- Joined
- May 25, 2011
- Messages
- 854
I wasn't quite sure what to expect out of the newly released tactical pen from Fenix. Having never owned a tactical pen previously, I didn't know if the priority would be placed on the pen's usefulness as a writing instrument, or if the tactical aspect would take precedence.
Naturally I was hoping that the T5Ti (tactical pen) would be a premium writing instrument first and foremost, with the tactical ability being an added bonus that is (hopefully) never needed. Happily I can now state that my hopes were well realized.
Inside the shipping box I found a very nice nylon carry bag. The carry bag is black, very well made, and features a zipper for opening/closing the carry bag, and a loop that is suitable for attachment to a clip (keeping the carry bag and pen easily accessible). Inside the carry bag are two pockets with enough room to carry several writing instruments or other personal affects. The sides of the carry bag are nicely padded and covered in a soft felt like material.
The T5Ti itself is a stunning work of art: pure elegance coupled with exquisite craftsmanship and abilities that far exceed any pen that I've ever used (or seen). Constructed out of TC4 Titanium alloy, the pen is both light in weight and extremely strong. I had expected the T5Ti to be far heavier than it actually is – figuring that a metal pen would be considerably heftier than any common pen. It probably is a tiny bit heavier than most pens, but it is much lighter (in weight) than I really expected it to be.
A contrast of gray and a brilliant blue (I got the Storm Blue version) the pen almost seems to shimmer in certain light. The cap screws on (either end) with an ease that speaks of the finely detailed machining process, and features a globally unique serial number. The clip is very sturdy and extends down the length of the cap itself. The tail (of the cap) is flattened – making for a comfortable thumb placement when pressed into using the pen as a defensive tool (or to break glass).
With the exception of the clip, the cap appears to be machined out of one solid piece of Titanium alloy. The ends (of the cap) are solid gray, intersected by a wavy blue groove. The head (of the cap) is engraved with the company name (Fenix) opposite the clip. The body of the cap is a series of fine, blue, cylindrical grooves that are interrupted by four horizontal cutouts in the cap body. The cutout sections reveal a brilliant blue with hints of purple on the inside of the cap.
The striker is constructed of Tungsten hard alloy steel and features a fairly sharp point to ease penetration should the need ever arise. There are four horizontal, blue, grooves cut into the striker end of the pen (someone will probably end up calling them blood grooves). Above the grooves are square-cut threads, with the valley (of the threads) being the same brilliant blue. Just above the top of the threads is a replaceable O-ring.
The center body features a slight concave in the middle and has the same cylindrical grooves that are also interrupted by four longitudinal grooves (the valleys of each groove also being the same brilliant blue).
On the writing end of the pen there are two cylindrical grooves cut near the tip and up toward the main body are the square-cut threads (blue valleys) along with another replaceable O-ring. The area between the threads and the two grooves is smooth – making for a very comfortable grip when writing with the pen. The writing end of the pen can be unscrewed from the main body – making it easy to replace the Schmidt pressurized refill. The refill has a spring and a O-ring on the end. The body parts also appear to have been machined out of solid Titanium alloy.
Fenix offers the T5Ti in three colors: Storm Blue, Space Gray, and Aurora Purple. Each pen comes with the following:
Cloth carry bag
3 spare O-rings
Spec Sheet
Warranty Card
Specs
Length – 5.5 inches
Diameter - .5 inch
Weight – 40 grams
The Storm Blue version comes with blue ink. The other two versions come with black ink.
TC4 Titanium Alloy body
YG8 Tungsten steel hard alloy strike bezel
German Schmidt P950M Pressurized pen refill
Elaborate CNC machining
Features
Writes underwater
Writes upside down
Writes on hard surfaces (such as ceramic tile)
Unlimited shelf life
Lasts up to 3 times as long as other pen refills (about 5500 – 6000 meters, or 3.5 miles of writing).
Conclusions
I didn't try writing underwater, but I did use the T5Ti to write on regular paper that had water poured on it. The pen wrote as advertised. I also wrote upside down (it worked) and used the pen to write on hard plastic (that no other ball point pen would write on). That worked too.
I think the T5Ti is perfectly suited for use in the concrete jungle. It's a fantastic pen that doubles as a tool that can be used to help the user out of a dangerous situation – and it looks great when accompanying business attire. In fact I believe that is its natural environment – a magnificent writing instrument first and foremost, and a capable defensive tool should the need arise.
The pen writes beautifully, is comfortable in my hand and is undoubtedly far stronger than any pen I've ever held. The cylindrical grooves aid grip, and the flat cap provides convenient stability for defensive use. As an added bonus, the T5Ti also draws lots of admiration from slightly jealous onlookers.
There's an old adage about dressing for success; the lesson being that one has to be prepared for success in order to achieve success. Some of that is looking the part. Some is believing in yourself, and some is convincing others.
That all fits in rather nicely with the whole tactical thing – being prepared for what could happen, and preparing yourself to make things happen when necessary. At three and a half Jackson's, the T5Ti isn't cheap – nor should it be. In the big picture, that expense is minimal when it comes to protecting yourself against dangers that are very real for many of us. Hopefully the T5Ti will never have to be used for defensive purposes, but if the occasion arrives where I have to break my vehicle's window, or ward off a would be attacker; the T5Ti gives me the chance to succeed; at a price that is cheap after the fact.
And if I never need to defend myself with the T5Ti – so be it. I guess I'll be left with a masterfully crafted work of art that just happens to double as a pen that works brilliantly. I prefer that option, and I'd still consider the T5Ti to be a great value.
