High End Pens

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Space pens were originally developed in 1965 by Paul Fisher of the Fisher Pen Company. Contrary to popular belief, Fisher was not given a multi-million government contract for his revolutionary space pens. The actual retail price of the original 400 space pens sold to NASA was $2.95 USD a piece. Although originally intended for the US space program alone, space pens later became popular with Soviet cosmonauts. They continue to be used on every manned space mission since 1967.

Both astronauts and cosmonauts originally used pencils for written communication in space. Regular ink pens would not function in the zero gravity environment of space, plus the standard ink formula would evaporate in extreme heat or cold. But the use of lead pencils also became a concern for space program managers. The lead point could break off and cause damage to the crew or sensitive electronics. The wood could flare up into a major fire in the pure oxygen environment. NASA needed a writing instrument which could withstand extreme temperatures, write on any surface, maintain ink flow in zero gravity and resist breakage.

This is where Fisher's space pens fulfilled their purpose. Space pens contain a hermetically-sealed ink cartridge filled with a special ink formula. Nitrogen gas is also pumped into this cartridge to force ink to flow without gravity. The ballpoint tip is a small sphere of titanium, guaranteed not to break away from the rest of the pen. Space pens can write underwater and over greasy surfaces. The ink inside space pens can withstand temperatures from minus 150 degrees Fahrenheit to over 300 degrees Fahrenheit.

Today, space pens have become even more popular with the general public. 'Space Pen' is actually a trademark of the Fisher Space Pen Company, although other pen manufacturers have developed models with similar characteristics. High-end space pens are often constructed from exotic woods or metals and are prized by executives as gifts. Because the ink supply is permanently protected from the elements, it can last for over a hundred years.

― scott seward (scott seward), Sunday, 21 May 2006 15:21 (nineteen years ago)

I had a Space Pen, though not one made from exotic woods or metals.

― Tim Ellison (Tim Ellison), Sunday, 21 May 2006 15:48 (nineteen years ago)

Caran d'Ache Limited Edition
La Modernista

Fountain pen celebrating the Modernism and the architect Antonio Gaudi Sterling silver & Rhodium coated with a Mother of Pearl decoration

* Nib Sizes: Medium

Reg. $3,300.00
Sale $2,450.00

― scott seward (scott seward), Sunday, 21 May 2006 16:17 (nineteen years ago)

"Honey, have you seen my rhodium coated sterling silver fountain pen with mother of pearl decoration that celebrates famed modernist architect antonio gaudi?"

― scott seward (scott seward), Sunday, 21 May 2006 16:19 (nineteen years ago)

U R on TEH PEN TIP this morning!

― Tim Ellison (Tim Ellison), Sunday, 21 May 2006 16:19 (nineteen years ago)

i like pilot hi-tec c's

― cutty (mcutt), Sunday, 21 May 2006 16:56 (nineteen years ago)

i'm a uni-ball deluxe micro man myself.

― scott seward (scott seward), Sunday, 21 May 2006 17:00 (nineteen years ago)

http://www.iservegraphics.com/Website/Images/Deco/rapidograph.jpg
RAPIDOGRAPH
so very, very fine

― killy ii (baby lenin pin), Sunday, 21 May 2006 17:03 (nineteen years ago)

rapidographs dry out and clog too easily

― guess papers (eman), Sunday, 21 May 2006 17:08 (nineteen years ago)

I only use electric pens.

http://www.luxnet.at/sonic-youth/bmp/rec-273.jpg

― Tim Ellison (Tim Ellison), Sunday, 21 May 2006 17:14 (nineteen years ago)

zebras are good too, these aren't as much high-end pens as nerd pens

― cutty (mcutt), Sunday, 21 May 2006 17:16 (nineteen years ago)

xxpost yeah but they are so very, very fine

― killy ii (baby lenin pin), Sunday, 21 May 2006 17:26 (nineteen years ago)

BIG UPS TO UNI-BALL VISION

― j blount (papa la bas), Sunday, 21 May 2006 17:36 (nineteen years ago)

three years pass...

PILOT PRECISE V5 EXTRA FINE PENS are the best pen in all of pendom as far as i give a care

http://i48.tinypic.com/2qu0uww.jpg

having to make lots of detailed notes in a notebook today and man i am just so grateful to have one of these beauts within my grasp. unfortunately this one is red and i can't find a freaking black one anywhere. it's cool tho, i can make do.

