‘The pen is mightier than the sword,’ goes the popular saying, and this is the case with a tactical pen. A tactical pen is no longer the sole property of super spies like James Bond.
Whether you are a police officer, firefighter, military personnel, student, or a stay at home parent, the tactical pen is the ultimate self-defense and survival tool.
The 8 Best Tactical Pens
- Gerber Impromptu Tactical Pen
- Columbia River Knife & Tool Williams Tactical Pen
- MCCC Professional Tactical Pen
- The Atomic Bear Tactical Pen (Our Top Pick)
- Pocket Partners Practical Tactical Pen
- Smith & Wesson SWPENMP2BK Tactical Pen
- TF TAKEFLIGHT Tactical Pen
- TACTICAL TOOLS Tactical Pen
Our Top Pick for the Best Tactical Pen
Our top pick for the best tactical pen is The Atomic Bear Tactical Pen. Emergency situations can arise at any time, whether it be a car accident or being accosted in the street, but with the Atomic Bear Tactical pen by your side, you will be primed and ready.
Check the price on AmazonStay Safe with a Tactical Pen
A tactical pen is a simple gadget that offers you a lot of versatile functionality. Underneath its metal skin, there are self-defense weapons and survival safety tools that are carefully concealed.
Besides the ball-point pen nib at one end, there is a solid striker or sharp tip at the other end that can break a window or be used against an assailant. The pen’s cap may also have a sharp pressure point that you can wield the pen in an emergency situation.
The best thing about the tactical pen is that you can use it to write notes indoors or outdoors and no one will ever know that it is a weapon in disguise.
Why You Need A Tactical Pen
- A tactical pen is very portable and will fit into your shirt or pants pocket, backpack, or handbag
- In most countries, a tactical pen is not considered an illegal weapon
- It is the ideal travel companion as it is discreet and unassuming and can pass airport checks
- It is multi-functional; can be used for self-defense, emergency situations, and may contain other useful tools like a bottle opener, screwdriver, and cutting tool
- The best feature of a tactical pen is that most pens are very affordable. So why not buy one to keep in your pocket, backpack, handbag, and an extra one to keep in your vehicle?
How to Choose the Best Tactical Pen
Construction
The body of a tactical pen can be made out of aircraft-grade aluminum, titanium, or stainless steel. While all of these materials are strong and sturdy and highly durable, aluminum alloy is one of the most lightweight materials, which makes the pen easy to carry in your pocket.
Glass Breaker Tip
Besides writing, the tactical pen’s main purpose is to act as a self-defense or survival tool. If you are trapped in your vehicle, the glass-breaker tip can be used to break a window. If you are under attack, you can use the pen as a weapon to defend yourself.
The glass-breaking tip can be made from strong tempered steel or military-grade tungsten steel, which is super tough and is used in armor-piercing ammunition.
Some tactical pens, such as The Atomic Bear Tactical Pen, have a super-alloy tungsten carbide tip that can even penetrate ceramic and metal. This heavy-duty material can make the pen heavier to hold but it is extra strong which is what you need if you need to escape by breaking a window in a burning car wreck.
Extra Tools
Some tactical pens have extra features such as a stylus tip to use on your smartphone, a bottle opener, wrench, screwdriver, or a serrated cutting edge. If you are going on a camping trip or exploring the wilderness, this type of tactical pen should be in your survival kit.
Ergonomic Grip
How the pen feels in your hand is important, especially if you need to use it in wet weather. Whether you are breaking through glass or striking out at a mugger in the street, the pen needs to feel comfortable in your hand and have an easy gripping surface.
While most tactical pens can be used indoors and outdoors, some pens are specially designed for outdoor use, such as the Smith & Wesson SWPENMP2BK Tactical Pen and you can even write in the rain, or even upside down, such as the Gerber Impromptu Tactical Pen.
Cerakote coatings make the pen more resilient and rust-resistant. Anti-slip gripping surfaces such as The Atomic Bear Tactical Pen or a textured band design such as the Practical Tactical Pen make the pen easy to hold in all sorts of outdoor or combat conditions.
Ink Cartridges
As well as being a weapon and survival tool, the tactical pen is a writing instrument as well. Whether you want to use this function or not, you need to consider where you are going to get your ink cartridge refills when the ink runs outs.
You never know when you will need a writing implement. So check to see that the pen is compatible with commonly used cartridges such as Parker or Fisher, or the manufacturer may offer their own cartridges online.
8 Best Tactical Pens – Reviews
1. Gerber Impromptu Tactical Pen
Whatever type of danger comes your way, you will feel confident to face it with the Gerber Impromptu Tactical Pen. The tactical pen is proudly made in the US and has been designed in collaboration with law enforcement professionals, so it is the perfect pen for indoor and outdoor use, for your survival kit, outdoor military use, or EDC.
