Schrade Delta Class Reckon Ultimate Pen with Refillable, Screw-off Design and Tactical Build for Outdoor Survival, Self Defense and EDC

I love a great pen. But a pen that can also start a fire?? Now, that's just way beyond great!!!Short story, this is an awesome pen, when you have the right ink cartridge, and an awesome tool gadget. A detailed review follows, but feel free to skip to the end for a summary.Schrade Survival Pen:While some may be into this pen as a practical defense tool, pending a Zombie Apocalypse or just being prepared on the ever meaner streets of this land, I was intrigued to consider a pen that looked like a terrific writing tool, wouldn't raise alarm as looking like some kind of exotic Mad Max War Pen, and had some practical applications as a back up item for camping, or in the car, or wherever some simple "survival" tools could be helpful in life.So, in other words, while I don't expect to be facing off against Super Villains with this thing, or putting it to the test as the only item that survived a plane crash with me, the concept of a pen that doubles as a set of tools is pretty cool.On the practical side, what was most important to me was the writing element, since I would be using it more as a pen, with back up tools, than a set of tools with a back up writing ability. Like a good knife or a good watch, a good pen is important to me, because it's something I use, and so I want something useful. A pen is in constant use with me on the job, and I really, really appreciate a smooth writing pen, that won't bleed, skip or feel "scratchy" for writing.While I have tried expensive pens of many kinds, and cheap ones claiming to write smooth, I actually, for the past five years or more now, have been hugely happy with the all metal version of the Pentel EnerGel, with the metal tip refill, which I modified with a soft grip. I have one at home, and one at work, and, literally, it is all I ever use for writing.So, when I saw that this Schrade could take any kind of Mini D1 refill, I was hopeful that I could find a decent ink for it, because my thought was that, whatever ink cartridge it would come with, the focus from Schrade was probably not on a blissful writing experience, as the top priority. If I could get it to write wonderfully, plus have all of its features, I knew I'd be hugely happy with this gadget.Plus, I liked that, not only could I shop for a refill I liked, but, since it would be a non-proprietary cartridge, I would never have issues with running out of ink.In terms of the tool aspect, I did my usual homework, reading reviews, watching YT videos, and, of the many options that are out there, this Schrade kept getting the best overall opinions in the "tactical" pen or "survival" pen category.Stuff that makes it a winner?1. In use/out of use screw cap. While other pens have caps that only click tight, or screw on to cover the tip, but are loose when not covering the tip, this Schrade has a cap (with a whistle built into it -- that is very loud) that screws down tight, at either end of the pen. So, when writing, it screws off, and screws onto the back end, very smoothly, so you don't lose the cap (plus, when on the back end, it gives nice counterweight for writing). For "tactical" use, a cap that screws down tight means you have a solid tool in your hand, with nothing that will slip or fall off in a defense/use situation.2. Flat cap. While there are a lot of pens advertising "DNA Catchers" and other means of having a jagged cap end for striking (and for supposedly grabbing an attacker's DNA -- which is more of a marketing gimmick for the novice buyer, given that such is very unlikely to happen in the real world, according to self-defense training experts), the reality of practical use is that, for striking, you want to be able to brace your thumb on a flat, solid surface, not a jagged edge that puts holes in your thumb. This pen provides that flat surface, and feels very secure when gripped in the hand.3. Non-warfare looking design. While this is black and textured and aluminum and certainly looks more serious than the average desk pen, thanks to the non-lethal looking strike point, Schrade choosing to add its logo in gentle cursive on the pocket clip, and just the lack of direct threat appearance in its plain and subtle design all are factors that help this pass for a very nice executive or otherwise higher priced pen, rather than a weapon or defensive tool. In this day and age, I doubt it would pass airport security, but, just carrying it around in these high-tension times, thankfully, it will not attract attention or mark you as brandishing a threat.4. Tools! This comes with a very effective ferro rod and striker. It works! It's not merely some token decoration -- it was designed to actually spark a fire, and it will do so. It is cleverly designed, using all areas of the pen so both rod and striker are stored out of the way. Another feature is that the pocket clip is removable, for anyone who didn't want it, but it is strong and useful. The whistle is LOUD. And, the striking end, while not appearing lethal, is certainly made to be used for effect, weather breaking glass or applying pressure or to strike.How about the writing