Creating a collection of every day carry (EDC) items is obviously a personal thing. What is an indispensable item for one person, may be completely useless to another. However, one item that almost all of us will agree is useful, is a pen. Even though the majority of people reading this review carry a smartphone and may use it to take quick notes, a ballpoint pen is infinitely faster and easier. If I would look in your pocket or gear bag, my bet is that you have a pen in there some where. Pens come in all shapes and sizes, but the Mini Pen from Sunshine Products USA that I am going to show you today, has been designed specifically for EDC fans.

Note: Click the images in this review to see a larger view.

Sunshine Products USA is father and daughter company based out of California. Frank and Ahmy Rossini started out using a metal lathe and drill press and have been offering quality products since 1976.

The Mini Pen is just that… mini. From end to end (with the cap on), the Mini Pen measures approximately 2.75 inches long. It’s available in a variety of materials that include Stainless Steel, Brass, Aluminum, Stainless Steel with Carbon Fiber, Brass  with Carbon Fiber, and Aluminum with Carbon Fiber. The Mini Pen you see pictured above is Aluminum with Carbon Fiber. You can even get a Titanium version of this pen if the $225 price tag doesn’t scare you away.

Another popular EDC pen is the TEC Accessories PicoPen. Here you can see it next to the Mini Pen to give you a comparison. The Mini Pen is the diameter of a normal sized pen (about .25), but just with a shorter overall length.

The pen disassembles into 4 pieces: Body, Lamy ink cartridge (available in Blue or Black), end cap and top cap. If you click the picture above to zoom in, you’ll notice the two rubber O’rings on the end cap. There is an additional O’ring at the base of the end cap where it meets the pen body and there’s another O’ring on the writing tip end, where the cap meets the body. These rings help protect the pen and components from moisture.

The great thing about the Mini Pen is that you can mix and match the components. If you want a Brass body with a Stainless Steel end cap and an Aluminum top cap, you can. You can also choose between a keychain cap and a pocket cap.

One thing to note… the top cap screws on to the writing end of the pen, but does not screw on to the opposite end of the pen. The O’rings perform as pseudo threads though and hold the cap in place while you’re writing.

With the cap on the end, the Mini Pen grows to about 3 7/16 inches long. Although it’s short and very light weight, it is still comfortable to write with. I find it to be more comfortable than the TEC PicoPen, which sometimes causes my hand to cramp.

The workmanship on this pen is excellent. I have no complaints at all about how it’s made. The Carbon Fiber is definitely a head turner. When people see me use it, they almost always ask me where I got the pen.

If I could change anything about the Mini Pen, it would probably be the ink cartridge. The Lamy cartridge writes fine, but I think the ink cartridges in the Uniball Jetstream pens that I reviewed not long ago have completely spoiled me for other pens because the ink is so smooth and fine. That said, I really like the Mini Pen. It’s a keeper and has replaced the TEC PicoPen as my EDC.

Do you EDC a pen? If so, let us know your favorite.

Filed in categories: Gear, Reviews

Tagged: Writing Instruments

Sunshine Products USA Mini Pen Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on May 14, 2012 at 6:46 pm.

Are you day dreaming about a big slice of chocolate cake right now? Curb that craving by sniffing your pen. Say what? Sniffing the Diet Support Pen is supposed to curb your appetite and put you in a calm state of mind within 5 minutes of sniffage. The Diet Pen looks like an ordinary pen with a ballpoint on one end and aromatherapy capsule on the opposite end. The Diet Pen’s soothing effects are supposed to last up to an hour. What scents are in the capsule? Sweet Fennel which is supposed to provide appetite control and obesity prevention and Geranium, which is for cellulite and elimination of bodily waste. Eeew… Problem solved, I just lost my appetite.

If you believe that snorting the end of your pen can control your need for donuts, you can buy a Diet Support Pen at Jac Zagoory Designs for $7.99

Filed in categories: Health Related Gadgets, News

Tagged: Health, Writing Instruments

Craving a cheeseburger, but on a diet? No problem, just sniff your pen. originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on May 9, 2012 at 8:00 am.

JetPens recently sent me two Uniball Jetstream pens to try. One from their inexpensive Rubber Body series and the other from their pricier Alpha Gel Grip series. Both pens feature special Jetstream ink which Uniball claims dries 9 times faster than standard ballpoint ink and is fade and water resistant.

