Small Pens

Tools for Possibilities: issue no. 178

Instant ink brush

Pentel Pocket Brush Pen

Leave it to the Japanese to create a brush pen. This pocketable pen has a super fine brush tip of actual bristles, perfect for tiny Kanji characters, or of course, doodling in your journal, or sketching in your Moleskine. While it’s hugely popular with comic book folks and cartoonists, artists of all stripes have picked one up for their paper work. The feel is incredibly tactile and lovely. It works like a fountain pen, with replaceable rich ink cartridges. Once capped it doesn’t leak as far as I can tell. (There’s a moment of panic when you first assemble it since the instructions are 100% in Japanese, but just insert the ball-bearing end of the ink capsule into the tip.) You can purchase other color inks as well. — KK

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Ultracompact wallet pen

Ohto Petit-B

I usually carry a bunch of pens in a leather pocket protector (a beautiful, inexpensive thing from John C. Robert’s Leather Works). My wife despairs when we go someplace nice and I’m carrying all this stuff. So I wanted a small pen that would fit unobtrusively in my pocket. The previously reviewed Derringer Pen is just a little too long for my wallet.

This Ohto pen, just a bit smaller, is ideal. It’s only 3.1 inches closed, 5.1 inches open, and fits perfectly in the fold of my wallet. — David Derbes

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Almost invisible pen

Swiss Army Replacement Pen

I got my ruler out to see if it would clip into my wallet and found that the 4″ long stainless steel Derringer wallet pen would protrude from my 3.88″ wallet. That is unlike the pen I’ve already got in my wallet, which is almost invisible unless you know it’s there. I use — and have done so for many years — a Swiss Army Knife pen refill, Victorinox model number 30422.

It costs $2.95. It’s a replacement pen for the one that comes as original equipment in Swiss Army Knives. 91mm (2.75″) long, with a gray, curved top that fits snugly into the body of a Swiss Army Knife, these handy little pens come in blue or black ink. There’s also an even smaller (2″ long) version that fits the smaller, key-chain size knives. I don’t recommend it because it’s very difficult to grasp and write with.

Now, you are not going to want to copy out Moby Dick with my little pen, but for quick notes, sudden flights of fancy or inspiration, phone numbers, and the like, you can’t beat it. And I always have a pen. So often no one does, and I don’t think I do, until I realize hey, I do have one. People smirk and scoff but they’re very glad when they see it writes just fine. A life-saver. — Joseph Stirt

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Write-anywhere minimalism

Fisher Bullet Space Pen

I like to have a few essential tools with me at all times: my Swiss Army knife, a keychain LED flashlight, a pocket notebook and a pen for scribbling notes whenever inspiration strikes.

I’d searched a long time for a pen that was small enough to carry around in my pocket, yet comfortable to write with and reliable enough to work every time I needed it. I finally found it with the Fisher Space Pen.

Everyone has heard of the legendary Space Pen, which was developed for the space program and writes upside down, under water and in extreme temperatures. They make many different varieties of the Space Pen, but the most useful and elegant is the Bullet (pictured alongside Uniball).

The Fisher Bullet is in two pieces: the actual pen, and a cap that fits on the back of the pen to make a full-size writing instrument. When closed, it makes a compact, tight-fitting, gasket-sealed capsule that easily fits in your pocket. It comes with a shirt pocket clip that can be removed, so it’s less obtrusive in your pants pocket.

You can get it in chrome, but the matte black finish is so much cooler. — Curtis Galloway

Fisher Stowaway Space Pen

After losing two (expensive) Fisher Bullet Space Pens, I stumbled across their significantly less expensive Stowaway ($10). They’re small, available in three styles, with or without a clip on the cap, and with a stylus on the opposite end of the tip. Three colors, too: black, red and blue. — Eric Rosenberg

I always liked the idea of Paul Fisher’s bullet-shaped Space Pens but at around $20 always felt they were not worth the benefits (writing anywhere, upside down, any temperature, under water, over grease, etc.). Now they sell a tiny (4 x 0.4 x 0.4 in.; 5.1 in. in writing mode) pretty-much-weightless tube pen called the Stowaway with the famous ink refill, for about half the price of the Bullet. I bought a mess of them and threw one in every jacket. — Vince Crisci

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Affordable, pocketable pens

Zebra Compact and Telescoping Pens

I’ve always wanted a small pen to keep with me at all times for quick notes and such. I’ve even considered taking a hacksaw to the venerable Bic ballpoint pen to keep in my wallet. One of the things that kept me from doing that was worrying about it exploding and flooding my pocket with ink.

