This pen is not good for use in meetings (or classes) because it is *noisy*. As you write with it, the metal refill clicks against the metal body.
That's too bad, because the pen is very elegant looking and well balanced.
It is an excellent pen for outdoor activity - writes when wet, in any temperature, any orientation. I keep it in my hiking pack. Fisher Space Pen, Non-Reflective Military Cap-O-Matic Space Pen, Matte Black (SM4B)
First off, this is a great-looking pen. In a very low-profile kind of way. The casing is made of hard black metal that I have yet to dent or scratch. It's not chrome-plated or flashy--- which is one of the chief reasons I bought it. Secondly, I've heard nothing but good about the Fischer Space Pens, and am satisfied with the performance of the ink thus far.
The Cap-O-Matic feature makes it extremely easy to operate the pen, even with one hand.
I read the reviews before deciding to buy, and would like to address one of the consistent complaints against this pen's quality. Users reported on several occasions that the ball-point made clicking noises while writing. After a few days of use, I came upon the same problem, and found two ways to stop the clicking:
1.) First off, making sure the two pieces of exterior casing were screwed together tightly made an immediate improvement. It had come loose while I had been writing and causing a fair bit of knocking.
2.) Second, because there are no gaskets inside the pen, there is nothing to prevent the cartridge and the inside of the casing from rubbing off on one another. This inevitably leads to wear ( especially if you press hard like me ), and the consequent 'clicking'.
Removing the cartridge and wrapping a very small amount of tape around the narrow end towards the tip solves the dither between the casing and cartridge, providing a cushion.
CARTRIDGE
Place tape here
.....\/_________________
<===_________________|
Needless to say, you will need to eventually replace the tape after a few months, but it really takes no time at all.
This is a fantastic pen for those who appreciate a simple design backed by excellent technology.
I have been using Fisher Space Pens over 30 years. The older models worked well. I own this and another current model of Space Pen. Both pens put out a large gob of ink at the first stroke, and then work normally. Set it down for 10 minutes and write again, the same thing happens. It seems the seal between the ball and the rest of the cartridge is not tight enough to resist the gas pressure. If this happened to just one, I would think it was just an unusual defect, but two? They are both medium point. Perhaps a fine point would have a tighter seal? My older Fisher Space Pens never had this problem.
Space Pens are great for all their advertised reasons plus the simple fact that I have not found a nicer, smoother, or more even flowing ink for under $20 for refills. At $5 they're a steal and I put them into all of my parker pens too. I have owned Space Pens for over 20 years and just replaced the refill on one that had 08/87 production date, so, even rarely used they work perfectly until they run out of ink. So, what the $#@! does cap-o-matic mean? Does the cap come off or does it click? I had to find out and bought it. It is a click pen that looks like you would pull off a cap. As expected it writes really well - very smooth. Never had a chance to test the underwater feature, but the ability to write upside down, or on walls is very handy when you are out on the street with nothing but air to write against while holding a stack of blueprints. The barrel is a little too thin (the metal not the width), but it makes it lighter and more portable. Highly recommended! I will be ordering several for gifts.
A previous reviewer noted leaks. I was having the same problem until I realized that the problem only occurred when I capped/uncapped the pen. A couple of soft haired pipe cleaners solved the problem for me. I cleaned out the tip of the cap. Somehow ink had built up in there. After cleaning, I haven't had this problem again.
Also, for the reviewer who hates the metal sound when writing... are you using an original Fisher cartridge? I had bought an Eversharp replacement for one of my pens, and it didn't fit quite perfectly... gave me that same metal sound. Drove me crazy until I wrapped a small piece of masking tape around the refill's top end. The pen is now quiet and I'm no longer going mad.
Love fisher pens so much I own three. Looking to make that four.
This is my second Fisher Space Pen. Most of their pens are very short and hardly fit in a large hand which was a problem with my first pen. The Military version is a clicker type pen and is a standard size pen. Works great in the winter and on vertical surfaces.
This is my second pen. I use it for fishing and hunting, filling out fish and game tags. These tags must be filled out as soon as possible, otherwise you get fined. They write as advertised. The case however is not so good. You are supposed to push on the end and the ball point will pop out, push again and it retracts. The latest pen is essentially brand new and the push function is broken, no hard use here, it just sorta became less functional. It would come out at the first push but not go back in, dissapointing!
Great pen. I use this model all-the-time. The matte finish looks great and its provides a nice feel in the hand. Agree with reviewer that barrel is a bit thin, but feels comfortable to me. As for noise, I don't think this is any different from other pens...of course if you sit in meetings and continually click the pen, other people would be annoyed. :-)
Fisher Space pens in general provide the best and most reliable writing insturments I've used. - Waterproof Pen - Pen - Fisher Pen - Refills'
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