"Tactical" Pens

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InkEd

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I have noticed over the past few years, alot of knife/firearm/flashlight companies have been offering "tactical" pens. They are definitely a last choice "weapon" but for those who air travel or work in enivroments that do not permit any form of regular self-defense equipment, PERHAPS they serve a purpose.

Anyone own one or have any experience with them? (Actually tested their strength as a striking/stabbing/glass break tool?) My guess is they are probably high quality refillable ballpoint pens but I was just curious.

FWIW I have an inexpensive Zebra F-701, which I'm guessing is probably just as effective. Plus, If I lose it's not going to bother me too much since the pen is under $10. (Anyone that's lost an expensive knows what I'm talking about here.)
 
I have noticed over the past few years, alot of knife/firearm/flashlight companies have been offering "tactical" pens. They are definitely a last choice "weapon" but for those who air travel or work in enivroments that do not permit any form of regular self-defense equipment, PERHAPS they serve a purpose.

Anyone own one or have any experience with them? (Actually tested their strength as a striking/stabbing/glass break tool?) My guess is they are probably high quality refillable ballpoint pens but I was just curious.

FWIW I have an inexpensive Zebra F-701, which I'm guessing is probably just as effective. Plus, If I lose it's not going to bother me too much since the pen is under $10. (Anyone that's lost an expensive knows what I'm talking about here.)
Click to expand...

Depending on which Tactical pen you have......the TSA or any other security will treat it the same as a weapon....so if you want to fly with a pen, avoid the "FLESH MAULER EXTREEEEME!"...pretty much, if it looks like a weapon....its a weapon.

most tactical pens are FAR to large to use as actual pens.....and quite frankly look goofy and tacky.

i personally have 2 of the County comm embassy pens(1 in Titanium and 1 standard).......they are 100% bomb proof.
not so great as a stabbing weapon....but i suppose it would make a fairly decent kubotan.

however, i didnt buy mine for use as tactical pens, i like them them as sturdy well made pens.

as for the 701....if you want to use it for a "tactical" pen, i would find another choice, while they may have a metal exterior, all the internals and structural components are fairly weak plastic....and it will most certainty break upon any impact.

if you want a classy cheap "tactical" pen.....the stainless steel parker jotter is great, 100% metal and is only $10

also, the original space pen is another good choice, a little longer than the jotter, it too is also 100% metal, and will run you about $30.

all of those are absolutely bomb proof, and function great as actual pens, which is how they are going to be used 99.999% of the time
 
We've had plenty of threads on pens in self defense applications and pens made for self defense applications there in NFW.

I carry a Timberline all the time. I've carried it all over the U.S. and SW Asia. TSA mostly ignores it, but Kuwait airport security has taken 3 of them before letting me on the flight home. "You could stab someone with that." Well, DUH, you could with a Bic pen also, how is that relevant?
 
I have carried a stainless steel Parker with a Space Pen refill in it for about forever.

Never had to stab anyone in the carotid artery with it, but I reckon it could if I did.

Last time I had jury duty, it got in but my little SAK and fingernail clippers didn't.

rc
 
I've been carrying the same old Cross pen for over thirty years now. It, and my Irish blackthorn stick have flown to France, Italy, and England with no problems. The stick gets more attention than the pen. They always x-ray it to make sure it's one solid piece of wood, with nothing concealed in it. Then they always ask if I need any help. I guess sometimes it pays to have white chin whiskers.

Carl.
 
I like my Retro 51 Tornado. Nice and hefty and not tactical.
 
I'm very fond of the embassy pen another post has mentioned. Nice round points, won't impale yourself if you sit on it, but plenty pointy with the cap off.

I got one when they first came out. The closest scrutiny I ever got was a coworker borrowing my stainless steel one and noted how heavy it was. This lead to a nice conversation about govt contract orders (these pens all have CASE numbers on the cap, indicating they are leftovers from a DOD order).

I do have a "fighting" pen story, but it's not really self-defense so much as teenage buffoonery. This guy who sat next to me in high school was fond of pushing me around and like to smack the back of my head or swipe stuff off my desk when I wasn't looking. Finally I pinned his arm while he was mid-swipe and ground the tip of my old metal mechanical pencil into his tricep. He didn't try it again after that and later moved his seat.