Fortunately, Zebra has come up with a far more elegant and affordable solution with the Telescopic and F-301 Compact pens. Both feature a metal body made popular in their other pens. The telescopic pen body extends to a regular pen length when full telescoped, and exposes the tip, ready to write. Retracting the pen body for stowage fully retracts the tip safely into the body, like a frightened turtle. It fits neatly in the fold of my tri-fold wallet. I found them at my local OfficeMax for about $5. So far, it’s survived some gnarly crashes during snowboarding trips, and being sat on daily with out a single dent. —K. Rhainos

The Zebra Compact closes to a small size and has a clip for shirt pockets. I have used this pen for a couple of years. In the past I’ve used the previously reviewed Fisher Space Pen but they are expensive and easy to lose because they are so smooth. This pen is cheap and even cheaper when you can find them at Walmart. Not only that but the refills are cheap, too! — Chris Acree

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Ever ready pen

Derringer Wallet Pen

Not earth-shattering, but this wallet pen is really handy. I am never without something to write with. The good thing about the pen is that it clips in, so I never have to worry about where I put it. — Chuck Green

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Once a week we’ll send out a page from Cool Tools: A Catalog of Possibilities. The tools might be outdated or obsolete, and the links to them may or may not work. We present these vintage recommendations as is because the possibilities they inspire are new. Sign up here to get Tools for Possibilities a week early in your inbox.

02/23/26

Retro Recomendo: Sleep

Recomendo - issue #502

Our subscriber base has grown so much since we first started nine years ago, that most of you have missed all our earliest recommendations. The best of these are still valid and useful, so we’re trying out something new — Retro Recomendo. Once every 6 weeks, we’ll send out a throwback issue of evergreen recommendations focused on one theme from the past 9 years.

Brown noise for better sleep

I use a simple and free app called Soundly Sleeping to play brown noise while sleeping. It muffles the wheeze of my CPAP machine and other unwelcome nighttime noises. (Brown noise is mellower than white noise). — MF

Silicone earplugs

Mack’s moldable silicone earplugs are superior to squishy foam earplugs because they completely seal the opening to your ear. They do a fantastic job of blocking out sound. These silly-putty-like plugs have saved my sleep many times when staying in noisy hotels and Airbnbs. — MF

Non-Sleep Deep Rest tracks

Non-Sleep Deep Rest (NSDR), also known as yoga nidra, induces deep relaxation while maintaining awareness. If you’re too tired to nap but can’t fall asleep, I’ve found that one of these free 9-minute NSDR tracks produces a similar restorative effect. The guided breathing slows my heart rate, while the body scans draw my focus away from external stimulation into a state of pure rest. — CD

Wake up earlier, naturally

I wasn’t sure I’d like the Philips Wake-Up Light Alarm Clock, but in just a month it’s trained me to wake up earlier—naturally. I set the alarm for my desired time, and the light gradually brightens about 20 minutes beforehand. That’s usually when I wake up. When the wake-up light doesn’t work, I get woken up by the sounds of birds chirping. Either way, I’m never startled or grumpy. — CD

Bargain mattresses

Auto tires are such a bargain at Costco that many folks get a Costco membership just for the tires. Mattresses are a similar bargain. You can get high quality branded mattresses – including classic bedspring models – for a lower price from Costco than from almost anywhere else. And Costco will deliver to the room, set up, and haul away your old mattress at no extra cost. And you can order them online. — KK

Cheap nightlights

I’ve spread these ultra-cheap Uigos LED nightlights throughout our home. They are bright enough to guide me in the dark, but not too bright to use any measurable energy. A six-pack is $10. — KK

02/22/26

Book Freak #197: The Denial of Death

Why We Do What We Do

Get The Denial of Death

Winner of the Pulitzer Prize, The Denial of Death argues that the terror of mortality is the mainspring of human activity — that everything we do, from building civilizations to seeking love, is ultimately an attempt to transcend our animal fate and achieve symbolic immortality.

