I wanted something bigger, I wanted something heavier…

It came in today! (I didn’t grab pictures until after I anodized it blue.)

Let’s get pics first, here is the Zero Tolerance 0010TI Pen next to the pen that it is replacing, a Hinderer Titanium Investigator pen.
IMG_4186 by gdwtvb, on Flickr

IMG_4179 by gdwtvb, on Flickr

Here’s the specs as published by Zero Tolerance:

• Made in the USA​
• 3-D machined body​
• Custom-machined clip​
• Non-retracting tip​
• O-ring sealed snap cap​
• Glassbreaker tip​
• Rite in the Rain® ink cartridge​
• Body: Titanium​
• Closed length: 5.3 in. (13.5 cm)​
• Weight: 1.5 oz. (42.5 g)​

The cap is not threaded, held on by a an o-ring and it has an audible click when it snaps onto either end. Great retention out of the box. I definitely won’t miss unscrewing a pen cap.

I don’t have a scale to check the weight against what’s advertised but it is heavy and reminds me of my old Hinderer Kubaton Pen kit. (This was a longer version of the Hinderer Extreme Duty pen.) With the cap posted it seems to have most of the weight towards the back. Not a problem for me but some people might find it uncomfortable to write with.

The pen uses a cartridge that matches the standard Parker sized refills. (G2) I pulled the original out and shoved in a Fisher Purple ink Cartridge with the Parker adapter on the back. (I suspect the ‘Rite in the Rain’ cartridge it came with was made by fisher, as it had an identical adapter on it.) The options should be almost limitless. (As a note the fisher cartridge was a bit snug going through the hole in the tip, by twisting it in or out it wasn’t too bad, but worth noting. Definitely no rattles.)

The threads where the pen unscrews to change the cartridge are sealed with an o-ring. Super smooth threads…why can’t flashlight manufacturers do this? I don’t foresee it ever working its way loose… some other manufacturers like Hinderer could learn something here. I didn’t pull out a loupe or anything like that, but I couldn’t find any machining marks or imperfections on the entire pen. (The outside at least)

The clip looks good and is machined out of titanium and held on with two countersunk screws, but that is my only area of concern right now. It slides extremely easily into a dress shirt pocket, with the weight of the pen, I’m a little leery on the retention in office attire if you bend over. It has much better retention on a pocket t-shirt or jeans.

I didn’t buy it because it has a glassbreaker tip. With the weight of the pen and how sharp the carbide tip is, I could see it rubbing a hole in the bottom of a pocket. Sadly this could also be a reason to leave it in your checked luggage, rather than your carry-on when traveling.

All in all, I am very pleased with my purchase. ($180) It is much more comfortable for me to write with than the Hinderer Investigator, more cartridge options, solid titanium, and Made in the USA.

Grizz