How often have we heard that hackneyed cliche, “The pen is mightier than the sword?”
By Deepika
It’s often true, especially when a pen can be an escape tool. Or if an accident report needs to be filed. How about during a volatile confrontation? Unexpected emergencies happen all the time and you may need a tactical pen.
A 2025 analysis found that in 2024, a major United States disaster was declared every four days! Natural or man-made, these disasters underscore the importance of preparedness for survival.
Most of us carry smartphones, but few think about tools that bridge the gap between daily convenience and survival. One such tool is the tactical pen. It’s a compact, normal-looking writing instrument designed for more. A tactical pen can be a valuable asset in some challenging crises.
Here are three possible uses for a tactical pen in an emergency.
Vehicle Entrapment After a Crash
There’s no telling what the aftermath of a car crash will look like. In those critical moments, you might be trapped inside the vehicle. Two such cases have already been reported in 2025.
The first was in New South Wales, Australia. A man in his 60s was trapped inside his car after a crash in Henty. He was freed by first responders and flown to a nearby hospital in Wagga.
Another incident was in Northwest Indiana, where a 41-year-old woman was trapped inside her car for six days after a crash. The car fell into a ditch out of sight from passing traffic. Her pleas for help went unheard.
Blizzard on the road. Heavy snowfall can cause crashes.
It was a miracle that she survived (albeit with severe injuries) given her circumstances. In each case, the details of why the individuals found themselves trapped are unclear. However, a similar scenario can occur due to jammed doors, deployed airbags, or electrical failures.
If the car lands in water, time is especially limited. Traditional car windows, made of tempered glass, are highly resilient. That’s good from a safety viewpoint, but not when you’re trapped.
A tactical pen, with its hardened tungsten tip, may be a lifesaver. It concentrates force onto a small area. A few well-placed strikes can break the glass, enabling occupants to escape.
Pens with a big button allow for a better grip and more focused force application. Simply putting one’s thumb on the big button can help secure a grip strong enough to break glass using one hand. This is a vital feature if the other hand is pinned or injured.
A quick escape may be the difference between life and death: think about secondary collisions, risk of fire/explosion, or toxic fume inhalation.
Critical Incident Documentation
In the aftermath of an emergency, documentation of critical details can be as important as the steps taken during the crisis itself. This holds true following a car accident, a natural disaster, or a crime.
Being able to record crucial details plays a significant role in emergency response and legal protection. For more context, let’s consider a common and chaotic scenario: a car accident.
There’s generally a lot of confusion and shock involved in the aftermath. It may not seem important to gather information, but it is. You’d want to hold the liable parties accountable and get fair compensation for your losses.
TorHoerman Law shares that the first step in pursuing a legal claim is to thoroughly document the accident scene and any injuries sustained. That includes details like witness names, driver’s license info, road conditions, and vehicle damage. These details can make it easier to reconstruct the scene later.
Most people instinctively rely on their phones for things like this. Technology is not always reliable, as your phone might get damaged after the crash or just go dead. This is where a tactical pen can prove its worth.
These pens use pressurized fillers, which makes them suitable for extreme conditions. For instance, you can even write upside down without worrying about ink flow. Moreover, the waterproof feature guarantees that snow, sleet, or rain won’t ruin your notes.
Just have the tool clipped in a pocket, bag, or glove compartment for easy access. Its ability to help you write quickly and legibly can make all the difference when the finer details of the case are discussed.
For instance, handwritten notes can help your car accident lawyer to validate a timeline or dispute inaccuracies in an official report. Such records, when incorporated with dates and timings, even help with insurance negotiations and court proceedings.
Personal Protection in High-Risk Urban Environments
Not all emergencies involve vehicle crashes or dramatic rescues. Sometimes, such scenarios are quieter. It could be as simple as entering a high-risk neighborhood inadvertently as a rookie resident. Dangerous situations do not discriminate just because someone lacks awareness. Imagine being confronted by an aggressive individual unexpectedly while walking down a poorly lit alley.
You may not have the time to pull out a traditional self-defense tool, or you may simply not have one. Your tactical pen may be a reliable response.
This is not a tactical pen or notebook. But in a pinch both can work well.
It’s a low-profile backup, with a strong and pointed body, that can be used to strike vulnerable areas. Tactical pens may not be top of the list of weapons, but they can cause just enough injuries to allow a quick escape.
Another example is an underground parking garage, where it’s usually difficult to find real-time help, especially during evening hours. These areas are well-known for assaults, vehicle thefts, and burglaries.
In case of a suspect, hold the pen in your dominant hand in a hammer grip. Ideally, the pointed end should protrude just beyond your fist.
Aim for a short, sharp jab at sensitive areas like the suspect’s throat, upper abdomen, or soft tissue around the eyes. Have your non-dominant hand ready to protect your face. Step back or sideways as necessary to avoid counterattacks.
A glass breaker
Finally, the heart of modern cities can witness disruptive and dangerous events. Take the examples of building collapses, gas explosions, or subway derailments.
A tactical pen can even come in handy for such sudden, hyper-local events. Here’s how:
- It can be used to break through glass partitions, pry open small gaps, or dislodge loose material after an explosion or building collapse.
- It can help communicate with rescue workers through messages left on walls, doors, or scrap materials. The pressurized filler ensures ink flow even while writing at odd angles.
- It can facilitate self-defense without drawing attention, unlike a larger weapon.
A tactical pen appears to be an ordinary writing instrument. However, it is anything but. You can consider it to be a quiet form of readiness that one can carry in their pocket. Think of it as a seatbelt, quietly existing in the background until things go wrong.
Check out these other writing implement-related stories
Eight reasons to carry a survival notebook
Gerber Impromptu tactical pen review
Author Bio
Deepika is a curious content creator who loves experimenting across niches. She enjoys researching new topics, be it healthcare, travel, or technology. In her leisure time, Deepika can be found immersing herself in a historical novel or refining her fine arts skills.
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