In the 1960s, NASA made history when they put the first man on the moon, and during their flight, the astronauts used the Fisher Space Pen. When you write with this writing instrument, you can feel like you’re writing with a little piece of history. But is this pen worth the price tag?
The Fisher Space Pen is precision assembled and hand-tested. It comes with a lifetime guarantee against any manufacturing defects, so when you purchase a Fisher Space Pen, you use your money to make an investment. Not only that, but the Space Pen can write in extreme temperatures, in zero gravity, at any angle, and underwater.
Continue reading as we explore the pros and cons of this iconic pen and answer the question: is the Fisher Space Pen worth it?
Table of Contents
What Do I Get When I Purchase A Fisher Space Pen?
When you purchase a Fisher Space Pen, you get much more than just a ballpoint pen. The implement itself is precision assembled, and hand tested to provide a lifetime guarantee against all defects.
The pen possesses a nice weight and feel with an aluminum body and matte finish, which provides excellent grip. The pen comes encased in a clear plastic display case with foam that manufacturers shape to look like moon rock.
When you purchase a Fisher Space Pen, you feel as though you’ve purchased a little slice of history, with your own souvenir of one of the most outstanding achievements in US history.
Where Can I Write With My Fisher Space Pen?
Thanks to a unique design, the Fisher Space pen will write at any angle and in extreme temperatures. The pen possesses the capability to write underwater (though we’re not sure why you’d want to do this) and even in space!
The Fisher Space Pen will pretty much write in any conditions you can think of, including temperatures from -30F to 250F.
How Can The Fisher Space Pen Write In Such Extreme Conditions?
The flexibility of this pen’s usage is thanks to its specially pressurized cartridge and ink formulation. The pen ball is created with super-hard tungsten carbide, which is made to measure in the ink chamber. This helps to prevent any leakage or the clicking sound that you can experience with a cheap ballpoint pen.
Thanks to its pressurized ink chamber, a Space Pen cartridge should last far longer than a standard cartridge.
How Does The Fisher Space Pen Write?
The Fisher Space Pen writes smoothly with quality ink, a deep black hue, and none of the stickiness you might experience with a cheaper alternative.
What Are The Pros And Cons Of The Fisher Space Pen?
As with any product you buy, there are always pros and cons. Below is a summary of the benefits and drawbacks of purchasing a Fisher Space Pen.
Pros
- Sturdy and sealed design to prevent any seepage
- The compact design is easy to store and carry
- Available for an investment of as little as $30
- The pen can write upside down, which is particularly useful if you don’t have a flat writing surface available.
Cons
- The refills for this pen can be expensive
- It is a small design which can feel especially small for some hands
- The pen can develop a slight crust if you allow it to sit unused for too long
- Doesn’t feel like a nice pen
- Includes matte black clip
- Writes at any angle, even in Zero Gravity. Simply the most versatile pen ever made.
- Each Fisher Space Pen is precision assembled, hand tested, and carries a lifetime against all manufacturing defects
- Each Fisher Space Pen is precision assembled and hand tested in the USA. Each carries an unconditional lifetime .
- All Brass and steel construction
What Is The Size Of A Fisher Space Pen?
The pen is 5.25 inches long when it’s open and about 3.75 inches when it’s closed—combined with a lightweight of around 0.7 oz. This is the perfect pen to keep in your pocket.
Is There More Than One Variety Of The Space Pen?
Yes! With the Space Pen’s popularity, the company has released a range of Space Pens, some of which we’ve detailed below.
AG7-MW-Moonwalker Nickel Titanium Nitride Astronaut Space Pen
This pen pays homage to Colonel Walt Cunningham, the last living member of the Apollo 7 crew, who set high expectations for every mission that followed.
The AG7 model is used by NASA, JAXA, CNSA, ESA, and SpaceX on their spaceflights. This pressurized pen comes with black ink and a medium point nib.
- All brass & steel construction, hard chrome plating, pocket clip & tungsten carbide ballpoint tip
- Used on NASA Apollo/Shuttle missions, International Space Station, Everest North Face Ski Expedition
- Pressurized thixotropic ink cartridges are hermetically sealed & write 3x longer than ballpoint pens
- Reliably performs in extreme temperatures (-30F to +250F), underwater, in zero gravity, at any angle
- Precision assembled & hand-tested with a lifetime guarantee against all manufacturing defects
400RAW – Antimicrobial Raw Brass Bullet Space Pen
The reason for this pen’s name is that it comprises raw unfinished brass. Over time, every pen develops its own patina as it reacts to your body chemistry or the surrounding environment. You can always polish this out to restore the original look of the pen.
And this pen holds permanent residence at the Museum of Modern Art, which cites it as an outstanding example of industrial art.
- Writes at any angle, even in Zero Gravity. Simply the most versatile pen ever made.
- Writes in extreme temperatures from -30F to 250F
- Each Fisher Space Pen is precision assembled and hand tested in the USA. Each carries an unconditional lifetime...
- This pen casing is RAW UNFINISHED BRASS. Over time each pen will develop a unique patina as it responds to the...
- Open the Bullet measures 5.3 inches with a closed length of 3.7 inches and a diameter .3 inches
First Responders Series
The First Responders Series comprises a set of six pens – including the M4BFFR – a non-reflective matte black firefighter cap-o-matic space pen – that retail at $30.00 each.
Deemed the “blue-collar cousin” of their more famous relative, the Space Pen, these pens possess single-hand activation, making them a favorite for construction crews.
And with the creation of Cap-O-Matic technology, these pens can offer the same benefits as all other Fisher Space Pens.
- Non-Reflective Matte Black Firefighter Addition with pocket clip, nose tip & tungsten carbide ballpoint tip
- All Brass and steel construction and extremely versatile
- Pressurized thixotropic ink cartridges are hermetically sealed & write 3x longer than ballpoint pens
- Reliably performs in extreme temperatures (-30F to +250F), underwater, in zero gravity, at any angle
- Precision assembled & hand-tested with a lifetime guarantee against all manufacturing defects
What Is The History Of The Fisher Space Pen?
The astronauts used pencils during the original NASA missions, paying around $128.89 per unit. At this time, Paul C. Fisher started designing a ballpoint pen that could operate in the unique environment of space.
His pressurized ink cartridge worked in weightless environments, in liquid, and in extreme temperatures. Fisher developed this pen with no funding from NASA, instead of using around $1,000,000 of his own company’s money to fund the product and patent.
His hard work paid off when the patent passed, and he cornered the market with his Space Pen.
Does The Fisher Space Pen Make A Good Gift?
The Fisher Space Pen makes an excellent gift. Not only is it a lifelong, quality pen, but you can also add personalization to any Space Pen.
Final Thoughts.
You can purchase a Fisher Space Pen for as little as $30. At first, you might think the Space Pen is a gimmick, but you couldn’t be further from the truth. While you might not be traveling to the moon any time soon, the Space Pen offers a versatile solution for various writing needs.