Flat Pens Revisited
Just about a year ago, I was obsessed with making a flat pen that would fit into a book or journal. A flat pen, I reasoned, would allow the pages of a book to "flow" better.
I finally stumbled upon some readily available ones right at Barnes & Noble, which commenter Claire had first brought to my attention the last time I was penhunting in Boston. Thanks for the tip, Claire!
The flattened pen is about 4.5 inches long, 7/16th of an inch wide, and a mere 1/8th inch thick. The clip adds another 1/16ths of an inch to the thickness, but still lies flat. While the build quality is a little on the light side, it's a pretty stable writing instrument for short sessions. There's some flex in the pen body if you exert some force on it, but it's one step above the usual cheap-o novelty pen. They are also prettier than the folding wallet pen I saw on LifeHacker.
Each pen was stamped "patented" with the mark "Slip Grippa", which lead to the manufacturer's website. If you're looking for tsotchkes to give away at a tradeshow, you can order them in a variety of colors from Grippa, singly or in packs. You can order them customized with your own logo and any one of 29 colors (PMS color matching is available too). Perusing the website, I saw that they also have a metal version that might have a more substantial feel. I'll have to get a hold of one and try it out.
If you're near a Barnes & Noble, the flat pens are packaged as bookmark pens and cost $4.95 for a CD-style case of 8. I've heard a rumor that they're also available at some drugstores.
UPDATE: So you want to see what they look like inside a moleskine?
Ya know, if these had been different colors, I might pick myself up a set as well. I have a set of Zebra Sarasa pens that I love for their compactness and color availability :)