Not clear when it expires the website says 21.12 and the pictures say 22.12 but I'd get in before 21.12 to be sure. Be sure to click on the Super Special link because they still have them on the site at the normal price of $55.00
Fisher Chrome Bullet Space Pen $29.95 Normally $55.00 + $5.00 for Express Post
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Thats a perfect example of how dumb the yanks are!
Not sure if you were trying to be ironic there, but StewBalls' comment is factually incorrect.
Says you!!! :p
Before we all try to use this as an example of how supposedly dumb the yanks are, it's probably worth noting that this story is an urban legend/myth which isn't completely true: http://www.snopes.com/business/genius/spacepen.asp
Also on Wikipedia: "Russian cosmonauts used pencils, and grease pencils on plastic slates until also adopting a space pen in 1969 with a purchase of 100 units for use on all future missions. NASA programs previously used pencils (for example a 1965 order of mechanical pencils) but because of the danger that a broken-off pencil tip poses in zero gravity and the flammable nature of the wood present in pencils a better solution was needed. NASA never approached Paul Fisher to develop a pen, nor did Fisher receive any government funding for the pen's development. Fisher invented it independently, and then asked NASA to try it. After the introduction of the AG7 Space Pen, both the American and Soviet (later Russian) space agencies adopted it."
The urban legend, though, probably has helped Fisher sell millions upon millions of dollars worth of these pens, handily accounting for the development cost. :)
Be careful quoting wiki as historical fact! History has a way of being rewritten by the "winners"…what better medium for that battle than a public domain repository that can be edited by anyone, and is quoted as gospel by many!
I grew up in the 60's, this story has been around a lot longer than wikipedia. One of the advantages of longevity…I've seen an awful lot of history change retrospectively!!! ;)
I was only quoting Wikipedia because it gave a nice summary of the story, and I cited Snopes first. More info here, though, including scans of primary sources: http://www.thespacereview.com/article/613/1 :)
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Got any evidence of your claims StewBalls, or just empty rhetoric? Soakwashrinsespin has backed up his claim with a credible source (Snopes), so either put up or learn to exercise a bit of humility.
More info to corroborate urban myth status here too:
From Fisher(US) themselves: http://www.spacepen.com/about-us.aspx
Aust distributor: http://www.startekimports.com.au/brands_fisher.htm@joshk, geez you got your knickers in a twist! Got yourself so flustered you double posted…settle petal! ;)
Sorry, if I'd known references were required for life experience I'd have recorded details of news reports & documentary specials from the seventies for you precious! :p
Humility…WTF??? Please dude, what lofty heights did you expect from me that I need to get off any pedestal? Reality check time for you bud! I am not a role model!!! :)
Just remember, we're talking about the same government that faked a moon landing; they're capable of anything! :p
Faked a moon landing ?? That was a movie stewballs Capricorn 1, it wasn't real.
@DavidFM, hang on a tic, not real…next you'll be telling me there's no Santa Claus or Easter Bunny…bah, humbug!
Nah, Capricorn One was about a faked Mars landing…where do you reckon they got the idea though…art imitates life they say! Do some googling, you'll find it very interesting!!! :p
Great movie though, probably one of the best CT thrillers of all time! :)
I'm waiting to hear the Oprah "landing" was faked too ;-)
I dunno stewballs you start wondering about these things and next thing you know you go to London and you get arrested on an extradition order for sex offences in Sweden and the US is gonna charge with something too as soon as they can figure out something to charge you with.
@Daydream,
Nah, that was real…I felt the seismic displacement as far away as Newcastle! :p@DavidFM,
As long as I'd had the opportunity to enjoy said offences, I'd cop that sweet! ;)@joshk,
So dude, you all ready to see GSP smash Koscheck this weekend? Gonna be a great fight! :)@joshk,
Wow, great fight…by GSP…I've seen heavy bags put up more resistance than Koscheck!!! :p
Your namesake should be embarrassed turning up to a fight with 'Dethrone' shirts after mouthing off for so long & getting so thoroughly…well, in your words, humbled! :D
You need a new nick bro! Might I suggest GSP! :p
urban legend
Uhh using graphite pencils on the craft would be 'total pwnage', the shards of graphite which break off on contact with paper would be a significant hazard to both astronauts and sensitive instruments in zero gravity. In fact the US did use pencils initially but realized this problem and hence a private company produced the pen. Both the USSR and US did use grease pencils though.
edit: whoops i didn't see the previous comments, only the first 2 were displayed in guest mode.
Dunno about that soakwashrinsespin.
JustWrite have got Russian Space Pens for sale on their site too.
www.justwrite.com.au/justwrite8/index.php?main_page=product_…
The "Russian space pencils" are a joke item based on the urban legend; the item's description says it too. :P
Oops. Shoulda said Russian Space PENCILS !!!
Would you believe NASA's Chief Historian StewBalls ? A guy with the rather unfortunate name of Stephen J. Dick. Hate to think what the J stands for. Theres an article on JustWrite that looks like a lift from the NASA website.
http://justwrite.com.au/justwrite8/index.php?main_page=index…
Theres no link to the original article but it's got a link to Mr Dick's email so you could always ask him.
if you guys arent in a hurry get it off ebay, around 21 delivered.
http://cgi.ebay.com.au/Fisher-Space-Pens-400B-Bullet-Pen-Mat…
Thank goodness for this. I was wondering what I would use to fill out my immigration/landing card while on Virgin Galactic ;-)
You reckon it's worth risking ebay to save around $10 ?
Nice - got both a Space Pen but more importantly the Russian version!
what's so good about it, beside being able to write at any angle because i doubt less than 1% of Ozbargainers are going to space, but i'm interested in this pen.
It's a little bit of history. There are cheaper ones, but people still want the Swingline stapler. It's kitsch.
No more waiting for Jack Klompus to give me his! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Pen
Edit: bought two, one chrome and one black. Thanks!
Lol, fail maths.
Justwrite.com.au says:
"This year we've got a Super Christmas Special. We've slashed the price of our three best selling Fisher Space Pens by more than 50%…"
For their bullet space pens 50% of $55 = $27.50
I love the story behind these! The boffins at NASA realised they'd need a writing implement that could function in adverse conditions like cold, heat, zero G & possible vacuum; as well as write at any angle; so they commissioned a 1.5 million dollar (big bucks in the 60's) research program to design the "Space Pen"! :o
At the same time, the Russian cosmonauts solved the problem by using a pencil! Cost of the pencil, probably under a ruble; total pwnage of the US space program, PRICELESS!!! :D