# Opinions about Fisher Space Pen Infinium



## rpell85

I am considering a less expensive option for my everyday pen. I have recently stumbled across the Fisher Space Pen Infinium. It is a ball point/ med tip, which doesn't thrill me, but as a left handed person, I find certain difficulties with other products/nibs. I have a couple of "left-handed" nibs for fountain pens, but I need a dependable decent everyday writer. I would appreciate any and all thoughts, opinions and suggestions. Thanks.


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## Therightadvisor

It looks like a vibrator to me.


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## oke

Well, small world! I just snapped a pic of my Fisher Millennium with my new Böker (or full name, Böker Plus Tactical Pen K.I.D. CAL .50, and click for a larger view):​Anyway, the quick story is that the Millennium (at least back in '98) was supposed to have an ink supply to last the average writer his/her lifetime (and definitely last until the Millennium). Then I think it was also called the 2010 space pen to emphasize that it would last until 2010. Next came the MARS space pen, which was named to let folks know that the ink supply would at least last until man stepped foot on Mars. And after the change in space exploration policy, the Infinium came out, I think to get the point across to folks that its ink supply would last a pretty long while - as if infinite.

Anyway, I've had a Millennium since '98. Fisher has a lifetime "no questions asked" unconditional guarantee with it, which I've used twice and got it replaced. Since the whole body of the pen is the sealed and non-removeable ink cartridge, it's great that they stand behind their product, and, in terms of backing their product, Fisher has done a great job. Disclaimer - I ran out of ink with the second pen (and ended up needing a replacement) because I knew it had a large supply, so I didn't hesitate to use it. Maybe wasn't the average writer in that case...:-d

One change I've noticed, which is probably a good thing, is that, at least for the Millennium (and maybe for the 2010/MARS pens), you had to be comfortable with using a bold point, however, with the Infinium, it's listed as having a medium point. Sometimes, with the Millennium, there was a glob of ink (due to being pressurized?) at its tip after a spell of not being used, and I've heard that with the Fisher PR4 refills, the medium points also sometimes had that issue. So maybe with the Infinium, there may be a bit more ink collected at the tip than you'd want. Otherwise, the Infinium should be a reliable pocket pen which you can depend on to write no matter what!

Hope that helps!

b-)


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## Therightadvisor

Let me add a more detailed response…

Lifetime Refills:
I see no value in the claim that the refill lasts a lifetime. Even the ballpoint refills used in $1000+ Montblanc pens can be had for under $10. Their lifetime warranty offers free refills, but you’ll spend at least $10 in shipping both ways to and from the manufacturer so essentially it’s a moot point.

Lack of refill interchangeability:
The pen is sealed. You have no versatility with your ink selections and tip widths. Even the free pens you get in Hotels can be disassembled to accommodate a different color refill.
Price: The pen retails for about $150 and they can be had online for about $80. At that price point you have a wide range of pens to choose from that will match or beat the quality and versatility.

Durability:
While I cannot personally comment, oke above mentions that he has had to take advantage of their lifetime warranty TWICE. He also mentioned that in at least one of those instances the refill ran out of ink. He also mentioned an issue with ink pooling at the tip between lengthy periods of use.

Lifetime warranty:
It’s nice that they offer a lifetime warranty, but a properly functioning pen should last you a lifetime anyways. If you somehow receive a faulty pen, it would likely be within the first year. Most pen manufacturers offer at least a 1 year warranty anyways. I can sell you a pen for $40 with a 1 year warranty or sell you the same pen for $80 with a Lifetime Warranty. I guarantee you that I profit more from the second one every time.

In addition, if these refills and warranty are of such importance to you, buy a $50 pen and replace the refills as they go. If that pen breaks after the warranty period, buy another. 

I see absolutely no reason to spend money on that pen. Based on oke’s post, the pen is no better than most others at its price point. In fact, I’d dare to say slightly worse. The design is nothing special aside from the “guarantee to write anywhere” claim. There are plenty of sub $50 pens that offer the same guarantee.

