Manitoba Geocaching Association

[Kabuthunk]

I was perusing the new items on Thinkgeek and noticed what they call an inkless pen.

The page says it uses a lead-based alloy that is permenant and non-smudging, so it sounds more like a cross between a pencil and a pen, but never needs sharpening.

Not the cheapest thing on earth (about $40), but could be worth a try.

http://www.thinkgeek.com/gadgets/travel-outdoors/e7af/

[glacier_ice]

Wow, that sounds like the perfect caching pen!

[Kabuthunk]

Alright, I broke down and got it from Thinkgeek. Results are really good so far (although I haven't tried it on an actual cache, but on various papers around here). The writing itself is about as thin, if not slightly thinner than a regular ballpoint pen. It's greyish like a pencil, so not the darkest writing on earth, but still very readable.

With a dry finger, I can't smudge it at all even immediately after writing with it. If I wet my finger and smudge the paper, it'll smear like anything else, even ink that's been on the paper for a week. Still however completely readable after that.

I was a bit worried about how 'strong' the writing metal would be, that it might dent or scratch ridiculously easily like lead. However, I am literally unable to put the slightest scratch into it with my fingernail, no matter how hard I try. I'm not about to try banging it against like... a table or a rock or something, but in general, the tip is quite strong.

After the multiple sentences I've written, I can't see that it's dulled even slightly. The paper that comes with it says it lasts a lifetime, however that could just be a marketing spin indicating that it won't dry out or go bad . In either case, I can see it lasting a very long time of writing. Looking online, others have postulated that if it gets dull, one could always just stand or file it to a point again. There's a full centimeter and a half of this metal sticking out of the stainless steel sheath, so that's plenty to work with.

All in all, for having a travel pen attached to my keys, it'll do a hell of a lot better than the tiny piece of pencil I have stored in a mini-bison-tube with some mini-signature chainmail balls. I can now ditch that piece of pencil graphite and toss a few more micromail balls in there

Note: If anyone wants me to post pics of it, or pics of its writing and whatnot, just let me know.

[glacier_ice]

That'd be great Kabs, post pics and perhaps show up at an event or two in the near future and show it off! I definitely want to try it out.