What is a "tactical pen" and why is it different from any ordinary pen?  Certainly any pen or pencil could be used for self-defense but a tactical pen is designed for self-defense purposes.  They are usually made from some type of metal; typically aluminum but some may be made of stainless steel or even titanium.  They normally have a pointed end and a blunt end; some may have a glass-breaker tip or even a crowned striker (the "DNA catcher").  The purpose is to have a device on your person that you would use daily anyway which could also double as a self-defense tool of last resort.  Think of them as a kubaton with a pen inside.  There are a variety of videos on YouTube which teach techniques for using a tactical pen or a kubaton, but no video can beat the hands-on instruction that you could get from a martial arts instructor.

If you don't carry your own pen with you every day you may want to consider it.  In my personal experience, especially during the flu season, I cannot pick up a publicly used pen without thinking of all the hands and all the germs that have been on that pen.  At least when I carry my own pen I know where it’s been.

As a self-defense tool of last resort tactical pens are designed for close-quarters use.  You would use them against the vulnerable parts of an assailant’s body - the hand, wrist, throat, eyes, temple, groin, kneecap, etc.  In any self-defense situation your goal is not to kill your attacker, it is to stop the threat.  While a tactical pen is designed to inflict enough pain to stop an attack or even to break bones, it also could be used with deadly force.  This is something you must consider before carrying any type of self-defense tool - guns and knives included.

On the negative side of the argument there is the stigma that these pens have been dubbed "tactical" and there is much in the name.  While tactical pens are not illegal to carry or to use, the name itself implies that you purchased it as something that you intended to use as a weapon.  I am not saying that I agree with this argument, I am just saying that there are lawyers out there who get paid a lot of money to place the thought into the minds of a jury that you wanted and intended to harm someone.  It would be much harder for them to make that argument if you defended yourself with a plastic Bic pen.  Having the word "tactical" in the name may not work out in your favor.  That is why I do not carry a tactical pen.  Having been trained in First Aid, CPR, AED, and Emergency Crash Scene Safety I can tell you that what I carry is an Emergency Rescue Tool.  I would like to start my own personal crusade to get the word "tactical" removed as a common name for these pens.

Moving on, let's look at some of the criteria I used when choosing my Emergency Rescue Tool.  First, I wanted it to cost less than $25.00.  I see no reason to pay $100.00 or more for this type of pen.  Second, I wanted it to have a sharp point, preferably a glass-breaker tip, and I wouldn't object to it having the "DNA catcher" crown as long as I knew I wouldn't be holding it in my palm in such as way that it was my own DNA that I was catching.  I also wanted it to be able to use the Fisher Space Pen refill.  These refills are pressurized so that they will write on wet paper, upside down or in zero-gravity, should I ever somehow inexplicably find myself in outer space.

Aesthetics were important too.  I used these pens for my day-to-day work tasks and if a pen made someone ask "what is that thing?" it failed the inconspicuous test.

One last thing to mention before I launch in to the specifications and my opinions is the question of whether or not you can carry these on an airplane.  While that is ultimately your choice, I myself would not try it.  It may not even be noticed by the TSA but I wouldn't count on that.  At best it might be taken away and you would never see it again.  At worst you could be arrested for attempting to take a weapon on to a commercial aircraft.  It’s not something I would even want to chance.

Having said all of that, I tested four different pens, all which cost less than $25.00.  These pens were:

Smith & Wesson Military and Police (SWPENMPBK)

LENGTH:

6-1/8” closed

6-1/16” opened and ready to write

THICKNESS:

Just over 1/2 inch

WEIGHT:

I weighed it at 1.5 ounces

FEATURES:

Aircraft Aluminum body

Removable cap that clicks on to opposite end when in use

Pointed end

Smith & Wesson Military & Police Logo on top of cap

Smith & Wesson Logo and Name printed on pocket clip

Lanyard Hole in cap

Will use the Fisher Space Pen refill

Limited Lifetime Warranty

Manufactured by Taylor Brands LLC – Made in Taiwan

I found the S&W M&P very comfortable to write with.  The Schmidt refill cartridge that it came with was total junk and I immediately replaced it with the Fisher Space Pen refill.  It was one of the larger pens but I don’t mind using a larger pen as long as it is well-balanced in the hand.

One negative was that the end of the pen that you unscrew to replace the refill seemed to constantly keep coming unscrewed.  Every time I removed the cap to use the pen I had to check that the tip was screwed on tightly.  If I were to use this for EDC I would probably have to put a drop of blue Loctite® on the threads to keep it tight.

This is a very solid well-made pen.  Some may find it a little heavy but I would want that weight when using it to strike an assailant.  The business end is a nice heavy point that could be used effectively against an assailant.  I did not attempt to break glass with it as it does not have a dedicated glass-breaker tip.

The pocket clip is a nice strong pocket clip although it is not designed to clip over anything very thick.  It was the thinnest of the pockets clips.

Overall I would give this pen a high rating.  I do like this pen, although it failed the inconspicuous test as it was the first to cause my co-workers to ask "what is that thing?".

UZI Tactical Pen #1 (UZI TACPEN1)

LENGTH:

6-1/8” closed

6-1/8” opened and ready to write

THICKNESS:

Just over 1/2 inch

WEIGHT:

I weighed it at 1.7 ounces

FEATURES:

Aircraft Aluminum body

Twist to open-close barrel to use pen

Pointed end

Sharp “DNA catcher” crown

UZI logo printed on the side of the pen

Will use the Fisher Space Pen refill

1 year warranty

Manufactured by Campco – Made in China

I found the UZI Tacpen 1 to be very comfortable to write with.  It came with a generic no-name ink cartridge that I immediately replaced with the Fisher Space Pen refill.  This was one of the larger pens but was still comfortable and well-balanced in my hand.  I didn't care for the twist to open-close mechanism.  I prefer a snap-on cap.

