Ballpoints · Plate 5 / 23
Fisher Space Pen Company·US·ballpoint
Fisher Space Pen Company
Bullet Space Pen #400 (chrome)
* approximate date
Commons has photographs of this model, but all of them show polished chrome, and chrome mirrors the background and so takes on its brightness. No cut-out threshold exists at which the cast shadow disappears while the lit side of the barrel survives: at the setting that removes the shadow, the pen is reduced to a sliver.
The Bullet #400 is Fisher's best-selling product and also the model around which a legend belonging to something else has accumulated. The construction is simple and effective: a nine-centimetre chrome body that fits a coin pocket, with a cap that posts on the tail to make a full-size pen of nearly fourteen centimetres.
The model has two birthdays and both are correct
Paul Fisher devised the cartridge shape in July 1948 and turned it then from solid aluminium — it was his first pen. Today's Bullet is chrome-plated brass with a sealed pressurised cartridge. The material and the entire writing system have been replaced; only the silhouette survived.
The pressurised cartridge belongs to the mid-1960s: the "Anti-gravity pen" patent was filed on 19 May 1965 and granted on 15 November 1966. The manufacturer dates the model from the 1948 concept; the EDC community celebrated a fiftieth anniversary in 2016, counting from the 1966 Space Pen. Both reckonings are honest — they describe different things. We date this entry from the construction rather than the silhouette, and mark that date approximate, because the manufacturer nowhere states the year the #400 began shipping with the pressurised cartridge.
MoMA: a claim without a record
This is the most important finding in this entry and simultaneously the most-repeated assertion about this pen.
Fisher states on the product page that the chrome Bullet is in the permanent collection of New York's MoMA; the company's vice-president repeats it in the press as recently as 2026. We checked MoMA's open collection dataset — 160,699 catalogued accessions as of August 2026. There is no Fisher object in it. The only ballpoint in the design collection remains the Bic Cristal. Nor was the Bullet in the 2004 "Humble Masterpieces" exhibition, which the Cristal did join.
We are not claiming the statement is a lie — museums do not catalogue everything immediately, and the dataset covers catalogued accessions. We are claiming there is no support for it in the museum's public catalogue, and until an accession number appears, the design-recognition criterion stays unmet. We found no design award with an entry in an awarding body's database either.
The space evidence belongs to the AG7
The National Air and Space Museum record describes the AG7, not the Bullet — and that object is itself a gift from the manufacturer rather than a pen that flew. If you want the model with documented presence on Apollo, it is the AG7, not this one.
What is settled is the founding myth of the whole category: Scientific American and the NASM object note confirm that Fisher developed the pressurised cartridge with his own money, without NASA funding. Before it was adopted, Americans and Russians alike wrote in space with pencils.
On Seinfeld the sources diverge. The manufacturer claims the Bullet was the focus of the 1991 episode "The Pen"; independent press states plainly that the pen in the episode was never named and was a different version from the one used in space. The model attribution rests on the manufacturer's marketing and forum identifications of the prop, so we count that trace at line level, not model level.
The refill: compatibility runs one way
The barrel accepts any PR-series cartridge. The relationship with the rest of the market is one-directional: a Fisher refill with its bundled plastic adapter fits most pens taking Parker-style refills, but a Parker G2 refill will not fit the Bullet. No third-party alternatives fit this model.
Nor is there scale. Fisher's whole range — roughly eighty models — ships at over a million units a year, but no source gives a cumulative figure for the #400 alone. That leaves longevity and the enthusiast canon: two criteria of six, both documented with specific articles.
Specification
- Introduced
- 1966(approximate date)
- Status
- in production
- Category
- ballpoint
- Designed in
- US
- Made in
- US
- Designer
- Paul C. Fisher
- Mechanism
- capped
- Cross-section
- round
- Materials
- brass (barrel and cap), chrome plating
- Finishes
- polished chrome
- Length
- 95.8 mm
- Diameter
- 9.7 mm
- Weight
- 19 g
- Market tier
- entry
Refill
- Standard
- Fisher Space Pen pressurized refill (PR series)
- Factory code
- PR4
Factory refill: Fisher Pressurized PR4, black, medium point (manufacturer’s current shop SKU: SPR4). The body accepts any PR-series refill. Compatibility is one-way: a PR refill with its bundled plastic adapter fits most pens that take Parker-style refills, but a Parker G2 refill does not fit the Bullet. No confirmed third-party alternatives fit this model.