― iiiijjjj, Tuesday, 8 December 2009 20:42 (sixteen years ago)

hard to beat the sanford uniball micro (black) imho

― WmC, Tuesday, 8 December 2009 20:45 (sixteen years ago)

i've been using a pilot V Ball for maybe 10 years? Been getting harder and harder to find, but it looks like i can buy online from Pilot, which I need to do soon.

i think this is your pen here

http://www.pilotpen-store.com/product_list.asp?SKW=PILPRV&PGN=1

― jazzgasms (Mr. Que), Tuesday, 8 December 2009 20:46 (sixteen years ago)

i will *freak out* if they discontinue this pen

― jazzgasms (Mr. Que), Tuesday, 8 December 2009 20:46 (sixteen years ago)

the pilot p-500 is my pen of choice. you should try it i think this penis better than the pilot precise.
; )

― harbl, Tuesday, 8 December 2009 20:46 (sixteen years ago)

oops did i do that

― harbl, Tuesday, 8 December 2009 20:47 (sixteen years ago)

HAHA YOU JUST JOINED THE PEN 15 CLUB

― iiiijjjj, Tuesday, 8 December 2009 20:47 (sixteen years ago)

i used the precise for a while, then made the switch

― jazzgasms (Mr. Que), Tuesday, 8 December 2009 20:47 (sixteen years ago)

http://www.penisland.net/

― harbl, Tuesday, 8 December 2009 20:48 (sixteen years ago)

trolling pen threads

― jazzgasms (Mr. Que), Tuesday, 8 December 2009 20:48 (sixteen years ago)

I used to use a technical drawing pen, but found that they run out of ink quickly.
Now I use one of these...
http://www.sz-wholesale.com/uploadFiles/upimg3/Parker-Jotter-Steel-Ball-Pen15128.jpg
...a Parker Jotter, black ink, fine point. The refill lasts for ages and they're really inexpensive.

― HUH? not appropriate (snoball), Tuesday, 8 December 2009 20:49 (sixteen years ago)

Pilot G-2 for the past year, mostly because the precise v-5 was opening in the back when my girlfriend chewed on it
i may have trained her to stop doing this

― Drama Mama's and Papa's too! (forksclovetofu), Tuesday, 8 December 2009 20:50 (sixteen years ago)

more specifically it's been the G-2 mini and i think it's breaking my hands; definitely time for a new look.

― Drama Mama's and Papa's too! (forksclovetofu), Tuesday, 8 December 2009 20:53 (sixteen years ago)

i will put this p-500 to the test and see if its performance is not superior to the precise v5, which i love dearly

forksclovetofu what is your gfs problem man

― iiiijjjj, Tuesday, 8 December 2009 20:55 (sixteen years ago)

you should try it, i think, this penis, better than the pilot precise.

― 鬼の手 (Edward III), Tuesday, 8 December 2009 21:06 (sixteen years ago)

well this penis certainly coming highly recommended

― iiiijjjj, Tuesday, 8 December 2009 21:11 (sixteen years ago)

I prefer a felt tip.

― HUH? not appropriate (snoball), Tuesday, 8 December 2009 21:21 (sixteen years ago)

svelt tip

― CC Sugbanthia (carne asada), Tuesday, 8 December 2009 21:55 (sixteen years ago)

retractable point

― HUH? not appropriate (snoball), Tuesday, 8 December 2009 22:02 (sixteen years ago)

ink drenched foreskin

― Drama Mama's and Papa's too! (forksclovetofu), Tuesday, 8 December 2009 22:06 (sixteen years ago)

PILOT PRECISE V5 EXTRA FINE PENS

i love these!! i have like 10!!

― sleep, Tuesday, 8 December 2009 22:27 (sixteen years ago)

lemme get some

― iiiijjjj, Tuesday, 8 December 2009 22:29 (sixteen years ago)

http://www.penisland.net/
can't stop laughing at this

i feel like if i get an iphone, as planned, i might never use a pen again

― paragon of incalescence (rrrobyn), Wednesday, 9 December 2009 03:51 (sixteen years ago)

I've also been using a Pilot G-2 (regular size, with matching mechanical pencil!)

http://img187.imageshack.us/img187/7476/productosteelf301cimg.jpg

Next time I'm in Staples I might pick up another Zebra F-301 Compact.

Forks - if you are looking for a compact pen this might be a better call since it is full-sized when unsheathed. Also the stainless-steel barrel might discourage your gf from chewing on it.