Its rugged machined steel body is coated with Cerakote that gives the pen extra hardness and corrosion resistance. If you need to break a windshield in an accident or defend yourself from attack from an assailant, the pen’s integrated glass-breaker tip design is made from strong tempered steel and it is very sharp.
The pen’s sleek design gives it a good level of comfortability in your hand, and the push-button mechanism deploys the ballpoint mechanism when you need to write notes even if you are upside down.
Whether you are relaxing in your tent, “walking the beat” in the summer heat, or exploring the wilderness in foggy or rainy weather, the Gerber Gear pen features a “Rite in the Rain” ballpoint pen cartridge that is effective in both wet and dry conditions.
To keep the tactical pen ready for action, the stainless steel pocket clip keeps the pen securely attached to your pocket or on your belt.
The Gerber Impromptu Tactical pen comes in 3 colors: black, grey, or earth, and Gerber Gear offers a full lifetime warranty in North America only, and a 25-limited warranty outside of North America.
Pros
- Quality tactical push-button pen for EDC
- Made in the US
- Very good value for money
- Excellent weight and balance
- Durable, rugged, machined steel body
- Cerakote coating
- Good balance
- Discreet design
- Sturdy stainless steel pocket clip
- Rite in the Rain ink cartridge ideal for indoors and outdoors
- Strong tempered integrated glass-breaker tip
- Comfortable to hold and write with, even upside down
- Full lifetime warranty in North America only
- 25-limited warranty outside of North America
Cons
- Expensive
- Weak push-button mechanism
2. Columbia River Knife & Tool Williams Tactical Pen
The Columbia River Knife & Tool Williams Tactical Pen looks like a stylish ball-point pen, but it is a good EDC tactical tool to have on hand for all sorts of emergencies.
Solidly built, the CRKT tactical pen has been made from precision machined aircraft-grade aluminum and has a hard-coat black non-reflective anodized finish, so it can withstand the toughest conditions while still feeling lightweight and comfortable in your hand.
If you need to walk home along a darkened street, this powerful self-defense tool has a strong tip that can be used to ward off an attacker or break through a glass window in an emergency.
It is a great writing instrument and its tapered body improves grip while also adding a sleek contemporary look.
This low-profile tactical pen gives you lots of portability options. You can carry the pen in the pocket of your tactical pants or shirt, in your purse or backpack, or keep it safely stored in the sturdy carrying case.
One of the best features of this quality tactical pen is its compatibility with standard G2 Parker refills or Fisher SPR4 space pen refills.
Pros
- Good quality defensive and emergency tool
- Stylish writing pen
- Solid construction
- Strong tip
- Precision machined quality T6061 aircraft-grade aluminum
- Glassbreaker, self-defense tool, and writing pen all in one
- Writes well and fits comfortably in the hand
- Well balanced
- Easy to remove cap
- Low profile design
- Highly portable: can carry it in the pocket, bag, or backpack
- Compatible with Parker or Fisher space pen refills
- Sturdy carrying case
Cons
- Metal clip is not very strong
3. MCCC Professional Tactical Pen
Whether you are a firefighter, a student, a doomsday prepper, or a survival enthusiast, the MCCC Professional Tactical Pen is an excellent EDC tactical tool.
In the event of an emergency or a self-defense situation, you need a highly functional tactical pen that you can trust to provide you with the protection you need in all sorts of emergency scenarios. As its weapons and survival tools are concealed inside the pen, it is also the ideal travel safety companion.
The solid tactical pen is made from durable shock-proof and water-resistant aircraft-grade aluminum and the strong and sharp tip can be used as a weapon, to defend yourself from an attack or break a glass window in an accident so you can escape to safety.
As well as being a reliable survival tool, the MCCC professional tactical pen is a smooth writing implement and it has an ergonomic grip design as the grooves along its shaft give you a secure, comfortable grip in all sorts of environments. The cartridge contains long-lasting black ink and can be replaced with Parker cartridges.
The pen’s cap is easy to remove and reattach and you can also use the cap as a weapon as it has a sharp pressure point and the thumb grip allows you to get a good purchase as you strike out against an assailant. The sturdy stainless steel pen clip lets you keep your tactical tool close by for quick and easy access in a crisis.
This tactical pen also comes with a built-in super bright LED flashlight that turns on with just a turn of the on/off switch. MCCC offers the tactical pen in black and pink.
Pros
- Excellent EDC tactical tool
- Great value for money
- Good price
- Solid construction
- Durable shock-proof and water-resistant aircraft-grade aluminum
- Multifunctional
- Strong and sharp tip
- Ergonomic anti-slip grip
- Sharp pressure point weapon and thumb grip on the cap
- Travel-friendly
- Stainless steel clip
- Long-lasting, smooth writing ink
- Super bright built-in LED light
- Ink cartridges are easily replaceable with Parker cartridges
- Available in black and pink
Cons
- Design is not very sleek
- Clip is not very sturdy
4. The Atomic Bear Tactical Pen
With sturdy construction, perfect balance, and a super sharp tip, The Atomic Bear Tactical Pen is a reliable personal safety and outdoor survival tool for EDC purposes and it comes at an extremely affordable price.
