Warning: pic heavy, as usual. 
And now for something completely different … the Foursevens Titanium Tactical Pen.
Manufacturer Reported Specifications:
Packaging is a small metal presentation case, with cut-out foam to securely hold the pen. The case is then wrapped in plastic and inserted into a cardboard sleeve. Note there were several dents in my case due to shipping (the case was packaged into a standard bubble-envelope mailer). :shrug:
The pen comes with a Fisher pressurized cartridge already installed, and a standard glass-breaking strike point. There is a sturdy pocket clip built-in to the cap cover.
From left to right: Universal Studios "Space Pen" knock-off; 4Sevens Titanium Pen; Cross basic thin pen; older Cross thick-style pen; BIC ballpoint pen.
Note the "Universal Studios" pen is a novelty item I picked up over 15 years ago. It's a cheap knock-off of the Fisher Space Pen (with a cheapo knock-off cartridge), but it does give a size comparable for this type of pressurized pen. The two Cross pens were gifts at different points in my life.
Here are some action hand shots, using both my large size hands, and Mrs. Selfbuilt's petite hands:
All weights are with the ink cartridge installed:
Foursevens Titanium Pen: Weight 22.9g, Length 103.5mm, Width 9.0mm
Universal Studios "Space Pen": Weight 13.0g, Length 93.5mm, Width 10.1mm
Cross thin pen: Weight 18.1g, Length: 134mm, Width 7.9mm
Cross thick pen: Weight 26.0g , Length 140mm, Width 12.6mm
BIC SoftFeel Pen: Weight 4.8g, Length 150mm , Width 8.2mm
The Foursevens pen is quite petite, in keeping with its use of the Fisher pressurized cartridge. Weight is heavier than typical, thanks to the titanium construction, but still quite reasonable.
The Foursevens pen has a very solid feel, thanks to the titanium construction. I really like the brushed finish, very classy looking. Feel is good, and the built-in clip on the cap serves as both an anti-roll device and grip feature. Clip has a sturdy feel, but is rounded to as not to damaged fabric. Cap fits on securely, with a firm "click" as it fits in place.
The pen can headstand.
Note the cap does not fit over the base of the pen, so you will have to hold/store it separately when the pen is in use. :sigh:
You can unscrew the mid-section to access the Fisher ink cartridge.
This is a "tactical" pen though, as evidenced by the strike point at the base. The standard included strike point has a conical shape, and could apparently be used to break through glass.
Foursevens also sent me the optional end point attachments (a multi-pronged strike point and a lanyard loop). Screw threads are fine, but feel very solid (i.e. no play).
As an aside, I am little dubious of using this pen to break glass, or in any "tactical" activity – it is very small, with the tip barely protruding from an average size fist. The lanyard loop seems ultimately the most practical to me (although it would be better if attached to the cap).
User Interface
This is about as simple as you can get – remove the cap, and write.
I'm glad to see this pen uses the Fisher pressurized cartridge - it makes it quite a versatile tool. Perhaps best known as the "Space Pen", this ink cartridge design was originally developed for the Apollo moon program (although the cartridge is very handy down here on earth too).
The cartridge is pressurized with nitrogen so it doesn't need to rely on gravity to make the ball point work. It can thus write upside down (or underwater, for that matter). It apparently remains quite stable and reliable in extremes of hot and cold.
While a must for every American space wanderer, I suppose you could always opt for what the Russians used for zero-gravity writing during the space race … pencils.
As a strike implement, you would hold the Foursevens pen tightly in your fist (with thumb over the top cap), striking downward to make contact with the strike point at the base. But be prepared for your hand to go through the object in question as well – the tip of the pen barely extends beyond the base of my fist.
For a more detailed examination of the build, please see my video overview: :wave:
Video was recorded in 720p, but YouTube defaults to 360p. Once the video is running, you can click on the quality icon, and select the higher 480p or 720p options. You can also run full-screen.
And with that, I think I can skip the standard beamshot, summary chart and runtime graphs …
Potential Issues
The pen is very short. Given the size of my hands, I would find it a chore to write for extended periods. However, Mrs. Selfbuilt finds it quite comfortable and easy to use.
You have no place to put the cap once you take it off the top of the light (i.e., it doesn't fit over the base, like a ballpoint cap would). This means you risk losing the cap, and have to store it someplace while actually using the pen. If you could instead place the cap over the base of the pen (which even my cheapo Universal Studios Space Pen allows), this would provide enough length for me to write comfortably.
