# Recommendations for a tiny pocket pen?



## Packleader

I am looking for a very small, very convenient ballpoint pen. 

I was very pleased with the pen that came with the Swisscard Lite. In fact, the pen and the magnifying glass were about the only two features of the Swisscard that I actually used. Unfortunately, the Swisscard shattered not long after I bought it, so I have no easy way to carry the pen.

The pen that I'm looking for must be:

(1) Reliable
(2) Teeny-tiny
(3) Sturdy
(4) Convenient for EDC (everyday carry)
(5) Attachable to something else (fits in wallet or on keychain), as opposed to be separately carried.

Price is not necessarily a factor, but I can't see myself paying crazy big money for a ballpoint.

Some pens that I have considered:

(1) Making a homemade sheath for my Swisscard pen.
(2) Axel Weinbrecht Beta K
(3) True Utility TelePen
(4) Valiant Concepts Keychain Pen
(5) Zebra F-301 Compact
(6) Fisher Bullet Spacepen
(7) Fisher Specialty Trekker Ballpoint Pen
(8) Inka Pen
(9) TEC Picopen
(10) Teenie Weenie Pen
(11) Zebra Penpod
(12) Tombow Pfit
(13) Levenger Walletini Pen 
(14) Palm Bazic
(15) Derringer Wallet Pen 
(16) Card Reel Mini Pen
(17) Caribiner Mini Pen
(18) The Wallet Pen
(19) Elite Tornado Pen
(20) IGot Pen (strange concept)
(21) 1coolpen
(22) Dinky Ball Pen

This list is not meant to be exhaustive. I am sure that there are many other great pens out there.

Any relevant advice, opinions, insights, links to reviews, photos, general impressions or actual experience will be greatly appreciated!

Thank you,
Packleader


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## STEELINOX

Fisher bullet MARS titanium pen w/lifetime ink reservoir !


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## chronofile

I was a bit excited when I saw this, since I am a fan of the bullet pen and also a big fan of exotic metals and alloys. I have owned and used bullet pens for decades. I am hooked on titanium for watches, coffee mugs, eyeglass frames and even a revolver! But this pen (like many other products labeled "titanium") is not made of titanium, but is only plated with titanium nitride. That is a good and durable surface finish, but it does not have the qualities of solid titanium.


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## Packleader

I'm also a fan of titanium. 

After much research on the pens that I included on my list, I decided that I wanted to go with a Valiant Concepts Ti pen. I'd seen them for the past couple of years on the home page of the EDC forums, but hadn't really looked into it. When I went to purchase it, I found that the are not in production at this time. I do hope they come back. Otherwise, I will have to look for a pre-owned pen.

In the meantime, I've ordered two True Utility Telepens. They are an incredibly cool in concept, but the reviews are mixed and they are apparently prone to having the head snap off when then pen is pulled out of the cap. I wish this pen were manufactured with titanium. 

The bullet pen was definitely under consideration, but it didn't satisfy the criteria of being able to attach to anything (wallet or keychain). I have enough things in my pocket to keep track of already.

Cheers,
Packleader


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## fatehbajwa

Head over to FPN......!


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## xmsteel

I have a Zebra F-301 Compact, and it has never let me down. The quality is nice and it always writes well. It has a fine tip, so if you like thicker tips, stay away.
The only complaint would be that the metal clip seems slightly cheesy. Its not terrible, but it is definitely not parker or cross quality by any means.

It is slightly over 3 1/2 inches long closed, and 5 1/4 inches opened.


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## subrosa

I have had an Inka on my keychain for the better part of 2 years now...perfection. It is a small pen, that can convert into a large pen. It is hilarious at meetings, and it takes the nice pressurized "space pen" cartridges. Overall it is a pocket pen you can use for a quick jot, or transform into a real usable pen with zero sacrifice.


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## Packleader

I had the Inka pen under very serious consideration. My only issue was that at 8.0 cm, its a little longer than I wanted on a keychain. 

I had also read that it takes a bit of time to transform it into a full sized pen, so thank you for mentioning that it can be used in its short form.

Another plus is that the pressurized cartridge will permit writing at various angles.

Thanks for the suggestion,
Packleader


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## arr

Try the Kaweco Liliput. Comes in both fountain pen and ball pen. Extremely tiny and built like a tank. Comes in matte silver, or matte black. Here's a pic.


