Tested: The Best Tactical Pens To Carry Everyday

Tactical pens provide their carriers with a myriad of objective benefits and advantages, being capable of serving as ordinary writing instruments while also having the ability to double as highly-effective self-defense striking weapons — and weapons that can legally be carried just about anywhere. As the everyday carry segment grows in popularity and certain pieces of military gear — and military-inspired gear — continue to increasingly be adopted by civilians, the demand for tactical pens has massively spiked, resulting in an ever-growing number of available options on the market. And while this gives buyers more choices than ever before, it’s also made it increasingly difficult to sort through the seemingly endless sea of tactical pens in order to hone-in on the best the space has to offer. 

Well aware of this reality, we’ve opted to take a deep dive into the tac pen sector, scouring this rapidly-expanding product space for its latest and greatest pens before proceeding to put each one through its paces via our in-house hands-on testing process — a formula that’s enabled us to put together this in-depth guide to the best tactical pens for everyday carry. Below, we’ll be exploring everything from what from a tactical pen is, to the benefits of carrying one, to what to look for when shopping — all before diving into our selections and hands-on reviews of the best tactical pens for everyday carry. 

Selection & How We Tested

When we set out to uncover the very best tactical pens currently on the market, we began our search by first generating a list of criteria that would be used to judge each pen. This included each tactical pen’s shape, size, and design, as well as material selection, finishes, coatings, or treatments, type and mechanism, and self-defense elements and effectiveness. Price, value, and bang-for-your-buck were also taken into consideration. Using these factors to guide our search, we then generated a shortlist of pens that we suspected may stand as some of the very best that money can currently buy. 

While reading about materials and reviewing specs is helpful and informative, it only tells one part of the larger tac-pen-story. In order to get a more complete and comprehensive sense of how a tactical pen will actually perform, one needs to get hands-on with it. So, that’s exactly what we did, tracking down samples for each pen from our shortlist, and putting them all through a battery of tests that enabled us to glean additional information on areas such as how each pen feels and fits in hand, and each model’s ergonomics and grip. In order to get a better sense of each pen’s striking and defensive capabilities, we conducted a battery of striking tests. 

On top of testing out each model’s defensive capabilities — a process that consisted of performing individual in-hand striking tests against foam-backed cardboard  — we also scrutinized every pen’s actual writing performance, paying close attention to smoothness and ink flow, balance, grip, and comfort. Our hands-on testing would also provide additional insight into each tactical pen’s overall craftsmanship, build quality, and fit and finish. After an extensive hands-on testing phase where each tactical pen was individually reviewed before being compared and contrasted side-by-side, we then used our firsthand findings to narrow our initial shortlist of candidates down to a final hard list of what we found to be the very best tactical pens on the market. 

Cold Steel Pocket Shark

Best Felt-Tip Tactical Pen: For our first tactical pen in this guide, we have something of an unorthodox pick, as the Cold Steel Pocket Shark is technically a felt-tipped marker — albeit a tactical one. Spanning 6.5” in total, the Pocket Shark more or less resembles your average oversized marker, however, I quickly found that this ordinary-looking pen conceals a few interesting tricks up its sleeve. Sporting a Shark Mouth design inspired by the iconic paint liveries famously adorning the Curtiss P-40s in WW2, the thing is made from a high-impact-resistant polymer that’s some four-times thicker than regular plastic pens — resulting in a markedly more durable pen that can easily stand-up to striking and self-defense use. I also noticed the pen was able to provide a bit more utility than a regular ball-point pen, as it can serve as a marker, or be used for writing and pen-style tasks thanks to its fine point.

Despite its unthreatening and unassuming appearance, our testing actually revealed that Cold Steel’s Pocket Shark is a wildly effective striking weapon, with its 6.5” length affording a bit of extra reach and range compared to most other tactical pens. It also fits much more naturally in the hand, being two-to-four-times larger in diameter than the other pens I tested. More importantly, the pen manages to afford more effective striking opportunities, with a much wider tip that can be used to deliver blows to the ribs or practically anywhere elision the body — unlike smaller, pointy-er tac pens that require their user to more precisely strike a pressure point.  And, while its polymer body may be devoid of any texturing or grip pattern of any kind, its matte non-slip finish and oversized body collectively provide unparalleled ergonomics and grip, making the thing very easy to firmly grasp and keep in hand during an attack. 

