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The Fisher Space Pen holds a very unusual position of being in the New York Museum of Modern Art whilst also being a modern industrial spec pen that can write on anything including underwater. When you include the NASA and Space Race legacy and understand the myth of the ‘Soviet Space Pencil’ you come to really appreciate why this pen was used by American and Soviet Astronauts and continues to be used today. I challenge you to find anything with this legacy and performance for under $40!

Full Review

It’s unusual for me to start any gear review with some myth busting but here we go. The common story retold endlessly is that during the Space Race in the 1960s NASA spent millions of dollars to develop a pen that would write in zero gravity. The flippant punchline to this was that the Soviets simply wrote with a pencil and is supposed to mock the beauocracy of NASA versus the thrifty ingeniety of the Soviets. You should never let the truth get in the way of a good story and this is no exception. This entire story is simply not true and has been heavily debunked online.

This Sharpie on Steroids writes on anything including underwater and combines a Modern Art asthetic with a Space Race historical legacy.

History

So what’s the real story of the ‘Fisher Space Pen’? During the first NASA missions the astronauts used pencils. For Project Gemini, for example, NASA ordered mechanical pencils in 1965 from Tycam Engineering Manufacturing, Inc., in Houston. The fixed price contract purchased 34 units at a total cost of $4,382.50, or $128.89 per unit.

Paul Fisher

During this time period, Paul C. Fisher of the Fisher Pen Co. designed a ballpoint pen that would operate better in the unique environment of space. His new pen, with a pressurized ink cartridge, functioned in a weightless environment, underwater, in other liquids, and in temperature extremes ranging from -50 F to +400 F. 

Fisher developed his space pen with no NASA funding. The company reportedly invested about $1 million of its own funds in the effort then patented its product and cornered the market as a result. 

Both NASA and the Soviets used Pauls Special Pen

Fisher offered the pens to NASA in 1965, but, because of the earlier controversy, the agency was hesitant in its approach. In 1967, after rigorous tests, NASA managers agreed to equip the Apollo astronauts with these pens. Media reports indicate that approximately 400 pens were purchased from Fisher at $6 per unit for Project Apollo. 

The Soviet Union also purchased 100 of the Fisher pens, and 1,000 ink cartridges, in February 1969, for use on its Soyuz space flights. Previously, its cosmonauts had been using grease pencils to write in orbit. 

Both American astronauts and Soviet/Russian cosmonauts have continued to use these pens right up until the present day.

My Review

When looking at the Fisher Space Pens I looked at the Bullet style pens but they also have a wider range of styles and designs.

Size

Open the pen is 5.25 inches in length and closed its about 3.75 inches making it small enough to keep in your pocket without an issue. The pen weighs about 0.7 oz.

Like a Sharpie on Steroids

The Fisher Pen will write on almost any surface, at extreme temperatures, upside down and even underwater or through grease. I didn’t get to test it in zero gravity though. Sorry.

Art

The Fisher Pen is on display in the New York Museum of Modern Art. I doubt that will ever happen for the Sharpie.

Personalization

You can also get the pens engraved with a personal message or name and the first line is free which is awesome. There is also a huge range of colors, styles and designs. I reviewed the antimicrobial brass, matte black and rainbow titanium nitride BULLET pens.

Verdict

The Fisher Space Pen holds a very unusual position of being in the New York Museum of Modern Art whilst also being a modern industrial spec pen that can write on anything including underwater. When you include the NASA and Space Race legacy and understand the myth of the ‘Soviet Space Pencil’ you come to really appreciate why this pen was used by American and Soviet Astronauts and continues to be used today. I challenge you to find anything with this legacy and performance for under $40!

PURCHASE $40

Specs

Composition: Brass
Finish: Non-Reflective Matte Black
Length: Open – 5.25″ Closed – 3.75″ 
Width: 0.38’’
Weight: 0.7 oz.
Cartridge: Fisher Pressurized PR4, Black Ink, Medium Point
Packaging: Moonscape Gift Box

About Fisher

Fisher Space Pens are built for more than just outer space. The fact is, due to the patented sealed and pressurized ink cartridge, they will write in just about any condition and on almost any surface. Underwater or over grease. Extreme temperatures (-30 to +250 F/-35 to +121 C). Upside down or floating in a gravity-free zone. It doesn’t matter, our pens will perform. Our sealed and pressurized ink cartridges last three times longer than the average pen with an estimated 100-year shelf life. As an added bonus, we have a vast selection of over 85 eye catching designs and styles.

“It is a product that speaks to the innovation, quality, reliability & performance traditions that are synonymous with our space program.”– Matt Fisher

Even though our founder, Paul C. Fisher, revolutionized the pen industry 20 years earlier with the invention of the ‘Universal Cartridge Refill’, it was his creation of the sealed and pressurized ink cartridge that literally launched the company into space in 1967. Debuting on the Apollo 7 mission in 1968, Fisher Space Pen has been on every NASA manned space flight since. In fact, Fisher Space Pen now has its own permanent exhibit inside the Apollo / Saturn V Center at Kennedy Space Center, which proudly shares our history and products with some three million people a year.

Our products have also managed to find themselves onboard the International Space Station and have been utilized by the Russian and Chinese space programs, as well!.

“I am proud to continue the principles of accuracy and quality that my father instilled throughout our organization. I’ve tried to instill the same principles in our children and am proud to see them implementing those principles as they work their way up the chain of command within the company.” – Cary Fisher