Review: RaidOps - TM-Joe & MF-Delta

Check out these bad boys! I got in touch with a long time source of Wish-Lust for me from RaidOps out of Korea.

They make a wide range of titanium impact tools, knives and hard-wearing and multi-function pieces of wearable art. The two items that I got are the triangular MF-Delta and the evil platypus skull shaped TM-Joe.

Both are made of grade 5 titanium, and are double heat-treated to over 500oC to achieve HRC 50-52. They are finished in a dark-brown patina.

The TM-Joe is 84mm (3.31") x 58mm (2.2") x 5mm (0.2"), weighs in at 42g (1.5oz) and features 11mm (5/16") nut holes in the "ears" and nose" with a smaller, 9mm nut hole adjacent to the larger one in the nose. The very tip of the tool is shaped to act as a pry-bar, with nail-pull at the center. The pry-bar is not chisel edged, so there is no fear of cutting things accidentally, but will limit that "first bite" width needed to get a pry happening.

As well as the mean looking eye-holes, there is a lanyard hole in the middle of the top of the piece which mates with the RaidOps Quick Release attachment clip, a small piece of polycarbonate plastic with two rounded pinching surfaces that fill the lanyard hole, and hold with sufficient force to prevent any accidental dislodging.

A quick forceful tug and the tool comes away in the hand, ready for action. Both tools feature attachment points for the Quick Release mount, and come with a standard ball-and link chain.

The MF-Delta is made from the same Grade 5 titanium alloy with it's dark brown finish.It measures  61mm (2.4") x 70mm (2.76") x 5mm (0.2"), and weighs 31g (1.09oz), 31g (1.09oz). It features two hex driver cutouts, one of which also doubles as a bottle opener. It also features a single 7mm bolt hole, but has four lanyard holes in its middle, and another at one tip.

The MF-Delta, being shorter and more evenly dimensioned is a little less obtrusive to the eye, where as the TM-Joe is more stylized to look like a piece of art. Neither are bladed, with all the edges being rounded if not fully milled. Even compared to the NukoTool Skully or the Nuko ACDT they look more like jewelry or abstract art than an impact weapon.
When snapped off their neck-lanyards, both the MF-Delta and TM-Joe fit both snugly and safely in a palmed fist, those rounded edges don't dig, nick or snag.

The rounded "necks" of both tools quickly slip around the inter digital gaps between fingers, giving you a really secure grip, and bracing against the palm to let you drive them with considerable force into whatever you felt the need to. I put some pretty effortless divots into furniture around the house, with a very satisfying sound. I found that the grips were probably the smoothest and best fitting for my hands that I've encountered for this kind of tool. Great thickness and width of contact points and sufficient aperture to be held naturally.

Worn around the neck, or attached to a keychain, these innocuous tools are both elegant to look at, have a beautiful finish and even a "chime" when struck, I have been really pleased to add them to my collection, and will probably keep one on me whenever I travel, not to mention visit anywhere that regular defensive items might be frowned on.












Be sure to check with local regulations and legislation when it comes to this kind of item. It would be an easy enough thing to confirm, rather than falling foul of LEO's just doing their job. Being booked, fined or incarcerated won't help your ability to respond to an emergency, so be smart.


But be smart with gorgeous looking items that work well and are robust, like the RaidOps tools!

Review: TacticalKeychain - TiMaG Paracord system

Not only do I love titanium, and magnets, but also paracord, so when Brad Martin of Tactical Keychains put up a KickStarter project that combined all three, I jumped onboard. I have been collecting the Tactical Keychain range for a while now, with the classic WTF tool (and its variants) as well as the larger cousin, the Large WTF but also the very functional TiKeY key-keeper set, the very crafty TiPiK lockpicks and most recently the also magnet equipped TKMB pen.

The TiMaG project however has been one I haven't reported on for some time, even though I've had these little magnets on my person for quite some time (as astute readers may have noticed, as they sit on my pocket-keychain tool ring).

Billed as magnetic push-pins, and even as "the most overbuilt magnets in existence", these little milled Grade 5 titanium plugs, each with a 2.5kg (5.5lbs) draw neodymium-iron-boron magnet built into the plug. Three channels cut into the sides of the plugs allow you to grip, or or even fit them with o-rings (7/32" ID x 11/32"OD x 1/16"C) for even better grip.