If for some reason the pen speaks to you beyond all of that, it’s your money, but with that budget in mind, I’m buying something else 10/10 times.


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## oke

Therightadvisor said:


> Lifetime warranty:
> It's nice that they offer a lifetime warranty, but a properly functioning pen should last you a lifetime anyways. If you somehow receive a faulty pen, it would likely be within the first year. Most pen manufacturers offer at least a 1 year warranty anyways. I can sell you a pen for $40 with a 1 year warranty or sell you the same pen for $80 with a Lifetime Warranty. I guarantee you that I profit more from the second one every time.


Well, I returned the first one in the early 2000's (or, a couple of years later), so the lifetime warranty covered the replacement (though yeah, I did have to pay to ship it back, however, they covered the cost to ship the replacement). And the reason for replacement was that ink started to ooze freely from the tip. That could have been caused by one who thought it was a good pen to practice some pen spinning tricks, and the subsequent accidental drops over the years may have caused dents and increased the pressure within the body of the pen, causing ink to ooze. Not a problem; they replaced it. So, the durability of the pen, under most circumstances, is probably sufficient for the average user, and it's pretty outstanding that they sent a replacement, even when their product's workmanship was not in question.

And the second time I returned one was after nine+ years of edc and being pretty carefree about its use (for instance, being able to do a decent job - if I do say so myself - of drawing an 8.5"x11" rendition of Goofy's head takes up a lot of black ink, but when you have a large ink reservoir, who cares? Being liberal with the ink happened frequently...). At least for this user, I may be the exception and have probably taken advantage of their warranty more than others.

Now, when you consider all those who bought the pen (if there are actually many Millennium/2010/MARS/Infinium users out there), I wonder how many have ended up losing it? The guarantee doesn't cover that; Fisher's probably making decent $ on this line of pens.

So in the long run, the unconditional guarantee and lifetime supply of ink is only a good thing if, one, the user doesn't mind using the pen and doesn't lose it, and two, Fisher doesn't go out of business.

For me, the selling points were that I was able to get one at 25% off (at a now-defunct site back in '98), and, having a pocket pen which I knew always wrote and I didn't have to worry about running out of ink (well, except that one time nine years later) for a long while seemed like a pretty dependable option with a low maintenance cost. At the time, I figured that, even if it only lasted 30 years (and I didn't lose it), then it was the equivalent of spending $2.50/year on pens. Kinda like the Toyota Hilux (with which Top Gear had a fun little test - see this and that), it just works (well, except possibly after repeated accidental drops - the Millennium wasn't exactly designed to necessarily be unbreakable...), and if it doesn't, Fisher'll replace it.

Huh. @TheRightAdvisor - After thinking about it, you're right, the Infinium is really only a suitable solution for a relatively-small target market (folks who want a reliable pocket ballpoint that always writes and has a pretty substantial ink supply, and who don't mind when it occasionally has little blobs at the tip), so yeah, rpell85, I like the pen for what it does and is, but ymmv.

b-)


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## Therightadvisor

Again, if you're happy with the pen, then it doesn't matter what I have to say.

Between you and OP I see several red flags:

-


rpell85 said:


> It is a ball point/ med tip, which doesn't thrill me


You're already less than satisfied about the product and you don't even own it yet.



rpell85 said:


> as a left handed person, I find certain difficulties with other products/nibs.


I'm also left handed and I understand how much value there is in finding a quick drying ink.



oke said:


> Fisher has a lifetime "no questions asked" unconditional guarantee with it, which I've used twice and got it replaced.


No matter the reason, you've had to send it in twice. Even if they reshipped the same day that's at least a week of downtime without your pen. If my Montblanc pens run out of ink, I can run to any Staples, pay $6 and have my pen up and running again within the hour.


oke said:


> Since the whole body of the pen is the sealed and non-removeable ink cartridge


Again, this is a huge negative. If I spend even $20 on a pen, I want to at least be able to change refills out on the fly.



oke said:


> Disclaimer - I ran out of ink with the second pen (and ended up needing a replacement) because I knew it had a large supply, so I didn't hesitate to use it.