Note: Click the images in this review to see a larger view.

Uni-ball Jetstream Ballpoint Pen Rubber Body Series

This is an inexpensive pen ($4.25) that is available in 3 colors: Orange (shown above), Black and Silver. The body of the pen is made of rubber coated plastic, which gives it a nice grip, but provides no real padding for your fingers.

This Uni-ball is a retractable pen with a nice firm click cap on one end. I think the cap is made of aluminum, but I can’t be 100% sure. It has a dark “bubble” in the center of the cap which provides an interesting decoration.

The opposite end where the tip protrudes, also looks to be aluminum, but I’m pretty sure it’s just plastic.

There are 4 windows around the barrel that allow you to see your ink level.

The pen ships with a 0.7mm fine Black ink cartridge. Refills run $1.55 and are available in Blue and in a 0.5mm Black version.

Writing with this pen is comfortable. It’s light weight, but still offers good balance. What I really love though is just how smooth it writes. The ink flows out effortlessly making it almost feel like you’re writing with a fine tipped marker.

With a price tag of less than $5 and the ability to refill it, this might be my new favorite every day pen that I won’t cry (too much) over if I lose it.

Uni-ball Jetstream Ballpoint Pen Alpha Gel Grip Series

This Uni-ball pen uses the exact same refills as the less expensive Rubber Body pen reviewed above. But this one has a classy brushed aluminum body and a gel grip that provides a lot of comfort. Silver, Black, and Pink body colors are available.

The top has a clicky metal cap.

And the other side has a screw on metal tip.

The alpha gel grip feels great when paired with the extra weight that this pen provides due to the metal body. It has a nice squishy feel that keeps your index finger tip and middle finger knuckle from getting sore during long writing sessions. I find myself making excuses to write something just so I can pick up this pen to feel the soft gel grip. Yes, I’m weird

The only gripe I have about the grip (try saying that three times fast) is that dust has a tendency to stick to it in the same way that dust sticks to silicone phone cases.

This pen ships with a 0.7mm fine Black ink cartridge. Refills run $1.55 and are available in Blue and in a 0.5mm Black version.

Both pens provide the same writing experience as far as the tip and inks. As advertised, they dry fast and barely smudge even when I tried immediately after writing something. As a lefty, I often get ink on the side of my hand from going through the ink as a write. I’ve not had this problem when using either Jetstream pen because the ink dries so quickly and doesn’t smudge.

I have enjoyed writing with these pens and have no problems recommending both the Uniball Jetstream Rubber Body series and the Jetstream Alpha Gel Grip series pens as great everyday writing instruments. If you write a lot, I’d go with the Alpha Gel Grip for the added comfort. Otherwise, the Rubber Body Series is just fine.

Filed in categories: Miscellaneous, Reviews

Tagged: Writing Instruments

Uniball Jetstream Ballpoint Pens Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on March 5, 2012 at 2:00 pm.

Check out this nice looking Aluminum and Carbon Fiber mini pen from Sunshine Products. Sunshine’s mini pens are modular, so you can “build” one with your own choice of body (stainless steel, aluminum, aluminum with carbon fiber or brass), end cap (brass, copper, aluminum, stainless steel), pen cap (brass, copper, aluminum, stainless steel), cap style (keychain cap or pocket cap) and even have it engraved. These mini pens have a hanging length of 2 3/4 inches and a writing length of 3 7/16 inches. They use Lamy Pico M22 refills and the price starts at $65 and goes up to $80 depending on your choices. I want one, how about you?

Filed in categories: Gear, News

Tagged: Writing Instruments

Sunshine Products Now Offering Carbon Fiber Mini Pens originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on February 8, 2012 at 8:00 am.

It’s not really a pencil and it’s not really a pen. The Beta Inkless Pen designed by Axel Weinbrecht, is a writing tool with a tiny metal tip made of lead that unlike regular lead pencils, will not wear down with use. It lays down a grey line that doesn’t smudge or erase and can be used in any temperature or weather. You can get one of your own for $27.95 at Jac Zagoory.

Filed in categories: Miscellaneous, News

Tagged: Writing Instruments

Writing instrument that never needs sharpened and never runs out of ink originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on December 11, 2011 at 11:45 am.