Legend rubric
Criteria met 3 of 7
A model qualifies on at least two criteria. Every criterion marked as met must cite a source.
Longevity
metsecondary sourceThe #400 shape dates to July 1948 (Paul Fisher's first ballpoint, machined from solid aluminum), but today's construction — chrome-plated brass plus the sealed pressurized PR cartridge — has been in place since the mid-1960s (patent filed 1965-05-19, granted 1966-11-15). Counting conservatively from 1966, that is about 60 years of uninterrupted production in essentially unchanged construction, far past the 25-year bar. 2026 press confirms the Bullet remains the company's leading seller, and Everyday Carry's editors note the design has barely changed over the years.
Chrome Bullet Space Pen #400 — Fisher Space Pen (karta produktu, snapshot Wayback 2026-02-19) · Sixty years after the pressurized ink patent, Boulder City’s Space Pen facility stays true to its roots — Vegas Inc (Katie Ann McCarver, 25.05.2026; snapshot Wayback) · Trending: Fisher Space Pen Bullet — Everyday Carry (M. Bautista, 2023) · US3285228A — Anti-gravity pen, Paul C. Fisher (Google Patents)
Design recognition
not metThe manufacturer claims on the #400 product page (and via VP Matt Fisher in press) that the chrome Bullet sits in the permanent collection of New York's MoMA. I verified this against MoMA's open collection dataset (Artworks.csv; per the README 160,699 records representing all cataloged accessions; downloaded 2026-08-11): zero records for "Fisher", "Space Pen" or "Bullet" as an object; the only ballpoint design object is the Bic Cristal (ObjectID 82141). The Bullet is also absent from the museum's checklist for the 2004 "Humble Masterpieces" exhibition, which lists only the Bic Cristal (item 29). The Good Design Award database (g-mark.io API) returns 0 results for "fisher space pen". The manufacturer's claim remains unconfirmed in the museum's own records, and no design award with an organizer-database entry was found.
The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) Collection — otwarty zbiór danych (Artworks.csv) · Humble Masterpieces, April 8–September 27, 2004 — checklist and introductory text (MoMA) · Chrome Bullet Space Pen #400 — Fisher Space Pen (karta produktu, snapshot Wayback 2026-02-19) · Sixty years after the pressurized ink patent, Boulder City’s Space Pen facility stays true to its roots — Vegas Inc (Katie Ann McCarver, 25.05.2026; snapshot Wayback)
Technical first
not metThe sealed pressurized cartridge (Paul C. Fisher's patent US 3,285,228 "Anti-gravity pen", filed 1965-05-19, granted 1966-11-15) is a genuine first, but it belongs to the whole Space Pen line — commercialized first in the AG7, not in the Bullet, which until the 1960s was an ordinary gravity-fed ballpoint. Nor did pressurization become an industry standard: the market stayed with gravity-fed refills, and pressurized designs outside Fisher are isolated proprietary constructions by other brands. I looked for evidence of the PR format being adopted industry-wide as a standard and found none.
US3285228A — Anti-gravity pen, Paul C. Fisher (Google Patents) · Fact or Fiction?: NASA Spent Millions to Develop a Pen that Could Write in Space — Scientific American (Ciara Curtin, 20.12.2006) · Chrome Bullet Space Pen #400 — Fisher Space Pen (karta produktu, snapshot Wayback 2026-02-19)
Cultural footprint
not metThe plot role in the Seinfeld episode "The Pen" (1991) is documented (NASA Spinoff, press), but without a model attribution: the Boulder City Review states outright that the pen in the episode was not named and was a different version than the one used in space. The Bullet attribution comes only from the manufacturer's own marketing on the #400 page ("being the focus of the Seinfeld episode entitled 'The Pen'") and forum prop identifications — I found no independent model-level documentation. Space-mission evidence (Apollo 7–11, the NASM museum record) belongs to the AG7, not the Bullet.
Chrome Bullet Space Pen #400 — Fisher Space Pen (karta produktu, snapshot Wayback 2026-02-19) · Out of this world: A look at Fisher Space Pen — Boulder City Review (Ron Eland, 30.01.2025) · Space Pens, Pencils, and How NASA Takes Notes in Space — NASA Spinoff
Scale
not metI looked for a cumulative production figure for the #400 from the manufacturer, press and NASA materials. The best available data is line-level and annual: NASA Spinoff says the company turns out over a million pens a year (across roughly 80 models), and Vegas Inc (2026) calls the Bullet the company's leading seller — with no figures. No source documents cumulative hundreds of millions of units for this model; multiplying an annual rate by years would be my own arithmetic, which does not count.