This is a huge flaw that contradicts their claim on the website. To quote: "our standard Space Pen which writes three times longer than an ordinary ball point pen. This Infininium Space Pen will write so long in fact, that the average user won't run out of ink in their lifetime."
Does that mean that the "average" user would only need three regular ballpoint pens in their lifetime? If so, we sure are losing a lot of pens.



oke said:


> Sometimes, with the Millennium, there was a glob of ink (due to being pressurized?) at its tip after a spell of not being used, and I've heard that with the Fisher PR4 refills, the medium points also sometimes had that issue. So maybe with the Infinium, there may be a bit more ink collected at the tip than you'd want.


To me, this is a design flaw. If a cheap plastic pen fails you, you go find another one for $1. If one of my Montblanc refills fails me I go to the store and buy another. If the Fisher Refill fails you, you have no alternative except to send it back to the manufacturer.

Furthermore, this is a HUGE issue for a left handed writer. If the refill has a tendency to glob with ink, the problem is further magnified when your hand runs over your writing.

Again, if you are happy with the pen, then that's what matters. You've found a winner in that regard. As a big pen collector myself I know what it's like to receive looks of confusion over the fact that I spent more than $100 on a pen (much less more than $500). However, from an unbiased perspective, on this particular pen in question I see a whole lot of bad without a lot of good.


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## rpell85

My thanks to you fellows for the excellent, well written, and thoughtful responses. I agree with the arguments, although I would like to point out that this would simply be an everyday pen, and, at the risk of ostracizing anyone, I feel I have achieved a certain "snob" level, so I don't really shy away from the price tag. Please take that in the light heartedness it is intended.

I would ask my fellow lefty Therightadvisor: How have you confronted the rollerball issues? As I said, with an everyday writer, I do not use a nib, I prefer at least a fine tip rollerball. However, I feel as though I have continuous difficulties with several maker's refills in the form of skips, or just not writing at all. Taking into account the pressure, paper type, etc., this circumstance is not unusual for me in most cases. So, that being said, if not a solution such as the Infinium, what then?

@oke, thank you so much for sharing your experiences as well. Feel free to chime in on this latest question. I'm a hound for a good discussion.


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## oke

Therightadvisor said:


> No matter the reason, you've had to send it in twice. Even if they reshipped the same day that's at least a week of downtime without your pen. If my Montblanc pens run out of ink, I can run to any Staples, pay $6 and have my pen up and running again within the hour.


Just for understanding, yeah, I've had to return a Millennium pen twice in 15 years. With any other pen, getting a refill is probably not a big deal with downtime. One disadvantage for my situation, though? It takes at least an hour to drive (at highway speeds - not just because of a lot of traffic) to any town with a stoplight, let alone to an office supply store, or grocery or drug store which might have refills. So it's probably easier/quicker/more convenient for you to just hop in a car to get a refill. And so in most cases (in general for most folks), yeah, 'tis not a big deal to go grab a refill.

The Millennium had been part of my edc (I don't get it - why call it "everyday carry" when "daily carry" is shorter?), but that doesn't mean it's my only pen or the only one I attempt to have with me most of the time in case I need one. When I was without the Millennium the first time, I just decided to rotate in some other pen to test it out as a daily driver (don't remember which one). The second time, after nine+ years of having it around, there weren't any withdrawal symptoms or anything, and I just checked out if I liked the Fisher telescoping pen or Lamy pico pen better as a pocket pen. Also, I do have a little cache of refills when other pens run out of ink, so for the most part, I won't have to make at least a 2-hour trip just for a refill. So obviously, I do things differently or choose the Millennium based on its hassle-free-ness based on my circumstances, and others will have other options that may make other choices more appealing.


