The pen is mightier than the sword?

[rich59]

A company representative gave me a freebe of one of these today

It has a lock that holds it closed and a button you press to flick out the pen to the writing position.

This caused me to think. I would not mind having an everyday pointy object that I frequently use that speaks of my interest in bushcraft. Now, as it happens I am not a knife freak but this pen seemed rather neat and to speak of knife technology.

So, I wondered if we should develop a bushcraft pen with bushcraftuk logo on it.

 

[JonnyP]

Interesting, but I think it should be a pencil rather than a pen. Pens often fail me.......

 

[leon-1]

The problem could come when naming your product.

Could you imagine "The Flipping BCUK Pen" specifically if you ask someone where it is.

 

[Klenchblaize]

Should be banned as clearly a danger to wildlife when in the wrong hands!

 

[Wayland]

I tend to use a Fisher space pen for most things. Not because of the "space" connection but because it folds up small, writes on most things, is pretty bomb proof and doesn't wear a hole in my pocket.

Not sure how you would beat that for me.

 

[scanker]

A Fisher space pen WITH the BCUK logo!

A Fisher space pen is part of my usual edc, they're great bits of kit.

 

[JonnyP]

Would a fisher space pen still work after getting kicked around in my landrover with all the dust, heat, cold, and damp etc..........I usually have to resort to using a carpenters pencil to write a note, explaining why I have parked there......

 

[torjusg]

My sword is mighty!
Wouldn't trade any pen for it....

 

[Seagull]

Interesting, but I think it should be a pencil rather than a pen. Pens often fail me.......

... and so will my heart, I,m sure, if they sell at , what, £41, was it?

Ceeg

 

[bushwacker bob]

The Fisher space pen was developed by NASA to work in zero gravity or underwater.It cost millions of US tax payers dollars in development.
The Russians solved the same problem by using pencils.I'm with Jon.

 

[Wayland]

Urban myth alert I think. The Fisher pen was an independent development that was adopted for use by Nasa and aparently the Russians too.

Not quite such a good story but more accurate I believe.

As for working after being kicked around in the landy, the pen is encased in it's own lid / barrel so yes chances are it will.

 

[Tadpole]

The Fisher space pen was developed by NASA to work in zero gravity or underwater.It cost millions of US tax payers dollars in development.
The Russians solved the same problem by using pencils.I'm with Jon.

The Russians suffered greatly with minor electrical circuits shorting possibly due to all the free flowing graphite dust blowing about in free fall. Not to mention the problems of sharpening pencils and the risk adding dust to the already recycled air.
The broken tip of a lead pencil digging in my eyeball whilst in free fall is not something I’d want to try mile from someone who could get it out.
Anyway the Russians switched to pens not long after the Americans

Prior to Gemini Titan 3 the Americans also used pencils. They switched to pens developed by Paul Fisher of the Fisher Pen Company.
Not one penny was paid by NASA for the development of the pens, he did this on his own, without any prompting by NASA. To NASA the pen cost $128,83 cent. each. The actual pen part cost something in the region of $5. But what with all the housing for the space craft, and modifications to the space suits needed make the hands flexible enough so the astronauts could use the pens whilst wearing gloves Later on Paul Fisher made the AG-7 pens which sold for $4 each. (The end of an AG7E pen was used by the Apollo 13 crew to fire their engine on their return) NASA switched to them in place of the now less popular “space pen” designed for earlier mission. By the time of the Switch Space pens were then retailing at $1.97

It is not widely know that all space flights of that era were equipped with emergency back up equipment namely four Japanese Pentel pencils with a total cost of $0.49.

Loikia and proud of it

 

[bushwacker bob]

I guess thats why I'm not a rocket scientist then. :theyareon

 

[rich59]

I found my self hunting images of pens.

I came across this

Getting closer to a bushcraft pen maybe.

Now, if one could insert some charcoal down an natural tube of wood then I suppose one could come up with a servicable pencil

 

[dommyracer]

The Fisher space pen was developed by NASA to work in zero gravity or underwater.It cost millions of US tax payers dollars in development.
The Russians solved the same problem by using pencils.I'm with Jon.

http://www.snopes.com/business/genius/spacepen.asp

 

[Wayland]

http://www.snopes.com/business/genius/spacepen.asp

Yep. That's about how I heard it.......

Incidentally, I use both swords and pens on a daily basis but I only ever take a pen with me if I'm bushcrafting. I'm not sure what that tells you.

 

[addyb]

Wayland,

Don't torture me! I've got a strange fetish for Fisher Bullet Pens and I've been using them for years. The trouble is, I have a tendancy to lose them usually about six months after I buy one. Currently, I've lost seven bullet pens in a row over a similar period of time. And at $40 Canadian a pop, it's an easy to empty out a university student's shallow pockets.

If I start sobbing uncontrollably, hit me or something alright?

Adam

 

[Wayland]

$40 sounds a lot to me. They cost about £15 over here but I'm not sure what the exchange rate is like.

 

[rich59]

So a bushcraft pen would be quality, quality, quality all the way and no gimmicks. I think I am getting the message.

 

[Wayland]

Hey, that's just my opinion.

If I'm going to carry something it might as well be good.