I’ve seen miniature pens that you can wear on a keyring or even on a necklace; the idea is that you always have a pen with you. The problem with these small pens is that they have tiny ink reservoirs, so they quickly run out of ink. With the Metal Inkless Pen + Key Ring from The Awesomer, you won’t have to worry about running out of ink. This pen doesn’t use ink – it writes in metal. It’s virtually smudge-proof, and it never needs sharpening. It’s $35.00.
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Looks like a pencil to me.
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The Real Person!
@Ted A – I thought the same thing. Isn’t pencil graphite basically the same thing? I like the idea of this, but am wondering how it works in practice, and how long it lasts. The site says it never needs sharpened, but as one writes with it, how can the initially-sharp tip gradually wear down as the “metal” is deposited on the page? Questions, questions! Still, nice find, Janet.
I actually have 2 of these “pens”. Got the keychain one and a longer one. It writes in a lighter shade of gray. About 50% lighter than a standard lead pencil. It’s possible to get it a bit darker but you need to put more pressure in writing. I’ve used mine for 2 years on and off and the tip is still sharp. It’s quite heavy and i won’t suggest you to write a long paper with it. Also there’s no grip and your hand will slip down while writing. It’s a specialized pen and not something you’ll use daily.
There is really no information about this product there about how it works.
I searched for similar pens on Amazon and they all contain hazardous lead.
I an concerned that this product is hazardous to people and children.
What the heck is that supposed to mean? “writes in metal”?!?
@bobeast It means it lays down a thin layer of its soft metal tip onto the paper because of the friction of being rubbed over the paper, not unlike how a pencil leaves behind a thin layer of “graphite” as you write.
Check out this other inkless pen:
http://gizmodo.com/a-gorgeous-inkless-pen-that-never-needs-a-refill-1516493741
And here are some more: https://squareup.com/market/batle-studio
We had looked at a similar pen a few years back and still use it occasionally:
http://www.rainydaymagazine.com/RDM2007/RDMHomeJan2007.htm#MetalPen
The technique is call “silverpoint” and was actually used by Leonardo di Vinci in making some of this drawings…more info here: http://www.silverpointweb.com/index.html
Is the line erasable? I’ve been looking for a small keychain-ready pencil for a long time and this might suit my needs provided that the line can be erased.
It cannot be erased. I watched a video from the company claiming this fact as a feature.
@Paul Lagasse I don’t know if it can be erased. As this is just a news post, I haven’t actually tried one. Maybe you could ask the folks at The Awesomer and get a better answer than I can give.