As push pins, they work fantastically, fridge-doors, white-boards, car body. Metal surfaces are just the ticket.

 The standard TiMaGz have the magnet's polarity set in one direction so they repel each other, for ease of manufacture but the Paracord system TiMaG's are created with 50% N 50% S polarity, so they will stick together. (just like the unfortunately fictional MagHook) .

Where the TiMaG's come in handy in a survival situation might seem a little obscure, but with some lateral thinking, a myriad of options arise: Dead drops of keys, papers and the like, either held by the magnet, or attached through the drilled paracord channel.

 I have one threaded through the steel cable of my bundle of pocket keychain tools, meaning I can stick them to a surface and access them, or have my Jil Lite Constel lantern light up my space. I've used the paracord loop to allow me to dowse for dropped items, screws, bolts, knives, needles. 

All manner of ferromagnetic needfuls of a certain weight can be "harvested". The key thing is your imagination, and the contact area you can manage with the TiMaG. Even though the magnets are rated at 2.5kg, I found that the sides and even top of a 450g can of spaghetti needed some finesse to retain a positive lock.



For simple packages, like papers, a spare key, or even say a Oscar Delta - Deep Carry Tube these are an excellent system for anyone. More advanced uses, well, you take your chances, but they are a damn well made set of mini-tools, and I love the aesthetics.

Be sure to check out Mike's NEW Kickstarter, the all new, updated WTF2.0 and TiStiK combo, I'm already a backer, and looking forwards to seeing what they're like to use.

Review: Ti2 TechLiner pen

From the makers of the Ti2-PB9 parabiner pulley  the Ti2 Sentinel S4S cache and the most excellent Ti2 Sentinel X cache, comes this fine implement. This was also Kickstarted, but I had missed out, and luckily for me when the good folks at Ti2 sent me replacement Sentinel X's, they also included one of their new item, the Ti2 TechLiner pen.

Here it is lined up against one of my other titanium pens, the Tactical Keychain TKMB. One of the key differences between the two, and in fact, most pens I've encountered, is that the TechLiner was designed to have cap retention without threads.

The Cybernetic Research Labs tool pen is threaded, as is the hefty EDC Pen is also threaded. In fact, all my tactical pens are threaded, except this one. So, how do they do it?

Magnets! (how do they work?)
Using 3 rare earth magnets, built into the cap, the tail end and around the pen with a toroid magnet. The cap is pulled on tip or tail with approximately 900g (2 lbs) of force.  The unique custom ring magnet that fits around the tip of the Signo 207 refill series.Apart from anything else, this is a very nice pen tip to write with, good for precision work as well as note writing.

The three piece body opens up at the tail end and at the tip to let you for replacement ink cartridge. 

Each end is fitted with a machined grip, designed for a tactile grip surface which is comfortable for extended periods of writing.  The machined "grid" pattern offers a non-slip, secure grip without adding any snag points.

I've had this kicking around in my pocket for weeks, and the magnet in the tail has kept it attached to the other tools in my EDC ring. It doesn't have the "hammer through a brick wall" feel of the EDCPen, but it is a serious piece of hardware nonetheless. Dropped, run over, kicked along concrete and it's barely scratched.

One of the things I love about this is it's sleek lines and snag free design. Also, magnets!

Review: Tiletto - The Titanium Letter Opener

I'm a firm believer in not only getting behind small business makers, but also adding more shinies to my collection. This was no exception.

This is the Tiletto and is the creation of Steve Sure, who along with his trusty collaborators in the form of Mike Bond (of Ti2 Sentinel and Parabiner fame), Brad (of TiPik, WTF and TKMB pen  Tactical Keychains) and Philip Kaufman (of the ScrewGrabber project) designed a piece I knew right away that, with those peers,  would be a great project to get behind.

Pay no mind to the CQB dagger beside it. It's a complete coincidence that their forms are remotely similar.


Milled from sheets of Ti-6Al-4V, otherwise known as "Grade 5"titanium, these pieces are approximately 178 mm (7") long, 25mm (1") at its widest, and 1.6mm (1/16") thick.

