"Tactical" pens

[YVK]

Anybody has any input on stuff like Surefire or similar pens?

[JDM]

I have a Surefire Pen III that I received as a gift from a spectacularly generous friend. It is really well made (duh), and quite hefty. Hefty as in I could drive it real deep into someone's soft tissues with ease. It goes everywhere I do (airplanes, the sterile side of court houses, etc. ) While it obviously could never replace a proper edged weapon or gun, it's a viable option. It also doesn't look like a weapon, or anything other then a cool pen, which I really like.

[Dagga Boy]

I've got both the Surefire and Hinderer Pens. I lost one of the really expensive Hinderers, so I don't really carry them daily any longer. I do use the Surefire Pens extensively. They are a great tool, especially in restrictive environments. A good example is that the travel team of my old E/P unit generally traveled the world with a Surefire Pen, E2DL lights, and Surefire folding knives as their entire arsenal. Sucks, but that is reality. You can't always have guns and fixed blade knives, so if you have to use "discrete" weapons, I believe in having the best quality available, and purpose built heavy duty pens are part of that.

[YVK]

Nyeti, could you compare and contrast SF and Hinderer? I see that Rick now has not that expensive options. Seems to me that SF and Rick's would be close in a last-resort role, although Hinderer's looks like it may offer a better retention.
One aspect that I am interested in is how they work in their other intended role - as a writing instrument: comfort, balance etc.

[VolGrad]

I'm a pen whore. I'm a gadget junkie. I have always wanted one of these but am too cheap to buy one. I also suspect they aren't that great in the role of a writing instrument but I can't confirm that. I too am interested in the differences in the SF and Hinderer. If anyone has any top secret deals they want to share by PM I'll be happy to see if they prove my suspicion wrong. :cool:

I recall a thread discussing tactical pens from a while back but can't find it. I recall Todd expressing his opinion one SF model vs another. I noticed the Hinderer pens range from $60-$200. The Surefires are less expensive than I recall from $80-$100.

I do carry a pen at all times. I currently carry one of the Fisher bullet pens because it's so easy to throw in my pocket. It doesn't serve any double duty though so a tactical pen would be a nice pick-up. Besides, the cap always comes off my Fisher. I suspect the place I bought it from stretched it out when they engraved it. They were doing free engraving so I had VolGrad put on it. Mistake.

[orionz06]

I have a Surefire pen on me now, I like it, it is cool looking and I use it more at meetings than anything else. I hate how long the inserts last and I hate the Space Pen inserts, they are too wide.

I am actively seeking a pen that is smooth and writes very fine with a light touch, in black, that doesn't require a $200 body. Using a Zebra F-701 as well. Not bad.

[NETim]

I like my Tuffwriters.

http://www.tacticalpens.com

[VolGrad]

I have a Surefire pen on me now, I like it, it is cool looking and I use it more at meetings than anything else. I hate how long the inserts last and I hate the Space Pen inserts, they are too wide.

I am actively seeking a pen that is smooth and writes very fine with a light touch, in black, that doesn't require a $200 body. Using a Zebra F-701 as well. Not bad.

I actually think the Zebras make a good tactical pen. Their body is tough as nails and they do write well. I too like a really fine black line. I have a box of F-301s in assorted colors I use frequently myself. Thanks for the reminder.

[Slavex]

I use the Rite in the Rain pens, the click one. Not exactly tactical, although like any pen you could use it as a puncture weapon. It is a nice light pen, will literally write through blood and underwater, has a decent line width, not thin, but not medium/thick either. If the inserts for that pen fit my Surefire I'd probably use the Surefire with them. But instead it sits on the shelf somewhere, glancing now, I can't see it, gathering dust as it has since it ran out of ink a few months after I got it.

[ToddG]

Having used and handful of different pens I've formed some preferences.


