September 2024 pen challenge

[Farmer X]

So a Fisher ink cartridge is a multi-tool!

Day 12

Early this morning, I used the Z-Grip Flight to jot down a couple of quick notes. Whether I will replace the battery remains to be seen, but I did make the favorites addition.

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[Farmer X]

Day 13

I managed to scare up a Zebra F-301. Here it is on one of the library books that needs to be returned.

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I'm not sure what Tommy thinks of it...

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[Farmer X]

Day 14

The Z-Grip Flight was used to jot down some information possibly pertinent to a truck that's caught my eye. As it is potentially sensitive, the blue Alox Bantam had to help redact.

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[nate j]

Day 12

Fisher Bullet (with ink cartridge) only weighs about 19 g.  Pretty light for a full-size all-metal pen.

[nate j]

Day 13

This is the Fisher Infinium.

It contains the same ink as the Fisher Bullet cartridges, so all the same functionality there.

[Farmer X]

What are the differences between the Infinium and the Bullet? And please excuse the dirty countertop in my Day 14 photo.

[nate j]

Day 14

One (perhaps the key) distinction of the Infinium is that the entire body of the pen (except the cap) is filled with ink and pressurized.  This means the pen is disposable, i.e. not refillable with either cartridges or ink.

[nate j]

What are the differences between the Infinium and the Bullet?

Not to worry, that will be covered in detail in Day 14 and subsequent posts.
 

And please excuse the dirty countertop in my Day 14 photo.

There are no points awarded for cleanliness/neatness.  At least I hope there aren’t.
 

[nate j]

Day 15

While specifics regarding the amount of ink the Infinium contains or how many feet it will write are lacking, Fisher claims “The Infinium Space Pen will write so long…that the average user won’t run out of ink in their lifetime”.

The best part is that they stand behind this claim by offering that, if you do manage to run your Infinium out of ink, all you have to do is send the empty pen back to Fisher, and they will send you a replacement for free.

Gotta love when a company stands behind their products like that!

[Farmer X]

That's a hell of a display of confidence in your product!

Day 15

There was no pen usage today, so a glamour shot of the F-301 will do. This keychain setup can actually cover a lot of bases.

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[Farmer X]

Day 16

Yet another item crossed off the list. I hope we'll soon have a little levity at the list's expense.

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[nate j]

Day 16

Open (with caps on backs), the Infinium and the Bullet are nearly the same length, though the Infinium is a noticeably larger diameter.

[Farmer X]

I just might pick up a Fisher pen sometime!

Day 17

I used the F-301 to note a few important numbers, and the to-do list no longer needs to exist. The little guy at right may give a clue as to what happened.

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[nate j]

Day 17

Closed, the Infinium is somewhat longer than the Bullet.

[Farmer X]

Day 18

Any of these would be appropriate to, as the old cliché goes, "sign your life away." I did that yesterday, but those "signatures" were all electronic.

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[nate j]

Day 18

Unlike the Bullet, the Infinium does come with a slide-on pocket clip.

In the pic below, the small shelf can be seen machined into the barrel of the pen where the pocket clip once rested.

Unfortunately, the pocket clip seemed rather chintzy.  I’m using the past tense here because IIRC, mine broke and I tossed the remnants in the trash.

While the pocket clip isn’t really critical to me, it is disappointing, especially given the cost of these pens…

[Farmer X]

Your disappointment is understandable, especially since a pen is something I don't want to "seek out a comfortable position" in my pocket. I had a Hinderer Investigator pen a while back. After repeated instances of the body separating from the cap without my help, the little smurfbird went off to eBay.

Day 19

I awlways black out names and addresses before I toss padded envelopes. That's a job best suited for a permanent marker.

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[nate j]

a pen is something I don't want to "seek out a comfortable position" in my pocket.

As noted in my Day 1 post on the Bullet (also applies to the Infinium), the short closed length in conjunction with absence of any sharp points, corners, or edges allows these Fisher pens to do that pretty well/comfortably in my experience.

After repeated instances of the body separating from the cap without my help, the little smurfbird went off to eBay.

Yea, that would be frustrating!

[nate j]

Day 19

The going price for an Infinium at the moment seems to be anywhere from roughly $135 to $200.

I don’t doubt that there are more expensive pens out there, but that’s pretty salty for a pen IMHO.

Then again, if you use it every day for the next couple of decades and it never runs out of ink (or it runs out of ink and you get a free replacement), perhaps it is worthwhile?
 

[Farmer X]

That’s pretty salty for a pen IMHO.

Day 20

I grabbed the bLen and wrote out a very important reminder to myself.

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[nate j]

Day 20

Unsurprisingly, there are fewer options for finishes, inks, and tips with the Infinium than with the Bullet.

I think there are about five different finishes, blue or black ink, medium point.

Mine, of course, is the gold titanium nitride with black ink.

[Farmer X]

I don't know which finish I'd choose for a Bullet or an Infinium. Instinct would be to go for black, but it might be a bit of a fingerprint magnet.

Day 21

The F-301 was used to write out a shopping list (which looks surprisingly good, seeing as I was in a moving vehicle), cross items off the list, and help verify that everything I purchased made it home.

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[IMR4198]

  I see you got stuff from both food groups.  Corn chips and cigarettes.... I mean lifesavers.  No Meijers down here.  I have heard of it.  I generally wind up at Walmart for groceries.  I don't like the store so much, but it is located very near me.  Best wishes.  Gary
 

[Farmer X]

Did you notice that one of the items on my list was "counterfeit Pop-Tarts?"

[IMR4198]

Sure did.  I just had a counterfeit Wal-tart myself.  Simulated strawberry with frosting.  Best wishes.  G
 

[nate j]

Glad to see with items like meat sticks, peanuts, canned sausage, and spam, you’ll be getting your daily protein.
 

[nate j]

Day 21

I was surprised that the Infinium weighed only 22 g on my scale.  I would have guessed heavier.

[Farmer X]

@IMR4198: I am not a fan of strawberry. My "counterfeit Pop-Tarts" are cinnamon and brown sugar. I suspect those you get at Meijer (a decent place to shop) are made in the same facility as those you can purchase from Family Dollar.

@nate j: my dietitian gave me a "cookbook" containing recipes for shakes intended to help one gain weight. I noted that they were high in calories and protein. So I ramped up my intake of those nutrients, and have gained back much of the weight I lost.

Day 22

The bLen and F-301 are clipped to the sling bag, ready to go to orientation tomorrow. We may well see random thoughts from me tomorrow, as I don't expect that orientation will be exciting.

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[nate j]

@nate j: my dietitian gave me a "cookbook" containing recipes for shakes intended to help one gain weight. I noted that they were high in calories and protein. So I ramped up my intake of those nutrients, and have gained back much of the weight I lost.

Also, cinnamon & brown sugar Pop Tarts FTW over strawberry, though I will certainly eat either/both.

[nate j]

Day 22

A side-by-side comparison of the Bullet ink cartridge and the Infinium (sans cap) may give an idea of how much ink the Infinium likely contains.