When I reviewed the iPad Pro last month, I noted that one of its best features is support for the fantastic Apple Pencil stylus. I use my Apple Pencil every day to annotate documents, highlight cases and write notes in the margins, take notes during meetings and conference calls, etc. The Apple Pencil is by far the best stylus that I have ever used with an iPad. But as I noted in that review, one of my few gripes is that the Pencil lacks any sort of clip. That means that when I put the Pencil in my shirt pocket to walk to a meeting, it slides around in my pocket. (And there is no place to attach an Apple Pencil to an iPad, so it isn't like I can just attach it there.)
A few weeks ago, I noticed a tweet by California attorney David Sparks that said "Simple solution for rolling Apple Pencil" with a link to the Fisher Chrome Clip for 400 Series Bullet Pen on Amazon. Sparks may have been talking about the Apple Pencil rolling around on a desk as opposed to a pocket, and that hasn't been a big problem for me because of the way that the Apple Pencil is weighted on one side and thus usually comes to rest pretty quickly when it does roll on my desk. But I liked the idea of having a clip on my Pencil for my pocket, and for only $4.99 plus free shipping as an Amazon Prime add-on item, I decided to check it out.
I've now been using this simple clip for several weeks, and I like it quite a bit. Most importantly, it solves my problem. It attaches easily to the Apple Pencil — just remove the cap that covers the Lightning connector and then slide it down a little bit. It is just the right size to have a firm connection to the Pencil; you can slide it up and down to find the best spot, but then it stays there. And it makes it easy to clip the Apple Pencil to my shirt pocket.
This clip is also a pretty good match for the Apple Pencil. While the barrel of the Pencil is mostly white, it does have a silver chrome band near the back. This clip is almost exactly the same color, so it matches the look of the Pencil. The clip is perhaps a tiny bit more shiny than the silver band on the back of the Pencil, but that really depends upon how it catches the light. I wouldn't go so far as to say that it looks like this clip was designed by Apple to go with the Pencil, but it is a fine match.
I've removed this clip from my Apple Pencil many times, and I don't see that it has ever scratched or otherwise damaged the Pencil by being attached.
Considering the popularity of the Apple Pencil, I suspect that others are designing clips to work with the Apple Pencil. I'm not sure how they would improve upon this simple clip, but it wouldn't surprise me if some creative developer has an idea that hasn't yet occurred to me. But until someone else builds a better mousetrap, I'm very happy with this simple clip on my Apple Pencil. It doesn't get in the way of using the Pencil, it makes the Pencil more useful, and it matches the Pencil enough that it doesn't seem awkward when I look at it. And yes, as Sparks noted in his tweet, it also makes it impossible for the Apple Pencil to roll around on your desk.
By the way, this clip is made by Fisher, the company known for its Space Pen used by astronauts. (Click here for that story.) You can also buy this clip directly from Fisher, where it only costs $2.00. However, the cheapest shipping (standard shipping, 7-10 days) costs $5.00, so you are spending a total of $7.00. If you are an Amazon Prime member, and if you are ordering something else and make this an add-on, then you can purchase this clip on Amazon for less money and have it delivered in only two days.
Click here to get the Fisher Chrome Clip for 400 Series Bullet Pen on Amazon ($4.99)
