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Author
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Topic: Non-Fisher space pens
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spaced out
Member Posts: 3110
From: Paris, France
Registered: Aug 2003
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posted 10-20-2008 07:50 AM
   
I've been trying to find out something about the marker pens used by the Apollo astronauts but have drawn a blank so far (if you'll excuse the expression).Everything that comes up is about the Fisher space pen but the marker pens don't seem to be mentioned anywhere. Is there any information online? |
328KF
Member Posts: 1234
From:
Registered: Apr 2008
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posted 10-20-2008 09:16 AM
The markers used were made a company called Duro, and were made of a very lightweight brushed metal, probably aluminum. Once they got the contract to provide the pens for NASA, the company marketed them in a similar fashion as Fisher did, and dubbed them "The Rocket" pen.The commercial version has printed lettering on the barrel that says "The Rocket Pen. The marker used by the astronauts" or something similar, and has a small printed Saturn V on it. I have only seen two of the commercial ones on Ebay in recent years...they can be hard to find. |
spaced out
Member Posts: 3110
From: Paris, France
Registered: Aug 2003
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posted 10-21-2008 09:10 AM
Thanks for the reply. I just found one of those commercial pens which was what prompted my question. I was very surprised not to be able to find any info about them online. |
328KF
Member Posts: 1234
From:
Registered: Apr 2008
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posted 10-21-2008 09:38 AM
If you managed to find one, I'd grab it up. I compared mine to a flown one in the Smithsonian and they are identical. While the Fisher company's pens, particularly the AG-7, have changed slightly over the years, these Duro ones are no longer produced, so any one that you find is vintage.All you see today on ISS and shuttle are the standard issue Sharpie, carried for the purpose of signing autographs while onboard, no doubt.  |
rjurek349
Member Posts: 1190
From: Northwest Indiana
Registered: Jan 2002
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posted 10-21-2008 08:20 PM
I own Jim McDivitt's flown Duro marker from A9 -- and the clip has "Rocket" engraved vertically at the top. Above "Rocket" is "USA" engraved horizontally. It is a great pen -- and amazingly, still makes faint marks. It is much thicker than the Fisher and has a great, light weight feel to it. (If you watch closely on the A9 Spacecraft Films DVD's on the inside the cabin film sequences, you can see a Duro pen cliped to a checklist in Dave Scott's hands. I unfortunately did not spy the one I have in the film, unless it was Jim's clipped to that checklist.)Thanks for the headsup on the commercial Duro with the Saturn V on it. I'll keep an eye out for one of those someday. It'd make a nice display next to my flown one. I own a flown fisher as well - the casing, like many of the flown fisher casings, has a crack in it. Not sure why, but many of the Fisher's exhibit this casing fracturing. The Duro's do not, of course, and wear much better, although because of their light weight construction, are subject to a bit more denting and dinging than the Fisher. But my hands down favorite flown writing instrument has to be the mechanical pencils. I have Ron Evans' training and flown A17 mechanicals in my collection. They are stable, substantial and beautiful. All come with original leds and gently used erasers to boot! If my sad tired eyes read the engraved logo right on the casing, the mechanicals were made by Garland. Rich | |
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