As a "tactical" implement, I find the length again too short (i.e. I would expect my whole fist to go through any glass I tried to break).
Preliminary Observations
The Foursevens Titanium pen is a solid pen, with a quality build. From the cap feel, to the clip, to the screw threads on the strike point, everything on this pen feels secure and well made. The titanium construction seems flawless on my sample, and I quite like the brushed finish.
As a pen, the pressurized Fisher cartridge will give you the ability to write anywhere (even upside down or under water). It is very versatile.
I am bit dubious of the usefulness of this pen as a "tactical" object. I can certainly see you should be able to do some damage with the standard strike point or the optional raised crown strike point. But the tip barely extends beyond my closed fist, which means my hand will also be making a lot of contact (not so great for glass breaking, methinks).
The irony here is that I imagine a regular ballpoint pen of standard length could do a fair amount of damage if you used the ballpoint end on someone (a la Jason Bourne method). :laughing: I am sure the Foursevens titanium pen would last a lot longer that a BIC ballpoint stabbing implement, but the ergonomics do not "strike" me as useful in this regard (if you pardon the pun).
The length is also a real issue for the size of my hands – it is just not comfortable for extended writing. If only the cap would fit over the back end of the pen – that would extend the length to something much more useful for me (and give me a place to store the cap when writing!). That said, Mrs. Selfbuilt found this size to be just right for her petite hands.
At the end of the day, this is a stylish pen with a classy look and feel. Personally, I can't help thinking it is more suited to the "shaken-not-stirred" James Bond crowd than the Jason Bourne camp. Actually, it is probably even better suited to Miss Moneypenny (especially given the pretty penny it costs).
In my case, Mrs Selfbuilt was quite impressed with the size and build of the pen - and dropped quite a few hints that she would be willing to carry it if I wasn't going to. It is now undergoing permanent field testing in my wife's purse. :devil:
----
The Titanium Tactical pen was supplied by 4Sevens for review.
And now for something completely different … the Foursevens Titanium Tactical Pen.
Manufacturer Reported Specifications:
- FOURSEVENS Titanium Tactical Pen
- These pens only take the Fisher refill.
- Dimensions:
- Length: 4.07 inches
- Diameter: 0.35 inches
- Weight: .68 ounces (without ink refill)
- Included Accessories:
- Fisher black fine point refill
- Glass break point
- Optional points sold separately (Tactical Strike Point and Lanyard Loop).
- MSRP: ~$95
Packaging is a small metal presentation case, with cut-out foam to securely hold the pen. The case is then wrapped in plastic and inserted into a cardboard sleeve. Note there were several dents in my case due to shipping (the case was packaged into a standard bubble-envelope mailer). :shrug:
The pen comes with a Fisher pressurized cartridge already installed, and a standard glass-breaking strike point. There is a sturdy pocket clip built-in to the cap cover.
From left to right: Universal Studios "Space Pen" knock-off; 4Sevens Titanium Pen; Cross basic thin pen; older Cross thick-style pen; BIC ballpoint pen.
Note the "Universal Studios" pen is a novelty item I picked up over 15 years ago. It's a cheap knock-off of the Fisher Space Pen (with a cheapo knock-off cartridge), but it does give a size comparable for this type of pressurized pen. The two Cross pens were gifts at different points in my life.
Here are some action hand shots, using both my large size hands, and Mrs. Selfbuilt's petite hands:
All weights are with the ink cartridge installed:
Foursevens Titanium Pen: Weight 22.9g, Length 103.5mm, Width 9.0mm
Universal Studios "Space Pen": Weight 13.0g, Length 93.5mm, Width 10.1mm
Cross thin pen: Weight 18.1g, Length: 134mm, Width 7.9mm
Cross thick pen: Weight 26.0g , Length 140mm, Width 12.6mm
BIC SoftFeel Pen: Weight 4.8g, Length 150mm , Width 8.2mm
The Foursevens pen is quite petite, in keeping with its use of the Fisher pressurized cartridge. Weight is heavier than typical, thanks to the titanium construction, but still quite reasonable.
The Foursevens pen has a very solid feel, thanks to the titanium construction. I really like the brushed finish, very classy looking. Feel is good, and the built-in clip on the cap serves as both an anti-roll device and grip feature. Clip has a sturdy feel, but is rounded to as not to damaged fabric. Cap fits on securely, with a firm "click" as it fits in place.