Julie’s recent posts about erasable pens and mechanical pencils has woken my own office-supply love.  I found a really unusual looking pen that’s designed to reduce hand pain when writing.  The evo.pen is said to be the remedy for hand pain when writing due to arthritis, carpal tunnel syndrome, repetititve stress syndrome, and writer’s cramp.  It has received a commendation from the Arthritis Foundation and is recommended by hand and occupational therapists.  When the pen is closed, there’s even a round stylus for use with mobile devices and tablets.  A package of 2 evo.pens is $10.00, or you can purchase an ev0.millennium chrome with 2 extra refills for $40.00.  Refills are $10 for 6 cartridges.

Filed in categories: Miscellaneous, News

Tagged: Writing Instruments

evo.pen – The Remedy for Chronic Hand Pain when Writing originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on October 24, 2011 at 12:00 pm.

The Kanda Misako Leather Pencil Cap is a cool way to protect the tip of your favorite pencil (and maybe some pens). It’s available in a large selection of colors that include: Black, Navy, Turquoise, Orange, Camel, Pink, Blue, Yellow, Wine, Red, Chocolate, Purple and Green. You can see more images at Pencils.jp. Although they don’t seem be available for purchase at the moment, the price is 1,300 YEN which works out to about $17 US. The big question is for me is: does that price just get you 1 cap? I left a comment with them but have not had a reply in several days… $17 for one cap is crazy. But for a set of 5 or more, it’s not that bad I suppose.

Update: I received confirmation that the price is per piece…

Filed in categories: Miscellaneous, News

Tagged: Leather, Pencil, Writing Instruments

Leather Pencil Caps – Stuff you don’t need, but want anyway originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on October 23, 2011 at 11:00 am.

I like to write with ball point pens 99.9% of the time. The only problem is that when mistakes happen, you either have to use white out or scribble through the word and try again. Yuck. I’ve tried erasable ink pens in the past, but was never very happy with the results. Besides that, I hate eraser crumbs. That’s why I was really anxious to try the Pilot FriXion Ball Erasable Gel Ink Pen when JetPens sent me a sample. 

Note: Click on images to see a larger view.

The Pilot FriXion Ball pens are very inexpensive and come in quite a few colors. I was sent the Black ink version with the 0.5mm point.

These pens are light weight and made of plastic with a clear plastic pocket clip at one end and a rubber finger grip at the other.

The pocket clip doubles as the tip extender. It slides up and down with great clicky action. When I first looked at this pen, I noticed the opaque nub at the top and assumed it was an eraser. I was mistaken though. It’s not an eraser at all, it’s just a rubber nub that you use to make the ink disappear via friction.

This pen uses thermo-sensitive gel ink that reacts to both heat (via friction) and cold.

Writing with the FriXion Ball pen is not any different than other inexpensive ink pens. The pen is light weight, but feels balanced and comfortable in your hand. Writing across a page feels smooth and the ink flows relatively evenly. The ink doesn’t smudge any more or less than normal ink pens I’ve tried.

To erase something you’ve written, you just rub the rubber tip across the letters as you would a normal eraser. As you do this, the ink disappears like magic. And what’s even nicer is that no ink residue transfers to the rubber tip and there are no eraser crumbs to brush off your page. Nice!

The thermo-sensitive gel ink hasn’t really been removed by the ‘eraser’. The heat from rubbing the tip across it makes it disappear, but it’s really still there. If the ink is exposed to very cold temps (-14F), the ink will reappear. I suppose the opposite will happen if the ink is exposed to very hot temps (140F) – it will disappear. For this fact, it’s advised not to use these pens to sign or create important documents or to mail documents written with this ink.

I found that it’s not required to use the tip on the pen to erase the ink. Almost anything rubbed across the ink will cause the ink to disappear. That said, the rubber tip works much better than other things I tested.

See it in action

The Pilot FriXion Ball Eraseable Gel Ink Pen gets a thumbs up from me. I’ll be using one as an everyday desk pen for work and home. Now I can take notes during meetings and write in my journal without groaning when I make a mistake. These pens will allow me to keep my writing neat and tidy for less $4 each. They can even be refilled. What’s not to like?

Filed in categories: Miscellaneous, Reviews

Tagged: Writing Instruments

Pilot FriXion Ball Eraseable Gel Ink Pen Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on October 21, 2011 at 2:00 pm.