Though it has a lot going for it, I did stumble across a few minor issues and shortcomings when testing the Pocket Shark. For starters, its giant size undeniably takes away from its conduciveness to EDC — even more so if you happen to primarily wear slim-fit jeans and pants which is what I happen to wear most days. And, while it was a smaller issue, I don’t love the fact that the Pocket Shark’s screw-off cap can’t be attached to the bottom of the pen when it’s being used for writing. As far as its writing performance, I also found the Pocket Shark leaves something to be desired, writing similarly to a semi-dried-out Sharpie during our testing. You also can’t replace its ink — unlike every other pen I used and tested. Additionally, while its polymer body is undeniably incredibly strong, the same can’t be said for the marker’s pocket clip, which can be prone to snapping off – especially when striking.

Verdict: These flaws aside, I ultimately feel the Pocket Shark’s strengths far outweigh its weaknesses — and that’s without even considering the remarkable value this tac-ready item offers, with a ridiculously affordable sub-$10 price. So, while it isn’t without its downsides, the Cold Steel Pocket Shark makes for a pretty exceptional choice for anyone looking for a non-threatening or aggressive-looking yet defense-capable tac pen that can be acquired even on the most meager of budgets. 

Smith & Wesson SWPENMP2BK

Best Affordable Tactical Pen: While I tend to have something of a proclivity for models that strike a perfect balancing between EDC-readiness and writing and defensive capabilities, Smith & Wesson’s SWPENMP2BK Tactical Pen is our exception to that rule as it’s obviously been designed with combat and defensive capabilities in mind — with EDC friendliness and writing performance taking a back seat. Crafted from aircraft-grade T6061 aluminum, the SWPENMP2BK tac pen can probably be best described as a Kubaton that’s been fitted with a pocket clip and an ink cartridge protected beneath a screw-down cap. Backed by a lifetime warranty, the pen features a barrel design that’s been bestowed with finger grooves and  circular machining that I found to do phenomenal job fitting firmly but comfortably in my hand during our striking and jabbing tests. The pen’s conical tip and the acute point that it culminates in also proved itself to be wildly effective as focusing and magnifying our strikes and blunt force energy while conducting our hands-on testing phase. 

As far as how well I found this tac pen to lend itself to everyday carry use, the SWPENMP2BK received a mixed score. On one hand, it’s fairly large at nearly 6” in length, though, despite its aircraft-grade alloy construction, the thing manages to tip the scales at a fairly svelte 1.5oz. One area that the pen did manage to score very highly in, was writing performance. Considering the fact it only costs $30, I honestly assumed this CQC-focused model’s ink cartridge would be a bit of an afterthought, though testing quickly showed this S&W pen’s actual writing performance is on par with many of the markedly more premium EDC and tac pens that we’ve tested and/or owned over the years. Cracking the pen open revealed that its stellar on-paper performance is owed to a Schmidt P900M cartridge — a pressurized Parker-style refill that boasts a stainless steel tip paired with a tungsten carbide ball. 

Though it’s outweighed by the SWPENMP2BK’s myriad of strengths, the pen isn’t totally devoid of downsides, looking extremely aggressive and standing out like a sore thumb in a corporate or office environment. Thanks to a largely low profile design, I found that its pocket clip isn’t really noticeable the vast majority of the time I was hard-gripping the pen, however, when held at a particular angle/orientation, the portion of the clip that kicks up to allow it to slip over a pocket did at times make for a super uncomfortable hotspot. Not only was this rare, but the entire clip can easily be removed after undoing a pair of screws. 

Verdict: If an unassuming and/or non-aggressive appearance isn’t a priority, and you’re simply after a highly-affordable and highly-effective striking weapon that can both be carried just about anywhere and used as a surprisingly-capable writing instrument, the Smith & Wesson’s SWPENMP2BK is unequivocally the one to get. 