Core Principles

The Terror at the Core

Human beings are unique among animals in knowing they will die. This awareness creates a paralyzing terror that we spend our entire lives managing. The basic motivation for human behavior is not sex (as Freud claimed) but our biological need to control this existential anxiety — to deny the terror of death. The deeper and richer one’s life becomes, the more one senses how much there is to lose, which sharpens the fear of annihilation.

The Vital Lie of Character

To function in daily life, we construct what Becker calls “character armor” — a set of psychological defenses that keep the awareness of death unconscious. This “vital lie” lets us feel safe and pretend the world is manageable. Neurosis occurs when these defenses break down, and we can no longer maintain our illusions.

Immortality Projects

We cope with mortality by pursuing “immortality projects” — activities that give us a sense of lasting significance. These can be almost anything: religion, art, politics, wealth, fame, having children, or belonging to a group larger than ourselves. They buffer our anxiety and provide self-esteem by letting us feel part of something that will outlive us.

The Source of Human Conflict

Because our immortality projects are symbolic constructions, the mere existence of people with different beliefs threatens our sense of security. Wars, genocide, racism, and nationalism often stem from clashing immortality projects — each side unconsciously defending against death anxiety by destroying the “other” whose worldview invalidates their own.

Try It Now

1. Identify your primary “immortality project” — the activity or identity that gives you a sense of lasting significance. Is it your career? Family? Creative work? A cause?
2. Notice how you react when someone criticizes or dismisses this project. Does the intensity of your reaction reveal something about how much you depend on it for self-esteem?
3. Consider: What would remain meaningful to you if you truly accepted that you will die and be forgotten? Write down three things.
4. Pay attention today to moments when you distract yourself from uncomfortable thoughts. Shopping, scrolling, drinking — what might you be avoiding?
5. Ask yourself Becker’s question: “Am I living my own life, or am I living the lie I need in order to feel safe?”

Quote

“The irony of man’s condition is that the deepest need is to be free of the anxiety of death and annihilation; but it is life itself which awakens it, and so we must shrink from being fully alive.”

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Book Freak is published by Cool Tools Lab, a small company of three people. We also run Recomendo, the Cool Tools website, a YouTube channel and podcast, and other newsletters, including Recomendo Deals, Gar’s Tips & Tools, Nomadico, What’s in my NOW?, Tools for Possibilities, Books That Belong On Paper, and Book Freak.

02/20/26

Lodging Hacks/Unusual Tours/Better Asia Nomad Options

Nomadico issue #194

Lodging Hacks to Save You Money

I’ve mentioned many money-saving lodging strategies over the years in this newsletter, but I collected them all in one place in this blog post and it’s likely there’s at least one you haven’t considered. I mention day passes, home exchanges, credit card hacking, and alternative apartment services, but here’s an easy one to try for your next trip. When booking a hotel or apartment, stay somewhere near a metro stop well removed from the main tourist zone if you’ll be in a popular city. The rates are almost significantly lower for the lodging, but by extension for restaurants and grocery stores too.

Truly Off-the-Beaten Path Tours

Nomadico co-founder Kevin Kelly has taken several tours with Young Pioneer Tours, whose motto is “leading group tours for people who hate group tours to destinations your mother would rather you stay away from,” and at budget prices. They deliver all that, famously taking small tours to restricted places like North Korea, Turkmenistan, Iran, Iraq, and Afghanistan, and to “Unrecognized Countries” mostly in Africa. They just started offering a new tour to Least Visited Countries, mostly Pacific island “countries” that are normally very hard or expensive to reach. While these tours may sound dangerous, they don’t go where it is actually dangerous. Rather they are adventurous. See a North Korea story from the founder in Perceptive Travel.

United and Jet Blue Now Connected

I announced last summer that a big alliance was forming that would let Jet Blue and United loyalty members seamlessly access (and earn from) each others’ flights and now it looks like they’ve got the systems connected. This gives you many more destinations options (plus JFK in NYC) if you’re sitting on a lot of United miles and opens up the world if you’ve got JetBlue ones instead. Eventually you’ll be able to book one ticket that includes both airlines too and they say that elite status recognition will be reciprocal eventually. See the details here.

Digital Nomads Getting Slightly Better Options in Southeast Asia

Asia is a hugely popular continent for digital nomads, especially in the desirable countries with low living costs like Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, and Indonesia. Trying to stay on legally and work remotely has historically been tough, however, and as this article on recent changes points out, “Nomads spent money locally, governments avoided costly enforcement, and everyone looked the other way.” While Thailand’s DTV that’s potentially good for five years is far and away the best on offer now, the other countries are scrambling to compete by finally making it attractive for non-retirees to stick around legally.