The Tiletto features chamfered sides that can act as straight edges for assisting in lines drawing or scoring, to cleanly tear pieces of paper, and to open letters, packages and parcels. I've not encountered a taped box the Tiletto can't safely get into in our regular deliveries.

Either end of the Tiletto,  has different shapes / characteristics to use as a flad-head driver, or an improvised phillips head, and can also be used as a pry bar to take on small jobs such as car and can opening.

Further adding to its functionality, the Tiletto features a set of wrench openings in its belly, with the inch-calibrated version offering: 9/16", 1/2", 7/16", 5/16", and a 1/4 inch hex-bit driver in the center.

The millimeter-calibrated version offers: 13mm, 12mm, 10mm, 8mm, and a 1/4 inch hex-bit driver in the center. I got one of each, adding to Omega's keychain collection as well


I've found quiet utility in having this too sitting in the PALS/MOLLE webbing of my  Hazard4 LaunchPad iPad sleeve.

Following Steve's suggestion, I've even used it as  a fid on larger-diameter poly-rope, and have stirred my tea with it. It is an elegant piece, slimline and innocuous for  what it offers. As with many of my pieces, it is multifunctional and hardy. Although, best to be aware that whilst it is half as dense, and offers twice the tensile strength of 316 stainless steel, it isn't a miracle metal like adamantium. 

Still, its a gorgeous tool that I am glad to have added to my collection and hope to give it a lot of use as the days roll on.

Review: EDCpen

As first featured on RecoilWeb.com here: the-ultimate-minimalist-everyday-carry-pen-edcpen

I was very pleased to be contacted by Kris of EDCpen who I've been following for a while, having missed out on his Kickstarter, but also by association with Brad of Tactical KeyChains, who has collaborated with Kris in the past.

Openly professing not being an engineer or product designer by trade, rather, Kris is a guy with a great idea. A former Infantryman and Paratrooper, who like me enjoys having a handful of EDC items which are practical and useful on a daily basis. Kris has gone the extra step, (in more way than one) and has produced a great item which I am pleased to share here.


The Kickstarter project that was produced to fund the production of these, and offered them in aluminium, brass and stainless steel. A later stretch goal brought forth a titanium option, which is what I was sent.

Fitted with a Fisher Space Pen cartridge the EDCpen gives a smooth writing action, and fits the hand snugly, even for a small pen, when unscrewed. You can see the threading and o-ring where the lid fits to the pen end, and the machined rings for grip towards the nib end. I found as a pen, this was a great fit, and haven't had any trouble using it. The ends feature similar fluted groves as those seen on the Ti2 Sentinel cache that Mike Bond puts out. I have a feeling there is a lot of collaboration between these guys, which is excellent, as it means there are awesome products coming our way.

The whole pen has been machined from solid titanium, with the cap having its lanyard loop cut deeply enough that there is no doubt that your cord would break before the loop, and the pen body itself seats the ink cartridge by having a countersunk threaded plug which screws in tightly behind the cartridge.

I can't imagine the situation in which this would come loose of its own accord in my use(perhaps being stuck in an engine casing) but it certainly didn't give me any worries. This thing really is designed to last a lifetime.I shudder to think what it would take to break this thing, and I'm confident that my body would go first.

I've covered a couple of "tactical pens" in the past, namely the S&W pen, and the CRL modular pen. The EDCpen is substantially heftier and hardier feeling than both.

It's solid construction, especially in titanium, give it a mass of 50g, ( 1 3/4oz) (53g with the included paracord loop), which outweighs the aluminium version of the CRL pen (at 42g) but as I said earlier, it sits nicely in the hand. The smooth finish of the pen lends again to it's heft and I found that the four fluted groves had just enough bite to their edges to give a good grip, without cutting in.


Why is this relevant? Because I always like to look at how I can use what I carry to combative purpose.

Having a 113mm x 12mm cylinder of titanium on hand just made me want to hit things, and I found that it most certainly does make an impression. These two divots were from one-inch-punch type strikes on a painted concrete wall. The pen didn't take even a smudge, the wall took two fairly impressive dents.

This was a great pen, and certainly worth adding to my EDC. It certainly lives up to its name. My only worry would be losing it, and with the included paracord lanyard, I've been able to have it looped through PALS/MOLLE, my belt loops and the like. This is a great example of someone taking a simple need, producing an elegant product and having a complete solution.

