Bosch Vs. DeWalt

There are a lot of ways to measure tool companies against one another; length of warranty, availability of parts, number of tools in their cordless lines, etc. But we think one of the more important ways is by the quality of pen that they give out at their annual press events. We recently acquired a DeWalt pen at such an event and put it head to head against our Bosch pen we got at an event in the summer of '09.

Ergonomics
The Bosch pen has these three rubberized nubs at the tip, presumably for the thumb and first two fingers. While writing with the pen, our fingers didn't always land comfortably on the nubs making for grip that felt slightly 'off.'. In contrast, DeWalt has encircled the entire lower half of the pen with a rubberized area (save these little yellow hash marks) and has smartly placed a divot on the top side where the first finger lands.
Advantage: DeWalt

Aesthetics
Bosch opted for more of a modern shape, giving their pen tapered ends. The body of the pen is metallic blue with a silver nose and a silver central ring. The pocket clip transitions once again to silver with a graceful angle and curved return back over the pen body. It's a sharp looking pen, one that smells of elegance. The DeWalt pen has less of a rear taper (hardly any at all actually) and the yellow DeWalt color is a tad loud. In addition, the pocket clip sits on the pen in an unremarkable and quite pedestrian fashion.
Advantage: Bosch

Usability
To reveal the tip of the Bosch pen, you have to give the body a quarter twist. It's a silent operation and very smooth. The DeWalt is more old-fashioned with the rear click button. It's a loud click, but it's a solid, satisfying sound.
Advantage: Bosch (if you're sneaking up on someone)
DeWalt (if you're trying to alert someone that you're choking)

Ink Quality
We traded off pens while completing pages 1390 to 1456 of our memoir and we discovered that the Bosch is a smoother ride. This is caused by the release of a consistent and very, very slightly excessive amount of ink. The downside of this is that we noticed some 'blobbing.' The DeWalt glide is a bit stiffer, but the ink lines, while a tad lighter, are more even. Both pens are black, which is good because blue ink would have led to immediate disqualification.
Advantage: DeWalt

Bottom Line
These are both fine pens, each with some good points and some not as good points. We are of the opinion that there's room in the world for both pens. The Bosch is the one that we would bring to the client meeting; it's sleek, professional looking, and the amount of ink dispensed lets us write faster and makes it easier to transcribe the wild demands of the client. The DeWalt, on the other hand, goes in the truck. It's what we fill out our construction log book with. It's bright yellow, so we won't lose it, and when we're stressed out because the stone stair treads were just delivered and they don't fit the metal pans, we can just sit and furiously click the pen while we figure out what to do.

Update: We just got word that Milwaukee is currently developing a 12-volt fountain pen for release in August of 2012.

Read More in: All Reviews | Distractions | Measuring & Marking

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