This superb tactical pen is made of high-quality T6063 aircraft aluminum alloy and it has a hard super-alloy tungsten carbide tip that is used in armor-piercing bullets, so it is tough enough to break glass, ceramic, and metal but still lightweight enough to carry in your pocket.
The pen’s shaft is designed to be held in reverse grip and the anti-slip thumb grip gives you good stability for stabbing or smashing power when you need to defend yourself or smash a glass window in an emergency.
Whether you use the pen for work-related duties such as writing reports or taking notes on outdoor military maneuvers, the Atomic Bear tactical pen is an excellent writing utensil for indoor and outdoor purposes.
The pen has a smooth consistent writing action and its dark black ink will not bleed or smear, and the ink dries quickly. When it is time to refill the cartridge, you can replace it with Atomic Bear’s top-quality refills or use Parker, Rite in The Rain, or Fisher refills.
The “smart cap” design allows the cap to be clipped on either side of the pen so you do not lose it, and for quick and easy access in an emergency, there is a sturdy belt pocket clip. You can also keep the pen in the exclusive one-action-grip 300D nylon fabric pouch that has resistant stitches and can be attached to belts up to 3-inches wide and it quickly opens with a Velcro® flap.
The Atomic Bear offers a very generous lifetime warranty on its SWAT-style tactical pen, and they also include 2 black cartridges.
Pros
- High quality
- Perfectly balanced
- Extremely affordable
- 2.1mm thick T6063 aircraft aluminum alloy body
- Strong super-alloy tungsten carbide tip
- Lightweight
- Can break glass, ceramic, and metal
- Reverse grip
- Anti-slip grip and thumb grip
- Smart cap can be clipped to either side of the pen
- Smooth consistent writing
- Bleed-proof and smear-proof black ink
- Ink quickly dries with a consistent ink flow
- Compatible with Atomic Bear, Parker, Rite in The Rain, or Fisher Space refills
- Two black cartridges
- Sturdy belt pocket clip
- Exclusive one-action-grip 300D nylon fabric pouch with a Velcro® flap
- Lifetime warranty
Cons
- Pen is a bit long
- Bulky
5. Pocket Partners Practical Tactical Pen
The Pocket Partners Practical Tactical Pen looks just like an elegant fountain pen and it has a superb balance and tough durability which makes it an excellent weapon or survival tool for all sorts of emergency situations.
This precision-machined tactical pen is made of aerospace-grade aluminum, which is extremely lightweight yet super strong, so you can carry it in your pocket, purse, bug-out-bag, backpack, or glove compartment. It offers you a lot of versatility as it has a sharp pointed end and a solid rounded end that you can use to disable an attacker or break through glass.
With its fountain-style pen look and a silver satin (matte) anodized finish, this unassuming pen hides its weapons from the untrained eye so can write up reports at work or take notes out in the street and no one will ever know its hidden defense secrets.
The pen has a good balance and it writes wonderfully well, and the shaft has 5 textured bands which make it very comfortable to hold and grip even in wet conditions.
The quick-unscrew rounded cap can be quickly pushed onto the pointed end while writing, so you do not have to worry about misplacing it. The pocket clip keeps the pen where you can access it quickly and there is a hole at one end for you to attach it to a key ring, carabiner, backpack, or purse.
Pocket Partners offer a 100% money-back guarantee and you can use refills such as Parker Gel, Fisher Space, and Hauser.
Pros
- Excellent quality
- Discreet slimline design
- Elegant fountain pen style
- Satin silver (black matte) anodized finish
- Super strong aerospace-grade aluminum
- Extremely lightweight
- Superb balance of elegant style and tough durability
- Good length
- Two weapons: a sharp pointed end and a solid rounded end
- Hole for attaching the pen to a key ring, carabiner, pack, or purse
- Sturdy steel pocket clip
- Five texture bands provide a good secure grip even when it’s raining
- Compatible with Parker Gel, Fisher Space, and Hauser refills
- 100% money-back guarantee
Cons
- Threaded cap can be hard to remove
6. Smith & Wesson SWPENMP2BK Tactical Pen
Smith & Wesson has been America’s longest-standing, leading firearm brands for over 164 years, so if you need a top-quality self-defense or survival tool, their Smith & Wesson SWPENMP2BK Tactical Pen is an excellent choice.
With a smart matte black finish, the Smith & Wesson tactical pen is a very stylish self-defense and survival tool and it is very versatile. When you are writing away or using the pen as a PDA Stylus on your tablet, no one would ever know what weapons are concealed inside the pen.
