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- Mar 8, 2008
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- 26,138
As some of you are aware, Taylor Brands has recently released some clones of some of the more popular defense pens on the market under both their Smith & Wesson and Schrade brands. Being an owner of the Mil-Tac TDP-1, of which the Schrade is a clone, I couldn't pass up the chance to get one and do a side by side comparison.
The largest factor that plays a role here is price. The Mil-Tac has an MSRP of around $90, whilst the Schrade has an MSRP of a mere $40--less than half the cost of the Mil-Tac. So let's see how they stack up against each other, eh?
For starters, we can see the clear similarities between the two. The Schrade is a little longer, a little pointier, and has a flatter clip than the Mil-Tac. Additionally there are five machined flutes on the barrel as opposed to three, and there are some machined bands around the exterior of the cap. The top is also a bit more flat across. It is also slightly heavier in the hand.
The Mil-Tac is one slick pen, as one might expect given who designed it. The clip (which is held in a machined pocket by two T6 screws) is springy and tight, and the whole unit just floats in the hand. It's one heck of a writing tool. All surfaces that ride inside the pocket are smooth, and won't rub or abrade clothing, yet feels decently comfortable in a thumb-reinforced icepick grip. The non-threatening appearance of this pen was what originally drew me to it as opposed to the Benchmade pen series, and it has yet to draw any questions when I use it in public.
The Schrade as a whole feels a little bit sharper in terms of the machining--i.e. less time was spent taking the "edge" off of them, but this doesn't prove irritating to the hand or the pocket, and forms an excellent grip when held in the ice-pick mode. The clip, which is affixed identically to the Mil-Tac, is a bit smaller with a larger contact point. I almost wish the clip was a bit less tight, but at least it means I never have to worry about it popping out of my pocket! That being said, the extra half inch of length makes it slightly less pocketable than the shorter Mil-Tac, but gives it a lot more penetration power with its more tapered point (which isn't SHARP like a Benchmade).
The largest factor that plays a role here is price. The Mil-Tac has an MSRP of around $90, whilst the Schrade has an MSRP of a mere $40--less than half the cost of the Mil-Tac. So let's see how they stack up against each other, eh?
For starters, we can see the clear similarities between the two. The Schrade is a little longer, a little pointier, and has a flatter clip than the Mil-Tac. Additionally there are five machined flutes on the barrel as opposed to three, and there are some machined bands around the exterior of the cap. The top is also a bit more flat across. It is also slightly heavier in the hand.
The Mil-Tac is one slick pen, as one might expect given who designed it. The clip (which is held in a machined pocket by two T6 screws) is springy and tight, and the whole unit just floats in the hand. It's one heck of a writing tool. All surfaces that ride inside the pocket are smooth, and won't rub or abrade clothing, yet feels decently comfortable in a thumb-reinforced icepick grip. The non-threatening appearance of this pen was what originally drew me to it as opposed to the Benchmade pen series, and it has yet to draw any questions when I use it in public.
The Schrade as a whole feels a little bit sharper in terms of the machining--i.e. less time was spent taking the "edge" off of them, but this doesn't prove irritating to the hand or the pocket, and forms an excellent grip when held in the ice-pick mode. The clip, which is affixed identically to the Mil-Tac, is a bit smaller with a larger contact point. I almost wish the clip was a bit less tight, but at least it means I never have to worry about it popping out of my pocket! That being said, the extra half inch of length makes it slightly less pocketable than the shorter Mil-Tac, but gives it a lot more penetration power with its more tapered point (which isn't SHARP like a Benchmade).
