Things You Don't See Anymore Part 3

[Richland123]

Me too. They were the cool pen to have when I was in middle school. The first one I got I earned from selling the magazine subscriptions. I can still remember scanning that catalog of prizes and zeroing in on that pen. It was offered in chrome and gold. I chose chrome.
I think it was these that kicked off my obsession with writing instruments. It's cooled off as I've gotten older and when we downsized, but I have a nice drawer full still.

-Mike

Here are a couple more of those cool pens.

 

[turf3]

Fisher Space Pen!

On the other end of the spectrum, Parker Vacumatic.

 

[GwenOnBass]

Fisher Space Pen!

On the other end of the spectrum, Parker Vacumatic.

Yeah I have one in striated blue. It's lovely to write with and is a first class pain to maintain. There's a Sheaffer Snorkel here on my desk that needs a trip to Santa's Workshop, too, along with a Parker 51.

The 1936 Sheaffer Balance (non-white dot) is arguably the best pen I own. Never fails and is a joy to write with.

 

[dwm74]

Speaking of Space Pens, I remember this from way back when. Just learned it wasn't exactly true. Hmmph.

"After sending astronauts to space, the US realized their ballpoint pens were useless. This was the 1960s—the height of the space race—so NASA spent an absurd amount of money to develop a pen that works in zero gravity. Rumored to cost at least $1 million (about $9 million in today's dollars), the "space pen" can write upside down, at extreme temperatures, and even underwater. This feat of American inventiveness allowed astronauts to write in space.

Faced with a similar problem, the Russians used a pencil."

The Russian space pencil myth

There’s a clever little anecdote that goes something like this: After sending astronauts to space, the US realized their ballpoint pens were useless. This was the 1960s—the height of the space race—so NASA spent an absurd amount of money to develop a pen that works in zero gravity. Rumored to...

everydeveloper.com

 

[mikewalker]

You FIENDS!!! Re-igniting my interest in antique writing instruments...

 

[FilterFunk]

Speaking of Space Pens, I remember this from way back when. Just learned it wasn't exactly true. Hmmph.

The Russian space pencil myth

There’s a clever little anecdote that goes something like this: After sending astronauts to space, the US realized their ballpoint pens were useless. This was the 1960s—the height of the space race—so NASA spent an absurd amount of money to develop a pen that works in zero gravity. Rumored to...

everydeveloper.com

From the article: "Pencils break off in shards or lead dust, which floats around a spacecraft (and could potentially hurt the machinery)."

I'm also thinking it wouldn't be good for the astronauts and cosmonauts to be breathing that lead dust, either.

 

[darev]

From the article: "Pencils break off in shards or lead dust, which floats around a spacecraft (and could potentially hurt the machinery)."

I'm also thinking it wouldn't be good for the astronauts and cosmonauts to be breathing that lead dust, either.

And graphite is flammable so nope.

 

[GwenOnBass]

You FIENDS!!! Re-igniting my interest in antique writing instruments...

There we have it:

a 1946 Sheaffer Tuckaway with a 1972 sterling Sheaffer Imperial. The Imperial is a favorite.

​

 

[darev]

Pen pr0n

 

[Winslow]

"Ohhhhhh yeahhhhh, baby, just like that. Gently on the nib, gently, gently...! Ahhhhhhh, yeahhhhh, that's it... nice and easy... So smoooooth... mmmmmm, that's gooood.... Careful now, we might make a mess!"

 

[Richland123]

 

[embellisher]

 

[embellisher]

 

[GwenOnBass]

Buy my cereal or I’ll step on your parents.

 

[Richland123]

 

[embellisher]

 

[Winslow]

Some things, we're better off not seeing any more.

 

[zontar]

What is that? I want one, not for any reason other than it's just so over the top. It could sit next to my pump organ.

I believe it’s an early synth…

 

[zontar]

13

 

[Richland123]