Review Of The Tuff Writer Precision Press Tactical Pen

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again…I’m a pen guy.  I like nice – a pen is something I use several times a day, nearly every day, so I don’t mind spending a little extra on one.  Tactical pens appeal to me as someone who is interested in defensive tools that can be used in environments where other preferable options aren’t available – office settings and airports being two that I deal with frequently.  I’ve tried several tactical pens from a few different manufactures and I’ve not been well satisfied.  In some cases, combining the requirements of a defensive tool and a writing instrument into one package creates a compromised solution which strongly favors one function over the other.  The Hinderer Extreme Duty pen is a great example – a fine defensive tool, but a lousy writing instrument.  In other cases, manufacturers of tactical pens completely fail to grasp that the appeal of a tactical pen as a defensive tool is that it allows you to have a defensive weapon option in environments where weapons aren’t permitted.  Think it’s a great idea to try to roll through air port security sporting a pen emblazoned with the Smith & Wesson logo?  Only if you’re more interested in extended conversations with TSA officials than actually making it to your flight on time.

My good buddy John “Snareman” turned me on to the company Tuff Writer and their tactical pens.  But it wasn’t until I had the opportunity to meeting the Jack and “Peachy” Roman at Blade Show 2014 that I actually was able to get hands on with their products myself:

Needless to say, I was extremely impressed with their product and picked up two of their Precision Press models – one for myself and one for wife:

The first thing I’ll point to is the absence of any branding or other printed information on the pens which would give them away as tactical pens – hooray!  Tuff Writer gets it!  In fact, both are extremely attractive pens that would not look out of place in any setting.

The Precision Press is quite comfortable to hold and use as a writing instrument.  The rubber “O” rings near the tip of the pen are a great, natural place to hold then pen when writing.  The grooved area near the pen’s midpoint is the natural area to grasp the pen when used defensively – fingers fit nicely in the grooves, and the additional “O” rings help to maintain a positive purchase on the pen.

The pen features a “clicky” style button at the top which extends the ink tip into writing position – it’s a unique German cam design that has a decidedly different feel and sound compared to any other clicky style pen you’ll use.  It has a very quality and, as the name suggests, precision feel when pressing – it doesn’t actually make a clicking sound like traditional clicky pens do.  Many tactical pens feature removable pen caps which isn’t as fast or convenient to use and manage as a clicky button when you want to write with the pen – a key requirement for my friend Snareman when he chose the Precision Press.  For me, one of the huge benefits of this pen is that it accepts Fisher Space Pen pressurized ink cartridges (among others) which I’ve really come to appreciate.

In terms of materials used in the Precision Press, the body is constructed from “aerospace-grade” aluminum for it’s light weight and strength, while the tip of the pen is made from stainless steel for added durability and forward balancing weight.  The end result is pen that has weight with a quality feel, but not so much that it’s uncomfortable to use or carry in a dress shirt pocket.

The pocket clip is made with spring steel which is cold pressed, then heat treated and given a powder coat for corrosion resistance.  While the pocket clip (to my eye) doesn’t quite hold the same visual appeal as does the rest of the pen, it functions very well – it’s not difficult to get the clip over clothing but grips very tenaciously when clipped in place.  It also appears to be extremely durable and would not snap off without considerable and deliberate effort.

Having used the Precision Press for a couple of weeks since returning from Blade Show 2014, I feel the Precision Press Tactical Pen from Tuff Writer represents the best there is in this product segment.  It’s pleasing to use as a writing instrument, but durable and robust enough to use defensively.  If all that weren’t enough, Tuff Writer is a US based company, and all their products are US made right in their own manufacturing facility in Phoenix, AZ  The Tuff Writer Precision Press Tactical Pen is available directly from the Tuff Writer website for $95.95 in either red or blue as well as other colors.

As a supplement to my written photo review, I’ve also done video review of the Precision Press Tactical Pen on the ThruMyLens YouTube Channel:

Here’s also a video review from John “Snareman”: