Skilcraft US Government Pens

[Deleted member 16736]

Tired of pens that won't write underwater, in 160 degree heat or minus 40 degree cold? Tired of spending $$$ for pens that run out of ink too soon? What about helping the blind and disabled become productive members of society? Well, have I got the pen for you!

It's called a Skilcraft US Government pen and it's made by blind and handicapped people in Wisconsin. Skilcraft was created by the US government in 1938 to provide work for the blind and in 1971 its mandate was expanded to include the severely disabled. Now it exists as a non-profit company.

This particular pen has been around since 1952, and I'm told it's the best retractable ballpoint pen you can buy for anything close to the money (I just ordered mine). And here's the best part: it's only 50 cents per pen when you buy a pack of 12! A great pen at a great price for a great cause. Plus it's vintage! Now what could be better than that?

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008UARA2I/ref=oh_details_o00_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

[The D.A.]

They really are nice, workhorse pens. I need to get a few myself. My dad was a letter carrier for years, and I remember him bringing those home, along with Scripto pencils marked "U.S. Government." I much prefer the Skilcraft to the neon-colored, cushiony-grip, transparent gel pens found in the supply cupboard at my office.

 

[cw3pa]

I remember these pens from my tenure in the Army. Any color you wanted as long as it was black.

 

[andy b.]

I don't reply to a lot of threads here, but this one I must.

You do know April Fool's Day was four days ago, right?

I can get crates of all the Skilcraft pens I want, and about the kindest thing I can say about them is that in a pinch you could use one to poke the eye out of a terrorist on an airplane. They have to be one of the worst writing, crappiest ink containing pieces of landfill debris I have ever used. I'd rather sign checks with my kids' crayons than a Skilcraft pen. I HOPE they are assembled by blind people because if you could see what you were doing and still made these pieces of garbage you should be fired. I think the statement that "this particular pen has been around since 1952" is truer than you think because every one of them I have ever used writes like it has been in a box in a hot warehouse since at least 1952.

I'm not sure who said it was "the best retractable ballpoint pen you can buy for anything close to the money". Perhaps it was someone who never used a ballpoint pen before and was used to writing with charcoal sticks. Amazon would have to pay ME $6.89 to take a box of those pens off their hands.

Andy B.

 

[kiwilrdg]

If you are looking for a real vintage ball point pen they are the way to go. They are a little more reliable than the Bic crystal pen.

 

[Deleted member 16736]

I don't reply to a lot of threads here, but this one I must.

You do know April Fool's Day was four days ago, right?

I can get crates of all the Skilcraft pens I want, and about the kindest thing I can say about them is that in a pinch you could use one to poke the eye out of a terrorist on an airplane. They have to be one of the worst writing, crappiest ink containing pieces of landfill debris I have ever used. I'd rather sign checks with my kids' crayons than a Skilcraft pen. I HOPE they are assembled by blind people because if you could see what you were doing and still made these pieces of garbage you should be fired. I think the statement that "this particular pen has been around since 1952" is truer than you think because every one of them I have ever used writes like it has been in a box in a hot warehouse since at least 1952.

I'm not sure who said it was "the best retractable ballpoint pen you can buy for anything close to the money". Perhaps it was someone who never used a ballpoint pen before and was used to writing with charcoal sticks. Amazon would have to pay ME $6.89 to take a box of those pens off their hands.

Andy B.

Did a Skilcraft break up with you or something?

 

[Kirk H.]

I don't reply to a lot of threads here, but this one I must.

You do know April Fool's Day was four days ago, right?

I can get crates of all the Skilcraft pens I want, and about the kindest thing I can say about them is that in a pinch you could use one to poke the eye out of a terrorist on an airplane. They have to be one of the worst writing, crappiest ink containing pieces of landfill debris I have ever used. I'd rather sign checks with my kids' crayons than a Skilcraft pen. I HOPE they are assembled by blind people because if you could see what you were doing and still made these pieces of garbage you should be fired. I think the statement that "this particular pen has been around since 1952" is truer than you think because every one of them I have ever used writes like it has been in a box in a hot warehouse since at least 1952.

I'm not sure who said it was "the best retractable ballpoint pen you can buy for anything close to the money". Perhaps it was someone who never used a ballpoint pen before and was used to writing with charcoal sticks. Amazon would have to pay ME $6.89 to take a box of those pens off their hands.

Andy B.

Has their quality gone down hill? I remember getting them handed out to us in training at Ft. McClellan back in the 90's when the Feds were giving out all kinds of free training. They were great writing pens, better than Bics IMHO. The last training we had from there they were handing out something different than Skillcraft.

Kirk H.

 

[andy b.]

Did a Skilcraft break up with you or something?

No, I broke up with the Skilcraft.

Seriously, I have never had good luck with them. I can remember signing the papers for basic training and joining the Army in 1987, and even then I never found a good-writing Skilcraft. In fact, in my desk right here in front of me I just pulled out a plain black Skilcraft, an old white Bic, an old Parker Vector with a gel refill, Pilot Vanishing Point fountain pen, and a black Fisher Space Pen. The Parker writes smooth and silky, even after laying in the drawer for years. The VP puts down a thick, wet line every time, as a good fountain pen should. The Fisher SP has also been laying unused in the drawer for years, and started laying down ink as soon as it hit the paper. The old Bic is from about 20 years ago, and while I can see in the clear ink tube that it has ink, it is skipping like crazy (which is to be expected), but still feels relatively smooth on the paper. The Skilcraft has been in my drawer for a while (because it is crap), and put down a few inches of ink in about 100' of drawing circles and lines. The Skilcraft feels like rubbing a rusty nail across a concrete sidewalk.

Maybe I keep getting old-stock Skilcrafts and they are all dried out, I have no idea, but in 25 years I have never had a good one.

EDIT: I will also admit that gel refills and fountain pens have spoiled me. Nothing irritates me more than a scratchy-writing pen. I'd spend the rest of my days only ever using a fountain pen, except that I need the gel pens to write through multiple copies and let people borrow because most modern humans have no idea how to use a fountain pen.

Andy B.