It’s not often we review non-tech items, the last such case being the Behance Action Pad. However, County Comm’s Embassy Pen is a fine exception to the rule. Combined with Fisher Space Pen ink technology, this is a dependable pen built for the most demanding conditions from the battlefield to the home office. Having acquired a small batch through a government contract, County Comm is selling this writing instrument for a limited time and we were fortunate enough to get our hands on one to conduct a full review.

Packaging

The Embassy Pen arrived encased in a tube-like package just slightly longer than the pen itself – first time we had seen a writing instrument presented in this fashion. The tube itself appeared to be made of a glass or plastic polymer, tough enough that it withstood a drop of four feet onto a hard floor. Not that we’d recommend testing this, but it was nice to see it remained whole despite the impact and protected the product from any noticeable damage. A quick twist of the plastic cap and the pen popped out with ease.

First Impressions

Holding the Embassy Pen for the first time is very reassuring. It feels substantial in the hand and we’ve been able to attribute this to a couple of features. The dark metal aluminum build both adds weight and suggests a ruggedness missing from most writing instruments in the market today. With little left to chance, even the grip has been machined to provide a textured grip that minimizes the risk of slippage during everyday use. The 301 grade stainless steel clip on the cap is very durable to the touch and is literally bolted to the cap with two recessed screws adding additional strength…so much so that once secured to your front shirt pocket, tugging on the pen may just take the entire pocket off the shirt!

Usage / Pros & Cons

The Embassy Pen comes loaded with a black medium SPR4 pressurized Fisher Space Pen refill. For those unfamiliar with the Fisher Space pen technology, this is the original “Astronaut” pen and is claimed by its manufacturer to be able to perform in the most demanding of conditions from conditions of zero gravity (which, unfortunately, we could not test) to writing upside down, underwater, over wet and greasy paper and in extreme temperatures (from -30F to +250F). Needless to say, we couldn’t wait to give the pen a spin.

Unscrewing the cap (just one and a half rotations) reveals a not-so-abrupt step down of the body leading to another machined deep-knurled grip and the actual ballpoint writing tip of the Fisher Space Pen cartridge. Unfortunately the cap cannot be screwed back on to the top end of the pen which appears to be an oversight given the extreme conditions that the pen could be used in necessitating the need to keep everything secure and in one place. The metal body can be unscrewed further to reveal the Fisher Space pen cartridge and allows for quick access to the refill chamber. An interesting feature is the ability to the screw the cap on top of the refill itself making for a super short pen. We didn’t find the pen very comfortable in this smaller form, however it’s nice to know that the pen can be used when you’re writing in a space with limited vertical clearance (e.g., making notations on a label inside a chamber).

The pen itself performed magnificently. We are not writing experts, however using the pen on a standard HP 8.5 x 11 in. printing paper (HPP1122) of 83g metric weight resulted in a very smooth transfer of ink to paper. We didn’t notice any spurts or gaps in the writing when holding the pen upright. Next, we held the Embassy Pen upside down and wrote on the same sheet of HP printing paper – the results were incredible. The pen (or more specifically, the Fisher Space Pen cartridge) performed flawlessly. It isn’t until you’ve used a pen like this that the true failings of a standard pen become so painfully obvious. Our next test of the Fisher Space ink technology was on a smooth tire-pressure label affixed on the inside of a driver’s side door on a standard 4×4 truck. Most ballpoint pens would’ve glided over the label barely making a mark, however the Embassy Pen allowed us to make accurate notations on the label without much effort. The ink appeared to be lighter than on the HPP1122 paper, however this was likely due to the glossy finish of the label. Throughout these tests, the Embassy Pen remained secure in our hand, thanks to its weight and the machined deep-knurled grip.

Pros

• Feels solid and substantial in your hands
• Fisher Space Pen ink technology
• Cheaper than most comparable pens

Cons

• Metal cap cannot be screwed on top of the pen after removal

Disclaimer: Cadget was provided with a demo unit to complete this review