In late 2016 after losing two Fisher Space Pen bullets I set out on a mission to find an ink pen that I wouldn’t lose after a month of carrying. After searching various EDC websites and forums I finally landed on Rick Hinderer’s website and found the Hinderer Investigator Pen in brass.

Made in the USA, measuring 4 1/2 inches long and made out of solid brass, the Investigator features deep grooves milled around the barrel of the pen. Included with the pen is an o-ring that could be installed at one end to secure the cap when it is screwed on to the body. With this I opted to buy more small o-rings to fill these milled grooves on the pen, as I found the corners too sharp for my liking and the o-rings provide a better grip when using the pen, plus i like the way it looks.

The pen also includes a stainless steel pocket clip that can be removed if desired. The clip I have had issues with, such as it getting snagged on things when it is clipped onto my pocket which has caused the clip to bend out of place. When the clip would get bent I would have to unscrew the top screw(located on the cap) remove the clip, bend it back and reattach the clip. This led to me just keeping the pen in the bottom of my pocket and not using the clip.

Compared to the Fisher space pen Bullet the Hinderer Investigator Pen is slightly longer(when closed), heavier and more expensive coming in at around $60 at the time of purchase, making this pen about four times the price of the Fisher space pen bullet. Even thought the pen is significantly heavier than the Space pen it still feels good in the hand, with a nice balanced writing experience. Capped or uncapped I do not feel fatigue when writing for long durations of time.

Originally designed to be used as a defensive weapon, the Investigator has a distinct stainless steel bullet tipped end that can be unscrewed to reveal the refill. After stabbing myself in the leg several times with the pointed end while carrying the pen in my front pocket, I came to the conclusion that this was not a feature that I required in my pen. So, to remedy this “issue” I took the sharp pointed stainless steel end to a bench grinder and bumped the point off and rounded the edges. The photos shown throughout this article are after I modded the defensive end.

The Investigator uses a pressurized Fisher space pen refill, which for me has lasted a long time, having only replaced it last year. Now, the writing experience is nothing to write home about………….Ok, I’ll see myself out. At the end of the day it is a ball point pen and it writes like a ball point pen.

In conclusion the Hinderer Investigator Pen in Brass has become my favorite pen to drop in the bottom of my pocket and head out the door. Having owned and used this pen for almost 5 years now, I do not see another pen pushing this one out of my EDC.