CRKT Williams Defense Pen

Best Discreet Tactical Pen: Typically speaking, the more aggressive-looking tactical pens tend to be the models that are the most effective striking tools. The CRKT Williams Defense Pen, however, really surprised me with how it manages to be a highly-effective striking weapon with stellar ergonomics and the ability to dish out ample damage, while simultaneously sporting a largely understated and unassuming appearance — at least considering the fact that this thing basically performed like a Kubaton that happens to also double as a writing tool. In retrospect, this shouldn’t have come as a surprise considering the tac pen’s designer and namesake is a renowned martial arts instructor — as well as a former Army officer. Other than its somewhat beefy diameter and full-sized 6” length, the Williams Defense Pen can easily pass for a large fountain pen at just a quick glance. 

Offering pretty solid value with a price hovering around the $50 mark, the Williams Defense Pen is made from bead-blasted aluminum and comes equipped with a simple pull-off cap that features an internal o-ring that provides an ultra-secure fitment while still being super easy to remove. Weighing only 1.3oz, the pen is also ready for action when its writing-side is capped, plus said cap can be slid onto its striking tip when being used for writing. And, while it was supposedly developed for use in extreme environmental conditions, I was ultimately pretty underwhelmed with this CRKT pen’s on-paper writing experience, with the Schmidt Megaline 4889 M cartridge that it comes loaded with scoring towards the bottom of the pack out of all the pens we tested. Despite this, I’d argue that the pen’s appearance and defensive capabilities more than outweigh its on-paper action, as its writing performance might not be the best, but its far from unusable or unacceptable, just not what I’d call a premium or high-performance experience. 

I should probably point out that after debuting this model, CRKT has released a second-generation Williams Defense Pen, and while it offers most of the same strengths as the gen-one in an admittedly more interesting-looking package, I prefer the less aggressive appearance of the original — as I consider that to be one of the unique benefits of this wildly-effective striking and self-defense tool that its second-gen successor decidedly lacks. The pen’s pocket clip can also at times create a bit of a hotspot, though it’s also incredibly easy to remove. At the end of the day, while it doesn’t offer the same level of writing experience as other more premium EDC pens like those from Big Idea Design and Tactile Turn, that’s not what Columbia River Knife and Tool or James Williams were aiming for when creating this pen — and if that’s what you’re looking for in it, or how you’re judging it, then you’re sorta missing the point. 

Verdict: As far as tactical pens that are actually capable of dealing out real damage without looking inappropriate in work and office environments, the first-generation CRKT Williams Defense Pen is in a league of its own. 

Hinderer Knives Investigator Pen

Best EDC Nerd Pick: For the better part of forty years Rick Hinderer has been designing and crafting high-quality knives, tools, and other EDC items including some of the best tactical pens that money can currently buy in my opinion. Benefitting from nearly four-decades of experience meticulously honing and crafting what are now some of the most highly-sought-after knives on the market, the Hinderer Knives Investigator Pen may at first glance just look like a nice machined pen, however, the more time I spent with it, the more it became abundantly clear just how ridiculously calculated and carefully crafted the thing really is. 

The knife does a phenomenal job balancing self-defense and actual writing capabilities, with the Investigator boasting overall on-paper writing performance that’s on par with — if not better than — quite a few of our favorite EDC pens. At the same time, it’s heavily-machined, stacked circular grip pattern provides ample grip while its bullet-shaped cap does amazing job of focusing energy and dealing damage. Speaking of that bullet-shaped cap, the thing can be unscrewed and replaced with a variety of differently-shaped available add-ons such as various caps and cap adapters, and conical, flat, or ultra-pointy “Warhead” shape striking tips. What’s more, the Investigator Pen is also sold in huge variety of color options and finishes as well as in multiple material choices ranging from aluminum to titanium to brass to copper to — the version I spent time with — 303 stainless steel. Between the slew of available colors, materials, and add-ons and accessories, the Investigator offers unparalleled levels of personalization and customization potential. 