The pen should be conveniently used as a pen. I don't like removable caps -- especially if there is no way to attach them securely to the pen while writing -- and prefer a clicky (Surefire gen II through gen IV) to a twist (Surefire gen I).
The pen shouldn't be so pointy that it looks like a spike/weapon. The whole idea is to have something I can get through security checkpoints. The more it looks like a weapon, the harder this becomes.
The pen needs to be designed in a way that is easy to access. I tend to wear my pen in my collar placket. So first it needs a clip. Second, the clip needs to ride low enough on the pen that I can actually grab the pen without fishing around inside my shirt (the Surefire I was horrible in this regard while the III and IV are much improved). Third, the barrel of the pen needs to be textured in such a way that I get a good grip on it while removing it from my shirt (Surefire III as opposed to the "just to make it look different" IV).
I need to be able to grip it tight and deliver real force with it. In addition to the texturing mentioned above, I find a that very thin (like the Rite in the Rain) or very thick (like many finer pens) don't work as well as the Surefire I, III, and IV in this regard.
The pen needs to be rugged. Mine get used everywhere from business meetings to the range. It needs to survive that as well as being usable in all those environments (i.e., it needs to take Fisher space pen cartridges).


I pretty much stopped looking once I got my Surefire III. Surefire seems to take a different approach to their pens than most other "Tacti-pen" makers. They make a decent pen that can be used as a weapon instead of trying to make a decent weapon that can fool people into thinking it's a pen.

[Cookie Monster]

I have not passed the test of not losing a $10 pen so I am unable get authorization to upgrade. Nothing gets me all fired up like pens that don't work though.

I have found Zebra pens to be good, they write well and pretty much the first time. I have no experience stabbing people with a Zebra so I cannot comment on its effectiveness in that use.

Leaving California today and moving to the free state of Washington, super excited for all sorts of reasons and had to share, sorry for the thread drift.

Cheers,
Cookie Monster

[ToddG]

CM -- Congrats on the move!

Regarding the expense of the pens, I find they're like sunglasses. I used to lose my $15 sunglasses all the time. Once I switched to Rudy and other pricey options, I pay far more attention to what I do with them and where I put them down.

I've lost one Surefire pen... my first, a custom engraved one that was a gift from dear friends. It was lost on a range and I'm fairly certain someone else picked it up and kept it, engraving notwithstanding. To this day it upsets me.

[NickA]

CM -- Congrats on the move!

Regarding the expense of the pens, I find they're like sunglasses. I used to lose my $15 sunglasses all the time. Once I switched to Rudy and other pricey options, I pay far more attention to what I do with them and where I put them down.

I've lost one Surefire pen... my first, a custom engraved one that was a gift from dear friends. It was lost on a range and I'm fairly certain someone else picked it up and kept it, engraving notwithstanding. To this day it upsets me.

Same here. Cleaning out the garage and while back I even found these, which are probably better off lost:
http://img.tapatalk.com/d/12/10/04/3ajy9y4y.jpg

Sucks about your pen, I hate losing stuff like that, to the point where I'm almost OCD about it.
I've been using the Zebra 701 also, seems a good option until I can con someone into buying me a Surefire 3 (I have to have a clicky also, can't stand pens with tops).
Sent from my PC36100 using Tapatalk 2

[LOKNLOD]

Regarding the expense of the pens, I find they're like sunglasses. I used to lose my $15 sunglasses all the time. Once I switched to Rudy and other pricey options, I pay far more attention to what I do with them and where I put them down.

I always dismissed expensive sunglasses, until I got some, and now i've had them for....6 years now?

RE: potentially stolen pens, that blows. Very uncool.

[orionz06]

Same here. Cleaning out the garage and while back I even found these, which are probably better off lost:
http://img.tapatalk.com/d/12/10/04/3ajy9y4y.jpg


I will GLADLY dispose of those for you. Seriously.

[NickA]

I will GLADLY dispose of those for you. Seriously.

I'm fairly sure they're still out there, if I can find them when I get back Monday they're yours.