This is a very solid well-made pen.  The weight is about the same as the S&W M&P.  It was comfortable for me to write with.

This pen has two business ends, the pointed end and the crowned "DNA catcher".  The pointed end is nicely pointed and could be used effectively against an assailant.  The "DNA catcher" is surprisingly sharp.  This would be very effective at jabbing and tearing an assailant’s flesh.  I would need to practice with this pen in order to hold it correctly.

I did not attempt to break glass with it as it does not have a dedicated glass-breaker tip.  The pocket clip is a nice strong pocket clip that offers more room underneath the clip than the S&W pen.  It would fit better over thick clothing.

Overall I would give this pen a high rating but because of the twist to open-close mechanism I did not care for it as much as the S&W, although I do like the "DNA catcher".

UZI Tactical Pen #5 (UZI TACPEN5)

LENGTH:

6-5/16” closed

6-5/16” opened and ready to write

THICKNESS:

Just under 1/2 inch

WEIGHT:

I weighed it at 1.3 ounces

FEATURES:

Aircraft Aluminum body

Removable cap that clicks on to opposite end when in use

Twist to open-close barrel to use pen

Sharp pointed end with glass-breaker tip

Blunt end on cap

UZI logo printed on the side of the pen

Will NOT use the Fisher Space Pen refill

1 year warranty

Manufactured by Campco – Made in China

This pen was a disappointment.  I really wanted to like this pen as it is lighter and thinner than the S&W and the UZI Tacpen 1.  However, this pen was a failure right out of the box.  The twist to open-close mechanism did not work, nor could I unscrew the pen to change to pen refill.  Eventually I had to pull the pen apart and insert a plastic tube approximately 1/4" long to make this pen function.

To be fair, I called the online company from which I ordered this pen and they very happily offered to replace the pen.  I give them high praise for their customer service.  I thought however that to be impartial I would review the pen just as I received it.

The UZI Tacpen 5 was the thinnest and lightest of the four pens I reviewed and it was very comfortable to write with.  It also came with a generic no-name ink cartridge but it will not accept the Fisher Space Pen refill.  That was a big disappointment for me.  After I fixed the pen so that it was usable it was a snap-on cap pen that did not twist to open-close, although it is supposed to twist to open-close.

It does have a dedicated glass-breaker tip that seems very usable.  I did not use it to break glass but I'm sure it would do so very effectively.  There are videos on YouTube showing this pen breaking some very thick glass.  The pocket clip is the same kind of good strong roomy pocket clip that is on the UZI Tacpen 1.

Overall I really wanted to like this pen for the numerous features it offers and because it is the lightest of the bunch, however I just cannot recommend it because I received a defective pen.  I’m sure not all of the UZI Tacpen 5’s are defective, but my confidence is not high.

Colt Defender Tactical Pen (CT438)

LENGTH:

6-1/16” closed

6-7/16” opened and ready to write

THICKNESS:

Just over 1/2 inch

WEIGHT:

I weighed it at 1.7 ounces

FEATURES:

Aircraft Aluminum body

Removable cap that clicks on to opposite end when in use

Sharp pointed end with glass-breaker tip

Sharp “DNA catcher” crown

Colt logo printed on pocket clip

Will use the Fisher Space Pen refill

Warranty: Unknown

Manufacture: Unknown

So having tested the previous three pens I was still left wanting.  If only I could find a strong well made pen that felt good in the hand, had both a glass-breaker tip and a crowned "DNA catcher" tip, had a snap-on cap rather than a twist to open-close mechanism, and could use the Fisher Space Pen refills.  One more look around and I came across the Colt Defender CT438.  All my wants were answered.

The Colt Defender CT438 is very comfortable to write with.  While the body of the pen is a 1/2 inch plus pen just like the S&W and the UZI-1, the end of the pen that you grasp to write with is a slim 3/8 inch.  It feels nicely balanced in the hand and is a solid well-made pen.

As with the others, I immediately replaced the generic no-name ink cartridge with the Fisher Space Pen refill.

There are two business ends on this pen.  One is the glass-breaker tip and the opposite is a crowned "DNA catcher".  Both ends could be used effectively against an assailant and I am confident that the glass-breaker tip would be very useful for breaking heavy glass.  The pocket clip is a nice strong pocket clip that, like the two UZI pocket clips, is thick enough to go over heavier fabric.

Overall, I give this pen the highest rating; it is my favorite of the four pens I tried.  This will be my EDC Emergency Rescue Tool, without question.  By the time I was trying this pen my co-workers had stopped asking what I was writing with and just asked to borrow them.  This one got high praise from my co-workers as well.

As of this writing I have seen two Colt Defender Tactical Pens online, the CT437 and the CT438.  They are virtually the same pen except that the CT437 also has a built-in LED flashlight that works with two 3V C3927 LED Lithium batteries.  For my purposes I did not feel that I needed the built-in LED flashlight as I already EDC a FOUR-SEVENS® Preon penlight, but should you also want a little light with your pen the CT437 would be a good choice.

Wrap It Up:

While a "tactical pen" may not be a choice for everyone, and some people feel they are downright silly, I would recommend that you not judge until you actually feel one in yours hands.  There are plenty of YouTube reviews on these pens and if you look around there are some very good prices on these pens as well.  I hope that if you do choose a "tactical pen" or an Emergency Rescue Tool for your EDC that I have given you a few helpful suggestions to point you in the direction that is right for you.  Happy shopping!