brian hefele's untidy space
Left to right: TEC PicoPen, Muyshondt Aeon, Leatherman Squirt P4
After acquiring the Muyshondt Aeon as an everyday carry keychain light, I realized I had no good way to get the light onto my keychain. I could have simply attached the split ring to my keychain, much as the Leatherman in the above picture is. But I really wanted a way to quickly detach the light, leaving its split ring free to fold under for the sake of compactness and tailstanding. So I ordered some tiny McGizmo gate clips from Lighthound (not affiliated, but a seller I trust), and wanted to bulk up my order a bit to make the shipping worth it. Enter the PicoPen by TEC accessories.
As I previously mentioned, I used to carry a Cross Ion on my keychain as a backup pen. My primary pens are all fountain pens, but I only carry such when I'm specifically going out to write. When I was in college, the Cross Ion was great if I forgot my normal pen, ran out of ink, or if one of my less-prepared friends had nothing to write with. Having a backup pen is also handy if I need to jot down the name or model number of something in the store, sign a receipt, draw a map for somebody, or if inspiration strikes. The Ion was thick, it telescoped out, and it had a nice soft grip at the business end. It was perfect for any of the above usage cases, comfortable enough to sit through a four-hour lecture with if need be.
The PicoPen is not nearly as useful or versatile as the Ion. But it is small enough that you barely notice it on a keychain. Of course, this means that it's small to the point where you really notice it when you're writing, and this isn't a good thing. It's hard to hold, with no sense of comfort or ergonomics. I have teeny tiny hands, and I still think it's too small. For a quick jot in the store, it works fine, but I dread the day when my walking-the-dog-around-the-park trip becomes a just-got-inspired-to-write-a-short-story trip.
Of course, the PicoPen isn't really intended to be the most versatile pen you carry, it's intended to be the most transparent - the lightest and the smallest, so that you have no reason not to carry it. With my keychain being a bit more loaded down than it was in college (especially now, with the Aeon), I welcome the miniscule nature of the PicoPen. At the same time, such limited function starts to become a reason not to carry something. There are always tradeoffs in the realm of keychain carry, but the PicoPen strikes a very difficult (im)balance for me.
Above is a closeup of the tip of the pen, and the cap which it mates to. Inside the cap is a strong magnet which holds onto the thick ring behind the tip of the pen. It also has a tendency to attach itself to my stainless steel split rings, making reattachment of the pen tricky at times. The magnet is strong enough that I can hold my whole keychain (three car keys, five building keys, four small keys, two split rings, the Leatherman Squirt and Muyshondt Aeon, and a library card) freely by the pen. Aside from the magnet getting itself stuck in odd positions, this closure seems to work really well - it's secure yet easy to deploy single-handedly. It's probably worth mentioning that TEC throws in a bunch of extras - the pen comes with a split ring attached, an additional, smaller split ring, a "mechanic's" or aviation cable style ring, and a gate clip. There's also a stylus insert for people who are still rocking Newtons.
The entire construction is said to be stainless steel. The barrel of the pen does not react to the magnet, so there must be two different forms of stainless steel at play - one for the cap and the ring at the tip of the pen, and a different mix for the body of the pen. The pen feels light and soft like aluminum, for reference. The overall length of the pen is just under 3" capped, just over 2.625" uncapped. Making it just a hair longer (say, 2.75" uncapped) would have made it much easier to handle, in my opinion, and using a slightly heavier material would have also aided in usability. Refill is a standard 'short' multi-color pen style refill - I immediately replaced the stock ink with a Fisher SU4F refill, which works quite well for a ballpoint.
TEC accessories also sells a product called the Inchworm, a 3" titanium rod with notches cut out every 1/8". I sort of wish these two products were one - a 2.75" titanium rod, notched at 1/8" marks, with a pen inside. That, to me, would make the PicoPen so much more useful - it would serve as a handy measurement aid, and the notches would help with grip. There are a few notches at the far end, presumably to aid in releasing the pen from the magnet. I thought about it, and made some measurements - the first notch to the last is precisely .5", the center notch therefore marks .25", and the third notch down starting at the shiny notch, to the ring which mates with the magnet, is precisely 2". This could come in handy, but I'd still prefer a combined Inchworm/PicoPen.
All in all, PicoPen is pretty good for what it is - a small, practically unnoticeable keychain pen which uses standard, easily obtainable ink cartridges. It should work out great for signing receipts, and other quick jots. I'm still considering trying out the Fisher Trekker and the Inka Pen in the future - both are much heftier pens, for better or for worse.
PS, My dream keychain carry pen is a Lamy Pico, but alas I have yet to find a good way to attach one.