Hands-on testing also quickly revealed another one of the Investigator’s major strengths; it’s top-notch build quality and incredible attention to detail. The pen boasts a meticulous level of fit and finish that makes it clear that it benefits from super tight tolerances and stringent quality control. Even the tiny Hinderer Knives horse logo has been meticulously machined/engraved into the pen’s cap —unlike the printed logos that adorn most mass-produced pens like the Boker that I tested. The fact the Investigator pen spans just 4.25” in length and measures 0.375” in diameter makes it super conducive to everyday carry use — so much so that it actually earned a spot on our list of the best EDC pens — without being so small that it;’s considered a mini or micro pen. Its compact form is, however, is also something of a double-edged sword, as it presents the pen’s only real downside. Because it’s so small in length and diameter, it simply can’t offer the same level of grip or feel as secure during hard striking as some of the larger pens I spent time testing like the CRKT Willams Defense Pen or Cold Steel Pocket Shark. 

Verdict: For those that are as concerned with modularity, customizability, craftsmanship, pedigree, and material and color options as they are with writing and defensive capabilities, there really isn’t a better option out there than Rick Hinderer’s Investigator Pen. 

SureFire Pen IV

Best Tactical Click Pen: Having previous experience using some of the brand’s flashlights and weapon lights, I was already partial to SureFire’s products, leaving me with high expectations right out of the gate. And it was honestly a matter of seconds after opening the SureFire Pen IV that I fell in love with the thing. Clocking in at 5.8”, the “Pen 4” resembles a fairly normal-looking click pen, however, what appears to be plastic is actually a matte-finish anodized aluminum body that only looks like the cheaper, lighter, and markedly less rugged construction — a notion that instantly changed once I got it in hand as it boasts a satisfying weight and heft to it. 

Assembled in America, the pen sports a decidedly non-aggressive and non-threatening appearance, and even benefits from a few features found on ordinary office pens like its triangular writing grip pattern and its fidget-friendly push-button tail-cap clicker mechanism. Cloaked in a rugged mil-spec hard-anodized finish, this pen’s precision-machined aerospace-grade aluminum barrel has been fitted with a tungsten DLC-coated heavy-duty steel pocket clip — just one of several details that ultimately speak to just how highly calculated the Pen IV, despite its resemblance to regular clicker pens you’d see around the office or on campus. Weighing in at 1.7oz, the pen houses a Schmidt easyFLOW 9000 cartridge that affords a smooth writing experience that I found to be on par with the more premium pens that I’ve owned, used, and/or tested. 

Though they’re greatly outweighed by the pen’s bevy of strengths and advantages, SureFire’s Pen IV did eventually reveal a few shortcomings during my testing period. When putting the thing to paper, the Pen IV felt poorly balanced, with much of its weight being located towards the top of the barrel. Also worth noting is the fact that, in my experience, the pen’s clicker mechanism was at times a bit inconsistent, with the cartridge failing to fully deploy one out of every few dozen clicks. Furthermore, when I held the thing with my thumb over the push-button tail-cap, the ink cartridge get lodged and stuck in the pen’s nose cone. While this did stand out to me during my testing, the reality is this is only a potential issue in CQC scenarios — which hopefully won’t be a regular occurrence for you (and if it is, you may want to consider picking up a more robust self-defense tool). 

Verdict: SureFire’s Pen 4 separates itself from the pack by combining many of the best features of a regular office click pen with several of the key characteristics that define tactical pens — including stellar ergonomics and striking capabilities. As a result, the pen offers absolutely stellar versatility, not only lending itself to a wide range of uses and applications, but actually doing them exceedingly well — making for what I felt was easily one of, if not the single nicest click-pen-style tactical writing instrument currently in production. 

Böker Plus K.I.D. Cal .50 Titan

Best Bolt-Action Tactical Pen: Brimming with character, the Böker Plus K.I.D. Cal .50 Titan is an EDC-ready bolt-action pen that offers decent grip and striking capabilities in a pocketable and unassuming-looking package. Modeled after a .50 caliber bullet, the pen comes loaded with a Fisher cartridge that provides a super-smooth and well-balanced on-paper writing experience that’s indistinguishable from that of other premium EDC pens. Made from premium titanium though also offered in brass or aluminum construction options, the pen features a fairly short 4.29” length that makes it fairly EDC friendly, along with a beefy diameter that I found to afford a firm grip for striking when in-hand — all while remaining thoroughly pocketable. A secure pocket clip design that’s mated to the pen via a stainless steel hardware set further’s the K.I.D. Cal .50 Titan’s ability to lend itself to everyday carry use. 

