(This pen was provided to me for review purposes by my friend, Steve, who is not affiliated with any company. The following review reflects my own opinions and mine alone.)
The Schrade Tactical is a rugged all-purpose fountain pen built out of anodized aluminum that looks like it can take a beating and dish out one too! This pen sure lives up to its “Tactical” name and is a nice novelty pen. This pen also comes with a convenient rollerball conversion set, but for this review, I’ll be focusing on the fountain pen. The rollerball is nice though for when fountain pens are somewhat inappropriate.
The pen has quite a utilitarian appearance and is not very flashy. It seems like a work-horse pen and has a matte finish. I do not see any chance for scratching as it is made with a scratch resistant aluminum. The design choices are quite interesting. Along the main body of the pen, there are indented grooves. Near the end, the pen has a couple of horizontal slits followed by a tapered end with a small point.
The section of the pen is made of the same metal as the body and thus is a good synergy to the rest of the pen. The section is not very slippery unlike some metal sections (ahem… Nemosine Fission) and has a couple lines of knurling to help with the grip. The cap has a very stiff black clip held on by two small screws. The cap screws onto the body of the pen and also posts by screwing on.
The pen has a good solid feel to it. Despite being made of metal, it is not overly heavy. All the pieces of the pen glide together quite well and there does not appear to be any manufacturing seams visible to the naked eye. I feel the pen would be fine dropped on the floor from table height, as long as it is capped.
The pen comes in at 5.8125” (14.8cm) capped, 5.375” (13.7cm) uncapped, and 7.25” (18.4cm) posted. It is quite a long pen so I normally would not post it. Some people with larger hands may be able to post it comfortably.
The nib is a standard steel #6 nib made by Schmidt and is available only in a Medium (M). The nib I got is quite smooth and lays down a wet line. There is tiny bit of spring to it, but is still quite firm. The line is about as thick as I imagined it, if not a hair thicker. The nib is removable and swappable with any other #6 nib (except Noodler’s) if that is your wish.
The pen retails for $40, but can be picked up elsewhere for deep discounts. I personally think this pen is well worth its price.