Gel Pen & Wet Log Test

[+Renegade Knight]

After a spate of wet cache logs this weekend I decided it was time to finally start carrying a pen that could do the job. For a dry log a pencil is the best. They write when it’s cold, they never run when it gets wet. But when a log is wet all they are good for is tearing it up. A regular pen is about as bad. In the forums I remembered people saying Gel Pens can write on a wet log so I ran a test.

 

 

All pens write well when the paper is dry. From there I soaked the paper to see what happened. The test was on notebook paper and lasted 24 hours. Longer and I risked the paper itself turning to mush. Notebook paper isn’t all that durable. Of the pens only the Pentel bled and faded.

 

A second series was written with each pen after getting the paper wet. This is where the differences come out. The Sharpie is best at staying, but doesn’t write well on a wet sheet. All the gel pens wrote well on the wet paper. I was impressed. Next tested was the Blue Zebra. This was a Gel Pen that I got at work, I found it just when I was doing the test. The Black Zebra and the UniBall came out about the same though I give the edge to the Zebra. Again the Pentel bled out. I wanted to try a Bic but they were missing from the Wally World selection when I got the pens.

 

The Pens used.

Uni-Ball Gel Grip Medium Black 65472

Pentel EnerGel Acid Free Fine Line Black BLN15BP2A-K6

Sanford Sharpie Ultra-Fine Point 37161

Zebra Jimnie Gel Roller Acid Free Black Ink Medium Point UPC 45888 44112

Zebra Jimnie Rollerball Blue Ink Medium Point. UPC Etc. Unknown.

 

If someone could markwell the other test posted in these forums that would consolodate this type of information.

Edited October 13, 2004 by Renegade Knight

[+LaPaglia]

Thanks, thats great info!!!

[+Absolut&KittyKat]

I use my Fisher Space Pen. It will write on anything, anywhere.

 

@ $25 each I would hesitate to leave it in a cache, but I carry one with me everywhere I go just in case.

[+Dagg]

After a spate of wet cache logs this weekend I decided it was time to finally start carrying a pen that could do the job.  For a dry log a pencil is the best.  They write when it’s cold, they never run when it gets wet.  But when a log is wet all they are good for is tearing it up.  A regular pen is about as bad.  In the forums I remembered people saying Gel Pens can write on a wet log so I ran a test.

 

 

All pens write well when the paper is dry.  From there I soaked the paper to see what happened.  The test was on notebook paper and lasted 24 hours.  Longer and I risked the paper itself turning to mush.  Notebook paper isn’t all that durable.  Of the pens only the Pentel bled and faded.

 

A second series was written with each pen after getting the paper wet.  This is where the differences come out.  The Sharpie is best at staying, but doesn’t write well on a wet sheet.  All the gel pens wrote well on the wet paper.  I was impressed.  Next tested was the Blue Zebra.  This was a Gel Pen that I got at work, I found it just when I was doing the test.  The Black Zebra and the UniBall came out about the same though I give the edge to the Zebra.  Again the Pentel bled out.  I wanted to try a Bic but they were missing from the Wally World selection when I got the pens.

 

The Pens used.

Uni-Ball Gel Grip Medium Black 65472

Pentel EnerGel Acid Free Fine Line Black BLN15BP2A-K6

Sanford Sharpie Ultra-Fine Point 37161

Zebra Jimnie Gel Roller Acid Free Black Ink Medium Point UPC 45888 44112

Zebra Jimnie Rollerball Blue Ink Medium Point.  UPC Etc. Unknown.

 

If someone could markwell the other test posted in these forums that would consolodate this type of information.

thanks for the info

[CoyoteRed]

If someone could markwell the other test posted in these forums that would consolodate this type of information.

Here ya go.

[+The Jester]

I use my Fisher Space Pen. It will write on anything, anywhere.

 

@ $25 each I would hesitate to leave it in a cache, but I carry one with me everywhere I go just in case.

REI has Fisher Space Pen starting at $6.00 (link). Rite-In-The-Rain also has a pen starting at $7.95 (link). I've used both and they write on soaked logbooks well.

[+Stunod]

I use my Fisher Space Pen. It will write on anything, anywhere.

 

@ $25 each I would hesitate to leave it in a cache, but I carry one with me everywhere I go just in case.

REI has Fisher Space Pen starting at $6.00 (link). Rite-In-The-Rain also has a pen starting at $7.95 (link). I've used both and they write on soaked logbooks well.

I got one of the Rite-in-the-Rain pens free when I requested their sample pack a while ago. It works great.

Edited October 13, 2004 by Stunod

[+Prime Suspect]

Another vote for the Fisher Space Pen. I've written on soaking wet logs without a problem. And they won't freeze or leak, since they don't use liquid ink. And that looks like a good deal on the pen available from REI, even though it doesn't appear to be re-fillable.

[CoyoteRed]

I wonder if the refills will fit another pen?

[+Renegade Knight]

Someone should post a pic of the same type of test with the space pens.

[+Prime Suspect]

Someone should post a pic of the same type of test with the space pens.

Test of a Space Pen, on soaking wet notebook paper. There didn't appear to be any bleading of the ink, even after several minutes had passed. I couldn't smudge it with my finger, either.