> To quote: "our standard Space Pen which writes three times longer than an ordinary ball point pen. This Infininium Space Pen will write so long in fact, that the average user won't run out of ink in their lifetime."
> Does that mean that the "average" user would only need three regular ballpoint pens in their lifetime? If so, we sure are losing a lot of pens.


That's not what they said. Their standard PR cartridge has a linear write-out of about 12,000 feet (per their website), so an ordinary ball point pen's refill must only have a write-out of about 4,000 feet. That's just the info for the standard Fisher refill, and it's not the same as what's part of the Millennium, 2010, Mars or Infinium pens. To understand more about the difference, here's an excerpt from an email from the owner of The Writer's Edge, back in '98, when I wanted to learn more about the Millennium (note: probably more info than ya wanted to know):


> Here's the skinny on the Millennium:
> 
> The Millennium is technologically, the most advanced writing instrument ever accomplished. It is the first and only writing instrument of it's kind that does not accept a refill. The entire back barrel chamber is filled with ink and pressurized to approximately 45psi with Nitrogen. The physical ball used on the point is made to tolerances approaching 3millionths of an inch. The housing where the ball sits is made to 2/10,000th of an inch. The R&D cost in developing the ball point alone approach $150,000. These ball-point tolerances are critical in maintaining the smooth dark delivery of thixotropic (visco-elastic) ink. The ink is the viscosity of chewing gum and activated by the friction caused by the ball point coming into contact with a stationary surface. This friction or heat shears the chain-polymers of the ink which allows the ink to flow. You must prefer a very dark, thick line when choosing the Millennium because the point of this pen is bold and delivers ink like a roller ball only much smoother and more precise.
> 
> Most space pen ink cartridges employ this type of process with the Millennium being the most state-of-the-art. In linear write-out testing, the Millennium has successfully performed to 60, 53 and 37 miles. We quote the least distance of 37 miles yet if for any reason your Millennium fails to perform to your satisfaction, a new one will be sent to you free. All Fisher Space Pens have an unconditional lifetime guarantee. This guarantee even covers accidents like running over your pen with a delivery truck filled with 2 tons of cookies, which actually happened when I was VP of Fisher. I still have the man's crushed Millennium which still writes!


37 miles of ink is 195,360 feet, which means it would be 16+ times more than the standard Fisher cartridge, or almost 49 times more than the ordinary bp refill. They're just saying that, for however long the ordinary non-Fisher ballpoint refill will last the average writer, the Millennium's supply of ink will last almost 49 times longer. So even if the ordinary refill lasts only a year for the average writer, then the Millennium's ink supply will last that same writer about 49 years. If the write-out for the Millennium pen ends up being 60 miles, then the pen will actually last 79 times longer than the ordinary bp refill. The claim isn't that that the average writer uses only three refills.

The big variable is how much the average writer writes in a lifetime, and when that time (or mileage) is calculated. Is the period of time measured from the most likely earliest age a person would buy this pen, like maybe a college student? And then do they use that average person's life expectancy of around 80 years, so if a twenty year-old were to buy this pen, then it would still be able to write after 60 years? Or in other words, have they measured and found that the average writer will not write enough in their lifetime to use up 37 miles of ink? It may just be advertising rhetoric, but there may be some valid calculations which go with the claim. Although, it's like statistics, where 93% of 'em are made up...;-)


> To me, this is a design flaw. If a cheap plastic pen fails you, you go find another one for $1. If one of my Montblanc refills fails me I go to the store and buy another. If the Fisher Refill fails you, you have no alternative except to send it back to the manufacturer.


No, that's not correct. In terms of pens that actually use Fisher refills, you can get space pen refills at stores or online. You don't have to send the pen back to the manufacturer to get a new refill. However, you _can_ return the Millennium or Infinium (since it has no refill) and get a replacement. That usually won't happen for the average writer because the refill lasts so long. My second one did run out of ink, however, I wasn't using it as an average writer at the time - I knew there was a lot of ink in it, so I used it liberally (besides using it to write, drawing and filling in large spaces with ink uses it up more quickly). It's just cool to know that they'd replace it for whatever reason, even if it was run over by a truck and still writes...