Mechanical pencils are very convenient because you don’t have to sharpen them. But, if you’ve ever used one for any length of time, you probably know how easy it is to break the lead as you’re writing. Most of the time, the lead gets a sharp point as you write across the paper and then SNAP, the lead either breaks or you get inconsistent letters. Some are thick and some are thin due to the point. The Uni Kuru Toga Roulette Model Auto Lead Rotation mechanical pencil has a very unique way of solving that problem. The fine folks at JetPens.com sent me one to try out. Let’s take a peek.

Note: Click the images in this review to see a larger view.

The Uni Kuru Toga is a metal pencil available in either a Silver or Black finish.

The top cap pulls off to reveal a small eraser, which can also be pulled out to access the lead holder that stores the .5mm leads that this pencil uses.

The special feature of this pencil is located on the other end… First of all the barrel of the pencil has three knurled sections that aid in grip.

You’ll notice the little window in the barrel… This is an indicator of the auto lead rotation feature. As you write with this pencil, the lead will rotate to provide uniform wear on the tip.

For example, here’s a brand new lead. It’s flat across the top…

But with other mechanical pencils, the lead will tend to be shaped into a sharp point as you write across a page.

The Uni Kuru Toga rotates the lead every time you lift the point and put it back down on the paper. Inside the barrel is a spring loaded clutch that twists the lead as you apply pressure.

After writing with this pencil for awhile, I’ve come to enjoy how smooth my writing is while using it. So far I’ve had no lead breakage.

The pencil itself is light weight, but has good balance. It looks nice, but isn’t overly flashy.

If you’re a frequent mechanical pencil user, you should check out the Uni Kuru Toga Roulette Model. Especially if you’re a lead breaker like I am. This pencil might change your life… Ok, it probably won’t change your life… but it might improve your writing experience.

Filed in categories: Miscellaneous, Reviews

Tagged: Pencil, Writing Instruments

Uni Kuru Toga Roulette Model Auto Lead Rotation Mechanical Pencil Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on October 16, 2011 at 4:44 pm.

There’s a shared obsession with unique writing instruments here at The Gadgeteer, so it’s sort of a big deal if I can beat my fellow Gadgeteers to posting about a new and different gadgety pen.  Turtle, a new company based out of the UK, has just released their first two contributions to the world of unique pens, the Turtle Work and Turtle Play.

Both pens feature Turtle’s patent-pending SNAPback mechanism, which pulls the entire nub of the pen (or in Turtle’s parlance, the “turtle head”) back into the stainless-steel body simply by pulling the two sections of the body apart.  This same action snaps the nub back into position for writing.

The Turtle Work features professional-looking all-stainless-steel body and your choice of black or white accents, while the Turtle Play adds a rubberized grip and substitutes accents in green or orange.  These pens run roughly $47-$54 depending on the model, and include a storage canister and one of their proprietary ballpoint refills.

I’ll be honest, no matter how cool or unique it is, I don’t know how I feel about dropping $50 on a pen that requires special refills that you can only get from a company that has been around for less than a year.  But maybe that’s just me.

Filed in categories: Uncategorized

Tagged: Pen, Spotlight Gadgets, Writing Instruments

Would you shell out the cash for these Turtle pens? originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on March 31, 2011 at 3:00 pm.

I love finding unique writing instruments and I think that the Knight Hawk Pen certainly qualifies as unique. What is so interesting about this ballpoint pen? It has a built in magnifying glass in the body.

At first glance, the Knight Hawk pen looks like an ordinary ballpoint pen that you might see on anyone’s desk.

It’s made of Black plastic and has a removable cap. The ballpoint pen has a fine line tip that is always extended and there is a soft squishy rubber grip to make it comfortable to use. The pen has a Black ink cartridge that writes smoothly. The ink cartridge is approximately 2.63 inches (6.7 cm) long. It will accept a refill like this one.

The plastic feels a bit light weight and cheap, but during the time I’ve been using it, it hasn’t broken or cracked. I think it would hold up during  normal use.

When you examine the pen a little closer, you quickly notice a switch on the barrel.

Sliding that switch to the ON position causes a bright White LED to illuminate. The LED is powered by 3 LR41 coin cell batteries, which are easy to replace. The Knight Hawk can be used in a pinch as a flashlight if you’re in a confined space, but I don’t think it would work very well to light your path outside in the woods or anything like that.

On the barrel end of the pen is a knob. Twisting that knob…

… opens a magnifying window.

