Tactile Turn Stealth Bolt Action Pen Review

Nailed it.

That’s what I think of the Tactile Turn Stealth Bolt Action Pen. And that’s not always an easy task.

I’ve been a Tactile Turn fan and follower since day one, and seeing Will Hodges and crew continue to grow as a manufacturer has been a joy to watch. I’m a machined pen fan, of course, and Tactile Turn is one of the best.

The Stealth is the latest seasonal release from Tactile Turn. What do I mean by “seasonal?” Each quarter of the year they launch a special edition pen, which is limited only by the timeframe it is on offer. For example, when the Stealth launched you have three months to decide to order - right through the end of December. Once that ordering window closes, no more Stealth models will be manufactured. I think this is a good system for pen fans who like unique products, but don’t want to have to chase a small run edition, or have terrible FOMO.

This edition was built on the Tactile Turn Bolt Action base, which is a strong, refined platform. The bolt is snappy and solid, and the pen barrel itself feels great with Tactile Turn’s micro-ridges machined throughout the length.

For this seasonal edition, the barrel upgrades include a durable DLC coating, red cerakote bolt paint job, digi-cam clip engraving, and an optional tritium capsule that gives off a “safe, radioactive green glow without needing exposure to light.”

Say what now? Tritium is seen commonly on watch faces, and this is an interesting use on a pen barrel. I like the uniqueness of it.

The Stealth comes in all three Bolt Action barrel lengths: Standard (for Pilot G2 compatible refills,) Short (for Parker-style refills,), and Mini (for Pilot G2 Mini refills.) For this review, I chose the Standard length, and fitted it with my favorite G2 compatible refill, the Pilot Juice 0.38 mm Blue Black.

Feel-wise, the Standard is a big pen, but the Titanium base keeps it from being too heavy or bulky. I can write page after page with no fatigue, and get the satisfaction of a great bolt snap when I’m through.

The standard Tactile Turn Bolt Action pen (in Titanium, Copper, or Bronze) starts at $99, so is the Stealth worth the upgrade to $179, or $229 with the tritium finial? I think so. The non-tritium version especially. The pricing also shows how great of a deal the standard models are.

Tactile Turn brings something different to the table with each seasonal edition, and I appreciate the thought - and the extras - they put into each edition. I look forward to seeing what comes next, but not before I get a heck of a lot of use from the Stealth.

(Tactile Turn provided this product at no charge to The Pen Addict for review purposes.)

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Tactile Turn Side Click Copper Pen Giveaway

It has been fun watching Will Hodges and his company, Tactile Turn, grow into one of the best machined pen makers in our stationery world. His latest creation, the Side Click may be my favorite of the bunch, and Will was kind enough to send over the Standard length Copper barrel model for me to give away. Read the rules below and enter away!

Tactile Turn Side Click Copper Pen Giveaway

Tactile Turn Stainless Steel Pencil Review

(Jeff Abbott is a regular contributor at The Pen Addict. You can find more from Jeff online at Draft Evolution and Twitter.)

Tactile Turn is one of those names that the Pen Addict crowd have heard about at some point or another. Maybe you've seen the brand on Instagram, or seen one of the Kickstarter campaigns for their unique machined pens. Or, maybe you've seen one in person or even own one (or several) of these high-quality metal pens. Whatever the case may be, if you haven't heard of Tactile Turn before today, it's your lucky day.

Starting with a machined pen to hold either a Parker refill or a Pilot G2 refill, Tactile Turn made their debut many years ago with the Mover and Shaker pens. These are still available today, but not in their initial form. The team at Tactile Turn have iterated on these pens to make them the best possible version. They also make several other pen models, including a sliding bolt variety and even a fountain pen.

Most recently, the gang at Tactile Turn have produced an outstanding mechanical pencil that features the same design cues as the rest of their unique lineup. The mechanical pencil, dubbed the Pencil, borrows the shape and bolt design of the Bolt Action Pen but manages to squeeze in a mechanical pencil insert instead of a pen refill. And of course, what mechanical pencil would be whole without an eraser on top? The Pencil features a larger than normal black eraser for those mistakes that you just can't stand to leave on the page if you forgot your big eraser at home.

When purchasing the pencil, you can choose between a 0.5mm and 0.7mm lead size component, and you can also opt for a Damascus bolt over the standard titanium bolt. Not sure what Damascus is?

Titanium Damascus is different allows of titanium that are forged together and twisted to create a cool pattern. After they are machined, we heat them to bring out the pattern. Every bolt looks a little different. These are unique pieces and every one has variation from the next.

For an extra $20, I would go for the Damascus bolt every single time, and that applies to the Bolt Action Pen as well. The pop of blue-green-purple color on the all-business machined body is just too good to pass up.

The bolt is an interesting way to advance the pencil lead. Opposed to the Bolt Action Pen, which has a curved path for the bolt to slide down into action, the Pencil has a short 4mm path for the bolt to travel down. It doesn't feel entirely natural, but you can get used to it. Another aspect that doesn't feel entirely natural is the amount of force you have to use in order to advance the lead. It would be easier if the bolt was bigger or stuck out further, but that would ruin the aesthetic. Maybe a lighter spring on the internal pencil component would also help? Either way, I have found it slightly frustrating to operate the bolt on this pencil, but it's not a deal-breaker for me. After a little use, my thumb remembers how to operate it efficiently.

Another small design decision that gets under my skin is the fact that the lead pipe doesn't retract into the pencil body. This isn't something that you find on many mechanical pencils in general, but it's always nice to have. To be fair, I can't even imagine the engineering nightmare it would be to design a retracting lead component on this pen, and that's probably the end product lacks it. This omission doesn't detract from the pencil at all, as the point isn't very "pointy" and doesn't get stuck on things (like the insides of pockets) very easily as long as the lead is retracted.

Moving on to the rest of the pencil, you'll certainly notice the heft of the stainless steel model as soon as you pick it up. It's not a lightweight pencil! The entire body features the same uniform grooves that go around the body to create a tiny and textured grip surface that feels great to hold. On top of feeling great, it also gives the pen part of its unique aesthetic that all of Tactile Turn's products boast.

The clip is the same clip that you'll find on all the other Tactile Turn pens, and it does a fantastic job. It's strong enough to keep the pencil attached to whatever you clip it into, and the aesthetic matches the rest of the pencil perfectly.

The eraser looks right at home on this pencil, and also offers an instant visual cue that this is indeed a pencil (in case you have several Tactile Turn pens laying around on your desk). I wish there was an option to purchase an alternative cap for the pen if you want to leave the eraser behind and prefer a more streamlined look for the top of the pen. An option like this would definitely diminish the utility of the pencil, but I'd buy one pretty quickly to add to my Pencil since I don't really need the eraser built into the top.

Writing with the Pencil takes a little getting used to because of the significant weight. Most of the mechanical pencils I use are extremely light, so this one is quite an adjustment. Of course, this is one of the heavier options available. If you prefer a lighter pencil, I'd go with the titanium or aluminum models.

The Tactile Turn Mechanical Pencil is certainly an attractive looking pencil that looks great on my desk, feels good in my hand, and does a good job at making marks on the page. A few design quirks aside, it's an excellent writing instrument that I would happily recommend to anyone that is drawn to the Tactile Turn aesthetic. The Stainless Steel model shown here starts at $89, but you can pick up an anodized aluminum version for $69, a copper or brass version for $79, or a titanium model for $99. With each model, you can spend an extra $20 to upgrade to a Damascus bolt over the standard titanium, and I'd highly recommend it.

(JetPens provided this product at no charge to The Pen Addict for review purposes.)