This $8 Space Pen alternative can write on virtually any surface

A pen is a kind of on a regular basis carry (EDC) objects that folk who’re large into their devices at all times speak about. My favourite for properly over 20 years has been the Fisher Space Pen. I cherished the simplicity of the design, the reliability of the ink, and the entire concept that I used to be utilizing a pen that was designed for the trials of house.

However the Area Pen has its drawbacks.

First, the worth. At round $30, they don’t seem to be low-cost. And whereas the lifetime guarantee is definitely a plus level — I’ve owned a dozen of those pens over time and used the guarantee a number of instances — that security internet would not provide help to if you lose the pen.

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And that brings me to the second challenge: the design makes it straightforward to lose. The bullet form is nice you probably have a pen pocket in your bag or garments, nevertheless it’s not so handy if you happen to hold it in an everyday pocket. And the pen’s clip is not sturdy sufficient to remain put and falls off simply.

I nonetheless love you, Area Pen, however since I am not going into house anytime quickly, I would like a pen that is higher suited to my terrestrial actions. So meet the Tombow AirPress.

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Tombow AirPress

A tough, no-nonsense pen with a pressurized ink cartridge that will work upside down, write on a variety of surfaces, and has a clip that won’t break off.

A good friend of mine lately launched me to those pens that they have been issued as a part of their search and rescue duties. I anticipated them to be expensive, however they’re only a shade over $8! 

The AirPress seems to be like another pen, nevertheless it accommodates some actually neat methods.

First, it is powerful. Actually powerful. I’ve tried to snap it in half, however as exhausting as I attempted, I may solely get a bit of bend into it. And as quickly as I let off the stress, it popped again into form.

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Talking of stress, the ink cartridge is pressurized. Nevertheless, because it would not should put up with the trials of house just like the Area Pen has to, it is the motion of urgent down the clicky button on the highest that pressurizes the ink, permitting the pen to jot down the other way up and on quite a lot of surfaces that might in any other case defeat a pen.

I’ve examined the claims that the pen can work in temperatures right down to -5°C/23°F, and it handles that with no drawback. Beneath this temperature, you may must heat it up a bit. However as most individuals hold pens in a trouser or inside a jacket pocket, it is unlikely to be a standard challenge.

Swapping out the ink cartridge is simple — unscrew the underside bit, pull the refill out, and push in a alternative (you should buy a three-pack of refill for under $6. That is in comparison with the Area Pen refills, that are about $7 each. 

The clip can be strong and may broaden and contract to accommodate no matter you need to clamp the pen onto, whether or not that is a chunk of paper or a clipboard.

And to make the AirPress simply that little bit tougher to lose, they arrive in quite a lot of colours. Orange is my favourite as a result of it stands out whether or not the pen is misplaced in a bag or fallen right into a bush. There’s additionally a loop for a lanyard if you happen to’re significantly susceptible to shedding issues.

For only a shade over $8 (completely different colours come at completely different costs), you may’t discover a higher pen for the worth. Actually powerful and properly made, fantastically engineered, and never going to interrupt the financial institution if you must change it as a result of it will get misplaced or “borrowed,” the Tombow AirPress is a superb alternative for any setting.