side?For writing, as I assumed, the installed cartridge was passable, but not great for someone finicky like me. So, I swapped it out with the Medium Tip, Black Ink, 635 Mini D1 size ball point refill by Schmidt, stainless steel with 0.7 mm Tungsten Carbide ball, the Private Reserve version. Please note that there are "standard" 635 Refills, also by Schmidt. I bought and tried both. Either is superior to the cartridge that comes with the pen, however, in testing both of the Schmidts, I found the "Private Reserve" to be superior to the non-Private Reserve.I can't honestly find comparative reviews of what makes the two Schmidt refills different, beyond a few references to Private Reserve cartridges being designed for a smoother flow of ink, however, the cost for the Private Reserve is actually less than the Standard ($4.65 for five of the Private Reserve -- from Lanier Pens -- as opposed to $5.35 for only four of the Standard, direct from Schmidt) so, considering the Private Reserve writes the best, it was an easy choice to settle on the Private Reserve.In the hand, despite being heavier than some cheap plastic stick pen, of course, I find it comfortable and easy to write with, and it causes no more hand fatigue than any other pen. The writing position is good, and, despite being aluminum, there are enough textured points to keep the pen in hand, without creep or slippage when writing.Odd points?Well, I'd say the "sealing" aspect of all the parts is something to be mindful of, when you toss it in your pack.To explain:There is an "O" ring on the front, for keeping the cap on securely. It has no "waterproofing" aspect to it because, of course, the cap itself is open, with the whistle integrated design, but it does keep the cap on, with a trade off of making it not so easy to just spin on and off when you are using it frequently. I just avoid torquing it down all the way, when I'm using it a lot, and it's not an issue. There is no rubber ring on the back end, for when you screw the cap on there -- but I find it stays on securely.There is another O ring used in the body section which houses the ferro rod. So, again, it takes a tiny bit of effort to separate the pen to access the rod, but it's practical to keep those parts tightly together, obviously. But, of course O rings will wear out, in time, so I can assume they will need replacement over time, especially with routine use. I would wager though that replacements will not be difficult to find, and it's not like they will self-destruct any time soon.The ferro rod itself, which screws into the housing of the pen body, unfortunately works its way loose over time, and starts to rattle, so that's a bit annoying. I like that it can be removed (or "deployed" for use in the pen body) either for use, or replacement, but it would be nice if it didn't work its way loose so easily. It does work well, producing decent spark, so I really appreciate that the included tools are not just "gimmicks" on this pen.The striker for the ferro rod is housed under the pen's subtly pointed glass breaker/compliance tool tip. It works effectively with the ferro rod, although, naturally, if you have a larger striker on hand, or knife back, you'd want to use a larger striker than this if you had one. Absent a bigger one, this does work. To access it, the pen back tip screws out (reverse -- meaning it goes to the right, to unscrew it, and to the left, to tighten it back up) and is threaded to be reversed and screwed back into the tip, basically meaning you screw out the tip, flip it, and screw in the ferro striker, swapping the tip with the ferro striker tool. Thus far, that has not come loose, but other reviewers have complained that it can, meaning, of course, you would potentially lose this small piece, meaning no ferro striker and no striking tip for the pen anymore.So, it's something to watch, making sure your parts don't work their way loose, but, honestly, I think one would check the condition of the pen often enough to note if anything is getting loose, and tighten it accordingly, so it's not a deal breaker, especially in consideration of all that this tool does so well.SUMMARY:- With the right cartridge, this writes smooth and is comfortable for a "daily" use pen, for work or home or wherever- The tools are real tools, meaning the whistle works, the ferro/striker will start a fire, and the breaker tip is rock solid- Elements for defense are well designed, with the screw on cap and flat cap end for bracing in a grip hold- Non-lethal appearance allows for covert carry, appears as an executive style screw cap writing instrument- Quality design and quality materials give terrific value for the priceThis makes for an easy five stars, and, while I have not purchased other pens of this style, to directly compare, of everything I've read in terms of reviews, and video reviews I've watched as well, my opinion is that this Schrade pen, especially at this price point, is the best choice for anyone considering a tool of this kind.Long story short, this is something I'd recommend, would purchase again, and will be using daily for writing and will be in my pack for my next camping trip.Thanks for reading -- I hope this has been helpful!