Sent from my PC36100 using Tapatalk 2

[John Ralston]

Leaving California today and moving to the free state of Washington, super excited for all sorts of reasons and had to share, sorry for the thread drift.

Cheers,
Cookie Monster

Congrats on the move, but...Washington isn't all roses either. All those tree huggers in Seattle have pushed their Democratic Agenda on the rest of us. It's better than where you are coming from, but Montana it is not!

[37th Mass]

I have found Zebra pens to be good, they write well and pretty much the first time. I have no experience stabbing people with a Zebra so I cannot comment on its effectiveness in that use.

Cheers,
Cookie Monster

I second the endorsement of Zebra pens. The Zebra 301 Gel writes extremely well. I have been writing with them almost exclusively for the last two years.

http://ak.buy.com/PI/0/500/206477462.jpg

The body of the pen is mostly steel, although there is a thick knurled plastic portion near the tip. In two years I have only broken two while stabbing people and both broke at the joint between the main steel shaft and the knurled plastic. Luckily my ACU comes with sleeve pockets for three quick reloads.

They are very reasonably priced, and did I mention that they write extremely well? I have learned to hate writing with anything else. The only downside of the Zebra gel is that they run out of ink rather quickly. I think that is a function of how smoothly the ink flows. I have learned to keep some refills in my desk.

Just kidding about stabbing people. :cool:

[Shokr21]

The body of the pen is mostly steel, although there is a thick knurled plastic portion near the tip. In two years I have only broken two while stabbing people and both broke at the joint between the main steel shaft and the knurled plastic. Luckily my ACU comes with sleeve pockets for three quick reloads.


Just kidding about stabbing people. :cool:

I've often looked at my uniform sleeve and pondered what some smart mouth admin type would do if I stabbed them in the jugular for giving me the run-around.

But only for half a second, then I just breathe deep and try to comply with the hoop jumping.

Zebra's are my go to pen, cheap write well and don't look so fancy that some doucher will try to snag 'em.

[Mr_White]

I have no tolerance for losing expensive pens by mislaying or dropping them, or confiscation by security personnel who recognize them. Search ebay for 'heavy metal pens' or 'pharmaceutical pens'. This will bring up cheap pharm rep pens intended to be given to doctors as minor promotional items. They can be had for less than $1 each sometimes (funny ones like Viagra pens are more though!) and are made of heavy and hard material. I don't know that you could stab a gang of fools over a month straight of fool-stabbing but I bet you could get through an in-extremis circumstance. Little risk if lost while traveling either, like the Zebra pens. Plus they explicitly wear a non-weapon brand (Levitra, Lipitor, etc.) and are hopefully less likely to get looked hard at by security, even those who might recognize a low-profile Tactical Pen.

[Odin Bravo One]

I have 2 SF's, and one is fine.

The other sucks. Bad.

I have 4 Benchmade's that were gifts.

I like them much better.

But about the only place I see a use is at 30,000 feet. If I am on the ground, I prefer to stab someone with a knife than a pen. And all things being equal, I'd rather just not be where I have to stab someone with either.

[MEH]

And all things being equal, I'd rather just not be where I have to stab someone [with either].

That's just an awesome quote right there!

[SouthNarc]

Personally I eschew ALL tactical pens after watching William Aprill have his pink anodized Kershaw pen, confiscated at the Manchester, NH airport by TSA.

[ToddG]

Kershaw makes a pen?

eta: if you mean the Benchmade (http://www.excaliburcutlery.com/gifts/pens-benchmade-1100-6-pink), it is a great example of a weapon that can be used as a pen rather than a pen that can serve as a weapon. Those "spike" profile pens have been on the TSA no-no list for quite a while.

My Surefire pen is just a pen. It's no pointier than any other ballpoint and made of a weaker metal (aluminum vs steel) than many common pens. The fact that it's made by a flashlight company doesn't turn it into contraband. Nothing on Surefire's website discusses its use as a weapon to the best of my knowledge.