> Furthermore, this is a HUGE issue for a left handed writer. If the refill has a tendency to glob with ink, the problem is further magnified when your hand runs over your writing.


Whether the ink globs or not, it does not dry immediately, so yes, that is a concern when one's hand runs over the writing.


rpell85 said:


> My thanks to you fellows for the excellent, well written, and thoughtful responses. I agree with the arguments, although I would like to point out that this would simply be an everyday pen, and, at the risk of ostracizing anyone, I feel I have achieved a certain "snob" level, so I don't really shy away from the price tag. Please take that in the light heartedness it is intended.


I think that, besides knowing about the various inks and refills and how quickly they dry, it would help to know what you are looking for in an everyday writer to help give other options which might be helpful. What size of pen do you want? Something that fits in the pocket? Or something longer? From what materials do you want it to be made? Does it need to have a grippy area to hold when writing? Do you want a rollerball or ballpoint? Is the price range under $200?

If it helps, JetPens has a few selection guides to narrow down what kind of pen might work for you. And Brad Dowdy's PenAddict blog has reviews of pens and often gives smudge tests of the ink after I think 5, 10 and 30 minutes, but you have to use a search engine to wade through all of the entries - it's not organized very well. I think some sites (like Paradise Pen or Levenger) also have some guides to help select pens as well.


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## rpell85

oke, I think you and I could work together. Very thorough. I am almost discouraged from responding, but I will just throw this out there.

To answer some of your questions, though I assume they are somewhat rhetorical, I have considered several options. I like a bit thicker barrel, and I only carry any instrument in my jacket pocket since I rarely wear a shirt with a pocket (basically due to some earlier life disasters with pens), but barrel thickness is not a deal breaker. Materials: Quality, regardless of price, although I prefer anything other than plastic. I do enjoy heftier weights, but again not a deal breaker. As far as grip is concerned, as long as it a bit thicker that is wonderful, but rarely do I concern myself with a grip as a selling point. For this particular purchase, I would likely keep it under $200 simply because it will be utilitarian in scope.

That brings me to rollerball vs. ballpoint. For me, it's an issue of smoothness. So, if it is a ballpoint that can produce a smooth write, then that will be the pen for me, which is how I came to do this post to begin with. I will admit that I haven't made that poignantly clear thus far, but I had hoped that in the discussion about the Infinium/ other Fisher products that the topic would be breached. From the sound of things, you have most certainly put your Millennium to good use, so I can assume it to be a dependable worker bee, so my question back to you is quite simple...is it smooth? I always enjoy handing someone one of my pens and they write something with it, then stare at the pen as if it just drew a silk line. If the Infinium can match up to this standard, or at least close given its limitations, then it will be in my arsenal. 

I too reside in a less than desirable area for all things luxury...cars, watches, pens, etc., and I understand all too well the trials and tribulations of having any such item and it be in need of repair. Thusly, I too carry a few different pens each day and base each one's usage on the purpose. I have a very special Mont Blanc that belonged to my father that is used explicitly for signing official documents, and yet another for signing correspondence. I am currently just looking for a good soldier to do the dirty work.


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## Therightadvisor

rpell85 said:


> My thanks to you fellows for the excellent, well written, and thoughtful responses. I agree with the arguments, although I would like to point out that this would simply be an everyday pen, and, at the risk of ostracizing anyone, I feel I have achieved a certain "snob" level, so I don't really shy away from the price tag. Please take that in the light heartedness it is intended.
> 
> I would ask my fellow lefty Therightadvisor: How have you confronted the rollerball issues? As I said, with an everyday writer, I do not use a nib, I prefer at least a fine tip rollerball. However, I feel as though I have continuous difficulties with several maker's refills in the form of skips, or just not writing at all. Taking into account the pressure, paper type, etc., this circumstance is not unusual for me in most cases. So, that being said, if not a solution such as the Infinium, what then?
> 
> @oke, thank you so much for sharing your experiences as well. Feel free to chime in on this latest question. I'm a hound for a good discussion.