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A weekly newsletter with four quick bites, edited by Tim Leffel, author of A Better Life for Half the Price and The World’s Cheapest Destinations. See past editions here, where your like-minded friends can subscribe and join you.

02/19/26

What’s in my NOW? — Marcus Baw

issue #242

Marcus Baw is a doctor, developer, and open source campaigner in the UK. He pioneered open source Digital Growth Charts for children, which are deployed across the UK and internationally. His YouTube channel Everything Digital Health tackles all health technology, specialising in open source.

LINKS:
GITHUB | BLUESKY | YOUTUBE: Everything Digital Health | PROJECT: Open Clinical Terminology | PROJECT: GitEHR | COPYQ COMMAND

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PHYSICAL

• Zulay 2 in 1 Citrus Press – an indispensable kitchen item, for its unparalleled ability to squeeze all the aromatic oils from the skin of the fruit, with less effort. The Zulay one has a dual-sized fruit cavity to make it better at adapting to the sizes of limes and lemons. I came to find out about these relatively late in life – these Mexican style citrus presses are historically not super common in the UK – more usually here we have reamers or terrible glass juicer dishes, neither of which get the aromatic skin oils. Now I would never be without one. Pro Tip: use unwaxed fruit!
• ‘Buff’-style neckwear as a sleeping eyemask – These tubular, stretchy multifunctional scarves are more often used for neckwear, and have multiple conformations they can be used in. I use mine, folded into itself in roughly thirds to form a flat band, as an eyemask for sleeping. They are super comfortable, don’t dig in, don’t get moved out of position, work over sleep headphones and even the genuine Buff™ branded ones are cheap (but cheaper ones are available). They’re great for travel as they have multiple other uses – sweatband, wristband, bandana… I have at least two looped onto all the travel bags I own.
• Sit to Stand Laptop Stand – brings a laptop up to a better working height to avoid neck and back strain. This particular model is extremely solid, high quality aluminium, very flexible to different heights, yet folds down to a very small space for storage or travel. I use it to raise a 16” laptop up to eye height on my desk, as well as for raising the laptop to standing height in the kitchen. Tip: Always use a separate keyboard to keep your arms and shoulders relaxed.

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DIGITAL

• CopyQ – a free, open source, cross-platform clipboard manager. The ability to retain clipped items speeds up my digital workflows more than any other tool. It’s highly configurable, and can even be set up with custom hotkey functions that allow me to type ‘Ctrl’ + ‘1’ to insert my email address, or pretty much anything else you can imagine! I’ve included a link below to some of my open source recipes for commands. Works on any platform – Windows, Mac and Linux.
• Simon Willison’s Weblog on AI and LLM coding – both fascinating and instructive, it is the publication ‘of record’ for LLM-driven coding, maintaining a nice balance between positive developments like new model releases and rapidly advancing capabilities, and thoughtful considerations of the risks such as prompt injection vulnerabilities. I recommend you Subscribe to it and read them as they drop, follow along with the coding, learn from the ideas – stay up to date with AI, without the fanboi AI hype.

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INVISIBLE

“Rules are for the obedience of fools and the guidance of the wise” — Douglas Bader, Royal Air Force (RAF) fighter ace during the Second World War.

Even before I’d heard this quote, I’d always thought this way – guidelines are great but they probably don’t apply to me! In all seriousness, it’s just a good way to humorously remind ourselves that all rules came from other people like you – and while there are many good and fine rules to always obey, those that have thought carefully and fully understand the subject at hand might need to bend them, especially when the benefit can be for all people.

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02/18/26

Batmanga Vol. 1 / Vader

Issue No. 105

BATMANGA – CAMPY, HUMOROUS, AND SOMETIMES SO ON THE NOSE IT’S LAUGHABLE

Batman: The Jiro Kuwata Batmanga Vol. 1
by Jiro Kuwata (illustrator)
DC Comics
2014, 352 pages, 5.8 x 8.2 x 1.1 inches (softcover)

Buy on Amazon

Available for the first time in English, Jiro Kuwata’s Batman is basically a Japanese version of the 1960s Batman TV series. It’s campy, humorous, and sometimes so on the nose it’s laughable. Maybe Batman will escape danger with a goofy, too convenient action, or the villain will taunt Batman with some of the oldest superhero cliches around. It will surely be an adjustment for readers who haven’t experienced any of Batman’s older stories, but it’s important to remember this was produced in the ‘60s, and Kuwata was essentially mimicking the style of Batman that was popular. If you can do that you’ll find a thoroughly enjoyable alternate take on the Caped Crusader and the Dynamic Duo.