Turn on the LED light and open the window and you can easily illuminate and magnify text up to 3x. I can see how this pen would come in handy in various situations. One that immediately comes to mind is a dimly lit restaurant, where it is difficult to read a menu.

The Knight Hawk Pen works well as a regular pen and also as a small lighted magnifying lens. It would make a nice addition to a gear bag or purse and would also make a nice inexpensive gift.

Filed in categories: Gear

Tagged: Writing Instruments

Knight Hawk Pen Magnifying Pen Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on September 27, 2009 at 11:36 am.

The all-weather Trekker pen writes on wet paper and upside down in temperatures from -30F to 250F. It’s 4″ long pen and has a flat Black metal barrel with comfort grip. The pen’s cap has a convenient ring to attach to a lanyard. Get one for $20.95 from Rite in the Rain. This site also sells special notepads that are specially made to shed water in any weather condition.

Filed in categories: Gear

Tagged: Spotlight Gadgets, Writing Instruments

Write in the rain – Black Trekker Pen originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on September 20, 2009 at 9:41 am.

Butterfly knife or writing utensil? Actually it’s the Spyderco BaliYo Pen that is designed like a butterfly knife, but it’s a pen too.

I was truly looking forward to doing this review, because I am what you would call a GEEK when it comes to cool and different pens. So when I got this thing I did not hesitate to start using it right away. This pen is designed to be a “trick” pen and based on the design you are supposed to be able to spin, flip, and twirl this thing like it’s an extension of your fingers. Before I watched the included DVD, which I will get into a bit later, I decided to give this thing a shot on my own. I have always thought I had some very good hand-eye coordination. However this product sure did prove me wrong. Every time I tried anything with this pen I nearly took out an eye, and that eye wasn’t even mine, it was someone else’s from across the room, because this thing kept flying away from me. I started to think I was the wrong person to be reviewing this pen. But I am not one to give up. So before I did, I popped in the included DVD.

The video basically goes over 6 different “tricks” that you can do with this pen. Each section of the video shows the trick at regular speed and in slow motion. Like I said, I have always thought I had exceptional coordination. I sat and practiced each one of these tricks for at least an hour a piece. No matter what I did, I just could not get this pen to do a single trick. They make it look so easy in the video. I think it may make the “tricks” easier to understand if there was a step by step tutorial. Unfortunately there is not. Regardless of the hard time I was having I still kept this pen with me non-stop for the last few days, and practiced and practiced some more. Now before I finally gave up on the tricks, I figured it was time to use it as an actual pen. The one positive thing about this product is the designers actually took the time to put in a Fisher Space Pen refill which can write underwater, in freezing cold, boiling heat, and even upside down.

So overall, this pen is, if nothing else designed to look cool.

However the two outer arms do not stay locked in place, so writing with this pen is actually quite uncomfortable. And that is due to the way you have to grip it when the outer arms are down. You cannot “twist” out the pen tip unless the sides are up. This pen is definitely geared toward kids. I just can’t see a business man busting out the BaliYo in the middle of a meeting or on a sales call. And even though I could possibly see a high school kid using one of these I really can NOT see anyone dishing out the whopping $34.95 it costs for this pen. Is it a conversation starter…YES! Is it practical…NO! Being nearly impossible to learn the tricks and a bit over priced this pen/toy is definitely cool looking but unfortunately you will not find one in my gear bag. I can buy a lot of dollar store pens for a lot less than this one. But if you are so inclined to learn more and check out all the different colors this product comes in just go to www.baliyo.com and you will see that there is definitely a color combo for anyone.

Filed in categories: Geek Toys

Tagged: Writing Instruments

Spyderco BaliYo Trick Pen Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on September 10, 2009 at 7:35 pm.

When I read the Spotlight Gadget blurb Julie did on the Benchmade 1100 series pen, I instantly wanted to see/use one in person. Fortunately, the folks at Benchmade were kind enough to send me one to review. Technically speaking they sent me the 1100-4, which means the 1100 series shape, stainless steel body with black ink.

This pen reminds me of combination of a medieval dagger and sword…..very unique looking (if you ask me). But this is just what Benchmade was going for….their catch phrase for the 1100′s is ‘These Pens are definitely mightier than the sword‘.

While it looks like the writing tip should extend out of it the pointy end of the pen, it does not. The writing tip is located under the 1100′s cap.

Benchmade engineered the cap to click securely onto either end of the pen. When not in use, the cap is over the pen end and while you are writing, the cap locks into place over the pointy end.