Because the pen’s nose cone doubles as its striking tip, I found that it more closely resembles a regular EDC pen more than it does a tactical one, with its only real visibly-tactical trait being its ring-style grip pattern. What’s more, this bullet-inspired tac pen’s bolt action mechanism is fairly smooth and consistent, though admittedly isn’t quite as meticulously crafted as more boutique-made bolt-action pens like those from Tactile Turn or Hinderer. Having said that, I was surprised by just how fidget-friendly this pen was and how often I found myself deploying and retracting its ink cartridge. 

With that said, I should probably point out that, while the placement of the pen’s bolt at the very top of the barrel largely keeps it out of the way when being gripped for defensive use, said bolt is nonetheless located directly opposite the model’s pocket clip — which protrudes out nearly a quarter of an inch. When being hard-gripped for striking use, this setup at times created some pretty major hotspots — though this all depends on how the pen is oriented in your hand. The fact this tac pen’s nose cone wasn’t designed specifically as a striking tip was also became increasingly clear during our striking and jabbing testing, though it still proved to be a fairly capable defensive tool — even if not as effective as more overtly tactical designs like the Smith & Wesson SWPENMP2BK. I also found that the beefier-than-normal diameter did make it easier to more firmly grip, the pen’s machined grip pattern provided me with very little traction — especially when compared to tac pens with more pronounced grip patterns that I tested like the Hinderer Investigator or the aforementioned SWPENMP2BK.

 Verdict: With a premium construction, satisfactory build quality, a fidget-friendly bolt action mechanism, above average on-paper writing performance, and a highly pocketable form, the Böker Plus K.I.D. Cal .50 Titan is the perfect pen for anyone that prioritizes EDC-readiness and high-end materials over tactical-specific features, but still wants to reserve the ability to use it as an effective striking weapon should the situation call for it. 

Tactical Pens Comparison Chart

What Exactly Is a Tactical Pen?

As the segment’s name suggests, a tactical pen is a special type of writing instrument with a tactical design that incorporates pointed, energy-focusing elements from self-defense tools and striking weapons. The use of tactical spike or Kubaton-style tips afford these pens effective self-defense capabilities — while still offering the utility of an ordinary writing instrument. In order to provide the grip needed to effectively be used in self-defense scenarios, tactical pens almost always boast robust machining, grip patterns, and ergonomics — an area that further separates them from regular writing pens. Additionally, tactical pens are also largely characterized by their rugged material selection and build quality. What’s more, it’s not uncommon to see tac pens that come equipped with supplementary features or abilities such as integrated strap cutters or window breakers. Like EDC pens, tactical pens also exist across a myriad of different sub-genres ranging from capped models to click pens to bolt-action setups. 

What To Look For

Tactical pens have an interesting balancing act to pull off, needing to serve as self-defense weapons while simultaneously being usable writing instruments. As such, it can be a little tricky knowing exactly what areas to look for when shopping — or how to prioritize those areas in terms of importance. In a bid to streamline your shopping experience we’ve put together this mini guide on the most crucial factors to consider when buying a tactical pen, where we’ll break down the top ten most pivotal aspects to think about before pulling the trigger on your purchase — organized from most to least important. 

Design & Size: Unlike everyday carry pens that can hugely vary in size, tactical pens need to be large enough to afford their carrier solid grip when used as a striking weapon. As such, these pens tend to only range from medium to full-length — though the former is more compact and thus more conducive to EDC duties. On top of a tactical pen’s size, you’ll also want to pay close attention to each model’s overall design, reviewing its barrel, striking end, and ink deployment setup. 