[SouthNarc]

Kershaw makes a pen?

eta: if you mean the Benchmade (http://www.excaliburcutlery.com/gifts/pens-benchmade-1100-6-pink), it is a great example of a weapon that can be used as a pen rather than a pen that can serve as a weapon. Those "spike" profile pens have been on the TSA no-no list for quite a while.

My Surefire pen is just a pen. It's no pointier than any other ballpoint and made of a weaker metal (aluminum vs steel) than many common pens. The fact that it's made by a flashlight company doesn't turn it into contraband. Nothing on Surefire's website discusses its use as a weapon to the best of my knowledge.


I could have sworn it was made by Kershaw but I could very well failing in my recall. I'll text William and ask him.

Noted on the Surefire pen and agree that it's less weaponish with no advertising to that effect.

[Odin Bravo One]

I keep mine hooked to my notebook, and have not had a problem.

I agree the SF pen is less offensive looking, but as a pen, the one mentioned as a problem, sucks bad. At least with the Benchmade, when it goes Tango Uniform I can still engrave with it. The SF McClicky McDoesn't work.

[ToddG]

SM -- What was wrong with your SF pen? I've had a handful of them and all worked fine.

[SouthNarc]

On a broader note, I prefer not to have ANY industry signatures when I fly. Oakleys, lightweight hikers, Suunto/Gshocks, bags in any shade of coyote-ranger green-black that have MOLLE, etc. logo items, whatever. I'll also note that wearing shined shoes and a navy jacket goes a LONG way towards upgrades, service, and putting airline employees at ease when I check 6 Sims guns and two real ones.


Edited to add: You called it Todd. William just said it was Benchmade.

[Odin Bravo One]

The SF McClicky McDoesn't work.

It won't fully deploy, or fully retract. It just kind of sits there, not quite deployed enough to write with. My other one works just fine. But that still only leaves me at a 50% pen success rate.


And I am on board with SN's travel program. A collared shirt, coat if it is cool enough, non-jean trousers, decent shoes, etc. I try to minimize my gear signature when I fly. I have enough of a tattoo signature that I don't need the extra hassle. Especially when flying guns too.

[Sparks2112]

On a broader note, I prefer not to have ANY industry signatures when I fly. Oakleys, lightweight hikers, Suunto/Gshocks, bags in any shade of coyote-ranger green-black that have MOLLE, etc. logo items, whatever. I'll also note that wearing shined shoes and a navy jacket goes a LONG way towards upgrades, service, and putting airline employees at ease when I check 6 Sims guns and two real ones.


Edited to add: You called it Todd. William just said it was Benchmade.

Hmmm, I'll have to try that. Though I haven't had any problems with my, as you put it, Costa beard, biker tats, and bullet for my valentine t-shirts. Maybe it's cause I'm just so totally Burt Reynolds though ;)

[Kyle Reese]

I'd invest in a really cool pen, but don't see the point. I lose about 6 a day. :)

[SouthNarc]

Maybe it's cause I'm just so totally Burt Reynolds though ;)

Nice!

So.......how exactly do advocates of using a pen as a weapon, envision doing so, and under what circumstances?

[Slavex]

I can come up with a place and rough time frame of where I had once thought I'd need to use a pen for more than writing. Bali 2008, back seat of a taxi that I thought had jacked me. I'm a little gunshy after experiencing similar in another hot part of the world, so I was quite ready to stuff my Rite in the Rain in the drivers ear, throat, eyes, where ever it would fit if we hadn't suddenly turned onto the hotel strip. The whole "they are doing road work we can't go that way" was exactly the same as my previous encounter (where a much more suitable tool was used to convince the driver to take us to our hotel), heading out into the jungle at 5am, by myself with this driver after a night experiencing the nightlife was not the plan. As it turned out, he was an exceptionally awesome driver, who refused my tip, I literally had to ball the money up and throw it in his window as he drove away, and then run cackling into my hotel.
I got stapped with a regular pen once in highschool, had a blue spot from the ink (until I finally dug it out years later). It hurt, and it went deep into the arm. I'm pretty sure in a pinch my pen would do the same. Of course a knife is better, but I can't take that everywhere I go, and I can't carry everywhere I go. But a pen? so far it's gone everwhere with me. I'm very attached to that particular pen.

