Tactical pen, legal carry in the UK or not?

[Silverclaws2]

I have never put a lot of importance on a pen when out hiking/camping etc, I get mine from Screwfix or Toolstation, they are a bit small but when I lose them I never cast a tear, just pick up a new one on the way home.

I buy decent, mostly vintage to look after decent so as not to contribute to material wastage through carelessness, and in particular not cause the creation of yet more plastic waste.

 

[Minotaur]

But if it's ' big and chunky ' you are seeking, know that this century Parker have churned out a few big and chunky ball pens, for myself to have a collection, well a collection and a half of these;

Hanging my head in shame it is the IM I own 2 of as mentioned in your link. The problem is between the original gun metal work of brilliance and the chrome newer one, they have started using plastic so my chrome one has a plastic point. It something to watch in the jotters as well that the barrel may be plastic. These are £15 plus pens that look like they are metal however are not and now despite the Union Jack plaster everywhere are actually made in China.

I also own the fountain pen pictured at the bottom however it a load of leaky rubbish. Really want an Urban, they lovely to write with.

Looks like I need to start haunting car boots, charity shops and vintage sellers with a magnet.

 

[Silverclaws2]

Hanging my head in shame it is the IM I own 2 of as mentioned in your link. The problem is between the original gun metal work of brilliance and the chrome newer one, they have started using plastic so my chrome one has a plastic point. It something to watch in the jotters as well that the barrel may be plastic. These are £15 plus pens that look like they are metal however are not and now despite the Union Jack plaster everywhere are actually made in China.

I also own the fountain pen pictured at the bottom however it a load of leaky rubbish. Really want an Urban, they lovely to write with.

Looks like I need to start haunting car boots, charity shops and vintage sellers with a magnet.

The sneaky plastic and made in China, yes I am aware and why I through creative search terms scour ebay for vintage or at least original concept examples as they tend to be better made. But if it is the Urban ball pen you seek, to discern between the heavy all metal originals and the later more plastic incarnations of the same, ask of sellers the exact weight of the pen for the original all metal pens tend to be around 48g in weight whereas the later more plastic versions tend to be around 36g in weight. There are some visual differences too, but weight is a good indication and the colour schemes shown in that image I posted as there has been some schemes added.

There are lots of estate clearances going on at the moment, for sadly obvious reasons.

But the Mk 1 Urban fountain pens I also have a few of those, to agree they are a delight to write with and I just love their voluptuous shape, a shape toned down to the point of boring with the MK2 versions of which came about around 2015

 

[Minotaur]

But the Mk 1 Urban fountain pens I also have a few of those, to agree they are a delight to write with and I just love their voluptuous shape, a shape toned down to the point of boring with the MK2 versions of which came about around 2015

I have a couple of Urban fountain pens and they rock which just makes the Gun Metal IM disappointing, it leaks, badly. My 2 favourite fountain pens are Urbans and my least favourite are an IM and a jotter both because they leak like crazy.

 

[SaraR]

I lost my Parker recently and was looking at replacements. The whole range of tactical pens out there caught my interest however I then had the thought are they legal carry?
Some ground rules, this is not a thread for US vs UK rules or self defence related comments. My thought process was it is a pointed metal object obviously intended to be used as a kubaton and they are illegal in the UK so does that make these illegal as well be default.
I am unhappy with the changes in ownership of Parker (No more lifetime guarantee for a start) and I prefer a metal thicker pen just generally so if anyone has suggestions for ones to look at I would be grateful. I am looking for cheap and stylish rather than "tactical". I have a spare Parker I think they are the Urban Ball points and my original which I found is all metal however the newer spare has a plastic nose. The jotters are like this as well now so you have to check if they are all metal or half plastic.

Have you seen the Parker Jotter XL pen? It’s like a bigger version of the Jotter and quite a nice pen. Otherwise my favourite ballpoint pen has to be Ballograf Epoca. Not all metal, but a very sturdy and comfortable pen.

 

[Laurentius]

I confess to having a big chunky brass pen, what I like about it is that with my disabilities it is good for use outdoors when you have limited sensitivity in your fingers because you know it is there. I suppose it is not a proper tactical pen because it is not black

 

[Minotaur]

Have you seen the Parker Jotter XL pen? It’s like a bigger version of the Jotter and quite a nice pen. Otherwise my favourite ballpoint pen has to be Ballograf Epoca. Not all metal, but a very sturdy and comfortable pen.

