Do a quick search on Google for Tactical Pen and you'll likely get 1.5M results. Tactical pens range in price from $10 and can cost as much as $1000. A question I receive regularly from readers that know I'm passionate about survival is :

What is a tactical pen used for?

The simple answer is that the tactical pen is a defense tool than can be considered concealed and that you can legally take anywhere with you. As long as you know how to use it properly, it can quickly become a near-lethal or lethal defence option if the SHTF. 

Why does a tactical pen cost more than a regular one?

Tactical pens are specifically designed to be extra resistant so as not to break during hand to hand combat. You would typically use it to strike pressure points or more sensitive areas of an opponent's body (think throat, groin, back, chest, etc). 

This extra resistant design is why a tactical pen costs more than a traditional pen. 

Most outdoor gear manufacturers have some kind of tactical pen. Examples include:

• Gerber Impromptu tactical pen 
• Schrade SCPENBK Tactical
• Smith & Wesson SWPENMPBK Military and Police Tactical Pen
• Columbia River Knife and Tool (CRKT) TPENAOD Elishewitz Tao Pen Tactical Pen
•  

Is it a concealed carry weapon? 

I'm not a lawyer so you'll have to check in your specific jurisdiction but most locales I have visited do not restrict the types of pens you can carry. You can even carry a tactical pen on airlines. 

Remember that the primary purpose of this is to be a pen. In most cases you will use this as a standard pen. It should only be used as a defensive tool in extreme life or death situation (like any other defensive tool). 

But in order to be an effective tool, you must know how to use it. There are hundreds of internet videos showing you techniques. You can always ask a local martial arts instruction to teach you some techniques also.

Should I have a tactical pen in my EDC kit?

I think a good quality tactical pen is a great add on to an EDC kit. 

Conclusion

Find a nice well priced tactical pen on Amazon and make it part of your EDC kit. You will probably never use it for defensive purposes but if you are ever cornered in a life or death situation... you may just live to see another day.