[SamuelBLong]

A bombproof pen is a must for any long evening writing charts in the ER / Ambulance, or for taking notes at school.

I keep mine clipped high center line in the v-neck of my scrubs or in between the buttons on my shirt.

Further discussion when you get to Albuquerque.

[Sparks2112]

Nice!

So.......how exactly do advocates of using a pen as a weapon, envision doing so, and under what circumstances?

I actually broke a bic pen off into someone's pectoral muscle when I was working as a bouncer. He found it, distracting, and completely surprising...

[NEPAKevin]

Local PD had us tow in a truck, whose owner had warrants and a predisposition to run, with instructions to notify them and stall the owner if he showed up. So, the guy comes in the waiting room and I tell him simply that his pickup was impounded by the cops and I have to call them come release it to him. No Problem says he as I called the township HQ and turned off the scanner. So, while we were waiting, unbeknownst to him, the township cops gathered the troops and encircled the building. But, a county sheriff's deputy who heard the call go out and apparently had a hard for this guy, stormed in by himself and authoritatively informed dude that he was under arrest. The guy, who up to this point had been polite, and was young, healthy and long of limb, grabs a cheap plastic stick pen point down in his fist and not only backed down the deputy but then proceeded to bowl through at least three of the locals at the door. Foot chase ensued, but the patrolman who grabbed him up, who was not predisposed to participating in foot chases, told me that he knew which way the guy would run and was waiting for him a few blocks away and the guy basically just ran out of steam and didn't give him any trouble. Anyway, that's one anecdotal case of cheap plastic stick pen vs fully equipped LEOs where the pen prevailed, if only momentarily.

[John Ralston]

So.......how exactly do advocates of using a pen as a weapon, envision doing so, and under what circumstances?

Have you not seen "The Bourne Identity"? You just have to dodge a full mag from an MP5, slap the guy around a little bit, then jam the pen into his hand...

[vaspence]

1069
Another vote for the Zebra 701, great pen for the money. I even modded one to accept a Fisher refill for SAR/Kayak work. The knurling and weight make it an excellent writing tool. Been my favorite for a few years. No worries flying with it either.

[SouthNarc]

Anyway, that's one anecdotal case of cheap plastic stick pen vs fully equipped LEOs where the pen prevailed, if only momentarily.


Posted by Sparks 2112

I actually broke a bic pen off into someone's pectoral muscle when I was working as a bouncer. He found it, distracting, and completely surprising...

And these two examples are what I'm steering towards. One, two, maybe three shots, and then you're either trying to get an adversary's gun or are hauling ass. In that context, I can't really see going with an ubertool over something that's sturdy, cheap, and disposable. Just my take.

[Sparks2112]

And these two examples are what I'm steering towards. One, two, maybe three shots, and then you're either trying to get an adversary's gun or are hauling ass. In that context, I can't really see going with an ubertool over something that's sturdy, cheap, and disposable. Just my take.

I'd totally carry my deadly neuro toxin that's disguised as a pen but the cap pops off for like totally no reason...

Hey two in one thread. So ninja of me.

Wait, three, what? ;)

[MEH]

Went through courtroom security yesterday with a Zebra 701. The deputy did a double take and clicked it to make sure it was a pen. Didn't think it would attract that much attention. Don't know what he would have done if it had been a tactical pen. :cool:

[ChrisG]

So.......how exactly do advocates of using a pen as a weapon, envision doing so, and under what circumstances?

