Fisher Triple Action Stylus Pen

Gadgeteer Hands On Review by Judie Hughes

April 12, 2001

Product Requirements: 
Any touch-screen PDA

For all of you that enjoy the special properties that only come from using a pen that features the Fisher Space Pen ink cartridge, you can add another style of writing instrument to the growing number of choices available.

The Fisher Triple Action Stylus Pen, available at Stylus Central, features a gunmetal gray barrel with a black rubberized grip. This multi-pen looks professional, and I can imagine whipping it out at any business meeting without feeling out of place.

The first thing that I noticed about the Fisher Triple Action, was that the clicker on the end seems to stick out quite far: 0.6" (15.44 mm) to be exact. It's not unsightly, or anything like that - it just seems like a really l-o-n-g clicker! This might bother some users, that's why I am mentioning it.  

The clicker hides the standard sized mechanical pencil eraser.

At the top of the Fisher, written around the barrel in white silkscreen, are the three tip types available: black ballpoint, 0.7 mechanical pencil, and an "S" for stylus.

Tips are extended by holding the multi-pen so that the script describing the needed tip is facing upwards. You then press the clicker at the end of the pen to extend the desired tip. Tips are retracted by pushing the circular button next to the "Black" script.

The black ink writes incredibly smooth, as all Space Pens do. The writing tip is a little bit fine for my taste, but that is a personal preference. 

I was wondering how in the world Fisher managed to make a pressurized multi-pen sized cartridge, being as multi-pen refills are notoriously so tiny. Well, I pulled the ballpoint cartridge out and sure enough - the end of the cartridge was sealed. Since I was able to write at every conceivable angle (yes, I actually tested this) it appears that this little cartridge is definitely pressurized - just like its larger brothers.

There is a .07mm mechanical pencil, which I found to be trouble free and non-jamming.

The stylus tip is white, and is neither too blunt nor too pointy. I found that it wrote smoothly on my PDA screen both with and without protection.

The Triple Action Stylus is very light, and should not bother someone that doesn't like a heavy pen. I found it to be comparable in weight to a regular plastic Bic "stick" pen.

The rubberized grip is not soft and springy, so if that is your preference you might be disappointed.

The one thing that you might find irritating about this multi-pen is that it seems to rattle quite a bit. I think I would have to say that it rattles as much or more than any multi-pen I have ever reviewed. While this isn't a huge bother to me, I know that there are some that really can't stand that in a multi-pen. I am mentioning this for your benefit. :0)

All in all, this multi-pen has a corporate look, with several tips that you might need to access through the course of a normal business day. If you like a lighter-weight pen- that isn't too fat, if a bit of rattling doesn't bother you, and if you like the smooth feel of the Fisher Space Pen ink. This may be the multi-pen you have been waiting for. 

Price: $35.00 MSRP

Pros:
Easy to operate
Corporate look

Cons:
Expensive
Has a noticeable cartridge rattle