sign up to get updates!
on most orders before 3pm
30,000 items and growing!
expert knowledge, top service
sign up to get updates!
on most orders before 3pm
30,000 items and growing!
expert knowledge, top service
Let's get the famous story out of the way first. Everyone 'knows' that ballpoints didn't work in space, without gravity, so the Americans spent millions of dollars to develop a special pressurised ballpoint that did work in space. The Russians just used a pencil. Well, not really.
The Americans and Russians both used pencils. Paul Fisher, an inventer and pen maker, developed the pressurised refill, creating the 'Space Pen'. Then both the Americans and the Russians bought them from him and used them in space. Graphite is conductive, so snapped off bits of lead were considered a bit of a safety hazard floating around in a space capsule, so they were glad of a good alternative.
Oh, and standard ballpoint pens do work, and astronauts do sometimes use them, they're just not as reliable in zero gravity and extreme temperatures.
But Paul Fisher's Space Pen was reliable in these conditions, which makes it useful in all sorts of conditions, not just in space. They'll write better on damp paper, and greasy or dusty paper. They'll cope better in freezing conditions or excessively warm conditions. They have a much longer shelf life than standard ballpoints, too. They're just more reliable here on Earth, as well as in space.
The Clutch is a chunky pen with a large hexagonal grip and a strong, practical clip. It was designed for the needs of the oil field industry, so it was made tough, easy to operate through gloves, and they made it black. Not sure why on that part - surely it'll get lost easily against the black oil? Maybe these oil people just really like black things, or maybe they're actually looking for oil in a range of more fashionable colours now, and they're just not going to tell us until they can successfully refine neon pink petrol. That'll be a nice surprise at the garage one day.
137mm long, 11mm wide. Weighs 32g.
Product Code: | FS63741 |
---|---|
Advance Mechanism: | Retractable, Push-Button |
Ink Type: | Pressurised Ink |
Item Colour: | Black |
Item Material: | Aluminium, Metal |
Refill Type: | Refillable, Pen Refill |
Tip Type: | Ball |
Orders placed before midday Monday to Friday will normally be sent out the same day.
FREE Royal Mail Tracked 48 delivery for orders over £30, and just £3 for smaller orders. Tracked 24 is available as an option, for £2.50 on orders over £30, £5.50 on smaller orders. Royal Mail Special Delivery Guaranteed Next Day* available for £7.50, or FREE with any order over £175. No delivery surcharges for Northern Ireland, Highlands & Islands or anywhere else!
International deliveries vary in cost, so you'll need to add the items you want to your basket, and enter the checkout to see the options for delivery. Prices and payment methods will reflect your country, and many countries have all taxes and duties included to make things easier and more predictable.
For all orders outside the UK, heavy orders may cost more to send, but the shipping cost will be displayed in the checkout before you commit.
For more, see our Delivery Information page.
Free UK Delivery
Let's get the famous story out of the way first. Everyone 'knows' that ballpoints didn't work in space, without gravity, so the Americans spent millions of dollars to develop a special pressurised ballpoint that did work in space. The Russians just used a pencil. Well, not really.
The Americans and Russians both used pencils. Paul Fisher, an inventer and pen maker, developed the pressurised refill, creating the 'Space Pen'. Then both the Americans and the Russians bought them from him and used them in space. Graphite is conductive, so snapped off bits of lead were considered a bit of a safety hazard floating around in a space capsule, so they were glad of a good alternative.
Oh, and standard ballpoint pens do work, and astronauts do sometimes use them, they're just not as reliable in zero gravity and extreme temperatures.
But Paul Fisher's Space Pen was reliable in these conditions, which makes it useful in all sorts of conditions, not just in space. They'll write better on damp paper, and greasy or dusty paper. They'll cope better in freezing conditions or excessively warm conditions. They have a much longer shelf life than standard ballpoints, too. They're just more reliable here on Earth, as well as in space.
The Clutch is a chunky pen with a large hexagonal grip and a strong, practical clip. It was designed for the needs of the oil field industry, so it was made tough, easy to operate through gloves, and they made it black. Not sure why on that part - surely it'll get lost easily against the black oil? Maybe these oil people just really like black things, or maybe they're actually looking for oil in a range of more fashionable colours now, and they're just not going to tell us until they can successfully refine neon pink petrol. That'll be a nice surprise at the garage one day.
137mm long, 11mm wide. Weighs 32g.
Product Code: | FS63741 |
---|---|
Advance Mechanism: | Retractable, Push-Button |
Ink Type: | Pressurised Ink |
Item Colour: | Black |
Item Material: | Aluminium, Metal |
Refill Type: | Refillable, Pen Refill |
Tip Type: | Ball |
Orders placed before midday Monday to Friday will normally be sent out the same day.
FREE Royal Mail Tracked 48 delivery for orders over £30, and just £3 for smaller orders. Tracked 24 is available as an option, for £2.50 on orders over £30, £5.50 on smaller orders. Royal Mail Special Delivery Guaranteed Next Day* available for £7.50, or FREE with any order over £175. No delivery surcharges for Northern Ireland, Highlands & Islands or anywhere else!
International deliveries vary in cost, so you'll need to add the items you want to your basket, and enter the checkout to see the options for delivery. Prices and payment methods will reflect your country, and many countries have all taxes and duties included to make things easier and more predictable.
For all orders outside the UK, heavy orders may cost more to send, but the shipping cost will be displayed in the checkout before you commit.
For more, see our Delivery Information page.
Most orders Mon-Fri pre midday
1 pen, 1 box or 10,000 pens
30,000 items and growing!
expert knowledge, top service
These things go with the item on this page:
If you like the item on this page, you might like some of these things too - other people did: