The Best Tactical Pen (Here's What To Look For)

A tactical pen is a must-have for anyone who wants to build up their easy to carry survival gear for self defense. While it would probably never be chosen over a knife or a gun for defending yourself, it’s still a valuable self-defense tool to have in your arsenal.

Plus, you can use it to write!

However, not all tactical pens are created equal. There are dozens of defense pens on the market, and not all of them deserve the name.

To find the best tactical pen for self defense, you need to know what qualities you should look for. We’ve rounded up the top six features you look for when you buy a tactical pen.

1. Solid Grip

Whether you’re using your pen to take notes in the field or as a self defense pen to fend off an attacker, you want to buy a pen that has a great grip. The last thing you want is for your self-defense mechanism to literally slip through your fingers.

For easier writing, look for pens that have knurling around the grip. For a pen that’s easily held while throwing a punch, look for something with a checkered texture. It’ll create more friction, which helps keep it in place in your hand.

2. Heavy Duty Construction

You obviously don’t want to have a tactical pen that’s flimsy and threatens to crumple when any kind of force is applied.

Instead, make sure your tactical pen is made of materials like aluminum, titanium, or steel. These metals are lightweight, so the pen won’t feel like a stone in your pocket, but durable enough to do some damage if necessary.

That combination is what makes the best tactical pen, like the Hoffman Richter Stinger “spy pen”, which is machined out of a block of aircraft grade aluminum and coated with titanium matte black finish makes it a great everyday carry for your bug out bag.

3. Weather-Resistant

Tactical pens are also used for writing in out of the ordinary conditions. The best pens can write in extreme heat, extreme cold, and even upside down.

You want to make sure that your pen will still function if you have to write in the rain and it gets a little wet. Where other pens would fail, your tactical pen should succeed.

4. Glass Breaker Tips

This is one feature that really makes certain survival tactical pens stand out from the rest. The absolute best tactical pens have glass breaker tips. This makes them great tools in emergencies as well as self defense situations.

Glass-breaker tips (like those on a seatbelt cutter) have saved lives in situations like car accidents, where a driver might have otherwise drowned in a car submerged in a river. Carrying a pen like this will help make sure you never feel trapped, no matter what.

5. Good Writing Ability

The best tactical pen should be able to do double duty and write well. After all, this should hopefully be the main function of the pen. So, don’t be afraid to use it to put together your must have list of free survival gear.

Choose a pen that has easily refillable ink cartridges and can write whatever situation you happen to be in. Even if you never use it in self defense, you’ll have a great pen.

6. Conceal Carry

The best practical tactical pen is the one that looks like an ordinary pen, complete with a pocket clip (which makes it perfect for everyday carry) and ink cartridges so it can be used as a writing instrument, yet can still be used as a defensive weapon should the need arise in an emergency situation.