I bought one of the Benchmade pens during my last deployment. My specific application was concern over Green on Blue attack. I spent a lot of time doing advisory work in Iraqi TOCs, where it was impractical to wear kit and my long gun was generally propped against the wall within my reach rather than slung on my person. The idea was that I always had my pen in hand to take notes; if things ever went bad and I got bum-rushed before I could get to the rifle, I could use the pen during the initial onslaught until I could access a fixed blade, pistol, or long gun (as appropriate). In these circumstances the overtly "stabby" appearance of the benchmade was a positive, rather than a negative. Thankfully I never had to test the theory in real life. I never got a chance to test it in FoF training either.

Obviously this was somewhat of a niche application, and I'm not arguing for the general utility of "tactical pens."

[WTAprill]

On a broader note, I prefer not to have ANY industry signatures when I fly. Oakleys, lightweight hikers, Suunto/Gshocks, bags in any shade of coyote-ranger green-black that have MOLLE, etc. logo items, whatever. I'll also note that wearing shined shoes and a navy jacket goes a LONG way towards upgrades, service, and putting airline employees at ease when I check 6 Sims guns and two real ones.


Edited to add: You called it Todd. William just said it was Benchmade.

The pen had been a freebie, so I just don't recall much about it. I got so intrigued by S'Narc's text, though, that I did an image search until I found it: it was a Schrade, after all, and certainly not pink.
Even in a pile of keys, cell, etc., the kid from TSA zoomed in on it instantly and gave me the options of check it or lose it....(:-(

[Sparks2112]

The pen had been a freebie, so I just don't recall much about it. I got so intrigued by S'Narc's text, though, that I did an image search until I found it: it was a Schrade, after all, and certainly not pink.
Even in a pile of keys, cell, etc., the kid from TSA zoomed in on it instantly and gave me the options of check it or lose it....(:-(

Good to see you here, just mentioned you in another thread. It's alwys surprising to see a TSA agent who actually notices stuff. It's like, Whaaaat? You're actually paying attention?

[Cacafuego]

A cursory reading of the TSA's prohibited items list will reveal that pointed metal scissors with blades less than 4" are expressly allowed in carry-on baggage. I've carried a Gingher craft scissors on a couple dozen flights so far, most recently to/from Denver this past weekend. :)

[MEH]

A cursory reading of the TSA's prohibited items list will reveal that pointed metal scissors with blades less than 4" are expressly allowed in carry-on baggage. I've carried a Gingher craft scissors on a couple dozen flights so far, most recently to/from Denver this past weekend. :)

Hmmmm, seems screwdrivers (http://www.tsa.gov/traveler-information/prohibited-items)less that 7" in length are allowed.

[Seven_Sicks_Two]

Hmmmm, seems screwdrivers (http://www.tsa.gov/traveler-information/prohibited-items)less that 7" in length are allowed.


So who is going to be the first to make a TSA approved "tactical" screwdriver?

[JDM]

Hmmmm, seems screwdrivers (http://www.tsa.gov/traveler-information/prohibited-items)less that 7" in length are allowed.

Confirmed.

[Mr_White]

A cursory reading of the TSA's prohibited items list will reveal that pointed metal scissors with blades less than 4" are expressly allowed in carry-on baggage. I've carried a Gingher craft scissors on a couple dozen flights so far, most recently to/from Denver this past weekend. :)

Right on.

It's good to have a pastime on a plane. I bring an origami kit (big effing surprise, right?)

I personally specialize in miniature origami. I make cranes with several millimeter wingspans - which are a little rough since it's hard to fold that size paper very cripsly - that's the quest anyway, and also various guns out of dollar bills.

So I bring small origami paper, these scissors to cut the paper even smaller, and which come apart http://www.metrokitchen.com/product/WU-5558-1 into two fixed blade halves and are inexpensive if for some reason not allowed, a mini-maglight to see what the F I am doing with that small origami paper, and a bunch of those heavy metal pens I referenced and a notebook to write effed up short stories and philosophies and stuff. That's about as good as I am going to have it on an airplane. Better yet, I try not to ride the airplane when I can help it.

