Consumer Products / Hermes 3000 / Movies, TV, Effluvia / Office Supplies / Typewriters

‘Mission: Impossible’ office supplies

L.T. Hanlon2 Comments

Photo of a typewritten page with the following text. Sunday, June 30, 2019. Chicago, USA. Selecting mission specialists. As a kid, one of my favorite TV series was the original Mission: Impossible. I always enjoyed the ritual introduction that included Briggs or Phelps learning of the mission and then choosing his team members. With some notable exceptions they generally selected the same folks. I've always assumed that the photos of those not chosen were in-jokes. I have a similar approach in mind when I buy office supplies, and often ask myself how a pen, pencil, eraser, or other implement will complement my analog outlook and typewriter collection. One relatively recent addition to my IMF team is the Pilot FriXion erasable pen. It works almost like something Barney Collier would come up with. FriXion pens use a special, heat-sensitive ink that can be easily quote erased unquote when rubbed with its dedicated eraser. I placed erase in quotes because the ink doesn't exactly go anywhere. It's still there and, when exposed to a cold environment like in the freezer will return to visibility. This also means that if you leave paper with writing from such a pen in, say, a locked car on a hot day, your class notes could vanish. But only until you toss that notebook in the freezer. Rocketbook makes several notebooks that expand upon this capability magnificently. The company's Wave notebook is erased by putting it in a microwave oven. Its Everlast notebook employs a specially coated paper (or plastic; I’m not exactly sure what it's made of) that allows FriXion ink to be wiped off with a damp microfiber cloth. I used both kinds of notebooks and am pleased with how they work. FriXion pens also perform excellently on regular paper.

JetPens explains how Pilot FriXion pens work. These folks are a great resource for pens, paper, notebooks, and more. You should also give Rocketbook notebooks a try.

2 thoughts on “‘Mission: Impossible’ office supplies”

  1. Interesting. In essence, one could write a message, subject it to heat – causing it to vanish- and then send it off. To the unsuspecting eye, it would appear to be a blank piece of paper. But to the savvy reader, a quick trip to the fridge would make the message appear. Now that’s Roland Hand at work.

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