The Jotter XL looks interesting and all metal apparently so may search one of those out however the pen clips are rubbish so keep the receipt handy.
Those Ballograf Epoca look nice.

 

[SaraR]

I confess to having a big chunky brass pen, what I like about it is that with my disabilities it is good for use outdoors when you have limited sensitivity in your fingers because you know it is there. I suppose it is not a proper tactical pen because it is not black

Kaweco Sport brass ballpoint would suit perhaps?

 

[Billy-o]

Get yourself a nice Pelikan, some decent ink and a good journal. Write sonnets. You can make them offensive, if you like.

 

[Van-Wild]

I carry a sharpie fine point and a Rite-In-The-Rain pocket note book every day. Handy dandy for me. I too enjoy a thicker pen and the sharpie is cheap enough that if I lose it I don't instantly have palpitations due to the cost of losing a more expensive pen. Not what the OP is looking for I know and I would suggest the Fisher Space Pen, being all metal but as already mentioned its not suitable.

In the case of 'tactical' pens, I like the look of them as well, but if I lost it (I frequently misplace pens at work......) I'd be annoyed, mostly because I couldn't walk straight in a post office or WHSmiths and instantly replace it. If you are interested in the EDC applications of a tactical pen (self defence or breaking glass in an emergency for example) I'd recommend carrying a decent torch instead. Get one with enough lumens and you can temporarily disorient an aggressor from a distance, giving you time and space to move away. Some torches (SureFire, Olite, Nitecore) are strong enough to break glass with, if you need to. If you end up in a situation where you actually have to strike an aggressor with your tactical pen, any pen will do the same job!

Of course, I'm not advocating the use of anything as a weapon in the UK. That's clearly going to land you in hot soup with plod.....

Sent from my SM-G970F using Tapatalk

 

[SaraR]

Oh and of course Karas Kustoms pens come in all sorts of metals (most also mix and match) and are famously indestructible. I'm more into fountain pens (if I'm going to spend any money on it anyway), but they make ballpoints too. CultPens carry them.

 

[aris]

Have a watch of this

 

[EdS]

Kaweco steel sport

STEEL SPORT

Der Kaweco Steel Sport entspricht der Freude am Material in roher Form. Der Edelstahl verändert sich wenig im Gebrauch, anders als Messing, Kupfer oder Bronze. Der Edelstahl des Kaweco STEEL Sport ist in edler, gebürsteter Optik...

www.kaweco-pen.com

 

[Minotaur]

Have a watch of this

I think that basically confirms that if you carry anything that a reasonably competent prosecutor can Google and find any reference on their website to self-defence you are carrying an offensive weapon. This makes those flashlight bezels slightly worrying.

 

[Laurentius]

Indeed these clever lawyers and the black belt barrister is one of them for sure, the possession of a hard bonce a la Yosser Hughes and you are going down matey.

 

[Minotaur]

Indeed these clever lawyers and the black belt barrister is one of them for sure, the possession of a hard bonce a la Yosser Hughes and you are going down matey.

Lol whatever works.

 

[aris]

Check out the Troika metal pens. They have interesting ones with spirit levels and a ruler built in.

 

[Spirit fish]

I lost my Parker recently and was looking at replacements. The whole range of tactical pens out there caught my interest however I then had the thought are they legal carry?
Some ground rules, this is not a thread for US vs UK rules or self defence related comments. My thought process was it is a pointed metal object obviously intended to be used as a kubaton and they are illegal in the UK so does that make these illegal as well be default.
I am unhappy with the changes in ownership of Parker (No more lifetime guarantee for a start) and I prefer a metal thicker pen just generally so if anyone has suggestions for ones to look at I would be grateful. I am looking for cheap and stylish rather than "tactical". I have a spare Parker I think they are the Urban Ball points and my original which I found is all metal however the newer spare has a plastic nose. The jotters are like this as well now so you have to check if they are all metal or half plastic.

Best reserved for a survival forum I think

 

[Minotaur]

Best reserved for a survival forum I think

Not sure I think it raised an interesting point which I had not heard before which is that you have to be careful of what manufactures say about their products.
I am in the process of building an A5 Bushcraft folder and like a lot of people I EDC carry a pen and notebook so I wanted to raise this issue and have had some interesting replies.