My pen will be attached to a zipper inside my man bag. So, the possibility of the PicoPen coming lose is not much of an issue for me.

This is a great theory that explains the ink globbing. Space Pen refills are pressurized so anything which depresses the ball in the tip of the pen--whether due to physical pressure or maybe even compressed air when the cap is replaced--could possibly allow a small amount of ink to flow.

So one obvious experiment, for anyone with a Space Pen that globs, is to leave the pen uncapped for a while and see if ink globs still develop.

I don't EDC it; a pen I keep at home for writing letters and signing cards is a Pilot Neo-Gel.

Jeanette Isabelle

PicoPen works fine for me. Again, it's attached to the inside of my manbag. So, the magnet releasing is not a concern. I would not wear this pen externally. It's there for quick jots on notepad while in back of taxi, shopping, or whatever.

I'll be experimenting with other options here. The bottom line is that I won't have to walk around without a pen anymore.

I EDC my Victorinox Super Tinker SAK with the custom scales that hold their tiny pen. It is a very tiny but reliable pen. I use it fairly regularly.

David

Totally unscientific experiment. I occasionally get the "ink blob" issue when I first start writing with my Space Pen, too. Instead of shoving the cap back on when I'm done, I have started to ease the cap back on. It still rides in a small pouch in my pants pocket, so that part is still the same. Haven't had the ink blob issue since then, but it could just be coincidence because I don't get it all the time anyway.

I'm acting on the theory that with the o-ring in place, jamming the cap on quickly may overpressurize the space around the tip of the pen a bit, causing the little ball to ever so slightly be unseated. Since the ink cartridge itself is pressurized (to allow upside down writing), a tiny blob of ink may slowly leak out over time, causing the ink blob issue.

I haven't yet tried leaving the pen uncapped and seeing if I still get the ink blob (with an ink cartridge that I know can have the problem).

I can totally argue against this theory, too, since the pressure within the ink cartridge should reseat the ball, but it seems to work so far.

My Fisher bullet pen has a notch moulded into the 'O' ring so that there is no seal between the cap and the body.

I feel it is a function of storage temperature. Hot=thin ink which extrudes past the ball.

I use the classic listo mechanical grease pencil for hard to mark on items.

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=bl_sr_office...mp;node=1064954

Just saw the Sharpie liquid mechanical pencils and wondered what uses people find for them?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oGHplKLz6JY

Apologies for the thread resurrection..

I would second Doug's recommendation of the Fisher Trekker. I have carried a number of pens in various EDC kits for many years, and the Trekker really is ideal.

- not affected by temperature extremes (like all Fishers) so left outdoors in the dead of winter it still writes. Left on the dash of the Jeep in the summer sun and it still writes.

- cap holds tightly, but is easy enough to pull.

- cap has a split ring so you can add it to your keys, or clip it to a pack. I carry mine on the outside of my EDC bag attached to the built in D ring. Easy to get to in a hurry without digging in a pocket.

- comes with a neck lanyard with a breakaway. Not my preferred method of carry, but handy on occasion; perhaps perfect for some.

- has a nubby, hard rubber sleeve on the body of the pen that makes for a good grip with cold fingers or sweaty dirty hands.


I still keep a Bullet in my pants pocket most days. It disappears in a pocket, so it's no trouble as a back up given that you can forget it is even there.

Though as mentioned above by another poster, any Victorionox Swiss Army knife with a pen is also a top notch back up. The Compact or Explorer being my top choices.

With regard to the Fisher ink issues, I have not experienced this, but I would remind everyone that we are talking about an EDC pen, not a letter writer. Something to endorse a check with.. Leave a quick note.. Jot down a phone number..

I would choose a different pen to write a letter or paper with, just as I don't cook meals at home in a canteen cup. That pen would have a host of issues that make it unsuitable for EDC use, so.. It comes down to "right tool for the job".


And I have no affiliation with Fisher. I like the Zebra pens as well. The F701 is my favorite. The 301 Compact is a terrific low cost small pen as well, and I carried one for a long time.