I'm a big pen collector by most people's standards, and "Snob" level is not something I'd associate with a $150 pen everyday carry pen. I keep a Montblanc Classique 164 Ballpoint in my golf bag to put things in perspective.

As far as issues with rollerballs and fountain pens, the key is to use either a "Fine" tipped refill, quick drying ink, or good paper. Paper is one of the most neglected aspects of writing and it can be a significant issue to a lefty. Using glossy paper or paper that doesn't quickly "soak" the ink will cause big issues for us. Similarly, using a pen that writes very "wet" will cause just as much issue.

What I prefer:
Ballpoints- These are the most user friendly for a lefty as you know. I keep Broad refills in the majority of my ballpoints.

Rollerballs- The majority of my rollerballs have fine refills. The Montblanc fine refills aren't the best for writing for long periods of time, but they work extremely well for official documents, and in situations that require me to write very small and concise. The Pilot G2 is a very cheap refill, but it is well respected in the pen community especially considering its price. It's a wetter writing refill, but it's what I would use if I needed to write for long periods of time with a rollerball.

Fountain pens- There are quite a few quick drying inks out there. I would suggest trying a few out. Private Reserve is a well respected brand in the pen community and they offer a "quick drying" ink in quite a few colors.

Again, I don't want to deter you from the Fisher Space Infinium. The best pen isn't the one that EVERYONE likes, it's the one that YOU like. You're the one writing with it and you're the one spending money on it.

As far as my recommendations, it's hard to recommend a pen without knowing more information. It depends on what your realistic budget is, what type of pen you're looking for (rollerball, ballpoint, fountain), what size you prefer (long/short, thick/thin), type of material (plastic, metal, celluloid), and what its intended use is (filling out forms, writing novels, everyday carry).

Here are a few that I have personal experience with and their approximate prices (when buying new)
Parker Sonnet- under $100. Good all around pen. 
Waterman Carene $100-200- I gave my mother the rollerball version and it's a very well built pen for the price. I would strongly consider this one if I were you.
Montegrappa Miya- $400-500 (the ballpoint is excellent, but the rollerball is phenomenal)
Lamy 2000- around $100. It's a simple but proven pen

Assuming you want to stay under $500 the only Montblanc pens I'd consider are:
Montblanc 161 Le Grand Ballpoint- One of my everyday writers. 
Montblanc 162 Le Grand Rollerball- Great pen. It's my Uncle's every day carry pen and one I occasionally carry
Montbalnc Boheme Rollerball- I wouldn't consider the ballpoint unless you're looking for a very small pen. The rollerball is a great size however.


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## oke

Follow-up thought about the ink capacity run-out for the Infinium. If the point is now medium instead of bold, then the same supply would actually last even longer - cool! 


rpell85 said:


> oke, I think you and I could work together. Very thorough. I am almost discouraged from responding, but I will just throw this out there.


