I’m a big fan of pens and I often carry 2 with me. One would be a well crafted modern pen or vintage pen, and the other would be my tuck-away “mini” Fisher Bullet Space Pen. I love the Bullet, because it’s not only so small (tucks into a coin pocket) but extends to a nice usable size when the cap is posted. And the pressurized refill is super reliable. It’s a great spare pen to always have on hand.
The pen on the far right with the clip is my 20+ year old example. It originally came with a stylus tip for use with pressure sensitive electronic devices (old-school PDAs and early smart phones). It wasn’t haptic, so it wouldn’t work on modern devices. The tip eventually broke off and I used a fast-molding plastic to plug it up (it was white and has since yellowed). The pen is on its second refill, the first one lasting about 18 years.
I had lost and then found my Bullet Space Pen a few times and figured it would be a good idea to have a backup. There are SO many colorway choices available today for the Bullet. The cerakote ones look particularly attractive. You can also get it in brass. But any coating is bound to chip and scratch, which is why I prefer the polished steel. Mine has held up very well. While it does have a lot of micro scratches and a few pin-prick dents, it still looks decent from more than a foot away.
Anyway, I had decided I didn’t want to go with just another ordinary Bullet. In searching around, I eventually learned that Fisher had made some interesting variants and some collaborations, particularly with large businesses like airlines (here’s my post about “tail fin” Bullet pens). The “jet liner fuselage” version is not easy to find now and some sellers are asking ridiculous prices. I got one rather cheaply because it was personalized (a Japanese name, but it looked pretty tasteful to me). There are some collaborations or branding that involved soldering on an emblem of some kind onto the cap. I didn’t like that idea, because I can’t help but think that enough stress in the right point would rip it off. I found one that looks almost like an “O” or a red ring. It made me think of rOtring, so that attracted me to it. But also, this isn’t soldered onto the surface. This is more like a peg that penetrates the surface. This thing is not falling off.
Anyway, that’s my little foray into the Fisher Bullet Space Pen. Anyone else here have one? If you’ve got an unusual customized or branded version, please post a photo of it!