The Fenix T5Ti tactical pen is carried by https://www.knifecenter.com/item/FET5TIBL/fenix-t5ti-halberd-titanium-tactical-pen-storm-blue
Naturally I was hoping that the T5Ti (tactical pen) would be a premium writing instrument first and foremost, with the tactical ability being an added bonus that is (hopefully) never needed. Happily I can now state that my hopes were well realized.
Inside the shipping box I found a very nice nylon carry bag. The carry bag is black, very well made, and features a zipper for opening/closing the carry bag, and a loop that is suitable for attachment to a clip (keeping the carry bag and pen easily accessible). Inside the carry bag are two pockets with enough room to carry several writing instruments or other personal affects. The sides of the carry bag are nicely padded and covered in a soft felt like material.
The T5Ti itself is a stunning work of art: pure elegance coupled with exquisite craftsmanship and abilities that far exceed any pen that I've ever used (or seen). Constructed out of TC4 Titanium alloy, the pen is both light in weight and extremely strong. I had expected the T5Ti to be far heavier than it actually is – figuring that a metal pen would be considerably heftier than any common pen. It probably is a tiny bit heavier than most pens, but it is much lighter (in weight) than I really expected it to be.
A contrast of gray and a brilliant blue (I got the Storm Blue version) the pen almost seems to shimmer in certain light. The cap screws on (either end) with an ease that speaks of the finely detailed machining process, and features a globally unique serial number. The clip is very sturdy and extends down the length of the cap itself. The tail (of the cap) is flattened – making for a comfortable thumb placement when pressed into using the pen as a defensive tool (or to break glass).
With the exception of the clip, the cap appears to be machined out of one solid piece of Titanium alloy. The ends (of the cap) are solid gray, intersected by a wavy blue groove. The head (of the cap) is engraved with the company name (Fenix) opposite the clip. The body of the cap is a series of fine, blue, cylindrical grooves that are interrupted by four horizontal cutouts in the cap body. The cutout sections reveal a brilliant blue with hints of purple on the inside of the cap.
The striker is constructed of Tungsten hard alloy steel and features a fairly sharp point to ease penetration should the need ever arise. There are four horizontal, blue, grooves cut into the striker end of the pen (someone will probably end up calling them blood grooves). Above the grooves are square-cut threads, with the valley (of the threads) being the same brilliant blue. Just above the top of the threads is a replaceable O-ring.
The center body features a slight concave in the middle and has the same cylindrical grooves that are also interrupted by four longitudinal grooves (the valleys of each groove also being the same brilliant blue).
On the writing end of the pen there are two cylindrical grooves cut near the tip and up toward the main body are the square-cut threads (blue valleys) along with another replaceable O-ring. The area between the threads and the two grooves is smooth – making for a very comfortable grip when writing with the pen. The writing end of the pen can be unscrewed from the main body – making it easy to replace the Schmidt pressurized refill. The refill has a spring and a O-ring on the end. The body parts also appear to have been machined out of solid Titanium alloy.
Fenix offers the T5Ti in three colors: Storm Blue, Space Gray, and Aurora Purple. Each pen comes with the following:
Cloth carry bag
3 spare O-rings
Spec Sheet
Warranty Card
Specs
Length – 5.5 inches
Diameter - .5 inch
Weight – 40 grams
The Storm Blue version comes with blue ink. The other two versions come with black ink.
TC4 Titanium Alloy body
YG8 Tungsten steel hard alloy strike bezel
German Schmidt P950M Pressurized pen refill
Elaborate CNC machining
Features
Writes underwater
Writes upside down
Writes on hard surfaces (such as ceramic tile)
Unlimited shelf life
Lasts up to 3 times as long as other pen refills (about 5500 – 6000 meters, or 3.5 miles of writing).
Conclusions
I didn't try writing underwater, but I did use the T5Ti to write on regular paper that had water poured on it. The pen wrote as advertised. I also wrote upside down (it worked) and used the pen to write on hard plastic (that no other ball point pen would write on). That worked too.
I think the T5Ti is perfectly suited for use in the concrete jungle. It's a fantastic pen that doubles as a tool that can be used to help the user out of a dangerous situation – and it looks great when accompanying business attire. In fact I believe that is its natural environment – a magnificent writing instrument first and foremost, and a capable defensive tool should the need arise.
The pen writes beautifully, is comfortable in my hand and is undoubtedly far stronger than any pen I've ever held. The cylindrical grooves aid grip, and the flat cap provides convenient stability for defensive use. As an added bonus, the T5Ti also draws lots of admiration from slightly jealous onlookers.
There's an old adage about dressing for success; the lesson being that one has to be prepared for success in order to achieve success. Some of that is looking the part. Some is believing in yourself, and some is convincing others.
That all fits in rather nicely with the whole tactical thing – being prepared for what could happen, and preparing yourself to make things happen when necessary. At three and a half Jackson's, the T5Ti isn't cheap – nor should it be. In the big picture, that expense is minimal when it comes to protecting yourself against dangers that are very real for many of us. Hopefully the T5Ti will never have to be used for defensive purposes, but if the occasion arrives where I have to break my vehicle's window, or ward off a would be attacker; the T5Ti gives me the chance to succeed; at a price that is cheap after the fact.
And if I never need to defend myself with the T5Ti – so be it. I guess I'll be left with a masterfully crafted work of art that just happens to double as a pen that works brilliantly. I prefer that option, and I'd still consider the T5Ti to be a great value.
The Fenix T5Ti tactical pen is carried by https://www.knifecenter.com/item/FET5TIBL/fenix-t5ti-halberd-titanium-tactical-pen-storm-blue