As well as being a quality writing instrument, the Smith & Wesson tactical pen contains a sharp tip for effective self-defense protection and a solid blunt end that will make quick work out of breaking glass if you need to escape from a burning vehicle.
The pen has a sturdy construction and it is made of CNC machined black T6061 aircraft aluminum, and the screw cap has a clip that can be securely fastened to your shirt or pant pocket.
Designed for outdoor use, the pen’s cap is secured by a rubber o-ring to stop any water or dirt, or sand from getting inside the casing, and the wavy design on the pen’s shaft gives you a secure grip even when it is raining.
The tactical pen comes with one Schmidt P900M Parker style ink cartridge, but you can also use Fisher cartridges.
Pros
- Great quality
- Excellent value for money
- Versatile
- Smart matte black finish
- Solid CNC machined black T6061 aircraft aluminum
- Ideal for recreational and professional level use
- Designed for outdoor use
- Rubber O-ring protects the pen from moisture and sand
- Well balanced
- Sturdy and strong
- Sharp tip
- Highly functional
- PDA Stylus for touchscreen devices
- Wavy design gives you a secure grip
- Comfortable to hold and write with
- Compatible with Schmidt or Fisher ink refill cartridges
Cons
- Clip is not very strong
- Bulky
7. TF TAKEFLIGHT Tactical Pen
The TF TAKEFLIGHT Tactical Pen offers you lots of functionality for self-defense and emergency situations. Whether you are stuck in a burning car, walking along a dark, isolated road, or planning a wilderness expedition, the TF TAKEFLIGHT tactical pen is destined to be your favorite multi-tool.
Solid and sturdy, the tactical pen has a rugged design and is made from heavy-duty aircraft aluminum alloy with a matt black finish. The extra hard steel tip is tough enough to break through glass in seconds while also being an essential self-defense weapon.
A practical tool for EDC at home and on holiday, the tactical pen has a bottle opener with a serrated edge and an extremely bright LED light that turns the pen into a mini tactical flashlight. It is a nice writing tool with black ink and the ergonomic textured surface gives you a very good grip even in wet weather. You can even use the Stylus tip for Kindle, iPhone, and other touchscreen devices.
To keep the pen ready for action, the steel clip that is attached to the durable cap will stay securely clipped to your shirt pocket or pants or attached to your backpack or bug-out-bag.
This tactical pen also comes with 2 extra refill ink cartridges, an extra battery, and you can use standard pen ink refills.
TF TAKEFLIGHT also offers the tactical pen in silver.
Pros
- Great value for money
- High quality
- Versatile functionality
- Exquisite matt black appearance
- Heavy-duty aircraft-grade aluminum alloy
- Solid extra hard steel striker
- Smooth writing ability
- Ergonomic handle has an easy gripping anti-skid textured design
- Ideal for outdoors
- Stylus tip for Kindle, iPhone, and other touchscreen devices
- Contains a bottle opener with a serrated edge and an LED flashlight
- Steel pen clip
- Two extra ink refills and compatible with standard pen ink refills
- Comes in silver
Cons
- Cap does not fit very well
8. TACTICAL TOOLS Tactical Pen
Perfect for any survival situation, the TACTICAL TOOLS Tactical Pen will help you to be armed and ready. This sturdy pen is made from aircraft-grade black aluminum and its impact resistant tungsten steel tip can be used to smash through a window or defend yourself from an unexpected attack.
It even comes with a bright LED flashlight that you can use to find your car keys or navigate your way in the dark.
Just like a fountain pen, it has a smooth writing action and the water-resistant ergonomic body allows you to get a firm grip in wet conditions.
A rugged steel clip keeps the pen securely attached to a pocket or backpack.
This pen comes with a waterproof fire starter, bottle opener, military-grade compass, an ink refill, and 3 batteries. It is compatible with standard ink refills.
TACTICAL TOOLS offers a 100% money-back guarantee on the tactical pen.
Pros
- Very good quality
- Great value for money
- Made from durable aircraft-grade aluminum
- Impact-resistant tungsten steel glass-breaking steel tip
- Bright LED light
- Classy fountain-pen design
- Smooth writing performance
- Waterproof and impact-resistant body
- Ergonomic design
- Rugged steel clip
- Compatible with standard ballpoint refills
- Comes with a waterproof fire starter, bottle opener, military-grade compass
- Black ink refill and 3 batteries are included
- Compatible with standard ink refills
- 100% money-back guarantee
Cons
- Bulky
- Runs out of ink fast
Our Top Pick for the Best Tactical Pen
Our top pick for the best tactical pen is The Atomic Bear Tactical Pen. Emergency situations can arise at any time, whether it be a car accident or being accosted in the street, but with the Atomic Bear Tactical pen by your side, you will be primed and ready.
Check the price on Amazon
