Looking for a new tactical pen, disappointed in reviews so far

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Gigante

Joined
Jan 4, 2001
Messages
713
I've been googling reviews of tactical pens ("best tactical pen 2022" etc), and it seems most reviews are just garbage.
10 lines of text and a CLICK HERE TO BUY. Just the basics of the pen with an affaliate link to Amazon which makes me
believe they didn't really buy it and test it and use it for any longer period of time.

I'd like some suggestions from you guys for a new pen.

I bought a Hoffman Richter Stinger pen back in 2017 and let me tell you about that pen.

I liked the feel of it, I liked the length, I liked the idea of it.
But the execution was GARBAGE. It unscrews in several places and there's no mechanisms that keeps them screwed together, no CLICK, no little something that you need to apply some extra force to start unscrewing it.

So I was wearing the pen in my jacket pocket and one day I needed it (not for defense, for writing) and lo and behold, it had managed to unscrew itself into 4-5 little pieces in my pocket, all by itself!
If I had actually needed it for defense that failure could've gotten me killed.

So FUCK the Hoffman Richter Stinger and the horse it rode in on. I threw that garbage away.

Now, with that off my chest, I'm looking for a replacement.

My wishlist:
- good grip, I don't mind some knurled segments or rubber, I don't want it to slide out of my hand
- no accidental unscrewing!
- no click-cap to write, I want to be able to manhandle it and grab it without activating the pen part of it
- I'd like a sharp tapered end, not the blunt kind
- lightweight is good
- reasonable price
- flashlight & other gadgetry I don't mind unless it's excessive, as long as quality holds up
- no rattling

What would you suggest?
 
Gigante said:
I've been googling reviews of tactical pens ("best tactical pen 2022" etc), and it seems most reviews are just garbage.
10 lines of text and a CLICK HERE TO BUY. Just the basics of the pen with an affaliate link to Amazon which makes me
believe they didn't really buy it and test it and use it for any longer period of time.

I'd like some suggestions from you guys for a new pen.

I bought a Hoffman Richter Stinger pen back in 2017 and let me tell you about that pen.

I liked the feel of it, I liked the length, I liked the idea of it.
But the execution was GARBAGE. It unscrews in several places and there's no mechanisms that keeps them screwed together, no CLICK, no little something that you need to apply some extra force to start unscrewing it.

So I was wearing the pen in my jacket pocket and one day I needed it (not for defense, for writing) and lo and behold, it had managed to unscrew itself into 4-5 little pieces in my pocket, all by itself!
If I had actually needed it for defense that failure could've gotten me killed.

So FUCK the Hoffman Richter Stinger and the horse it rode in on. I threw that garbage away.

Now, with that off my chest, I'm looking for a replacement.

My wishlist:
- good grip, I don't mind some knurled segments or rubber, I don't want it to slide out of my hand
- no accidental unscrewing!
- no click-cap to write, I want to be able to manhandle it and grab it without activating the pen part of it
- I'd like a sharp tapered end, not the blunt kind
- lightweight is good
- reasonable price
- flashlight & other gadgetry I don't mind unless it's excessive, as long as quality holds up
- no rattling

What would you suggest?
Click to expand...
Good luck. The online reviews are all horrible, you nailed it.
I do not know what to recommend, though I think CRKT has some that might fit what you are looking for. My pen is a Fisher Space pen (CH4) and it is great. It works for me, but it is a clicky pen.
 
I can't speak to its tactical applications, but the Hinderer Investigator is a solid pen and should fit all of your bullet points. They make a variety of attachments for the non-pen end, including a sharper one.

It's smaller than I expected, so do note the dimensions before you commit.
 
look at the benchmade pen, seems to click all your boxes. (They have one that has a removable cap.)

Grizz
 
WE makes a nice titanium pen.
Civivi makes the same pens in hard anodized 6061 aluminum.

I have a Civivi. Same model as this one. Needed a new refill when I got it. Once I put a fresh refill in I found it very satisfactory.
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I bought CS Shark recently
Not really THAT tactical but
it's cheap
and fit my hand perfectly :^)
 
I carry a pen for writing. It would be a dark day that I needed to defend myself with a pen, but I'm lucky enough to live and work in places that don't violate my natural right to carry a gun. Not everybody does, and not everybody can carry a more reliable defensive tool like a good fixed blade. So, a pen?

Well, just about any pen or pencil can do significant damage to the face or an eye. A concentrated impact point can certainly hurt and there may be circumstances where it might help with "get off of me". Being sturdy enough to hold together and stay steady in your grip is probably the hallmark of a "tactical pen". When it comes to actually penetrating the body or doing the kind of damage a dedicated spike or blade would do--the kinds of more definite fight-stopping ability that guns or fixed blades have--don't count on it. Could you either get lucky or your use mad ninja skills to puncture an attacker's jugular? Again, don't count on it.

Honestly, the most important thing is if it feels good in your hand and takes a refill that you like. Another thing to consider is that built-in doodads like on-board flashlights are not great in my experience. (It is best to get a standalone flashlight and there are lots of small ones that I or others could probably recommend.) A built-in glass breaker is kind of neat but much like the ones that come on "tactical" knives, I'm not too keen on smashing glass that close to my hand. If the WE pen looks like it'll work for you, at least you can be reasonably confident that it will be well-made. You might also just search "titanium bolt action pens" and scope out the reviews.
 
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