Don't leave home without it (a pen, that is)

As much as EDC (Everyday Carry) is basically a pastiche of performative masculinity, it remains true that some things are genuinely useful to have on you. One of these things is a pen.

Just as the pen is mightier than the sword, so is it more useful. Despite what the EDC bros might believe, I almost never, going about my normal life, have the need to stab, slash, or otherwise cut things. I do quite frequently need to write things down, however.

In my day job, having a pen somewhere within reach is essential. I have particular pens for this purpose, but sometimes the best pen, like the best camera, is the just the one you have on you at the time.

While not the most tacti-cool, there is a lot of love out there in the carrying-stuff fandom for the Fisher Space Pen. It can write on anything! It can write upside down! It can write in space!

Truth be told, I have rarely had to write upside down or in space, but I’ve also never gone to use a Fisher Space Pen and not have it work. I don’t love the feel of it when writing – it’s barely more pleasant than a 10 cent biro. But when it comes to the unfashionable job of putting markings on paper (or paper substitutes), it just works.

I have owned a bunch of Fisher Space Pens over the years. I have a soft spot for the bullet pens, and my favourite that I currently own is a raw brass one with a lovely patina. They are, however, hugely impractical and uncomfortable for someone with normal-sized hands.¹ I’ve also found the friction-fit barrel a bit hit or miss – frequently I end up pulling apart the pen when I just want to remove the cap.

After having tried many other options, the two Space Pens that I do carry with me everywhere (although not generally at the same time) are a hi-viz orange Cerakote Cap-O-Matic and a green satin Vortex (no links because neither of these models are easily available new any longer, but go do your own search if you’re interested).

The Cap-O-Matic was added to the collection for the colour alone. There aren’t a lot of bright orange pens, and it just so happened this one matched something important. I don’t love the Cap-O-Matic style – it’s easy to operate one handed, but it’s too easy to accidentally operate – but it’s not so big a hurdle as to negate the colour factor.

The Vortex was (I believe) a limited re-creation of a historical model. It’s a twist action with a very usable clip. This is my alway-on-me work pen (or emergency pen, if you like). Mine has also collected a bit of wabi-sabi, having kicked around in a pocket with a torch a bit too much which knocked off some of that lovely green satin finish. It’s okay, it’s a tool, not an artwork.

To be honest, I don’t always carry a pen. You can be too religious about this sort of thing and the world probably won’t end just because you can’t write something down. If I’m not at my paid or unpaid work I probably won’t have one on me unless I expect to need it (if I’m going somewhere I might need to sign something, for example). But it’s also good to have the option to carry one when you need it.