Repair Essentials: LED Lenser Bore Light

When you really need to see what’s down there in that pen’s
cap or barrel, what you need is light. A lot of light.

What you need is LED Lenser.

Every pen repairer, amateur or professional, needs the best light available to see down into the depths of barrels and caps. The most versatile light you can use is a gooseneck LED light. You can buy a bargain-priced gooseneck LED light, but what you’ll get is dim light and short battery life. And with the “bargain” LED lights that you find at hardware stores and all over the Web, you’ll also be replacing the unit when it breaks (which it will do on a regular basis). Not a good bargain, all things considered.

The solution is our Mini LED Lenser. After going through half a dozen other kinds of bore lights, we’ve settled on this one to use at the Nashua Pen Spa. It’s a little beefier than the cheapo LED models, but that extra bit of heft gives you more robust construction and the brightest light we’ve found in a unit this size. Compare for yourself:

Model	Light Output	Battery Life	Weight
Mini LED Lenser	6 lumens	74.5 hours	1.59 oz (45.0 g)
$5.00 hardware store unit	3.5 lumens	35 hours	0.60 oz (16.7 g)
Notes: This unit is one of two that we bought. The other one failed within two weeks, and this one’s pushbutton power switch has always been unreliable. Only rich people can afford cheap tools!

Price: $14.00 (Add to shopping cart)

If you prefer a pen-style LED light and don’t need super brightness, our handy Pocket Pen Light may be just what you need. We actually use both styles here at the Nashua Pen Spa.