Award-winning knife designer Allen Elishewitz has lived in the Far East and has practiced martial arts over the past 30 years, including Okinawan Te, Thai Boxing, Northern Shaolin and Kali. This training, along with his experience as a Recon Marine, gave Allen the perfect background to design these defensive writing instruments, CRKT Tao™ Pens.

In Chinese philosophy, Tao means "the way," the fundamental or true nature of the world. And appropriately, these pens reflect the current state of today's world, in which a sudden, unforeseen physical attack can come at any time.

Allen notes, "These pen designs are evolutions of the custom tactical pens I have offered successfully for many years. However, they are very different from the other aggressive-looking pens and kubotans on the market, that is, they do not look threatening, but are useful high-tech writing instruments with a stylish and futuristic design. If the user is threatened or attacked, the pens can be used at three levels of defensive force, depending on the type of threat.

"At the lowest level of engagement, the impact crown on the cap can be used to strike the assailant on the head or hands by raking or thrusting. This provides notice of self defense, and may deter the attacker with minimal injury to him.

"At the second level, the more pointed butt of the pen may be used to thrust or provide a disabling pressure point behind the ears, at the armpit or throat.

"At the third level, if the attack persists, the pen point may be thrust for penetration in soft tissues of the throat, chest or abdomen with potentially lethal results if the assailant does not break off the attack."

The pens are made of 6061 aluminum, precision-machined and hard anodized. The heavy cap is threaded so that it will not pull off in use, and castellated for greater impact. The flutes and grooves on the pen, combined with the pewter-toned stainless steel pocket clip, provide a secure grip.

Four color schemes are available: nonreflective olive drab and tactical black, plus brown with bright grooves and black with bright grooves.

All Tao models are functional writing instruments which use the Fisher® Space Pen ball point cartridge, a pressurized design developed for NASA. It has a tungsten carbide ball point and thixotropic ink which will write in freezing cold, boiling heat, underwater and at any angle—even upside down.

When you can't take a knife or handgun, you can rely on the Tao.