Boker Plus CID Cal .45 Tactical Pen Hands-On

We love having the opportunity to hand pick, and feature some of best and most interesting things right here on Alt. Anything goes. Today, we're taking a look at a pen. But not just any old ubiquitous pen, a tactical pen. What's the difference you ask? Potentially, life or death. While a tried and true Pilot or Bic pen will undoubtedly serve its respective purpose, a tactical pen on the other hand, could serve you as a defensive weapon in the event of an unforeseen hostile attack. The tactical aspect is what makes all the difference between your tried and true Pilot or Bic pen, and a tactical pen such as this.

Known for its cutting edge knives of all shapes and sizes, Boker has designed an ingenious tactical pen so awesome that we had to feature it on Alt. Meet the Boker Plus CID Cal .45 Tactical Pen. This is a self defense type of pen which features a German designed CNC machined aluminum body with a matte hardcoat anodized finish, and an innovative Bolt Action mechanism. It's the stealthiest, most bad ass looking tactical pen we've seen by far. The only pen with more finesse would have to be some fancy writing instrument from Montblanc. It's also not as expensive as you might have thought. Boker's CID Cal .45 can be had in either black or gray anodized aluminum colors for around $35 a pop.

What makes this such a unique tactical pen is the Bolt Action mechanism it features. The well-lubricated metal bolt actuator mimics the one found on high-powered rifles in that it makes an audible clicking sound when it is pushed up in a sliding action into an L shaped curve to reveal the ballpoint tip, or down to the retract position. What's more is that the Bolt Action mechanism is designed with a spring retention force that will automatically slide the bolt down for you when you want to retract the pen tip. It'll also lock the tip into place forcefully unlike any other "clicky" pen that gives you a tactical tactile sensation. It's the most satisfying fun you'll ever have with a pen. We would have liked to see some knurling done to the metal Bolt Action thumb tip to more traction.

As much as we love German-made products, it's odd seeing the Boker's tactical pen is actually made in China of all place. That said, the build quality and performance are all quite above the standard. Everything just clicks and screws into place the way it should. The level of detail exceeding our expectations given the price.

As a tactical pen, the Boker Plus CID Cal .45 pen is designed to inflect serious bodily harm if used correctly if you were to be caught in a bad situation. The strong aluminum construction gives it the reinforcement you need in order to strike a dangerous person, where as a regular plastic pen would simply snap into tiny little pieces upon impact.

As far as grip is concerned, you'll find that the thumb grip area is machined with numerous notched rings that give your fingers good purchase. However, they're not deep enough to cause discomfort with prolong use, which is a good thing.

The appeal of using a tactical pen such as this one is the fact that you can carry it with you everywhere you go without attracting much attention, if any. In some cases, a tactical pen can serve as a less threatening or dangerously categorized alternative weapon compared to a utility or tactical pocket knife. Now there are some exceptions for tactical pens which do have noticeable threatening designs.

The good thing about the Boker Plus CID Cal .45 is that it has the least vicious looking design out of a bevy of tactical pens whilst at the same, it boasts a bad ass yet stealthy weapon-like actuation quality to it. In fact, it's such a comfortable pen to use that you can use it for more than normal note taking.

At various angles, the clip and knurled flat head of the Boker Plus CID Cal .45 tactical pen look as if they were designed to look like a cool rifle muzzle.

The tip does screw off and features a rubber O-ring to prevent any water from entering into the chamber. Inside you will find a rather short replaceable ink cartridge which can be replaced using a $4 Lammy #M22 ink refills. The only significant drawback to this tactical pen is, well, the size of its ink cartridge. It's so short because of that elaborate Bolt Action mechanism which needs room to slide up and down inside the chamber leaving very little room for a normal sized ink cartridge.

The clip is part of the one-piece machined aluminum body which has two advantages against a normal clip which is separately attached. CID stands for Clip Integrated Design, meaning the Boker Plus tactical pen has a clip that's super strong and does not get in the way when put into a pocket. And with the help of the small protruding Bolt Action lever, the CID Cal .45 still won't roll around having no exterior clip attached to its body.

The simplicity of not having a cap to unscrew to start using the ballpoint pen is a major plus. Most tactical pens have caps that need to be unscrewed and can eventually get lost.

The Boker Plus CID Cal .45 is a middle of the range tactical pen of medium proportions. It isn't bulky nor uncomfortably long at 5-inches long and .48 of an inch in diameter, so it's the ideal pen to carry for actual heavy writing use. It's less of a weapon and more of a fully functional pen that can aid you in the event of a life threatening situation.

Maybe you were born into the digital stylus era. In which case you probably think of the pen is primitive means of writing on a piece of paper derived from things called trees. An intriguing tactical pen such as this however, will immediately strike a cord in you. If you like awesome gear that's useful too, there's no question you'll want one of these by the end of the day.