Space Pens, Pencils, and How NASA Takes Notes in Space — NASA Spinoff · Sixty years after the pressurized ink patent, Boulder City’s Space Pen facility stays true to its roots — Vegas Inc (Katie Ann McCarver, 25.05.2026; snapshot Wayback)
Enthusiast canon
metsecondary sourceSustained presence across independent enthusiast editorial outlets for over a decade, in specific articles: The Pen Addict — Bullet review (2014-02-19, Jeff Abbott); The Gentleman Stationer — review with a dedicated Bullet section (March 2017); Everyday Carry — a Space Pen carry guide (2016-11-09, Bernard Capulong) and a "Trending: Fisher Space Pen Bullet" feature (2023, M. Bautista). That is at least three independent editorial outlets, not shop catalogs; the recurring critical thread (tip dents when dropped, occasional skipping) shows genuine rather than marketing-driven reception.
Fisher Space Pen Bullet Review — The Pen Addict (Jeff Abbott, 19.02.2014) · Pen Review: The Fisher Space Pen — The Gentleman Stationer (marzec 2017) · How to Carry a Fisher Space Pen 8 Different Ways — Everyday Carry (Bernard Capulong, 09.11.2016) · Trending: Fisher Space Pen Bullet — Everyday Carry (M. Bautista, 2023)
Practice influence
metsecondary sourceMet through (b) modification culture, at model level, with three independent sources spread over time. There is a repeatable practice of converting the Bullet #400 to refills other than Fisher's pressurised cartridge: Rorschach's House O' Spyders (2009) describes cutting a Zebra G-301 gel refill down and fitting it in the Bullet; The Well-Appointed Desk (2015) documents fitting a Uni Style Fit gel cartridge using washi tape and a trimmed tail; the "Pen Hacks" compendium (Pens and Planes) describes two hacks performed on the Fisher Bullet, including the two-spring trick for a Pilot Hi-Tec-C Slim Knock refill. Comments under the oldest post (2014-2015) refine the method and propose further refills (Hi-Tec Coleto 0.5, Frixion) — workshop-community behaviour, not review coverage. Not found: any institutional issue document for the Bullet (no confirmed military/NSN record; the institutional route belongs to the AG7, not the Bullet), nor a firmly confirmed market of parts made exclusively for the Bullet (the mention of a 3D-printed D1 adapter from Shapeways is single-source and that shop no longer exists). Separately, pens built around the Fisher refill (Karas Kustoms RKiV and others) are refill/brand level, not model level, and are deliberately not credited to the Bullet.
Nerd service: Turn a fisher bullet pen into a gel pen — Rorschach's House O' Spyders · Fisher Space Pen Hack — The Well-Appointed Desk · Pen Hacks — Pens and Planes
Evidence outside the score
Applies to the product line or the brand, not to this model. Does not count toward the score.
- Cultural footprint evidence applies to: the product line
At the Space Pen line level the cultural footprint is strong and primarily documented: a National Air and Space Museum collection record (inventory A19700109000, gift of the Fisher Pen Company) describes the AG-7 as identical to those carried aboard Apollo flights 7, 8, 9, 10 and 11; NASA Spinoff confirms Space Pens on missions since Apollo 7 (1968) and the plot role in the Seinfeld episode "The Pen"; local press documents the company history. The evidence attaches to the line (missions — AG7; Seinfeld — model unnamed), so it does not lift the #400's model-level score.
Where to buy
We do not list prices. We list a market tier and the date each link was last checked.
- Fisher Space Pen Co. (spacepen.com)USmanufacturerverified 08/11/2026
Manufacturer's own store, ships from the USA (Boulder City, NV); product page verified via live-site navigation plus a Feb 2026 archive snapshot, as Cloudflare blocks automated access to the page itself.
- Epiora (Holimex)PLspecialistverified 08/11/2026
Polish pen and stationery specialist (Holimex, Poznan); item listed as in stock.
- CQB.plPLspecialistverified 08/11/2026
Polish military/outdoor and EDC specialist store; 24-hour dispatch.
