I had a really nice Beretta tactical pen that I lost in the DEN airport. Not to the TSA monkeys, but it just fell out of my pocket. Really upset about that, and figured if I'm going to actually lose something maybe I should find a cheaper alternative. So, in my quest to find a reasonable, yet cheap, tactical pen I've picked up these 4 off amazon:
All of them write pretty much the same, they all use the same refills from what I can tell. For the 2nd batch (#3 and #4) I ordered grey instead of black because trying to find the pen in a bag is harder when it's dark.
I explicitly didn't get any that had a pointy end on the cap, or a glass breaker on the cap, or a "DNA sampler" on the cap because if you want to use it as a weapon then your thumb goes on top of the cap and you don't want to wound yourself with your own pen. That would be lame.
In order of the photo:
#1 - $12 - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01KSQHILE
Pros - screws together, has a usable flashlight, and a make shift screwdriver and little blade in it
Cons - larger than the others, finish is really cheap and won't last
I liked this one enough to carry it on a trip, and got caught up in security. They were really, really trying to find a knife in my bag, x-rayed it 3 times and everything but just could not find a knife. Eventually they pulled everything out and started dumping it all in a bin and one goon looked long and hard at the pen but eventually dumped it in the bin too and just gave me a dirty look. Were they seeing the knife inside the pen, or were they just being punked by the x-ray machine as a drill? Who knows.
#2 - $12 - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01M03H3D1
Pros - easy to open if you want to use it as a pen, cap easily clips on top when open like a real pen
Cons - doesn't screw together, cap just snaps on (won't work as a weapon)
This one sucks for any purpose but writing. It's heavy, yet flimsy as the same time. The wife keeps chewing up pen caps (a habit I loathe) so I put this one in the kitchen by the grocery list. Every time she sticks the metal end in her mouth she takes it out. Ha. Chew up my stolen hooters pen will you and I'll teach you a lesson with a cheap metal pen!
#3 - $15 - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01HLL690U/
Pros - screws together, has an o-ring seal, nice finish, texture is not overly aggressive
Cons - clip is held on with two tiny screws that are not quite lined up, afraid to take them out to locktight them
Other the the questionable clip (which may not be an issue in the long run, hard to know) this is a nice pen at the price point. The cap snaps on the top when you want to use it like a pen, it locks up solid when you screw the cap back on, and although it lacks a glass breaker it's styled like a pen. Doesn't even look too crazy tactical. Round top is not as comfy as a flat top for your thumb, but this one does have a lanyard hole so you could add paracord as needed. I think this one is the stealthiest of the bunch and likely the one I take on my next trip involving airports.
#4 - $10 - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01N95BF66/
Pros - screws together, o-ring seal, nice finish, best clip of the bunch
Cons - cap won't stay on when in 'pen' mode
If writing is a secondary concern, then this is the best pen of the bunch. It locks up nicely, has a flat surface for your thumb, and the gen3/4 finger grooves are comfortable. The top won't click on the barrel like #3 does, but the threads seem to be better cut and it's smoother to screw/unscrew the cap. If you want stealth but the best in-hand fighter, this is the one.
There ya go, 4 pens that togther add up to one nice tactical pen... but now I know a bit more about pen options and won't mind losing a $10 pen as much. Still cheezes me off I lost that first pen though.
All of them write pretty much the same, they all use the same refills from what I can tell. For the 2nd batch (#3 and #4) I ordered grey instead of black because trying to find the pen in a bag is harder when it's dark.
I explicitly didn't get any that had a pointy end on the cap, or a glass breaker on the cap, or a "DNA sampler" on the cap because if you want to use it as a weapon then your thumb goes on top of the cap and you don't want to wound yourself with your own pen. That would be lame.
In order of the photo:
#1 - $12 - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01KSQHILE
Pros - screws together, has a usable flashlight, and a make shift screwdriver and little blade in it
Cons - larger than the others, finish is really cheap and won't last
I liked this one enough to carry it on a trip, and got caught up in security. They were really, really trying to find a knife in my bag, x-rayed it 3 times and everything but just could not find a knife. Eventually they pulled everything out and started dumping it all in a bin and one goon looked long and hard at the pen but eventually dumped it in the bin too and just gave me a dirty look. Were they seeing the knife inside the pen, or were they just being punked by the x-ray machine as a drill? Who knows.
#2 - $12 - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01M03H3D1
Pros - easy to open if you want to use it as a pen, cap easily clips on top when open like a real pen
Cons - doesn't screw together, cap just snaps on (won't work as a weapon)
This one sucks for any purpose but writing. It's heavy, yet flimsy as the same time. The wife keeps chewing up pen caps (a habit I loathe) so I put this one in the kitchen by the grocery list. Every time she sticks the metal end in her mouth she takes it out. Ha. Chew up my stolen hooters pen will you and I'll teach you a lesson with a cheap metal pen!
#3 - $15 - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01HLL690U/
Pros - screws together, has an o-ring seal, nice finish, texture is not overly aggressive
Cons - clip is held on with two tiny screws that are not quite lined up, afraid to take them out to locktight them
Other the the questionable clip (which may not be an issue in the long run, hard to know) this is a nice pen at the price point. The cap snaps on the top when you want to use it like a pen, it locks up solid when you screw the cap back on, and although it lacks a glass breaker it's styled like a pen. Doesn't even look too crazy tactical. Round top is not as comfy as a flat top for your thumb, but this one does have a lanyard hole so you could add paracord as needed. I think this one is the stealthiest of the bunch and likely the one I take on my next trip involving airports.
#4 - $10 - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01N95BF66/
Pros - screws together, o-ring seal, nice finish, best clip of the bunch
Cons - cap won't stay on when in 'pen' mode
If writing is a secondary concern, then this is the best pen of the bunch. It locks up nicely, has a flat surface for your thumb, and the gen3/4 finger grooves are comfortable. The top won't click on the barrel like #3 does, but the threads seem to be better cut and it's smoother to screw/unscrew the cap. If you want stealth but the best in-hand fighter, this is the one.
There ya go, 4 pens that togther add up to one nice tactical pen... but now I know a bit more about pen options and won't mind losing a $10 pen as much. Still cheezes me off I lost that first pen though.
