I've read some posts.

What type of pens and pencils do you carry? I've read some posts about INKA pens and others. I've always wanted a good pen. I've seen some for over $300 dollars. But I think it is quite a bit of money for an every day pen.

The Inka gets very high marks. I want one.
http://www.backpackgeartest.org/reviews/...nts/Inka%20Pen/

Fisher Space Pens (the "Bullet" model) are nice. http://www.spacepen.com/usa/index2.htm

I've passed this on before, but it bears repeating. Rite in the Rain, manufacturer of waterproof paper & pens has a great Sample Special that includes a couple waterproof notebooks and their rugged All Weather pen for $12 (shipped!). It's not an Inka but too good of a deal to pass up. For something smaller, the Fisher Space Bullet Pen can't be beat.

I carry a Pentel Uniball because I can't write decent with anything else and the office will only buy crappy ball point pens. I've started carrying red so it gets "borrowed" less.

I've carried a pen everyday for 20 years. Pens rarely break or fail. You don't need a space pen or any other fancy one. For emergencies, a ball point will do, or get a pencil.

Here is a Space Pen from REI that I keep in my pants pocket (EDC). With Rite-in-the-rain paper it will write under water and not smear.

I've had too many regular ball point pens leak on me to not use a sealed cartridge ball point. If I need to carry it in my pants pocket it is either a sealed pen or a pencil. I really don't like leaky bic pens.

I carry a pencil in my EDB packet (a really small camera pouch I found at Target that fits easily in my pocket).

As far as pens go, my favorite and smoothest writing instrument is a plain old Parker $8-ish metal barrel model. Your standard click-in, click-out thing. But I wouldn't carry that in my pants or shirt pocket for fear of leaks.

That's why I now pocket-carry the Fisher Space Pen (Bullet model). Even if the thing leaked, it would be totally contained within the very tight fitting endcap. I had a Fisher Bullet Pen years ago and due to the pressurized cartridge, the tip of the pen would gunk up a bit and make blobs on the paper when you first started to write. I just bought a new Bullet Pen on a whim Saturday and while it's only two days old now, there is absolutely no indication of globbing like the old model. Either I've gotten lucky with this new pen (cartridge actually), or Fisher has improved their cartridges in the last few years. I've read of others having the ink blobbing problem in the past.

Let's hope my new one stays clean! I found it for $16.99 at www.edcdepot.com In a neat camo coloring. That coloring is actually quite inefficient - who wants their dropped pen to blend in with the landscape? But it looks pretty cool!

I've had my Space Pen in my pocket for over a year in 110+ heat. It has never leaked or had gunk on the end. It is dented and the finish is worn off in some places. When you are with the Boy Scouts you often need to sign things in the oddest places. I don't normally wear shirts with pockets.

Another vote for the Fisher Bullet. I keep it in a pouch that I carry every day along with a Rite in the Rain pad. Worked great when my wife ran into an old friend at a rainy concert and they wanted to exchange contact info!

I also like the Dr. Grip pens, because I find they are comfortable to write with. I prefer the gel ink. The refills for those are interchangeable with the Pilot G2 pens as well, so I can buy one set of refills for two different pens.

The Bullet is a great pen...I'm really not happy that I lost the burgundy colored one my wife got me...defective pants pockets, and if fell out the hole! Anyhow, I do not recommend answering essay exams with the Bullet...I've done it a few times, and I almost got carpal tunnel from it!

Google "titanium pen" and you'll find some pens that are all ti, and take Parker refills...and cost between $500-$700! <img src="/images/graemlins/ooo.gif" alt="" />

How about a 4 in one pen for the office? I had penty and none have been good. Any idea? 4 inks in 1 or 3 pen and 1 pencil?

Both of these are reasons that I would go for the Inka. First, it can attach to your keychain. Second, if you are going to use it for long periods of time, you can make it longer.

Just my opinion. Feel free to disagree.

I have a stylus plus and no longer have a PDA so I replaced the stylus with another pen refill, its been good, but the refills are standard ball point pen so the writing quality ins't the greatest, thats what I want in a pen now so I've settled for carrying the rollerballs.

Another vote for the Fisher Space Pen. (Black) Chrome is too flashy for me. I've had it for a few months now and it's the best pen I've ever used. I got tired of crappy pens around the office. (They only order cheap crap.)

I like the Fisher's writing quality, but I’m on my third one, because the clip keeps sliding off, which I eventually lose. I even had it in a wallet designed with a small pen holder, but the leather stretched to the point the pen wouldn't be held tight. Then, within another two weeks, I lose the pen itself. Lost my thrid one yesterday on my day trip to NYC, probably when getting my ID out of my wallet to show TSA.