- Mila-SportsEUspecialistverified 08/11/2026
German retailer; delivery within Germany in 1-3 business days.
- Pen HeavenUKspecialistverified 08/11/2026
UK pen specialist; offers engraving and gift wrapping; same-day dispatch for weekday orders placed before 3pm.
- Cult PensUKspecialistverified 08/11/2026
Major UK pen specialist; model is a permanent catalogue item but was on backorder at verification time - ships once restocked.
- Pen BoutiqueUSspecialistverified 08/11/2026
US pen specialist; low stock indicated at verification time.
- JetPensUSspecialistverified 08/11/2026
US stationery specialist; this is the clipless version (clip sold separately as an add-on).
Related models
Sources
- 01Chrome Bullet Space Pen — Fisher Space Pen (#400)
manufacturer · accessed 08/11/2026
The Bullet Pen has become not only an iconic design for Fisher Space Pen Co., but an example of industrial art itself, which is why this pen design is still held in the permanent collection of the New York Museum of Modern Art. Conceived in 1948 by Paul C. Fisher, the Bullet has been a part of pop culture over the past half-century.
- 02Chrome Bullet Space Pen — Fisher Space Pen (#400), spec table
manufacturer · accessed 08/11/2026
Material: Brass Finish: Chrome Plated Color: Chrome Length: Open 5.35"; Closed 3.77" Diameter: .38" Cartridge: Fisher Pressurized PR4, Black Ink, Medium Point; Compatible with any PR refill
- 03Our Story — Fisher Space Pen
manufacturer · accessed 08/11/2026
it was his creation of the sealed and pressurized ink cartridge that literally launched the company into space in 1966. Debuting on the Apollo 7 mission in 1968, Fisher Space Pen has been on every NASA crewed space flight since.
- 04Black Ink, Medium Point Space Pen Pressurized Refill (SPR4) — Fisher Space Pen
manufacturer · accessed 08/11/2026
Every pressurized refill includes a plastic adapter, making it compatible with most Parker-style pens. (Adapter dimensions: Length 1" / Width 0.23")
- 05SPR4 refill spec table — Fisher Space Pen
manufacturer · accessed 08/11/2026
Material: Brass Color: Black Length: 3.51" Diameter: .19" Cartridge: Fisher Pressurized PR4, Black Ink, Medium Point; Compatible with any PR refill
- 06US3285228A — Anti-gravity pen (Paul C. Fisher; filed May 19, 1965; granted Nov 15, 1966)
patent · accessed 08/11/2026
When said piston is moved downwardly said air vent is closed to pressurize said chamber and said ink cartridge
- 07Fisher Space Pen Bullet Ballpoint Pen - Medium Point - Chrome — JetPens
retailer · accessed 08/11/2026
Model Number FISHER SPACE PEN 400 … Capped - Snap On … Diameter - Grip 8.0 mm … Diameter - Max 9.0 mm … Length - Capped 9.6 cm / 3.8 inches … Length - Posted 13.7 cm / 5.4 inches … Weight - Whole Pen (with Ink) 0.68 oz / 19 grams
- 08Bullet Chrome (F400) — Fisher Space Pen UK
manufacturer · accessed 08/11/2026
Open – 13.5cm / Closed – 9.5cm … Produced in Nevada USA to exacting standards
- 09Fisher Space Pen Classic Bullet Pen in Brushed Chrome with Clip — Atlas Stationers
retailer · accessed 08/11/2026
The original Bullet Space Pen was conceived in July of 1948 by Paul Fisher, who was soon machining a new pen design shaped from solid aluminum. This became our first Fisher ball point pen, the #400 Bullet Pen, and arguably the most popular pen of the twentieth century.
- 10Defying Gravity: A Brief History of the Fisher Space Pen — Pen Heaven
press · accessed 08/11/2026
The Fisher Pen Company was founded in 1948 by Paul C Fisher.
- 11Pens that Made History: The Fisher Space Pen — The Hamilton Pen Company
press · accessed 08/11/2026
The AG7 Space Pen landed on Earth in 1966 which featured the patented sealed and pressurised Fisher Space Pen ink cartridge.
- 12History the Fisher Space Pen — SpacePen.eu Help Center
manufacturer · accessed 08/11/2026
In 1953 Paul Fisher invented the 'Universal Refill' which could be used in most pens.
