this post was submitted on 16 Feb 2024
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Here is a Very Specific Object. For one of the nine people in the world who own a Pilot Down Force pen (I already excluded myself from the total), here's a direct fit replacement clip for when yours breaks.

Who cares, and why? Well, part of this pen's deal is that the clip is absolutely required to use it. That's because the angled rib on the clip is part of the hold-open mechanism. No clip, no write.

And now, no problem.

https://www.printables.com/model/768071-pilot-down-force-replacement-clip

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[–] [email protected] 14 points 8 months ago (1 children)

I'm going to just go ahead and say.

What a terrible design for a pen. your part is quite snazzy, though.

[–] [email protected] 13 points 8 months ago (1 children)

The concept is that if you slide it into your shirt pocket, the clip slides open and the pen closes. Bam, no more ink stains on your pocket.

It's clever, but probably not much of a problem since people don't really carry around pens that way anymore.

[–] [email protected] 18 points 8 months ago (2 children)

It's twofold. That's half of it. The other half is there's a piston in the clicker button that pressurizes air against the ink in the cartridge so it'll do all the usual writes-upside-down-in-space-underwater malarkey. Only without the need for specialized pressurized cartridge.

Having the hold-open on the clip, separated from the pressurizer, probably immensely simplifies the mechanical design. And probably ironically makes it stronger.

(And I carry my pen that way all the time.)

[–] [email protected] 5 points 8 months ago (1 children)

How often do you find yourself writing upside down in space?

[–] [email protected] 8 points 8 months ago

He travels to Australia twice a month

[–] [email protected] 5 points 8 months ago

Thats actually pretty cool

[–] [email protected] 1 points 8 months ago

That really looks like an AR-15 extractor.

[–] [email protected] -2 points 8 months ago (2 children)

You did some decent engineering on a cheap disposable pen. I hope it was worth the effort.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 8 months ago

I'm only seeing prices for these in the $80 range online.