Fisher Space Pen

[pp05]

Any members own this pen.. Recommend it..?

[digit]

I got given one a few years ago. Its really a noveltly item as apposed to something that you'd use on a daily basis. Its quite small making it a pain to use for long periods of time. Mine just sits in its box un used to be honest.

[Whiternoise]

Are you planning on writing in ovens underwater in space any time soon?

Don't waste your money, buy a biro and have done with it

[GAteKeeper]

Dont waste the money, the Americans spent millions designing a pen that would write upside down in space, the Russians took a pencil.

I know which I prefer!

GK

[Whiternoise]

However they stopped using pencils after they realised that if the tip breaks off and you get graphite dust inside machinery, you have a problem

[hitman67]

Personally I use these, Really smooth, good to write with and plenty of life in one.

[Stewart]

the Americans spent millions designing a pen that would write upside down in space, the Russians took a pencil.

If you pull a face and the wind changes, you stay like that.

True story.

[McClane]

I have one but like digit mine just sits in the box. I wouldn't bother getting one.

[pauldarkside]

Dont waste the money, the Americans spent millions designing a pen that would write upside down in space, the Russians took a pencil.

NASA and the Space Pen

[Funkstar]

This was on QI at one point

[ajbrun]

This was on QI at one point

Stephen
Yeah. There is a kind of urban myth that the Americans spent millions on building a pressurized, gravity-free Biro while the clever Russians just used a pencil, but in fact, they started off, both of them, using pencils, and the tip broke, and when the tip breaks, it floats around and it gets into and short-circuits things; gets into peoples' eyes and bodies; is very dangerous indeed.

Phill
But what a laugh that must be to have a pencil sharpener on the space shuttle!
[mimes repeatedly sharpening a pencil and watching the remains curl away in flight]

Stephen
Exactly! "Fun things to do in zero gravity."

So, it's sadly not true, that story. An ordinary Biro would have worked. They didn't need a special pressurized one. If you need to write upside-down, it needs to be pressurized when there's gravity, but when there's no gravity, an ordinary one will work.

Some people have far too much fee time...

[pp05]

hm so makes a nice gift but not too practical.. is that the verdict..?

[iranu]

Neil Armstrong used a humble biro to engage the broken relay (that had been damged when hauling moon rocks inside) that allowed the ignition of the module's engines. Without it him and Buzz would still be there.

[Rosaline]

Is it just me who has been repeatedly misreading this thread title as "Fisher price pen"?

[Output]

Is it just me who has been repeatedly misreading this thread title as "Fisher price pen"?

No

[ACiD303]

I was given one of these pens as a gift from my then work colleagues (who thought it would be the best gift they could give me out of the choices merely because I referred to Homer Simpson as an astronaut about 2 times) - I used it once, like a normal pen, and decided I'd still prefer the bic - it's now with someone who happened to ask me for a pen at the airport later that day.

To be honest and IMO, it's a perfectly forgettable present - and most of the gifts I have kept over the years have cost less than £10, I can't say what would be better as I don't know who you're buying for, and some people might like the pen, but I couldn't recommend this pen as a gift - to anyone.