I love beautiful writing implements, and I’ve collected a few over the years. I’ve sadly lost a couple over the years, too. There are a variety of Bluetooth trackers on the market these days to help you keep up with your valuables, but you can’t exactly hang a fob on your ballpoint pen. But now, thanks to Cross and TrackR, you’ll be able to find that pen that was left behind or “borrowed” without the use of dangling security fobs.
The Peerless TrackR ballpoint pen pairs with the TrackR app on your smartphone via Bluetooth (connectivity up to 100ft). Whenever you walk away from your pen, the pen will notify your app of its last location. If the pen is disconnected from your mobile device, then TrackR’s Crowd Locate community will automatically start searching for the pen and send you a report of where the pen was when one of the TrackR community passes by it. And like other TrackR devices, your pen can even help you locate your phone when it’s misplaced, even when your phone is set to silent mode, with a simple press of a button on the pen.
The Peerless TrackR measures 5.76″ long with a 0.52″ diameter; it weighs 1.5 ounces. The Bluetooth TrackR is powered by two replaceable CR1220 batteries. The pen is available in Carbon Black or Quartz Blue; both pens are accented in shiny chrome. The Peerless TrackR Ballpoint Pen is $250, from Cross and $149.99 from Amazon.
Filed in categories: News
Tagged: Pens
Never lose your nice pen again, thanks to Cross and TrackR originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on November 3, 2017 at 9:00 am.
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As with many of us Gadgeteers, most especially our fearless Gadgeteer-in-Chief, Julie, I like writing implements of all kinds, but I really like pens. Something about a well designed and built pen elevates the experience of handwriting, which feels increasingly like a lost art, to a higher plane of enjoyment. That said, I’ve been a big fan of Baron Fig for several years, now, having reviewed both their 
Of note is that the Squire began life as a very successful crowdfunded Kickstarter campaign. I believe that those pens shipped with a square box, but this cylindrical box seems more suited to the shape of the object inside it.
I’d also point out that the Squire’s package was quite protective, as seen above. It was basically encased in a block of foam within a semi-rigid cardboard cylinder. In fact, the bottom portion of the box can be used as an upright pen stand.
Baron Fig’s products are all designed to be minimalist in style, and the Squire fits into that philosophy perfectly. Only two logos are present on it, “BARON FIG” and a sword emblem.
The sword emblem, as seen above, comes from Baron Fig’s tagline for the Squire, which is, “The pen is a mighty sword.”
The Baron Fig logo and the sword appear to be laser-etched into the aluminum body and backfilled with paint or some type of pigment. Bottom line is that they look and feel like they will last a long time without wearing off, if ever.
The shape of the Squire tapers from wider near the writing tip to narrower at the logo end, similar to the sword logo depicted on it.
Above is an exploded view of the components of the Squire. It consisted of four parts, the main body, the twist top, the ink cartridge and a spring. Accessing the cartridge is simple: just twist the top far to the left and unscrew it, then remove the cartridge and spring. Reverse the order to replace the cartridge, which are available in black, blue, red and green ink colors. The refills are sold by Baron Fig in a 3-pack for $12. (FYI NOTE: Doing a bit of research, it appears likely that the Squire uses the Schmidt P8126 0.6mm Short Capless Rollerball ink refill.)
Above, you can see the tapered shape of the Squire, which is very ergonomic. This subtly tapered shape prevents your fingers from sliding down toward the tip while you are writing.
Even the length of the Squire has been carefully considered. It is shorter than the average pen but longer than the average “pocket” pen, so it fits into a perfect spot for either using it at the office all day or tossing it into your pocket as part of your mobile EDC. Plus, since it is twist-to-open and not push-button, you don’t have to worry about it opening accidentally and inking your britches.