Ergonomics & Grip: Though it’s technically part of a tactical pen’s design, ergonomics and grip are so crucial that they undeniably deserve their own section here. Elements such as a pen’s barrel’s contours, finger grooves, and machined textures and/or patterns will collectively determine a tac pen’s overall grip, how it feels in hand, and how easy it is to wield and hold onto in full-tilt CQC scenarios. It’s also worth pointing out that some of the more extreme machined patterns and textures — while great at providing traction and grip — can sometimes wreak havoc on pockets and clothing when being removed and inserted on a daily basis. 

Materials: The materials used to construct a tactical pen will play a pivotal role in determining its overall quality and durability. Thee constructions vary from everything from composites like carbon fiber and polymer to brass, aluminum, titanium, or any number of other alloys. On top of the material that a tac pen is crafted from, you’ll also want to examine the manner in which that material has been manufactured as a pen’s construction technique can also play a major role in its overall durability. What’s more, you’ll also want to check if a tactical pen’s primary construction has been fortified via any type of treatment, coating, or finish, such as anodization, DLC, Cerakote, or PVD, just to name a few. 

Hardware & Secondary Elements: Though a tactical pen’s barrel, design, and primary construction are of greater importance, you’ll nonetheless also want to examine secondary elements and hardware present on tac pens. This includes any type of inlays — such as carbon fiber — or inserts — such as tritium vials — as well as elements such as hardware and pocket clips. Some tactical pens also sport supplementary integrated features like built-in flashlights, laser pointers, bottle openers, pry-bars, carbide glass breakers, and other built-in tools.

Ink Cartridge: Different pens will be compatible with different types and brands of ink refills. As such, you’ll want to pay attention to the specific type or types of cartridges that a tactical pen can accept. Additionally, this area will determine how easy it is to find refills for your pen, though the reality is that it’s pretty darn easy to get your hands on just about any type of refill these days. There are also some tactical pens that are compatible with special weatherproof cartridges and even Space pen units. 

Type & Mechanism: Just like with regular everyday carry pens, tactical pens exist across a wide array of different styles and types ranging from click pens to bolt-action pens to push or screw-down capped pens. Consequently, the jumping off point of your search for a tactical pen should pretty much always be determining what type of tactical pen you want. 

Striking & Defensive Capabilities: Considering their main advantage over regular EDC pens is their ability to serve as a weapon in CQC situations, a tactical pen’s striking and self-defense capabilities are obviously of tremendous importance when shopping. When examining these areas, you’ll want to review a tac pen’s pointed side or striking element, as different models employ different designs. You’ll also want to look at a tactical pen’s ergonomics and grip relative to its striking element. Additionally, you’ll also want to think about how quickly a tactical pen can be deployed in CQC situations as a pen that requires a cap to be unscrewed in order to reveal its striking tip will massively slow down its user — which can obviously be a major problem in self-defense scenarios where every fraction of a second matters.

Writing Performance: With the other primary purpose and selling of tac pens being their ability to serve as normal writing instruments, writing performance is another massively important factor to take into account when shopping. With this area, you’ll want to pay special attention to the type of ink cartridge used, the pen’s weight, ergonomics when used for writing, smoothness, flow, and how well-balanced it is. 

Modularity & Adjustability: Though it only applies to a handful of tactical pens, it’s still crucial to know that some tactical pen models are modular and/or customizable. This includes tactical pens with barrel sections that can be removed — transforming them into mini tac pens — as well as models with available custom caps and other modular attachments and striking tips that can also be swapped out. 

Price & Value: Tactical pens can vary pretty substantially in terms of both pricing, and in regard to the level of value they offer. While you do almost always get more when you pay more — whether that means using more premium materials, more painstakingly-developed designs, or more meticulous small-batch production — the more expensive tactical pens on the market seldom offer as solid bang-for-your-buck as their more affordably-priced tac pen counterparts. When discussing the price and value of tactical pens, it’s also worth pointing out the fact that quite a few of today’s best models are offered in multiple body construction options with top-shelf titanium versions and more accessibly-priced stainless steel and aluminum variants. 

Tactical Pen Types

Most tactical pens on the market fall into one of five primary categories — each of which we’ll be delving into directly below. With that said, there are some tactical pens that employ more unique setups or mechanisms — such as Microtech’s lever-action Siphon pen — though, generally speaking, the vast majority of tac pens will fit under one of these five main umbrellas. 