Well, can't have a good discussion if I'm the only one spouting off... :-d


> To answer some of your questions, though I assume they are somewhat rhetorical, I have considered several options. I like a bit thicker barrel, and I only carry any instrument in my jacket pocket since I rarely wear a shirt with a pocket (basically due to some earlier life disasters with pens), but barrel thickness is not a deal breaker. Materials: Quality, regardless of price, although I prefer anything other than plastic. I do enjoy heftier weights, but again not a deal breaker. As far as grip is concerned, as long as it a bit thicker that is wonderful, but rarely do I concern myself with a grip as a selling point. For this particular purchase, I would likely keep it under $200 simply because it will be utilitarian in scope.
> 
> That brings me to rollerball vs. ballpoint. For me, it's an issue of smoothness. So, if it is a ballpoint that can produce a smooth write, then that will be the pen for me, which is how I came to do this post to begin with. I will admit that I haven't made that poignantly clear thus far, but I had hoped that in the discussion about the Infinium/ other Fisher products that the topic would be breached. From the sound of things, you have most certainly put your Millennium to good use, so I can assume it to be a dependable worker bee, so my question back to you is quite simple...is it smooth? I always enjoy handing someone one of my pens and they write something with it, then stare at the pen as if it just drew a silk line. If the Infinium can match up to this standard, or at least close given its limitations, then it will be in my arsenal.


Well, first, in terms of ink refills, I decided to google "smooth quick-drying long-lasting refill" and was pleasantly surprised and smiled with some of the top results (the similar results were because of the ad copy which probably accompanied the product):
_
Long lasting ink that will give you consistent, smooth lines without having to worry about refilling frequently. The durable stainless steel tip guarantees your lines will stay smooth and consistent with time. Reliable ink delivery with a quick-drying feature that assures your documents will be smudge free. With these ballpoint pen refills, you'll run out of ideas before you run out of ink._​
I liked the rhetoric because that description was for the refills for the Pentel R.S.V.P., which, of the easy-to-grab-at-a-grocery-store pens, was my first favorite way back when (once I realized not every pen was smooth and I decided to test out what I liked). I don't recall how fast the ink dried, but at the time, I appreciated that, as long as there was ink in the refill, it would write when I needed it to (well, as well as a gravity-fed, non-space pen refill could be expected to write). So, if you wanted a clear plastic off-the-shelf pen, you could do worse than the RSVP.

However, that's not whatcha want. So, I did think of a few others (though other folks could chime in with a bunch of other suggestions as well, of course). The first pen I thought of to suggest was actually the one shown with my Millennium space pen previously, just because of its ink refill format - the Böker Plus Tactical Pen K.I.D. CAL .50.

At the moment (and for the last 4 days), I've been testing out this Böker pen as a possible replacement for the Millennium as my edc. I liked it because it's a pocketable pen (and approximately the same dimensions as the Millennium when its cap is closed - 4.25" long and ~ 7/16" in diameter for the Millennium, and, depending on who's measuring, 4.29" long and 0.49" in diameter for the Böker), requires only one hand to extend/retract the pen point (and, though descriptions for the Millennium say it requires two hands, it can be opened and closed one-handed if one wants as well) with a nifty (imo) bolt-action mechanism, and it's compatible with the Fisher PR refills (with the included adapter) and therefore also all of the Parker-compatible G2 format refills. When compared with some other pocket pens I have, the Fisher telescoping pen uses the PR refills without the adapter, so it's shorter and the Parker-type refills won't fit, and the Lamy pico uses a dinky, or smaller, refill. So I liked that this short Boker pen actually provides more options from which to choose.

And for the Parker-compatible (or international G2 format) refills, CultPens has a little run-down of some of the options (and this shows some other ones), if you're interested: Parker-style 'G2' Ballpoint Pen Refills - Cult Pens or PenFinder - Find your perfect pen or pencil - Cult Pens

I've heard positive remarks about the QuinkFlow, EasyFlow, and 8900, and I think it just depends on one's own preference/experience. It might take a while to test 'em out and find what you like, but I've heard that the EasyFlow's a smooth rollerball/ballpoint hybrid type of ink, and that the QuinkFlow has always been dependable, and that the 8900 was great as the only rollerball refill, and it has a good capacity.