― 9. WDYLL (Feat. Nice & Smooth) (los blue jeans), Wednesday, 9 December 2009 04:59 (sixteen years ago)

These are good points. is that a cushioned grip? that would be the final selling point.

― Drama Mama's and Papa's too! (forksclovetofu), Wednesday, 9 December 2009 05:11 (sixteen years ago)

Nope - not cushioned. And if you put an aftermarket cushion on it, you wouldn't be able to put the cap on.

― 9. WDYLL (Feat. Nice & Smooth) (los blue jeans), Wednesday, 9 December 2009 05:16 (sixteen years ago)

http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e50/djtopspin/Sean_P_So_So.gif

― Drama Mama's and Papa's too! (forksclovetofu), Wednesday, 9 December 2009 05:24 (sixteen years ago)

everyone around me uses those pilot precise v5's...but mr. que is right, true pen15ers know that the pilot vball fine (black) is >>>>> precise v5

nowadays I just use a ballpoint though

― 囧 (dyao), Wednesday, 9 December 2009 06:16 (sixteen years ago)

the pilot p-500 is my pen of choice. you should try it i think this penis better than the pilot precise

I used to order these in bulk at my old job so I have about 50 of them lying around. I love them for black or blue pens. They're near perfect in my book.

Pilot Precise V5's - I have the multi-color pack which I <3. I freak out if one of them is missing or I can't find them. I have writing with anything other than these two types of pens.

http://cn1.kaboodle.com/hi/img/b/0/0/61/d/AAAAC3ez9MsAAAAAAGHYNg.jpg

― ★彡☆ ★彡 (ENBB), Wednesday, 9 December 2009 07:12 (sixteen years ago)

http://www.forrmobility.co.uk/Products/DailyLivingAids/ring%20pen.gif

― scott seward, Wednesday, 9 December 2009 17:01 (sixteen years ago)

i've been using this dumb rotring fountain for kids that's made of yellow wood. it's kind of awesome but i am sure i will tire of making myself look like a twat soonish

― thomp, Wednesday, 9 December 2009 17:30 (sixteen years ago)

uni-ball vision are fun: they make me feel drunk, all slurry and messy.

i like these. pilot v5s/v7s are rad, but the ink disappears real quick if you write on your hands a lot.

― rap band (schlump), Wednesday, 9 December 2009 17:52 (sixteen years ago)

every muji pen I've ever used has quit well before its ink reservoir ran dry

― 囧 (dyao), Thursday, 10 December 2009 01:44 (sixteen years ago)

love the design but they need better QC imo

― 囧 (dyao), Thursday, 10 December 2009 01:44 (sixteen years ago)

i've never had that; the .38s are way tidier than the .5s. they both have a propensity towards inky nibs when it's hot, but they're my favourite fineliner by miles.

writing-on-hands is a big plus for me, and uniball are the only ones that can do this and still function.

― high-five machine (schlump), Friday, 11 December 2009 00:13 (sixteen years ago)

and also, uniball is a hilarious word to say, out of context

― paragon of incalescence (rrrobyn), Friday, 11 December 2009 03:24 (sixteen years ago)

three months pass...

Mont Blanc Meisterstuck - fine point, blue

I seriously hand write everything before I go word processor on it. Therefore, it is a good thing for me to have a pen that works for me, which this one does.

― Clerk all KNOWIN (B.L.A.M.), Friday, 19 March 2010 21:45 (sixteen years ago)

i wonder if iiiijjjj has tried the pilot p-500 yet

― harbl, Friday, 19 March 2010 21:50 (sixteen years ago)

nope, although i swear to the god i looked for the p-500 the last time i went pen shopping (at target). but they didn't have any, so went with ol' reliable v5.

― iiiijjjj, Friday, 19 March 2010 21:55 (sixteen years ago)

i was gonna second the v5 love and then i noticed that the pen on my desk was a v7! don't know the difference really.

― scott seward, Friday, 19 March 2010 22:27 (sixteen years ago)

i guess the v7 is finer. i dig them.

― scott seward, Friday, 19 March 2010 22:29 (sixteen years ago)

and it bugs me when i got to a drug store or wherever and they don't have them. i get fidgety.

― scott seward, Friday, 19 March 2010 22:29 (sixteen years ago)

<3 these pencils:

http://accesstotools.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/03/pentel-p207-pencil.jpg

― hills like white people (Hurting 2), Saturday, 20 March 2010 02:48 (sixteen years ago)

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