Click Pens: Also known as clicker pens, click models are a type of tactical pen that features a mechanism that deploys its ink cartridge using a side or top-mounted spring-loaded click setup — hence the name. When made from the right materials, these pens can be extremely rugged, though clicker pens — especially top click pens — are much more prone to accidental ink cartridge deployment compared to every other type of tac pen. It’s also worth mentioning that click pens can be incredibly fidget-friendly thanks to their spring-loaded click mechanisms. 

Twist-Cap: Twist-cap models are the least common of the five most common styles of tactical pens. Often found on office and EDC pens, twist-cap mechanisms consist of a main body that boasts a top section that can be rotated — or “twisted” — in order to deploy its ink cartridge. Interestingly, these pens don’t really possess any major benefits or strengths, but are also largely devoid of any real downsides either, with their overall designs being fairly neutral in many ways. And, while it doesn’t really have any impact on performance, one can argue the user experience of twist-cappers is slightly lessened by the decidedly non-fidget-friendly nature of this type of pen.

Bolt-Action Pens: Bolt-action pens are a genre of writing instrument that features a deployment mechanism modeled after traditional bolt-action rifles. Instead of ejecting spent shells or chambering the next round like a rifle, however, the bolt handle on bolt-action pens connects to an internal ink cartridge which is guided on an interior track and deployed by pressing the bolt in a J-motion. Bolt-action pens are also spring-loaded, allowing the cartridge to be retracted with a simple tap or swipe — following the same basic motion and pattern as when using a bolt-action rifle. Due to being spring-loaded, bolt-action pens are also insanely fidget-friendly.

Push-Down Cap Pens: Tactical pens employing push-cap-style setups are exactly what they sound like; tac pen models that feature caps that are secured to the pen simply by sliding it onto the end of the barrel over the ink cartridge tip and applying a bit of pressure. Despite the fact these caps don’t actually screw-down or lock into place, they nonetheless typically do a great job keeping put and remaining on the pen — often thanks to the use of O-rings or interior coatings to increase friction. Quite a few push-cap tac pens can also have their cap cover either the ink tip or striking point — shielding you from the striking tip while writing and protecting you from the ink tip when used as a striking weapon.

Screw-Down Cap Pens: Screw-down cap tactical pens are more or less identical to push-down caps, however, instead of relying on friction or O-rings to secure the cap, screw-down models sport a threaded section that allows the cap to be securely screwed onto the pen’s body. Like push-cappers, screw-down models’ caps can also often cover either the ink tip or striking point — assuming there’s a section of threading below said striking tip.

Why Carry A Tactical Pen?

Tactical pens offer numerous capabilities and benefits. Not only can these pens often be used in emergencies to break windows, but they can also make for stellar fidget-friendly EDC toys. Having said that, there are undoubtedly two primary reasons that people carry tactical pens. The first — and most obvious — of these is the fact that tactical pens can be used as ordinary writing instruments, affording a vital function. The second reason — and the factor that gives tac pens an advantage over regular everyday carry pens — is the fact that tactical pens can be used as striking weapons in self-defense and CQC scenarios. Plus, unlike a Kubaton, tac pens actually provide day-to-day utility thanks to also serving as writing instruments. 

On top of that, save for airline travel, tactical pens can legally be carried almost anywhere, providing their carrier with self-defense capabilities without having to worry about the laws or restrictions pertaining to other weapons like knives, Kubatons, knucks, or tactical spikes. Tactical pens are also often devoid of the sometimes aggressive “scary” appearance possessed by many self-defense knives and other CQC-focused melee and striking weapons. Additionally, tactical pens are also markedly more durable than regular disposable pens, plus are more sustainable and environmentally friendly thanks to almost always featuring replaceable ink cartridges.

