Which pen to buy after saving up $80?

P

PV29

Joined
Feb 13, 2007
Messages
171
So I'm saving up $80 to buy a sturdy aluminum pen which could be used as a SD tool if necessary. There are two which both cost about $80 which have been given decent reviews, but I'd be interested to hear what folks here think.

One is the Hinderer Extreme Duty
3.6.08%20004.JPG

3.7.08%20004.JPG


The other is the Mil-Tac TDP
tdp-1-lg.jpg


The TDP looks like a standard pen or PDA stylus and shouldn't raise eyebrows, but most folks won't get alarmed by the Hinderer either. In fact, the Hinderer looks less pointy than the TDP, but that defeats the PDA function a bit.

So it's your $80 which you've saved for the last month or so: Which one would you get? (3rd or 4th options welcome IF they are within the $80 range) ;)
 
I have the Elishewitz TDP. Very light, very ergonomic, a real pleasure to write with. As kubaton or impact weapon, excellent.

I hadn't seen the Hinderer, only his much more expensive kubaton/pen sets. Is this a mid-tech? I'm interested! :D
 
I've got the Elishewitz, Lightfoot, and Perrin pens. I carry the Perrin daily, the Elishewitz rides in my gear bag, always handy. I do not like the Lightfoot. The cap feels like an afterthought, and the refills very short for such a long pen and were hard to find.
 
I've read similar things about the Lightfoot. The cap is flimsy and it doesn't screw down when closed, as compared to the TDP and the Hinderer.

I've seen the Benchmade on some websites and was interested at first. But that severely pointed end just screams "weapon". :eek:
BMPen.jpg


Not a good idea here in the Bloomberg monarchy.

If you go to this link you'll see the different options available for the Hinderer. I've listed the least expensive, and you can get a titanium modular system for close to $300. A bit overboard for me.
http://bluelinegear.com/hinderer.htm

I liked the looks of the Perrin. Any other info you can impart would be appreciated.

Thanks to all for your input. Anything else?
 
I just went to bluelinegear and liked the look of the Hinderer for $80. The bullet end wouldn't be bad, either. The kits with several alternate parts don't appeal to me. Very cool, but I wouldn't use them all.

Perrin. Good pics at the link. The body looks slick but I get a nice grip on it. The top clicks onto the body very positively. Takes a space pen or Parker Jotter refill. The absolute least tactical looking of all of these.

Sorry they're out of stock now that I bought three of them. :)
 
Esav Benyamin said:
I've got the Elishewitz, Lightfoot, and Perrin pens. I carry the Perrin daily, the Elishewitz rides in my gear bag, always handy. I do not like the Lightfoot. The cap feels like an afterthought, and the refills very short for such a long pen and were hard to find.
Click to expand...

the lightfoot is the only one i have. i dont like it either. i think its in my glove compartment.

the cap doesnt retain on the back when writing. drives me nuts.
 
The cap doesn't hold well on the front when it's supposed to be closed, either. The Elishewitz doesn't hold on the back, either, but it does screw on closed. The Perrin is the only real pen among them, and now the Hinderer, too, actually.
 
i like the perrin, looks like an ordinary pen.

the hinderer also looks interesting. but i would primarily be using it at work, and having to unscrew the cap and screw it on the top would not be practical for me.
 
I have the benchmade pen in blue.

I do like it, the cap will go on the back very snug, the clip is nice and strong, and I love the new Fisher ink (no more blobing.)

Now for the not so good. My cap finish does not match the body. I also had to rebend the clip around (It was way to tight, and I also took the curve out of it, and made it more like a knife clip.) This pen is a little top heavy with the cap on, but its not bad enough to not like the pen.

The last comment could be bad or good, the cap does not screw on. I like the that a firm tug will take the cap off, as I use my pens a lot and all that twisting would get old fast.

I will post pics when I can, but really....... all in all I think the Benchmade pen is the tac-T-kewl pen for me. Its a joy to carry, and write with it.

But of course a Blue box Benchmade has not let me down yet!
 
I really don't like the Benchmade because of that very pointed end. One of the things your mother probably taught you was, "Don't run with scissors," or pointed things in general.

The chances that you'll have to use a pen in a self-defense situation are, for most of us, orders of magnitude smaller than the changes of stumbling or falling down or being pushed accidentally or even getting into a car accident. In such situations, that very pointed end could be a hazard to you.

A kubaton does not need to be pointed to be an effective weapon.

The Lightfoot piece looks very sculptural and very beautiful to me. I like the look of that one.

The Hinderer looks nice except the threads on the tail end. That looks very unfinished to me. I don't like it.

And the TDP is just... well... there's no other word for it... ugly.



The other thing to know is that any pen will work as a very nice self-defense weapon in an emergency and that all pens are nasty-pointed on the writting end. This is why I prefer a pen which has a pull-off -- as opposed to screw-off -- cap so that I can get to that point quickly and with one hand if need be.
 
I will preface this reply by stating that I know little or nothing about "kubotans" except what I have read in some threads on this Forum. However, you might consider purchasing any Cross metal pen which can be purchased for under $25. They are solid, strong and they write very well. This would seem to be a very good compromise and they are certainly acceptable in a business situation.
 
Esav Benyamin said:
Off-topic, these are not combat pens at all, just the best-performing Fishers I've found:
http://www.spacepen.com/Public/Products/PoliceandFirePen/index.cfm?productID=181

The Black Zero Gravity Pen and Silver Zero Gravity Pen are the same mechanism as the Police Pro. I recommend the rubberized two rather than the silver (metal body).
Click to expand...

I use the Astronaut pen everyday.
http://www.spacepen.com/Public/Products/AstronautPen/index.cfm

I also love my black matte Bullet Pen with pocket clip. Seriously, the Fisher ink cartridge has come a looooong way in the past few years. They were once horrible writers, but now they're smooth and nice to write with. And they last seemingly forever. Made by a good old fashioned company in Boulder City, Nevada, about an hour outside of Las Vegas. Best unknown pen maker in the country, they deserve some support.
 
NTK57 said:
I will preface this reply by stating that I know little or nothing about "kubotans" except what I have read in some threads on this Forum. However, you might consider purchasing any Cross metal pen which can be purchased for under $25. They are solid, strong and they write very well. This would seem to be a very good compromise and they are certainly acceptable in a business situation.
Click to expand...

Unfortunately, Cross has suffered a bit in quality from when I first got one as a gift in high school (when dinosaurs roamed the earth). :) Also, they're very slim and the chrome finish they use is difficult to grasp. In a pinch they could be used for SD of course, but then again so could a Bic. The Cross design generally makes me think it would hurt me almost as much as the person I struck in self defense.
 
C'mon guys! I've got $80 just burning a hole in my pocket and I can't really decide between the Hinderer and the TDP. And to make things worse, the Perrin has caught my eye. :eek: Anyone else have experience with any of these? Help!:p
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top