Any thoughts on how to keep the clip attached? I even tried superglue, but it didn't hold.

The Inka looks like a good alternative, from a retention point of view.

Buckeye

What is the difference between the Fisher pen and the pens that Rite in the Rain sells?

Malpaso,

I had a Rite-in-the-Rain pen. It did not work near a well as the Space Pen. I took some Rite-in-the-Rain paper and put it in the bathroom sink. I turned on the water and put the paper under the water flow. I then tried different pens to see how it would work. Only the Space Pen would write on the paper and not smear. The Rite-in-the-Rain pen did not write clearly with the water running. This seems like a worse case situation of being in the rain and needing to write a note.

Gaffers tape and orange marking tape also work well for leaving messages. The marking tape is the hardest to write on because it does not have its own hard surface to write on.

buckeye,

Get one of these bad boys from REI and keep it in your pants pocket.

I have a Mini Sharpie in one of the elastic side loops of my Leatherman Charge Ti. Great when you need to lable something for the kids

I like the $10 black military space pen. rei carries them

It sounds like you read my Inka review. It's now a few months later and I'm very happy with it. It's useful enough that it's made it onto my "small" keyring rather than the "big" keyring that I leave behind if I don't have room. The writing quality is better than my Fisher Space Pen, with no ink globs. I got the cheap, steel one and it is now a bit scuffed, but that doesn't bother me.

My vote goes for the Fisher. After having a regular pen blow up on the console of my truck just about every summer I got one as a gift. Haven't had a blow up since.

Fisher space pens also makes refills that will fit a lot of pens.

I got a couple of the skinny, break to fit refills and a piece of 1/8" I.D. stainless steel (brass is easier to find and works just as well) from a hobby shop and made my own small pens. I broke the refill to the size wanted, cut the tubing to the same size and epoxied the refill in the tubing.

I kept breaking the tip off of the golf pencil in the Ritter PSP everytime I carried it in a back pocket. I made one the same length as the golf pencil and replaced it. It is MUCH skinnier and goes vertically into the PSP instead of horizontally on the bottom. You don't have to dig everything out to get to the pencil. I put a wrap of orange vinyl used by sign makers to give it a little grip and make it more visible. Yellow duct tape would work just as well. Beautiful little upgrade!

Has anybody used the Nalgene all weather pen? I think it is a felt tip pen.

Any major storefronts like Staples carry the Fisher line? I hate paying $5 (or more) shipping for a $15 item.

Malpaso,

I got mine at Staples last year.

The local Office Depot carries the Bullet and refills but IIRC they don't carry the break to fit refills.

Malpaso,

I like the Stowaway, Space Pen. They sell them at REI for $8. A great pants pocket or PSK pen!

I've carried all types of pens and pencils over the years.

As far as pens go, for the last year or so I've carried a Pilot Dr. Grip Gel or a G-2.

They write well on all sorts of different materials. Sometimes you have to give'em a few seconds to let the ink dry.
Plus they both use the same refill.

I usually carry a Pentel Quicker Clicker mechanical pencil in .9mm. I have a pretty heavy hand when it comes to pencils, and most of the smaller lead diameters seem to break to easily.

And last but not least; a black Sharpie. Nuff said.

porkchop

My setup is starting to sound like yours. My keychain rigs are changing. Again.

I used to have car keys plus gear and house keys plus gear, both on separate keychains. Now I'm veering toward house and car keys on one keychain, and gear on another keychain.

-- Craig

I've started a small collection of them. <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

I carry a TADGear space pen in my front pocket. On my keychain I carry a Cross Ion pen as well as a Pentel Mini-R.S.V.P. <img src="/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />

Now, whenever I want or need a pen, I have one. <img src="/images/graemlins/smirk.gif" alt="" />

-- Craig

Sounds interesting. Trying to figure our what you mean by Big and Small Keyrings. Perhaps a picture will help.

This forum is super

I was referring to Brangdon's post. You should ask him.

-- Craig

I have so much stuff that if it all went on one keyring, it would be too inconvenient to carry in light summer trousers, and it'd weigh too much on the car's ignition. So I have split it into an essentials keyring, which has my actual keys plus a small light, a whistle, the pen and a parachord fob; and an optional keyring, which has a prybaby, small multitool, ferro rod and striker and similar stuff that is heavy, less important or needed less often.