The pointed end is very Old-World looking and dagger-like.

While not ultra sharp, with enough force I am confident that it/you could inflict a great deal of harm/damage to an assailant (if you know what you are doing).

In Mythbusters style, I had to test the stabbing capabilities of this dagger/sword shaped pen on flesh. Where the Mythbusters can readily acquire whole pig carcasses (they most emulate the density of human tissue), I had to go with a pork roast from Costco . With very little force, the 1100 easily went clean through the pork roast… surprisingly/scarily so. It was so easy, the Gadgeteer Kid was even able to inflict serious harm to the poor (former) pig. I know the roast does not have skin but I am betting it would make little difference in this case. Not that I am suggesting it, but I can not even imagine how dangerous this pen would be if you sharpened the tip a little.

I have not had the guts to take this pen through airport security to see if they would allow it through or not, and doubt I will; I really like it and do not want to have to give it up.

At 3.2oz, the (stainless steel) 1100 (Model 1100-3, -4) is heavy…. Especially when compared to other pens; my Mont Blanc weighs just 0.8oz, the SureFire I & II, I reviewed earlier this year, are 1.6oz and 1.8oz respectively. Even though it is twice as heavy as the Surefire pens and four times the Mont Blanc, I really like the weight and heft of this pen. However, this pen will definitely not lighten the load of your gear/laptop bag.

The 1100 series is also available in anodized aluminum (CNC Machined 6061 T-6 Aluminum (Model 1100-1, -2, -5, -6, -7, & -8)) and in a variety of colors (charcoal, yellow, pink, and red).

The cap and middle of the pen are designed for greater grip. Benchmade has ridged the metal (ergonomic knurling pattern) and then machined a crisscross texturing into those ridges. The pen is very comfortable to hold and write with.

The stainless pen clip (generation II BP-1 coated) is well made and as tough as the rest of the 1100. The clip is rigid and very strong, it will keep the pen where you clip it.

Benchmade uses Fisher Space Pen (Fisher Pen Company) cartridges available in blue and black. This is the first time I have used a pen that contained a Fisher Space Pen cartridge; it writes/flows extremely well. Here is a quote from the Fisher Space Pen website detailing the ink cartridges impressive design features:

The replaceable Fisher Space Pen refill cartridges are pressurized at nearly 50 pounds per square inch. This means that ink is continuously fed to the tungsten carbide ball, allowing the user to write at any angle and under any condition. Because the Fisher Pens use a pressurized cartridge, there was a need to develop special ink. The Fisher Space Pen uses visco-elastic ink, with a consistency similar to that of very thick rubber cement. The Fisher Space Pen ink flows as a result of the shearing action of the rolling ball in its socket. This shearing action liquefies the solid gel thixotropic ink, allowing the Fisher Space Pen to write smoothly and dependably in a vacuum, at any angle, underwater, over grease, in hot and cold temperatures and even under water.

As I stated, this pen is well weighted, comfortable, and a pleasure to write with. However, at $180 ($120 for the aluminum variants), it’s very high price tag does cause one to blink, sputter, cough, utter the words ‘you’ve gotta be kidding me….’. Money aside, Benchmade’s 1100 series is a very unique writing instrument, mixing Old-World design, a dagger-like quality, comfortable grip and great high-tech ink cartridge.

Filed in categories: Gear

Tagged: Weapon, Writing Instruments

Benchmade 1100 Series Pen Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on September 3, 2009 at 12:52 pm.

Here’s the scenario: You’re in the dark and you need to write something. By some weird coincidence, you’re not a mutant that can see in the dark (if you happen to be a mutant that can see in the dark, well yay for you). So, now what do you do? You use the Pilot’s Pen from Britta Products, that’s what. What is a Pilot’s Pen you ask? It’s a pen for pilots. Duh.

Package Contents

Pilot’s Pen
2 AAA batteries
2 ink cartridges
Red tip for aviation use

The Pilot’s Pen looks like a your every day run of the mill ballpoint pen. It has a Black aluminum housing and a metal pocket clip.

On the end is a click button that activates and deactivates the built in flashlight in the opposite end of the pen. Directly below the click button is a collar that twists to extend the ink pen tip.

Click on and the tip glows. Click it off and it goes off. Easy.

The tip unscrews to reveal 2 White LEDs that have a life of over 100,000 hours. The LEDs are powered by one AAA battery that provides up to 20 hours of illumination.