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## OrangeSport

Seen these: Faber-Castell Pocket Ballpoint Pen - Cult Pens ?


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## Packleader

The Kaweco Liliput and the Faber Castell pen both look nice, but don't appear to fit my fifth criteria:

_(5) Attachable to something else (fits in wallet or on keychain), as opposed to be separately carried.

_I'm in the habit of losing small items, so having the pen attached to my keychain is ideal.

Thanks,
Packleader


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## arr

Packleader said:


> The Kaweco Liliput and the Faber Castell pen both look nice, but don't appear to fit my fifth criteria:
> 
> _(5) Attachable to something else (fits in wallet or on keychain), as opposed to be separately carried.
> 
> _I'm in the habit of losing small items, so having the pen attached to my keychain is ideal.
> 
> Thanks,
> Packleader


You could also try the Kaweco Al-Sport, which is very small and has an available pocket clip:


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## Packleader

arr said:


> You could also try the Kaweco Al-Sport, which is very small and has an available pocket clip:


Now that is one gorgeous pen ...

Thanks for the recommendation.

Cheers,
Packleader


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## Uwe W.

arr said:


> You could also try the Kaweco Al-Sport, which is very small


I have the fountain pen version; it truly is a fantastic design. It is very small but works wonders with the cap posted. I wonder how easy the pen version is to use since it doesn't have a cap? Small is great for portability, but arguably reduces usability.


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## orfew

how about a MB 114 mozart?


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## Packleader

Update:

I originally bought the True Utility Telepen to serve as a placeholder until the Valiant Concepts Ti is manufactured again, but I'm actually enjoying the Telepen immensely. It's already garnered a few "Wow"s as it telescopes off my keychain and, with a quiet snick, pulls away into a decent sized writing instrument.

I only wish it were a bit more robust. I'm forced to be very gentle with it and even so, I can't imagine that I will get very many years of use out of it.

Thanks for all of the great suggestions so far. I haven't yet found my "endgame" keychain pen, so I'm happy to keep this thread active.

Cheers,
Packleader


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## Packleader

An update on the Telepen:

Unfortunately, the implementation is not as amazing as the design. The cartridge is very thin but not pressurized, and the pen writes either poorly or not at all. It failed to let me sign my name on the slick paper of a store receipt. Reliability was my number one criteria. Yes, it's still cool, but it is definitely not something that I will carry everyday.

Cheers,
Packleader


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## Packleader

I finally got my hands on a Valiant Concepts Titanium Pen.

The Valiant Concepts pen is only slightly longer than the Telepen, but also slightly thinner and it feels lighter. I ordered a 20mm titanium McGizmo clip to go with it. When I put the McGizmo clip on my keychain and then attached the Valiant Concepts' split ring to the McGizmo clip, I found the combination to be longer than I liked (it was longer than my longest key). I also found that when I pulled the pen off the McGizmo clip to write, it still had the little split ring at the top, which made writing less comfortable for me.

So, I took the split ring off the pen and put it aside. Then I put my keychain through the eye of the McGizmo clip and I put the pen on the clip end of the McGizmo. Now, the combination is much shorter and I am able to pull my pen off the McGizmo so that I am holding just the pen and nothing else as I write. Perfect.

I am very impressed with it. I've tested the pen on slick store receipts and fluffy paper towels. It writes. Pressurized cartridges make a big difference. As for the fit and finish, its a little beauty. I would say that it's as solid as a rock. But, heck.. its titanium. It's more solid than a rock. It disappears on my keychain, and that is a huge plus. When I twist the body to expose the writing tip, it turns like butter. Again, perfect. If I find anything wrong with the Valiant Concepts pen, I'll be happy to update.

But for now, I must say that it is well-machined, lovingly crafted and a credit to its maker.

Best wishes,
Packleader


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## ORC

Here are the two that I use.








Lamy Pico








The Telescopic Space Pen


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## Packleader

How do you feel about the telescoping Fisher? Is there room for a key ring attachment?

Thanks for posting!