 

[+The Puzzler]

Regarding space pens:

 

The Rite-in-the-rain pen is the same ink cartidge technology as the space pens (and less expesnive I think). I have used both for labeling bottles during oceanographic experiements where the bottles sloshed around during storms and hot sun, in water filled incubators on the deck of a research ship for a couple of weeks and the ink was still in tact. Sharpies are best if the labels are written on dry, but the space pen technology rules for writing on wet labels.

 

The space pens do not write as well on wet paper as dry paper and they are not as black or as smooth as many other black inks. But, I've never met anything better for writing on wet labels.

 

Well, actually, if you have wet Rite-in-the-rain paper, I prefer writing on it with a pencil, which I think actually writes on the Rite-in-the-rain paper better when wet than when dry (less smudging for some reason). But, pencil won't last for two weeks sloshing around in a deckboard incubator.

 

Just my confusingly specific two cents worth.

[+Prime Suspect]

Sharpies are best if the labels are written on dry, but the space pen technology rules for writing on wet labels.

A downside to Sharpies is that they can bleed through the page. This depends a lot on what type of paper is used. Cheap notebook paper is probably the worst for bleed through. Clay-coated copier paper holds up much better, but is prone to smudging.

[+Alibags]

I use a Fisher Space pen too. One of my favourite stories is how they invested money and technology into developing this pen that would write on wet paper, upside down, in zero gravity, through grease, have thixotropic (only liquid when agitated) ink... This was issued to the USA's astronauts. Tthe USSR issued their cosmonauts with A PENCIL!

 

You can always write in a wet log book with a soft black pencil (HB or softer)! I learned that when I was a geology student and too poor to afford write in the rain notebooks for my field trips.

[+Renegade Knight]

Test of a Space Pen, on soaking wet notebook paper. There didn't appear to be any bleading of the ink, even after several minutes had passed. I couldn't smudge it with my finger, either.

 

Good scan. Can you post another one after 24 hours or so?

[+The Puzzler]

Can you post another one after 24 hours or so?

There won't be any change in the ink (only the paper) unless you agitate it, under water, for a week or two, then you may notice some slight fading, not smudging of the ink.

 

Alibags, Being to poor to buy a Rite-in-the-rain notebook is pretty darn poor, even for a student. Did you have to use the phonebook for TP as well?

[+Monkeybrad]

Another vote for the Fisher Space Pen. I have carried them for years and they are perfect for wet logs. I have given many of them to my caching buddies.

[+The Puzzler]

Wow. What timing. I was in Office Depot a couple hours ago returning a printer when, what to my wondering eyes should appear, but a display of Uniball Power Tank RT pens in blue, red and back, 3 of them for $7.15.

 

They claim to write on wet surfaces and in below freezing weather at any angle. Sound familiar to you space-pen folk?

 

The price is right. The three different colors are a nice break from the black only space-pens/Rite-in-the-Rain-pens.

 

And, being a pretty picky pen user, I hate pens that don't write smoothly in deep dark colors. So far, these new pens are very nice. The black is very slightly darker than the space pen black, and all three colors write very smoothly and are very deep colors.

 

Not many blue pens have a better looking and flowing blue than the Papermate stick pens. The blue Power Tank RT is bluer and smoother than the Papermate.

 

Also, the pen refill is large enough to use as a pen on its own in a cache that is too small for the whole pen.

 

The photo below shows the black Power Tank with the Rite-in-the-Rain pen on the left and the red Power Tank refill on the right.

 

 

On Rite-in-the-Rain paper I compared pen's writing and then smearing with my finger. Below you can see that the Power Tanks out performed both the Rite-in-the-Rain pen and the Papermate pen. Frankly, the biggest surprise is how robust the Papermate stick pen is ($0.25) compared to the others.

 

 

I have a soggy notebook paper test being walked on in the kitchen. I'll post the photos soon.

[+Hard Oiler]

Having lost my expensive Fisher Space pen at a cache (it wasn't even a good cache) I picked up a dozen Uni Powertanks at Staples for about $3 a piece (Canadian). Works just as well and passes the wet log test. For that price I can lose 10 and still be ahead. Here's the test:

 

 

So impressed I just put one in a new cache as a FTF goodie.

[+The Puzzler]

So impressed I just put one in a new cache as a FTF goodie.

And a worthy FTF gift it is. Cheap and worthy.

 

Here are the more exhaustive wet/dry tests I just finished.

 

First test was just writing on dry paper, then soaked (within a few minutes) in water and walked on on the kitchen floor for a while. Clearly, all the products tested, maintained readability ever after wetting. The sharpies and pencil did not blead, but all the ball point pens bled onto the opposite page. The Rite-in-the-Rain bled more than either the Uniball Power Tank or the Papermate stick.

 

 

The sharpie bled through to the other side of the same page (and onto the next) even before wetting. After soaking, all the pens and pencil were visible through the back fo the page.

 

 

The Rite-in-the-Rain is the clearest when writing on wet paper, although all the other pens tested wrote reasonably well (except the pencil which tor the paper and didn't write dark enough to be considered reasonable).

 

 

In the end, I think we can add these Uniball Power Tank pens to our toolbox. The real surprise for me was how well the Papermate Stick pen performed! Wow. And only $0.25 each when purchased by the box.

 

Actually, this shouldn't surprise me too much since my wife demonstrated the wet-writing of the Papermate Stick pen to me several years ago while she was laughing at how silly I was to be excited about my new space pen.