Like many of the pocket dumps you’ll find at everydaycarry.com, SoCalEDC’s contains a pen. The tacticool amongst you may notice that his or her pen isn’t “tactical.” In the sense that it’s not made of titanium with a pointy bit at the end to shove in your attacker’s throat, eye, whatever. In fact . . .
Just about any solid metal pen will git ‘er done, stabby wise. Yes but — what are the odds you’re going to need to use your pen as a weapon, especially if you’re already carrying a gun and a knife? Exceedingly low.
But wait! There’s a better dare-I-say “real” reason to add a metal pen to your everyday carry: you can use it to make a tourniquet.
As JWT has pointed out many times, a tourniquet is the life-saving device you can use to, uh, save life. If you don’t or can’t carry a SOFT or CAT tourniquet, you can use your pen to create a reasonable facsimile thereof.
Rip up a T-shirt, cut out a jean leg, wrap any study and flexible material — something that’s at least 1.5″ wide that you can squeeze in the middle (which excludes most leather belts) — around the extremity leaking blood.
Use the pen as windlass and turn until the blood stops (ignoring screams, expletives, etc.).
Remember: it needs to be a strong pen. Keep ink and carry on.
While I find these pocket dumps interesting, I see a lot of the people doing them on EDC seem to have multiple shots showing off their goods with all sorts of “clever” titles. Makes me wonder whether they are serious, vain or just another wannabe operator operating operationally….
I imagine that they are a bit narcissistic in the way selfies are, but that is a wild ass guess. It is probably not much different then commenters on TTAG usually liking to list their weapons and accessories. I imagine that this fellow is letting us know how practical and traditional he is. I sure wish more of these folks would show their holsters, especially with larger guns.
I question the effeectiveness of a pen for a tournequet.
Since most are two piece, i think you break it before applying enough torque to stop blood flow.
That depends almost entirely on how long the body threading is and what it’s made of. I can think of high end pens would probably work but would also probably be bent and ruined in the process.
That said buying a pen with an eye towards it being a windlass seems dumb when you can buy NAR CATs for ~$30 and a nice pen that would be “sure” to work as a windlass is generally a lot more than that.
Amen. There are not varying degrees of inadequacy
I’d think a metal Jotter (fatter and cheaper than the dress Parkers) would hold up to the task for under $30:
https://www.amazon.com/Parker-Jotter-Ballpoint-Stainless-Chrome/dp/B01DJBH2S4
I carry a S&W “tactical pen,” but it’s easily the most expendable part of my EDC. Writes well, but it’s so heavy that it tires your hand very fast.
Hadn’t thought of using it as a TQ.
As far as any pen being as good as a tactical pen at stabbing, I doubt it.
If you’re poking an eyeball it doesn’t matter, but if you’re going for a harder area, or one underneath clothing, a dedicated pointy pen would do much much better. YMMV.
He says SoCal. Must be a retired cop, because concealed carry licenses in San Diego, OC or LA Counties are unicorns. The pen will get far more use than any of the other items in his pocket.
I carry a pen with me out of habits I made in the grunts. Yeah, most places have an abundance of pens, but its a statement when you pull out your own fairly nice pen to sign something.
As for using a pen as a tourniquet? No, its probably going to break. Its much more suitable to scavenge something out of the back of one of the trucks out here, someones probably got some kind of trash that can be used.
You gots heavy blood loss? Stick your bowie in the fire til its red hot………
I always have a Pilot G2 Limited in my left pocket. I don’t carry it for tournicet purposes. I carry it because it is a decent pen that writes well.
Zebra pens are the best, fairly cheap, sturdy metal body, fine point ones are fairly sharp, and, which is the main reason for carrying a pen, they write extremely well.
Retired 40 year ski patrol ditch medic …we (and I still do) carry two 1/2 inch X 6 inch pieces of lumberyard dowel stock in my back pocket. . Any cloth will work as the constrictor. TSA won’t take them from you either.
or you could use it for taking evidence as in license plates or descriptions of someone. not all warriors are fighters.
I’ve always wondered why these people always carry knives and pens and shit.
I just carry a gun.
And another gun.
Why would I want to even the odds with hand to hand combat?
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