- 13Space Pen — Wikipedia
community · accessed 08/11/2026
The pens are manufactured in Boulder City, Nevada.
- 14Paul C. Fisher — Wikipedia
community · accessed 08/11/2026
Paul C. Fisher (October 10, 1913 – October 20, 2006) was an American inventor and politician.
- 15The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) Collection — open dataset (GitHub)
museum · accessed 08/11/2026
This research dataset contains 160,699 records, representing all of the works that have been accessioned into MoMA's collection and cataloged in our database.
- 16Chrome Bullet Space Pen #400 — Fisher Space Pen (karta produktu, snapshot Wayback 2026-02-19)
manufacturer · accessed 08/11/2026
Cited as an outstanding example of industrial art, the classic design of the Fisher Bullet Pen has a place in the permanent collection in the New York Museum of Modern Art.
- 17The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) Collection — otwarty zbiór danych (Artworks.csv)
museum · accessed 08/11/2026
This research dataset contains 160,699 records, representing all of the works that have been accessioned into MoMA’s collection and cataloged in our database.
- 18Humble Masterpieces, April 8–September 27, 2004 — checklist and introductory text (MoMA)
museum · accessed 08/11/2026
29 Bic Cristal 1950
- 19US3285228A — Anti-gravity pen, Paul C. Fisher (Google Patents)
patent · accessed 08/11/2026
Anti-gravity pen
- 20Fact or Fiction?: NASA Spent Millions to Develop a Pen that Could Write in Space — Scientific American (Ciara Curtin, 20.12.2006)
press · accessed 08/11/2026
In 1965 Fisher patented a pen that could write upside-down, in frigid or roasting conditions
- 21Space Pens, Pencils, and How NASA Takes Notes in Space — NASA Spinoff
other · accessed 08/11/2026
turn out over a million pens a year
- 22Pen, Ball Point, AG-7, Apollo — National Air and Space Museum, nr inw. A19700109000 (snapshot Wayback 2025-03-28)
museum · accessed 08/11/2026
This pen is identical to those carried aboard Apollo flights 7, 8, 9, 10, and 11.
- 23Sixty years after the pressurized ink patent, Boulder City’s Space Pen facility stays true to its roots — Vegas Inc (Katie Ann McCarver, 25.05.2026; snapshot Wayback)
press · accessed 08/11/2026
launched following World War II with its first chrome bullet space pen — a ballpoint that’s unique industrial design makes it the company’s leading seller to this day and earned it a permanent spot in the Museum of Modern Art, Matt Fisher said
- 24Out of this world: A look at Fisher Space Pen — Boulder City Review (Ron Eland, 30.01.2025)
press · accessed 08/11/2026
that pen was made by Fisher Space Pen
- 25Fisher Space Pen Bullet Review — The Pen Addict (Jeff Abbott, 19.02.2014)
press · accessed 08/11/2026
This pen is my go-anywhere-anytime-no-matter-the-risk pen. If it's not bullet-proof, it's pretty darn close.
- 26Pen Review: The Fisher Space Pen — The Gentleman Stationer (marzec 2017)
press · accessed 08/11/2026
When closed, these pens are tiny, and slide easily into a pocket. When posted, they expand to a reasonable length, which allows them to be used for most types of writing.
- 27How to Carry a Fisher Space Pen 8 Different Ways — Everyday Carry (Bernard Capulong, 09.11.2016)
press · accessed 08/11/2026
if it ain't broke, don't fix it, right?
- 28Trending: Fisher Space Pen Bullet — Everyday Carry (M. Bautista, 2023)
press · accessed 08/11/2026
Not much has changed on the bullet pen over the years, but that's more of a testament to Fisher getting it right the first time than a lack of innovation.
- 29Nerd service: Turn a fisher bullet pen into a gel pen — Rorschach's House O' Spyders
community · accessed 08/12/2026
Simply cut them down to size and stuff them into your bullet and voila!
- 30Fisher Space Pen Hack — The Well-Appointed Desk
community · accessed 08/12/2026
With a little bit of washi tape around the barrel in key points and a trim to the end of the refill, a standard Uni Style Fit Gel Cartridge fits into the Fisher Space Pen like a champ.
- 31Pen Hacks — Pens and Planes
community · accessed 08/12/2026
Both hacks were done with the Fisher Bullet … leave the Fisher spring in place, add the Slim Knock spring into the barrel (yes, two springs)