[SouthNarc]

The pen had been a freebie, so I just don't recall much about it. I got so intrigued by S'Narc's text, though, that I did an image search until I found it: it was a Schrade, after all, and certainly not pink.
Even in a pile of keys, cell, etc., the kid from TSA zoomed in on it instantly and gave me the options of check it or lose it....(:-(

Was it red? Or purple? I could've sworn it was some bright color that looked like it came off a gay Mardi Gras float.

[Sparks2112]

Was it red? Or purple? I could've sworn it was some bright color that looked like it came off a gay Mardi Gras float.

HAH.

[YVK]

it was a Schrade, after all, and certainly not pink.

Having done research on this during last two days, Schrade pens are well regarded as they have a "typical" feature set and reasonable execution at $25 price.

[WTAprill]

Was it red? Or purple? I could've sworn it was some bright color that looked like it came off a gay Mardi Gras float.

I will certainly yield to your greater knowledge and experience with "gay Mardi Gras floats"...

As for the pen, ahem, it was something along the lines of pewter.

[NickA]

So, necropost, First World problems and all that, but:
Finally bit the bullet and ordered a Surefire III pen, in tan and (should be) black, but this one has silver hardware:

http://img.tapatalk.com/d/13/05/08/aqeqasyr.jpg
Surefire confirmed that that's how they are made now, even though every single picture I see on the web (including the SF site) still shows black hardware.
Trying to decide if I dig it or not, but thought I'd throw this out in case anyone else is looking at ordering one.

[ToddG]

Anyone know if the black ones still use the silver furniture, too, or have they gone all-black? That tan 'n chrome look is... well... I hope you enjoy your pen no matter how ugly it is.

[NickA]

Anyone know if the black ones still use the silver furniture, too, or have they gone all-black? That tan 'n chrome look is... well... I hope you enjoy your pen no matter how ugly it is.

I'll ask the guy I got an email from and see about the black ones.
And yeah, it's going back.

[Tamara]

My first encounter with a Surefire pen. True story.

I was visiting the shop where I used to run the sales floor, and the owner was griping about the stuff my successor had ordered. He handed me a Surefire pen, price tag prominently displayed on the box.

I looked the pen over, giving it a thorough coonfingering, twisting and pulling to see if anything popped out or unfolded or lit up...

"I give up. How do you..."

"You don't."

"But..."

"That's what I thought, too, but there aren't any hidden knives or flashlights or anything. It's just a pen."

I looked at the price tag again... "You have got to be kittening me."

[NickA]

My first encounter with a Surefire pen. True story.

I was visiting the shop where I used to run the sales floor, and the owner was griping about the stuff my successor had ordered. He handed me a Surefire pen, price tag prominently displayed on the box.

I looked the pen over, giving it a thorough coonfingering, twisting and pulling to see if anything popped out or unfolded or lit up...

"I give up. How do you..."

"You don't."

"But..."

"That's what I thought, too, but there aren't any hidden knives or flashlights or anything. It's just a pen."

I looked at the price tag again... "You have got to be kittening me."

There's a 1911 joke in there but I'm gonna let it slide :p

[Tamara]

There's a 1911 joke in there but I'm gonna let it slide :p

Maybe if the Surefire pen was all ate up with hand-fitting and finishing, there would be. (Ooh! And those ghey "UZI" pens would be RIAs!)

[PPGMD]

I'd totally carry my deadly neuro toxin that's disguised as a pen but the cap pops off for like totally no reason...

Hey two in one thread. So ninja of me.

Wait, three, what? ;)

http://www.lazyeights.net/Avion/fry-see-what-you-did-there.jpg

I have two of the Surefire pens, I honestly didn't buy them for the weapon part (though that is nice I suppose). A friend got me to try one, and I loved it as a writing pen, so much better than the cheap pens I was using.