A pen of sufficient durability is good, but more important is knowing where to jab it.
 
I have several Cross and Zebra all metal ink pens they write great and will do the Job if needed. Hats off to my friend who was a Long time Ark State Trooper who showed me what you can do with a Cross Pen.
 
I have a SureFire. It is not worth the price but it was worth the price I paid. Free from the SureFire rep at the place I worked.

It is one awesome item. Writes very nice and is one solid piece of metal.
 
Tactical pens strike me as a bit silly, but I do like the idea of a sturdy metal pen.

if you want a classy cheap "tactical" pen.....the stainless steel parker jotter is great, 100% metal and is only $10
Click to expand...

Could you take it apart and double check for me? I have an ordinary Jotter and the stainless upper half has a lot of plastic in it.
 
I like the Cold Steel Pocket Shark it is a marker with a very hard plastic body and the tip is very hard. You can put dents in wood with it. Only down side is the pocket clip broke off. They sell for about $10 bucks.
 
Yeah, I had a great stainless Waterman that I lost and decided not to buy anymore pens that I would care about if lost. I don't plan on using any pen for more than writing but an any all metal one seems to be as good of last ditch stabbing tool as the next. Kind of what I figured.
 
InkEd said:
Yeah, I had a great stainless Waterman that I lost and decided not to buy anymore pens that I would care about if lost. I don't plan on using any pen for more than writing but an any all metal one seems to be as good of last ditch stabbing tool as the next. Kind of what I figured.
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Yep Cross, Zebra or any other sturdy all metal ink pens will do as much damage to a soft tissue area as good as the fancy over priced Tactical Ink pen.
 
Well, I'm now in possession of a Cross pen, the Elishewitz Tao Pen, a S&W/Taylor Tactical Pen, and a Wagner Swisspen which has little swiss army tools that unfold from it.

Going to do a review of all of them against each other soon, all three cost under $50 (I think under $40).
 
I still need to write a strongly-worded letter to Zebra and ask why they won't make gel refills for the F-701. I love the thing, but compared to my G-301s it writes so scratchy and rough...
 
Gord said:
I still need to write a strongly-worded letter to Zebra and ask why they won't make gel refills for the F-701. I love the thing, but compared to my G-301s it writes so scratchy and rough...
Click to expand...
Sounds like you got at bad refill. Try another one. I had this happen last year.
 
I have not looked recently but I remember you used to be able to purchase a long list of solid metal business pens.
Some stronger than others, but many were built very sturdily.

Even many cheap $1 pens have a very strong tapering metal cap. Those steel caps are stronger than any part of the human body, and the pen body fits into them so they would act as a spear point. Several such $1 pens are built so strong you can put them point first on cement and stand on the other end and have it support the weight of a full grown man. Only the ink tip is damaged, the cap and body of the pen will just be scratched up.
Clearly they can take more force than anyone would strike with.


This marketing of tactical pens as a result strikes me as quite gimmicky. They are essentially making money by telling people "Hey, you can use a pen as a weapon too."

They then get to make large profits selling a $1-2 pen for $20-50.
For that price you can actually get much nicer equally solid professional looking pens.
Absent the stigma of being marketed as a weapon.


Has your average available pen deteriorated in quality so much that you have to purchase special "tactical" pens just to get one solid enough?


If I ever used a regular item as a weapon and had to answer for it in court I wouldn't want it to be a purpose made weapon unless it actually was enough of an improvement to warrant the extra scrutiny jurors will give me.
Which in my opinion tactical pens do not reach.
It might just take a little more examination of quality before you purchase a normal item to make sure it is solid enough for ninja missions.
I do like overbuilt items in general, they don't break when being used for their intended purpose.


Honestly it is a gimmicky market playing on fears to provide a sense of security to people by giving them a regular solid pen and telling them they can now protect themselves better than they could before.
 
Anyone remember the scene in the movie Casino where the Joe Pesshi charicter stabbed the guy in the throat repeatadly with a pen?
 
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