Remember the huge wooden pencils you had in first grade? This pen is kind of like that, a large diameter body, with a working end that slims down to a comfortable size when the bulky cap is removed. There's a fero rod and striker included in this pen. The rod is threaded into the pen body, providing a good grip on it. The striker is very short and does thread into the pen body, in a way to provide a handle for holding it firmly. The striker has left hand threads on it, turning to tighten it, loosens it instead. This means that you can not thread it into a different location on the pen. The rod has a coating on it that makes it difficult to get a spark going. Use a knife to scrape off the coating and get sparks started so that when you need to use it for real you can easily use the included striker instead of a knife.Needless to say, the pen writes nicely and unscrewing the tapered end is how the refil is replaced. The idea is also that, lacking a weapon such as a knife or firearm, the tactical pen can be employed to provide painful strikes to the head and face of an attacker. It's an alternative to using a bare hand, but Samuel Colt made everyone equal.

This is a great tactical pen and survival tool, but does have a few issues. The build quality appears great. Very solid. As a pen, the writing quality is average, but that could probably be improved on by putting in a different ink insert with a better ball surface - but it is certainly serviceable. I have large hands, and the large pen body fits in very nicely, but may become tiring for extended writing (which I never ever do so....) The main pen cap screws off and seems very secure.the solid body would make a somewhat decent kubotan , although it is not perfectly shaped for that use, and the pocket clip interferes slightly. It would be excellent for use as a pressure point striker, or force multiplier. Some crenelations, or "DNA catcher" or some such could be nice, but would make the pen more obviously a weapon.The survival items are nice, giving 2 of the survival essentials (signaling, fire) in a compact package. The sparker is cleverly designed. You remove the tail of the pen revealing the ferro rod. The very tip of the just removed tail can also be removed, revealing a striker. The just removed tip has threads on the OUTSIDE of the tip, so that you can reverse the tip and put it back into the handle bit you just removed from the pen, and use that as a handle for the striker plate against the ferro rod. The ferro rod is coated, a few scrapes to take of the coating and it was throwing very nicely sized sparks. Those that had trouble getting sparks I expect either didn't get the coating removed, or were attempting to strike without putting the striker back into the handle, which is too small to get good leverage.One downside of the striker design - the clever threads on the outside tip of the pen are a tad sharp, and while fidgeting I managed to slice a small cut into my thumb. Also, that tip screws in very tightly even by hand, and I have had to use my multi-tool plier to get the tip off. The threads compound this issue because it hurts to grip tightly to be able to twist it off.It may be possible to stick some small tinder in the body of the pen inside where the ferro rod is housed, to aid in the building of a fire.All in all there are 3 places that unscrew on the pen, and they use a somewhat confusing set of clockwise and counterclockwise threading. However, I consider this a minor issue, as the pen is going to be infrequently used, likely to stay in my coat pocket until needed, and a few seconds of fiddling with the threads will not be a major issue.the whistle on the pen cap is decently loud, though not quite as loud as a dedicated survival howler or something, but very serviceable. As others have stated, remove the cap from the pen for a louder sound. The cap can screw onto the back of the pen as well, for storage while writing, or if you prefer to leave the pen uncapped.