piece of chalk.

Maybe worth a re-visit for me, too.

Gave up on them long ago because of ink flow.
Without exception, every refill started developing a leak around the ball tip which caused "blobbies" while writing, and the accumulation of a big, gooey ball of ink at the tip when not used.

 

[tech25]

My newer bullet pen doesn't blob at all unlike my older refills.

 

[bykfixer]

Yup,
The newer refills are dandy.
I gave up on them long ago as the internal pressure kept causing ink stains in shirt pockets (ugh) but a few tactical pens I've acquired lately have their cartridges and they write like a pen is supposed to. No smears, not need to scribble on scrap paper to get it started and most importantly (to me anyway) no more shirt pocket stains.

 

[Illusory]

I'd recommend a Hinderer Investigator. They come in titanium or aluminum, small and very handy.

 

[Weld Inspector]

My best friend gave me a custom made pen made from a piece of bored out rebar it takes parker style refills the first thing I did was order space pen refills for it I love them

 

[schuster]

Yup,
The newer refills are dandy.
I gave up on them long ago as the internal pressure kept causing ink stains in shirt pockets (ugh) but a few tactical pens I've acquired lately have their cartridges and they write like a pen is supposed to. No smears, not need to scribble on scrap paper to get it started and most importantly (to me anyway) no more shirt pocket stains.

Thanks, I'll give it another shot. Scanned the Amazon reviews and found that they were overwhelmingly positive; however, there still are a few recent reviews that complain about leaking and blobbing. QC? Old stock? Dunno. Will see.

 

[highbob]

Yup,
The newer refills are dandy.
I gave up on them long ago as the internal pressure kept causing ink stains in shirt pockets (ugh) but a few tactical pens I've acquired lately have their cartridges and they write like a pen is supposed to. No smears, not need to scribble on scrap paper to get it started and most importantly (to me anyway) no more shirt pocket stains.

I've got a Ti bullet that I gave to my dad--oh, about 25 years ago--that came into my possession following his death. He never carried it that often, a bit to my chagrin. I thought it was perfect, just a great smooth style made perfect for carrying in one's pocket. After his passing, when I opened the pen, I discovered why he might have not taken to it. The cartridge had leaked into the cap, and the inside of the cap and the pen itself, up to the ringed seal had become a lovely shade of blue. I removed the refill and cleaned the components in alcohol, and it was good as new.

For the next couple of years, I tried to carry the pen, but the refills were simply miserable, as others in this thread have also stated. The ink tended to gather in globs at the tip when stored, and as also mentioned by other, the writer would have to clean the tip of this refuse and then run it over paper to prime it, oftentimes. Mind you, the pen would always ultimately work, but the quality of the writing left much to be desired.

Full disclosure, before everything when digital, I collected pens, and I have a nice collection. While I appreciate fountain pens, I'm really much more of a rollerball aficionado (if such a thing exists), and I like pens that have smooth, liquid ink. I also really like gel refills, and I use them in the pocket pens that I carry these days. My current carry is a Machine Era brass pen--not unlike the bullet Space Pen--but with a Pentel Energel fine point blue refill. I'd be happy, though, to try the Fisher refills to check out any improvements. But ballpoints just don't write like a gel point. The quality is different, and what you prefer is down to taste. I really like the style of the Ti bullet, though.

highbob

 

[schuster]

So I am about at the 6-week point of use for the first in the 3-pack of Fisher refills I ordered from Amazon.
So far so good ... it is out-performing the Fisher refills of old - solid black line, no clogging, skipping, or blobbing at the tip even when stored point-down.

 

[AVService]

I just bought this one Yesterday at an Office Depot!
Much better feel than they used to have to me!

 

[magellan]

I bought a Brass pen from Countycomm that has a Fisher pen refill inside. They were selling for half price. I wish I bought a second one, my wife keeps taking my brass pen.

Yes. I have two and they are great pens.

 

[U2v5]

"Recent" manufacture refills are definitely better! Used Fisher refills on and off for 30 years with mixed results until a few years ago. Now my go to when using a ball point style pen. Works great on "Rite in the Rain" products too. [emoji41][emoji106]🏻

 

[magellan]

I have some of the RITR pens and they are good too. I guess the patent on the Fisher thixotropic ink expired or something.

 

[Crazyeddiethefirst]

In addition to the Space Pens, I also have two "Embassy" pens (Brass & Stainless Steel) from County Comm that use the Fisher Space Pen refills. The only negative I have found is that since I travel from sea level to a few thousand feet, occasionally there will be a small "blob" of ink at the tip. They write anywhere on anything and are the best match for the "write in the rain" notebooks I have used. For my two cents, definitely worth getting