The pen can headstand.
Note the cap does not fit over the base of the pen, so you will have to hold/store it separately when the pen is in use. :sigh:
You can unscrew the mid-section to access the Fisher ink cartridge.
This is a "tactical" pen though, as evidenced by the strike point at the base. The standard included strike point has a conical shape, and could apparently be used to break through glass.
Foursevens also sent me the optional end point attachments (a multi-pronged strike point and a lanyard loop). Screw threads are fine, but feel very solid (i.e. no play).
As an aside, I am little dubious of using this pen to break glass, or in any "tactical" activity – it is very small, with the tip barely protruding from an average size fist. The lanyard loop seems ultimately the most practical to me (although it would be better if attached to the cap).
User Interface
This is about as simple as you can get – remove the cap, and write.
I'm glad to see this pen uses the Fisher pressurized cartridge - it makes it quite a versatile tool. Perhaps best known as the "Space Pen", this ink cartridge design was originally developed for the Apollo moon program (although the cartridge is very handy down here on earth too).
The cartridge is pressurized with nitrogen so it doesn't need to rely on gravity to make the ball point work. It can thus write upside down (or underwater, for that matter). It apparently remains quite stable and reliable in extremes of hot and cold.
While a must for every American space wanderer, I suppose you could always opt for what the Russians used for zero-gravity writing during the space race … pencils.
As a strike implement, you would hold the Foursevens pen tightly in your fist (with thumb over the top cap), striking downward to make contact with the strike point at the base. But be prepared for your hand to go through the object in question as well – the tip of the pen barely extends beyond the base of my fist.
For a more detailed examination of the build, please see my video overview: :wave:
Video was recorded in 720p, but YouTube defaults to 360p. Once the video is running, you can click on the quality icon, and select the higher 480p or 720p options. You can also run full-screen.
And with that, I think I can skip the standard beamshot, summary chart and runtime graphs …
Potential Issues
The pen is very short. Given the size of my hands, I would find it a chore to write for extended periods. However, Mrs. Selfbuilt finds it quite comfortable and easy to use.
You have no place to put the cap once you take it off the top of the light (i.e., it doesn't fit over the base, like a ballpoint cap would). This means you risk losing the cap, and have to store it someplace while actually using the pen. If you could instead place the cap over the base of the pen (which even my cheapo Universal Studios Space Pen allows), this would provide enough length for me to write comfortably.
As a "tactical" implement, I find the length again too short (i.e. I would expect my whole fist to go through any glass I tried to break).
Preliminary Observations
The Foursevens Titanium pen is a solid pen, with a quality build. From the cap feel, to the clip, to the screw threads on the strike point, everything on this pen feels secure and well made. The titanium construction seems flawless on my sample, and I quite like the brushed finish.
As a pen, the pressurized Fisher cartridge will give you the ability to write anywhere (even upside down or under water). It is very versatile.
I am bit dubious of the usefulness of this pen as a "tactical" object. I can certainly see you should be able to do some damage with the standard strike point or the optional raised crown strike point. But the tip barely extends beyond my closed fist, which means my hand will also be making a lot of contact (not so great for glass breaking, methinks).
The irony here is that I imagine a regular ballpoint pen of standard length could do a fair amount of damage if you used the ballpoint end on someone (a la Jason Bourne method). :laughing: I am sure the Foursevens titanium pen would last a lot longer that a BIC ballpoint stabbing implement, but the ergonomics do not "strike" me as useful in this regard (if you pardon the pun).
The length is also a real issue for the size of my hands – it is just not comfortable for extended writing. If only the cap would fit over the back end of the pen – that would extend the length to something much more useful for me (and give me a place to store the cap when writing!). That said, Mrs. Selfbuilt found this size to be just right for her petite hands.
At the end of the day, this is a stylish pen with a classy look and feel. Personally, I can't help thinking it is more suited to the "shaken-not-stirred" James Bond crowd than the Jason Bourne camp. Actually, it is probably even better suited to Miss Moneypenny (especially given the pretty penny it costs).
In my case, Mrs Selfbuilt was quite impressed with the size and build of the pen - and dropped quite a few hints that she would be willing to carry it if I wasn't going to. It is now undergoing permanent field testing in my wife's purse. :devil:
----
The Titanium Tactical pen was supplied by 4Sevens for review.
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