My father was a career Intelligence Officer in the US Army. My two brothers and I grew up pretending to be in the Army and conducted mock warfare in the woods wherever we were living at the time. Rummaging through his Government issue duffel bags and foot locker, we were able to grab enough gear to look the part of a soldier. One time, I even found a cool leather shoulder holster for his issue .45 caliber pistol. My entrance into the 75th Ranger Regiment after college seemed like something I’d been training for since those childhood days. Another item that I kept stealing from my fathers desk were those black push button US Government pens from Skilcraft. He had boxes of those simple pens. Well, Skilcraft has upped their game with their latest offerings.
Skilcraft Video Demo:
Skilcraft B3 Aviator
The B3 Aviator from Skilcraft was designed with pilots and flight crew in mind. The slender, all metal barrel is perfectly sized for flight suit and uniform pen pockets. Three different implements built into one pen greatly reduce what the crew needs to carry. Two medium sized refillable ink cartridges in both black and red reside in the slim metal barrel. Along with a .5mm mechanical pencil. As a bonus, the opposite end of the B3 includes a capacitive touch screen stylus tip. Finally, if you unscrew the stylus tip, you’ll find the eraser for the mechanical pencil. It’s amazing how much Skilcraft packed into this stealthy matte black pen. Included in the price are a spare black and red ink cartridge.
- Multifunction offers a choice of three writing instruments in a single barrel
- Includes black and red medium ballpoint ink and a 0.5mm pencil.
- Screw-top eraser fits tightly on the pencil top
- All-metal construction provides added durability
- Made with a special finish that won’t reflect light
- Meets all Foreign Object Damage (FOD) requirements
- Specially designed to fit small military uniform and flight suit pockets
- Includes one spare black and one spare red ink cartridge
- Amazon $21.57
Skilcraft Luminator LED Light Pen
The Luminator LED Light Pen uses a pressurized black ink capsule allowing the pen to not only write upside down, but in extreme climates as well. And a manufacturers claim of writing between 19,500-25,500 feet! I’ve never heard of a pens performance measured in feet of writing but that’s 3.6-4.8 miles depending on conditions. However, the main characteristic of the Luminator is the built-in red LED light on the tip. This frosted LED light casts a soft red glow around the tip of the pen. Reducing its light signature while preserving the users night vision in tactical environments. A proprietary 3.0v lithium battery provides up to 72 hours of light. Included with the Luminator are a pair of replacement batteries as well as an extra black ink cartridge.
- Red LED helps retain night vision in low light situations!
- NON-REFLECTIVE metal barrel.
- Writes in EXTREME weather.
- Twist writing mechanism – Writes over 3.5 miles.
- Pressurized ink filler – Writes UPSIDE DOWN!
- Amazon $31.67
Obviously, Skilcraft has been evolving with time. What used to be a reliable but basically disposable pen used by my father and stolen by his three sons. Is now a pen that’ll last a lifetime. These writing utensils feature all metal construction, metal pocket clips, replaceable batteries and ink cartridges. So I suspect an unlimited service life…until your child steals it. If you’re like me and didn’t know about these awesome pens from Skilcraft, order one for yourself. They also make a great gift idea for those on your list.
Skilcraft History
Skilcraft, often stylized as SKILCRAFT, is the registered trade name of the National Industries for the Blind (NIB). Products made by Skilcraft are created largely by visually impaired or severely disabled individuals. Products bearing the Skilcraft brand are commonly used in United States federal government institutions, including the United States Postal Service. They are also commonly sold in U.S. military base exchanges. ~ Wikipedia