The ink pen tip is exposed by twisting the cap on the power button end of the pen.

A Red tip is also included with this pen. Actual pilots, law enforcement and military people tend to prefer the Red tip because the light won’t bother their eyes as much in the dark.

Using this pen makes it easy to read and write in dark environments. It’s a pen. It’s a light. It’s easy to use. There really isn’t much more to say about it. The all metal construction (except for the interchangeable tip at the end) and $20 price tag seems like a good deal to me, considering that two batteries and 2 ink cartridges are also included. This pen would make a great inexpensive gift for your favorite pilot or other non-in-the-dark-seeing-mutant person that frequently works in the dark.

Filed in categories: Gear

Tagged: Writing Instruments

The Pilot’s Pen Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on August 9, 2009 at 2:48 pm.

Here’s something that I’ve never seen before… The Messograf Caliper / Pen is an ink pen with built in calipers. Nifty idea! I measure things all the time, so this would come in very handy for me. It has a 0.1mm metric and 1/16″ inch scale. The price is $27.90.

Filed in categories: Uncategorized

Tagged: Spotlight Gadgets, Writing Instruments

Measure stuff with your pen originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on August 3, 2009 at 4:54 pm.

I don’t know why, but I have a thing for unique and tiny ink pens. I’ve been a fan of the Inka Pen for awhile, but when I saw the PicoPen from TEC Accessories, I knew I had to try one because it looked like a slicker alternative to the Inka. Let’s check it out.

Everything comes packaged in a Altoids sized tin box, with all the bits arranged in a specially molded foam insert.

Package Contents

PicoPen with ink pen insert
PDA/Stylus insert
Snap ring
10mm split ring
Stainless steel wire rope keychain

The PicoPen is made of stainless steel and is about 3 inches long (from cap to end) and 3/16 inches in diameter. It weighs in at less than 1/4 ounce.

The cap is held in place with a rare earth magnet. Just give it a tug and it separates from the pen.

The PicoPen comes with an ink pen insert and a stylus insert. It’s easy to replace either one. Just grab the tip with your fingers and pull. Replacement ink inserts are $1.85 for a package of 3.

The pen is very short and thin,  but it’s still comfortable enough to use to jot a short note or list. I wouldn’t want to use it to write a novel, but that’s not its intended purpose.

I like that several options for attaching the PicoPen have been included with the package. Here it is with the snap ring. I don’t carry  it around on my belt loop as shown, but I do connect it to the eyelet on one of the zippers on my Timbuk2 Laptop Messenger bag.

The PicoPen is a simple product with an elegant design and a great price. It’s definitely my  new favorite travel pen.

Filed in categories: Gear

Tagged: Writing Instruments

TEC Accessories PicoPen Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on July 31, 2009 at 2:31 pm.

The Benchmade 1100 series pen is made of anodized CNC machined Aluminum or Stainless Steel and uses ink cartridges manufactured by Fisher Pen Company. This instrument can be used as a pen or a kubotan (a self defense weapon). This particular model is available in several colors and sells for $120. Benchmade makes other pens as well as some really cool looking knives.

Filed in categories: Gear

Tagged: Spotlight Gadgets, Writing Instruments

A pen that might be mightier than a sword – Benchmade 1100 originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on July 27, 2009 at 7:00 am.

The Foldz Flat Pen is a stainless steel writing instrument with leather trim that folds down to the size of a credit card, for easy storage in your wallet. The design is interesting, but I’m not sure how comfortable it would be to write with due to the triangular shape that it folds into. I think I should do a series of wacky but useful pen reviews, what do you guys think?

Filed in categories: Gear, Wallets

Tagged: Writing Instruments

A folding ballpoint pen that fits in your wallet originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on July 10, 2009 at 12:27 pm.

Back in the mid 80′s when I was getting my Computer Tech degree, I remember seeing a guy in one of my classes spinning and twirling a Bic pen around his thumb. I loved watching him do it, but I was too shy to go up to him and ask about it. This was before the internetS, so I couldn’t just google the words “pen tricks” to find the secret. So instead, I’d just try to covertly stare at the guy everytime I saw him, trying to gleen the secrets of his unique talent. I spent hours teaching myself how to do one of the moves and felt so accomplished when I finally mastered it. Now companys are actually selling special trick pens like this one from Spinz.