Packleader


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## ORC

Packleader said:


> How do you feel about the telescoping Fisher? Is there room for a key ring attachment?
> 
> Thanks for posting!
> 
> Packleader


It's a great pen. I really enjoy it. I'm not sure about a key ring attachment? I could work. I prefer to have it on its own. Let me know if you want a pic with it next to some keys on a ring.


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## fatehbajwa

Packleader said:


> I finally got my hands on a Valiant Concepts Titanium Pen.
> 
> The Valiant Concepts pen is only slightly longer than the Telepen, but also slightly thinner and it feels lighter. I ordered a 20mm titanium McGizmo clip to go with it. When I put the McGizmo clip on my keychain and then attached the Valiant Concepts' split ring to the McGizmo clip, I found the combination to be longer than I liked (it was longer than my longest key). I also found that when I pulled the pen off the McGizmo clip to write, it still had the little split ring at the top, which made writing less comfortable for me.
> 
> So, I took the split ring off the pen and put it aside. Then I put my keychain through the eye of the McGizmo clip and I put the pen on the clip end of the McGizmo. Now, the combination is much shorter and I am able to pull my pen off the McGizmo so that I am holding just the pen and nothing else as I write. Perfect.
> 
> I am very impressed with it. I've tested the pen on slick store receipts and fluffy paper towels. It writes. Pressurized cartridges make a big difference. As for the fit and finish, its a little beauty. I would say that it's as solid as a rock. But, heck.. its titanium. It's more solid than a rock. It disappears on my keychain, and that is a huge plus. When I twist the body to expose the writing tip, it turns like butter. Again, perfect. If I find anything wrong with the Valiant Concepts pen, I'll be happy to update.
> 
> But for now, I must say that it is well-machined, lovingly crafted and a credit to its maker.
> 
> Best wishes,
> Packleader
> 
> View attachment 639777


Hey......where did you manage to find one from ?

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## Packleader

fatehbajwa said:


> Hey......where did you manage to find one from ?


The Valiant Concepts pens are sometimes available online at JSBurlys or Illumination Supply. They are handmade by a very talented and very busy individual. When a batch becomes available, they sell out rather quickly. I just kept checking back every couple of days until some were back in stock.

Best wishes,
Packleader


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## nywhsa

I just slip in this 4" Zebra pen in the fold of my wallet.

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## nywhsa

Packleader said:


> I finally got my hands on a Valiant Concepts Titanium Pen.
> 
> The Valiant Concepts pen is only slightly longer than the Telepen, but also slightly thinner and it feels lighter. I ordered a 20mm titanium McGizmo clip to go with it. When I put the McGizmo clip on my keychain and then attached the Valiant Concepts' split ring to the McGizmo clip, I found the combination to be longer than I liked (it was longer than my longest key). I also found that when I pulled the pen off the McGizmo clip to write, it still had the little split ring at the top, which made writing less comfortable for me.
> 
> So, I took the split ring off the pen and put it aside. Then I put my keychain through the eye of the McGizmo clip and I put the pen on the clip end of the McGizmo. Now, the combination is much shorter and I am able to pull my pen off the McGizmo so that I am holding just the pen and nothing else as I write. Perfect.
> 
> I am very impressed with it. I've tested the pen on slick store receipts and fluffy paper towels. It writes. Pressurized cartridges make a big difference. As for the fit and finish, its a little beauty. I would say that it's as solid as a rock. But, heck.. its titanium. It's more solid than a rock. It disappears on my keychain, and that is a huge plus. When I twist the body to expose the writing tip, it turns like butter. Again, perfect. If I find anything wrong with the Valiant Concepts pen, I'll be happy to update.
> 
> But for now, I must say that it is well-machined, lovingly crafted and a credit to its maker.
> 
> Best wishes,
> Packleader
> 
> View attachment 639777


I like this pen. How long is it and is it slim enough to slip inside a wallet? For reference, my Zebra has a diameter of 4 mm.

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## Packleader

nywhsa said:


> I like this pen. How long is it and is it slim enough to slip inside a wallet? For reference, my Zebra has a diameter of 4 mm.
> 
> Sent from my LG-P500 using Tapatalk


The Valiant concept pen specs:

*Diameter: .240"

Length: 2.50"

Weight: .385oz (stainless) / .235oz (titanium)

Materials: Stainless steel / Titanium

Made in the USA*

Cheers,
Packleader


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