Then, in another world of ink refills, there are a bunch of folks who really appreciate the Pilot G2-compatible gel refills. I think it's funny that there's an international G2 format which is familiar to a lot of folks as being the refill Parker utilizes, and then Pilot has a brand called the G2 which is another format that has a few options. And so, again, it might take you a while (if you like rollerball refills) to pick one that might work best for you. Until you do pick the refill, though, there is one pen (with stylus) which you might appreciate as the refill holder - the Solid Aluminum (or Titanium) Pen & Stylus, by Big I Design. For this suggestion, though, it's not as thick of a pen, and is longer and capped. Also, there are the Pilot Hi-Tec-C, G-Tec-C, and Uniball Signo DX refills which folks like, and the Mont Blanc refills, which a guy liked so much, he made his own housing for it.

So, not sure where to go with this line of thinking (and probably just gonna leave my train o' thought open-ended), but at least wanted to say that, in terms of preferences, it might be a deal where you find the refill or refill format you like first (which is smooth, long lasting, and quick drying), and then find the "housing" around it that you like. Or, find the housing you like, and see if there's a refill that fits in it that you like. Whichever order works. Real quick - some relatively-inexpensive everyday writers which some folks like (and mostly use Parker-compatible or Fisher refills) - the stainless steel Parker Jotter, the Fisher AG7 Astronaut Pen, and the Zebra F-701 with mods...

Yeah, not much help. Maybe you can post again saying you like a certain refill, and ask what pens (which match your preference) use it, or you can tell folks that you like a certain pen, and ask for suggestions of refills that you might want to test out in it?

Oh, almost forgot - the Millennium (and so therefore, probably the Infinium as well) has a very smooth refill. It writes or lays down a line when you want it to. The deal-breaker, though, might be that the ink does not dry quick enough to prevent smudges.


> I too reside in a less than desirable area for all things luxury...cars, watches, pens, etc., and I understand all too well the trials and tribulations of having any such item and it be in need of repair. Thusly, I too carry a few different pens each day and base each one's usage on the purpose. I have a very special Mont Blanc that belonged to my father that is used explicitly for signing official documents, and yet another for signing correspondence. I am currently just looking for a good soldier to do the dirty work.


Hooray for folks who live in less urban areas! ;-) Like I've mentioned to kittysafe (another member around here), I think it's cool when ya get some pen from a relative - that's pretty special! I was given a pocket knife of my dad's which had some history to it, and I liked it, but ended up having to hand it over to a TSA official because I forgot it was in my backpack, and didn't have time to ship it to myself... Ugh.

*ETA* this thread with some opinions about refills...


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## oke

Thought of another style of pen - the Retro 1951 Tornado Big Shot (or the regular-sized offerings) - and you can choose the look of the pen which you like. Or, if you want a ballpoint with a similar form factor, there's also the Tornado Snapper line of pens.


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## Kittysafe

I have a Fisher Space Pen I take on trips, it's small, doesn't poke me, it's nifty looking, easy to pack, but it's a novelty.


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## oke

Some new info - if you were to heed some pen bloggers' opinion about the best semi-disposable pen under $5, then they like the uni-ball Jetstream: The Best Pen article at The Wirecutter Just in case you wanted another pov...


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## Catalyzt

Great thread-- never heard of the Boker .50 cal, I will probably pick one up. The only disadvantage I can see is that the wider diameter means it won't fit in the external sleeve of a bomber jacket (probably). 

My daily pen is a Fischer AG7, and in fact, it's not quite wide enough for extended writing. There's a lot to like about the PR4 cartridge-- I have encountered the ink-blob issue occasionally-- but the cartridges really do last longer, and it's great to be able to write at an angle. I also have two retro Tornados, which I really like when a roller ball is more feasible, but the ink cartridges do not last nearly as long. Also, they will dry out far more quickly than most ballpoints, and my wife has a bad habit of not retracting pen tips. The AG7 has one other weird drawback-- the plunger depresses a bit too easily, though it's never stained a shirt pocket, it's come close a few times.

The AG7 is great because it's about $40 or so... just expensive enough that you will take the trouble not to lose it, but not so expensive that it will break your heart if someone swipes it or you leave it someplace. The Boker is only about $10 or $15 more, so I think I may have to give that a try.


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