Filed in categories: Geek Toys

Tagged: Spotlight Gadgets, Writing Instruments

Spinz – another trick pen originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on July 9, 2009 at 9:13 pm.

I’m going to warn you all right now – I’m currently obsessed with finding unique writing instruments. Namely, small ball point pens. In my surfing adventures tonight, I have found the BaliYo. This ‘device’ resembles a butterfly knife, but is actually a ballpoint pen that contains a Fisher Space Pen pressurized ink cartridge. The interesting part is that you can do twirling tricks with it. I’m sure I could waste a lot of time with one of these! Can’t.resist.must.order.now!

Filed in categories: Gear

Tagged: Writing Instruments

Is it a pen, a yo-yo or a weapon? originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on July 8, 2009 at 10:12 pm.

I’m always on the lookout for unique pens. Expecially small ones that lend themselves well to carrying in a small gear bag. I think I found one that may replace the Inka Pen that I’ve been using for awhile now. It’s the Valiant Concepts Stainless Steel EDC Pen. It’s made from a bar of Titanium and uses pressurized fisher ink cartridge. It’s a little pricy at $60, but there’s also a stainless steel version for $35.

Filed in categories: Gear, Travel Gear

Tagged: Spotlight Gadgets, Writing Instruments

Tiny titanium travel pen originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on July 6, 2009 at 8:52 pm.

The Zip Pen is a compact 0.5 mm point pen that is worn on the middle finger of your writing hand so you always have a pen ready while you type on your computer, read your mail or are on the phone. They can be found at Office Depot for $2.99.

Filed in categories: Uncategorized

Tagged: Pen, Spotlight Gadgets, Writing Instruments

Freeform Zip Pen – wearable ink pen originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on July 1, 2009 at 7:03 pm.

The HawkPen is a regular ink pen, but it also has a 3x LED lighted magnifier built into the barrel.

Filed in categories: Uncategorized

Tagged: Pen, Spotlight Gadgets, Writing Instruments

HawkPen Lighted Magnifier Ink Pen originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on March 25, 2009 at 10:03 am.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again… I don’t carry a purse. I do carry a gear bag to work every day, but when I go out for lunch or go shopping, I don’t take it along with me. In the winter time, this isn’t a problem because I tend to load my jacket pockets with all of my necessities. But more often than not, I forget one important piece of gear. An ink-pen. This results in scenarios such as: I’m in the checkout lane. I pull out my checkbook. I scrounge around in my pockets only to realize I forgot to bring a pen. I have to ask the checkout person to borrow theirs. Ugh. They usually give me an annoyed look, and I then wonder who else has handled that pen today. I’m not a germaphobe, but I don’t want to push my luck either.

So what’s a non-purse carrying girl to do? We find a solution like the Inka Pen from Inka Corporation of Boulder, Colorado. Available in stainless steel or Titanium ($89.95) versions. I was sent the stainless steel
version to review.

The Inka Pen has a barrel and key-ring that are fabricated from 304 stainless steel and the pen components that are cast from carbon fiber composite.

Doesn’t look much like an ink pen does it? It will once you pull out the end that is opposite the key-ring.

The pen has a pressurized Blank ink cartridge that will allow the pen to write wet or dry at any angle, temperature or altitude. Some of you might be thinking of the Fisher Space Pen. It too has a pressurized cartridge. I had one years ago. It was ok, but the finish wore off, and it didn’t have a keychain attached to it.

The Inka Pen is immediately ready to start writing as soon as you pull it out of the barrel. Yes, it’s short (2.875″), but it’s fine for jotting down a quick list, signing a check, etc.

For those times when you want a full size pen, the Inka pen can semi-quickly convert into a 5 inch long writing instrument that has a nice balance and heft to it.

See it in action…

Click on image to play the QuickTime video (30sec, 1mb). The video is encoded in the H.264 codec. You will need the latest version of Quicktime to view it. VLC is another free viewer.

But wait, there’s more!

Unscrew the end from the ink cartridge and you’ll see a bright Yellow Delrin stylus tip. Unfortunately, there is no way to convert the Inka Pen into a full sized stylus.

The Inka Pen has earned a permanent spot on my keychain. I’ll never have to ask “can I borrow a pen?” again.

Filed in categories: Gear, Travel Gear

Tagged: Stylus, Writing Instruments

Inka Pen originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on April 3, 2006 at 12:24 pm.