Included here are six Batman stories, featuring Batman and Robin vs. unique villains like Lord Death Man and the Human Ball. The story arcs are all standalone and don’t reference each other, however each arc is sub-divided into three to four parts. These villains are all formidable foes and a good mix of character types. Lord Death Man for example keeps coming back from the dead, while the Human Ball wears a metal suit that allows him to bounce off any surface, including Batman’s punches. Each time, Batman is tasked with not just fighting the villain into submission, but using his classic Batman intellect to outthink them and set a trap. I personally love any Batman story that draws heavily on his detective skills, and Kuwata’s work is one of the better examples of how to do it right.

The art style is interesting in that it looks and feels like a Batman comic, but Bruce is also drawn to look Japanese. It’s incredibly authentic and you may even find yourself thinking that Kuwata himself invented Batman in the first place. The book is mostly black and white but a few color pages sneak in, and the chapter cover pages are all in color as well.

This translation keeps all the non-dialogue text in Japanese (signs, paces, SFX, etc.) and helpful translations are snuck into the margins. If you’ve never read manga before, have no fear! Pages are regularly numbered for clarity (as manga reads right to left). They’re small and unobtrusive so manga pros probably won’t even notice them. Two more volumes in the series are available, showcasing Kuwata’s complete run. If you’re a fan of manga or Batman, or hopefully both, you owe it to yourself to check this out. – Alex Strine

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DARTH VADER’S PERSPECTIVE ON A NEW HOPE AND HIS NEED FOR VENGEANCE

Vader: Star Wars Darth Vader Vol. 1
by Kieron Gillen (author) and Salvador Larocca (illustrator)
Marvel
2015, 160 pages, 6.8 x 10.2 x 0.2 inches (softcover)

Buy on Amazon

The graphic novel Vader is the first installment of the series, Star Wars Darth Vader. Published by Marvel, this book collects into one volume the first six issues of Darth Vader. It begins with Vader’s perspective on events of A New Hope. They reflect his need for vengeance because he is in a world of trouble after a really disastrous day at the office. The death star has been destroyed meaning the rule of law is in danger. Sith Lord Darth Vader has failed his master, the emperor, with all that entails for his own personal safety as well as the fact he must seek retribution.

To do that, first he journeys to meet with Jabba the Hutt. Darth Vader wants to work a deal with Jabba and will use force to get it one way or another. Having been a survivor of one of the worst military disasters in the history of the empire and having laid a trap that backfired, Darth Vader has a lot to be responsible for according to the Emperor. Darth Vader wants to find those who escaped on the Millennium Falcon, especially one person in particular, and to destroy any and all who helped them in the past or now.

He is doing all of that while being placed in a subordinate role having been demoted by the Emperor for his failure. Much of what happened prior to this book is referenced here by taking out Luke and inserting Vader into the scenes as everything is told from his perspective. As such prequels and flashbacks make up a significant part of the book. Those journeys into the past serve to enhance the storyline as it moves forward in time as well as refreshing the memory of the reader. It is a nice touch and works very well.

Filled with colorful panels, detailed artwork, and multiple storylines, the pages fly by as Darth Vader’s quest for vengeance unfolds. Writer Kieron Gillen, through panels created by Salvador Larroca, tells a wide-ranging tale that answers some questions while creating many more presumably to be answered in the rest of the series. Colorist Edgar Delgado brings the images to life with vivid colors as well as subtle shading accenting both shadows and the dark forces at work. The artwork is quite impressive and really brings the images to life. If Vader is representative of the following installments of the Star Wars: Darth Vader series, this collection of graphic novels will be a visual and storytelling treat. – Kevin Tipple

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Books That Belong On Paper first appeared on the web as Wink Books and was edited by Carla Sinclair. Sign up here to get the issues a week early in your inbox.

02/17/26

What’s in my NOW? — Marcus Baw