Learning To Wield: The Importance Of Training

Even in completely untrained hands, tactical pens can still be decent self-defense weapons. And while jabbing one into an opponent’s ribs or striking their head will obviously dish out a fair amount of damage, the reality is that tac pens are wildly more effective when their carrier possesses some basic training and understanding of striking weapon techniques. As generally-cylindrical items that fit snugly in the hand and culminate in a pointed tip — not at all unlike a Kubaton — tactical pens have the ability to focus an enormous amount of energy into a small point that deals ample damage, especially when used on an attacker’s temples, face, sternum, solar plexus, or pressure points. 

So, while it may not be a firearm, we nonetheless urge anyone considering carrying a tactical pen to first get some very basic training — ideally taking a local in-person class, but at the very least either doing a Zoom-style online training session with an expert, or doing some extensive reading and watching of videos on the subject. Regardless of which path you take, you’ll definitely want to dedicate some time to practicing the techniques you’ve learned — and practicing drawing and readying your tac pen — as you want to ideally develop some basic muscle memory so you can simply react to what’s happening in a self-defense scenario without having to actively think about it first. 

At the end of the day, wielding a tactical pen will always be preferable to being completely unarmed in a CQC situation, even if the person carrying it is completely devoid of training. With that said, even a small amount of training can almost exponentially increase a tactical pen’s effectiveness in self-defense scenarios, plus whether in person or online, training is relatively cheap and widely available — two points that by themselves make a great argument for getting trained. 

Legality Of Carrying Tactical Pens

Unlike tactical fixed blade knives or folders, tactical pens can legally be carried just about anywhere. Regardless of the pen’s size or shape, these pocketable self-defense items are pretty much universally permitted — assuming the pen doesn’t culminate in a blade. The only real exception here is airline travel, as the TSA doesn’t allow tactical pens to be taken in a carry-on luggage, though they can be checked. University campuses and event venues also make take issue with carrying a tac pen, though it’s somewhat rare.

Honorable Mentions

Made in America, the Heretic Knives Thoth can best be summed up as a top-shelf Kubaton with a bolt-action mechanism that can deploy a ballpoint tip. What makes the pen unique is its barrel design which allows the center barrel portion to be removed, transforming it into a more EDC-friendly but still self-defense-capable Mini pen. What’s more, the thing also comes loaded with a titanium roller ball pocket clip, a glass breaker, and a main barrel construction consisting of Heretic’s “Blizzardworn” aluminum.

While it didn’t quite make it on our official list, the WE Knife Co. Baculus is no doubt deserving of an honorable mention, as this ultra-idiosyncratic tactical pen boasts a titanium body that’s outfitted with a bolt-action mechanism, a robust grip pattern, and a spinning crown connected to a hanging caged WE-logoed item that makes for what’s undoubtedly the most fidget-friendly tactical pen currently available. 

Though we ran into some issues sourcing a sample in time to review, the Microtech Kyroh Pen is nonetheless worth giving a special shoutout to, as this premium boutique-made tac pen features a super unique DLC-coated barrel design with a frag pattern-esque grip pattern and an equally unique striking point. It’s also made entirely in America and even its hardware is meticulously machined entirely in-house by Microtech.

Made in Australia, the Halfbreed Blades TWI-01C is essentially a Kubaton with a screw-on cap that opens to reveal a ball-point tip opposite its “business end.” Crafted from 6000 series, non-reflective, black-anodized aluminum with a PVD coating, the TWI-01C also comes loaded with a machined grip pattern and an integrated tungsten carbide glass breaker. At less than $40, this tac pen offers some tremendous bang-for-your-buck. 

Very few pens on the market manage to deliver genuinely capable striking abilities while doubling as a smooth and well-balanced EDC pen. The NITECORE NTP10 is able to pull off this balancing act — and to brilliant effect — with a pocketable 4.25” hollow-carved titanium body with a titanium cap on one end and a tapered tungsten steel tactical striking tip on the other. This tac pen would have no doubt earned a spot on our main list if it weren’t for the fact that the NTP10 is sadly no longer in production — though for the time being it is still available through its manufacturer as well as from a bevy of online retailers. 

Tested: The Best EDC Pens For The Money

Want to check out a selection of pens designed with more of a focus on practicality and pocketability? Then be sure to check out our hands-on review and guide to the best EDC pens.