Fisher Space Pen Bullets

Fisher is a very well known company within the EDC community due primarily to their quality, design, and history. Today I thought we could look at one of their most popular lines, the Bullet. The standard Bullet is a classic pen. It features a very small and slim body that is able to expand to a full sized pen so that you never feel you are writing with a toothpick. At the center of this is the pressurized ink cartridge that allows the Bullet to write at any angle and in zero-gravity (something I never plan on testing). We all know about this pen, most people in the EDC community have this pen. I don't want to spend to much time here but I do want to go over the details for some versions of the Bullet line and then I will discuss what I like and don't like. For reference, I only have the matte black versions of these pens, so those are the ones that I will be covering.

Traditional Bullet

https://amzn.to/2Q9A3AV

Traditional Bullet with Pocket Clip

https://amzn.to/2IlVKXl

X-Mark Bullet

https://amzn.to/2Ec7KdX

For the most part, these pens have very few differences. The bottom two obviously come with a pocket clip rather than having to add one on. The bottom one features a flattened head rather than the standard sloped version. The X-Mark version is 5.25" open and 3.75" closed while the traditional version is 4.5" open and 3.6" closed.

Other than that they are pretty identical. All can write under the same conditions and use the same ink cartridges and are operated in the same way.

There are other versions that you can purchase, but these are primarily going to be primarily different colors, materials, and engravings. The only other version that presents a significant design change is the stylus version.

Now onto my thoughts, first and foremost, these pens have definitely earned their reputation and widespread use. The Bullet definitely feels comfortable in your hand during use. The ability to place the cap on the tail adds the appropriate amount of length as I mentioned earlier. That combined with the weight and texture makes the Bullet a comfortable writing instrument in that respect. When the pen is closed it creates a very small profile that easily slips into any pocket or pouch you might want to slip it into. Everyone knows the history and claims of the Fisher Space pens, and their ability to write in not only extreme but odd conditions. That in and of itself is already a big plus and a major selling point for most people.

Now that I have talked about some of what I like about the Bullet line, I want to mention just a couple of things that I find less than desirable. First, while the incredibly small size makes it easy to carry in many ways, this can also be a problem. I have had mine fall out of my pocket many times but have luckily always managed to recover it. I have heard about this happening to other people frequently and staying permanently lost. That is just something that you have to weigh the pros and cons on that are of focus. After carrying around the traditional version without a clip for a couple months I order the other versions to give them a try. When I want to minimize my carry I occasionally slip one into my pocket, but I find that I tend to gravitate toward larger pens most days. The other thing that I want to point out is that as impressive and useful the ability to write at any angle is, I don't actually enjoy how the pen writes. I prefer a finer point on pens and pencils, and while the Bullet leaves a smooth line most of the time it just doesn't feel quite right.

That is all. I only have two complaints and I believe for most people they will not be a big problem as they are also a big part of what makes these pens attractive. Most of this knowledge is pretty common in the EDC community, but I still wanted to put it down and pay a little bit of homage to this iconic pen.