Pocket Shark Felt Tip Pen, Black, Grivory

I would highly recommend this as a very good device to have for casual self-defense purposes. The unit is fully functional as a pen, but excels as a tool to support you in a self-defense situation. It would seem that all Cold Steel products are well engineered and made of very good quality materials. I don't believe I have ever purchased anything that has let me down. It is the same for the Pocket Shark. It is very sturdy, and obviously made to take and survive a beating. It works much like a Kubaton. The difference here is that it does not scream out - weapon of expediency, but simply a fat pen. The clip allows this to be mounted on a great variety of places and things. It is light enough to be clipped to the inside of your shirt, or pocket. It is there for you, but out of the way. Like a Kubaton, there are many supported strikes that can be made with it. It performs well here. I am not sure that it can smash through a car window, but it will leave a substantial dent in a door. Not that these are your targets, they are a testament how effective this device would be on a would-be attacker. As well, the Pocket Shark seems to be perfect for using this to support joint locks and joint manipulations. My co-instructor and I have experimented with this, and there are some advantages to this over the classic wood and metal style Kubatons. I think that Cold Steel should also market a training DVD for using this as a striking implement and as well as a joint lock support device. For anyone with some training in self-defense, it would not take long to add this to your arsenal of weapons of expediency. No one wants a fight, but when that decision is taken away from you, it is best to be prepared.

I ordered this on a whim but I am quite happy with it. When I received it the first thing I thought was wow this thing is huge, it's like one of those giant markers that sit in the back of a draw and you never use until you move house or something, but then I took the cap off and the tip is a lot smaller than you would imagine for a pen this size, it's actually a fine tip sharpie and works very well with the jumbo grip. It's very light so I now carry it in my laptop case everywhere I go. It's very thick walls and overall size make it a very capable striking instrument, I let loose on a chunk of old drywall in the garage and it did some real damage, you can put some weight behind it and it wont break, very good to know if you're ever attacked by drywall, you can focus a lot of energy into a very small point.

The Cold Steel "pen" is a striking weapon that you can carry in a shirt or jacket pocket. Surprize is everything in street combat. You can even take this in your hand without appearing to draw a weapon. A strike with this is way more likely to end the fight than a strike with your fist or foot. Temple, solar plexus, forehead. chest -- this would be devastating. End the fight. In the street you may face 3 or 4 opponents. You need to take them down fast and for a while. You can take out one or more, before your opponents see that you have a striking weapon. Always surprise the foe. If you hurt somebody tell your lawyer and let him do ALL the talking for you. ALL of it. ALL. You say nothing except that you have a lawyer.

I received this as a stocking stuffer, and all I could do is laugh, partly in amazement, partly in delight. It's a pen that can be used for self defense! Or is it a self defense implement that also writes? As an implement of self-defense: If you're looking for a stealthy self-defense pen, this isn't it. To put it bluntly, this thing is obscenely large. At a little over 6.5" long and over .75" diameter, it dwarfs most other pens. Even highlighters, known for being rather fat and bulky, look small by comparison. So even in your backpack, or among a bunch of pens, it's going to stand out. I took off a star for this. It's size is an asset in the self-defense role, and it looks like it can definitely do the job! It's fat enough that it fits comfortably in the hand, and should provide good fist support if used in a punch. If used as a striking weapon, or in submission holds, it's solid enough to not bend or break when used. One end is slightly tapered to concentrate the force of a blow or applied pressure. I lightly jabbed a few family members with it and they all agreed ("OW!") that it was rather painful. Contact at full-force would definitely be a lot worse. Construction seems to be solid. I'm not worried about damaging it. As a pen: It does indeed contain a fine point permanent marker, which does, indeed, write on all manner of surfaces. However, the Pocket Shark's size and construction make it inconvenient (and thus a poor choice) as a writing implement. But that's not why you're considering buying it, is it? Overall, I like it, and put it in my backpack for those occasions when I'm going to be out and about. If you're looking for a tactical pen that blends inconspicuously into the background, this isn't it. This is more like a Kubotan that writes. It's something of a novelty, and I wouldn't trust my life to it, of course, but in a pinch it should be able to deliver that extra bit of "oomph". It writes, too.

It's a multi use big felt tip pen, whats not to love. It's durable and actually writes well. It has a threaded cap so you don't have to worry about it drying up or it falling off during "heavy usage". For under 10 dollars each you might as well buy two. It's a good size that will fit most hands and affordable.

Great pen similar to a thin sharpie but the size of a gas station hotdog and tough as a railroad spike!

I bought one of these sort of on a whim; I did not read in careful detail about how large it is. Its a great sturdy Koga/Yawara stick however you can't carry it around in a pants pocket without getting the is-that-a-koga-in-your-pocket-or-are-you-just-happy-to-see-me look. If you carry in a breast pocket its also too large to not get noticed. The pen inside is pretty worthless; I ended up pulling it out with a pair of pliers and with a little work managed to retro fit it with a real sharpie. I keep it in my car usually and carry it in a jacket pocket on occasion. I suppose one could keep it in a drawer at work without drawing attention either. All in all for the price its kind of cool just to have or give to a friend.

Thick with a secure grip, making it perfect to use as a kubaton for self-defense. It writes smoothly and the lid screws shut so it never accidentally opens in my pocket.