Review: Fisher Space Pen Bullet with Stylus
Okay, what could anyone write about a pen? Quite a lot as it turns out. After I discovered the Field Notes Notebooks, that have become an integral part of my life to jot down ideas and for travel journaling, I found the Fisher Bullet Space Pens.
Fisher Bullet Space Pens I use with my current Field Notes Travel Journal
Seems like for many people, who are sort of obsessed with their everyday carry, Field Notebooks and Fisher Space pens are inextricable.
Fisher sells several different models of Space Pens and this review is about a particular one: The Fisher Bullet Space Pen.
What is a Fisher Space Pen?
Fisher Space Pens are rugged pens, advertised to write in any conditions: At any angle, even upside down, underwater, at any temperature from -30F to +250F, on most surfaces and even in outer space. They work in those conditions because they use a pressurized cartridge.
According to NASA history, Paul C. Fisher of Fisher Pen Co. developed this pen, that would write in the unique environment of space without any NASA funding. Then he offered the pens to NASA for $6 per unit for the Apollo Program in 1967. They bought it.
In 1969, even the Soviet Union purchased 100 pens plus 1000 cartridges for Cosmonauts for the Soyuz program.
So, (pun intended) the Fisher Space Pen indeed has written history.
How does a Fisher Space Pen work?
While I haven't tested all of those claims, I can confirm the Fisher Space Pen writes at every imaginable angle. I probably won't test if it writes underwater and it outer space ... unless ... Scotty?
What I like about the Fisher Space Pen Bullet
The Bullet Space Pen perfectly fits my mindset of traveling light. It's small and quite straight forward.
The top two (plus one) features that made me buy it were:
- I like the pressurized cartridge, that will enable me to use the pen in any direction and that it will write on almost any surface.
- The pen is small and when you remove the cap and put it on the back, it transforms into a full-sized pen. The lower part has a grip.
- Fisher sells a version with a stylus that works with iPhone and that I use mainly for retouching photos on iPhone.
Bullet Space Pen size comparison (from l.t.r.): With cap on the back, normal click pen, with cap closed.
There are like a ton of different editions of the Fisher Space Pen Bullet. It comes in different colors, and there are even some special editions like the Apollo 11 50th anniversary edition.
Also, cartridges are available in lots of different colors: blue, black, red, green, burgundy, purple, brown, and silver. And almost each of the colors is available in a fine, medium or bold cartridge.
One thing I wasn't aware of that when I ordered my first Fisher Space Pen is that some of the pens come without a clip. So they're stripped down to the pure essentials.
So if you need a clip, don't forget to order it or double-check that the version you're ordering comes with a clip.
Three Fisher Space Pens I use
Over the years, I've bought some Bullet Pens, and I've got rid of all the other freebie pens. These are the three pens I have:
- The black Fisher Space Pen Bullet with stylus, that's available in three different colors. It costs aound $25. You can check the price of the Fisher Space Pen with Stylus on Amazon. I use this one with a fine, black, cartridge.
- The brushed chrome bullet pen with a clip that I use with a medium blue cartridge. Check the prize of the Brushed Chrome Bullet Space Pen on Amazon. That one looks really previous.
- The Red Cherry version (with Clip) that I use with a fine, red, cartridge. You can get the Red Cherry Bullet Pen for around 20 USD at Amazon.
The version with the stylus is great for quick retouching of photos with TouchRetouch app, an app to quickly remove objects and people and objects from photos. Of course, it also works well for sketching and signing documents on the iPhone.
Conclusion and Recommendation
Fisher Space Pens are great pens for everyday carry because of their compact size and straightforward design. It fits into any pocket or purse and transforms into a full-sized pen with the cap on the back. Together with the Field Notes Notebooks Space Pen forms an essential part of my everyday carry and travel journaling.
Especially the pressurized cartridge that allows you to use the pen in any direction has been helpful in the past.
You can check the full range of Fisher Space Pen Bullet at Amazon and Amazon has all the refills for the Bullet Space Pen, too.
And finally, if you plan to take notes on your next scuba dive, or you plan to travel to outer space, those pens should work, too. But I doubt that I will ever test that.