Wish Lust: KickStarters - RECON 6 Watch & KLAX

From time to time I either get forwarded, or read about some great ideas going on via Kickstarter, or other crowd-sourcing sites, and I want to boost their signal to help them out, as well as getting some gear ideas out to you folks ....

check these two out...


From the creator of the Crovel Extreme comes this jam-packed survival watch.

In his words:
*******************

RUGGED AS IT IS USEFUL:Recon 6 Watch is the Baddest watch around: Compass, Signal, Can Opener, Fire Starter, Whistle, Cutting Tool!

The most multifaceted utility watch you'll ever own.  Life in the great outdoors is no fashion show, but there is a tough and rugged accessory I am getting ready to launch that not only lets outdoorsmen make like Grylls, but could also save your life.  I created the Recon 6 Watch to tackle the unexpected and perform multiple tasks. Inspired by the desire to always be prepared, a cross between the Swiss Army Knife and MacGyver will take this multi-featured watch to a whole new level.  After months of hard work, my idea is almost ready to become a reality.

As well as a bezel equipped, phosphorescent handed and anti-chip and glare faced watch, it also features the following survival components
- Multi-Tool
- Blade with sheep hook design for dressing out small game
- Bottle opener
- Can opener
- Fire striker
- Signaling mirror
- Fire starter good up to 5000 fire starts
- Aluminum rescue wistle
- 25 ft. of braided fishing line with 2 small fish hooks
- Magnifying glass
- EMP proof, liquid fill compass
- LED flashlight
*******************
Hefty, and with a price tag to match, but packed with content....

Then there is the father-son team behind the quite innovative multi-tool, survival axe, which I have my eyes on.

In their words:
 *******************
The KLAX is a multi-tool built into the head of an ax.  It allows you to attach the ax head to a handle quickly in the field.  It uses the nested clamping system shown here.   The clamps rotate out from the handle for use.


The KLAX is designed to be a short term solution to many of the problems that you could face either planned or unexpected. It will help you to get through situations where carrying a full set of dedicated tools is just not possible or realistic. Here are a few examples...
- stuck on the roadside in the backwoods and need to build a lean-to for shelter
- injured hiker needs an impromptu travois (stretcher) to be carried to safety
- hiking and need enough wood for a small cooking fire
- hunting and want to make small game traps
- forgot the hammer and need to pound in the tent pegs
- starting the split on a small log without many knots
- need to dig a hole (let's see your multi-tool do that)
Bottom Line: If you think it is trying to replace your full-sized dedicated tools for everyday use, you won't be happy with the KLAX.

KLAX-Lumberjack  Our high-end stainless steel model with the most features.  The first three models are all made from heat treated SUS420J2  stainless steel which is perfectly balanced for keeping an edge and maintaining strength.

KLAX - Woodsman   Our mid-level stainless steel model with just the more useful features.

KLAX - Feller  This is our more rustic model with just the basic features you need in the outdoors.

Ti-KLAX is a Titanium version of the KLAX – Lumberjack and comes with all the same features, but because it is made from more expensive Titanium, it weighs only half as much as the Feller and is stronger than steel.  The Ti-4452813 titanium is also anodized to provide some eye catching highlights.

 *******************


So, some pretty cool concepts there ....


I wish I could back them all, but we'll see, and perhaps I'll get to show them off in good time.

Review: Tactical KeyChain - TKMB

Here is another addition to my EDC out of my pal Brad's workshop. I have a couple of other fancy pens in my collection, with the S&W Tactical Pen, and the Cybernetic Research Labs Tactical Pen. (I also have one of the very fine EDCPen's reviewed, pending release on another site .. .watch this space...). This is a great addition to my collection of titanium tools from Tactial KeyChains, such as the indespensible WTF tool, the very nifty TiPiK lockpicks and the eminently practical TiKey key holder.

This is the TKMB: Precision Machined, which is a small, comfortable, well-balanced, lightweight, strong milled titanium pen.

The TKMB is just 12.5cm (4.9") long and is milled from titanium rod. The tip is milled as well, and press-fitted into the barrel. I tried for ages to dislodge mine, and could not. Brad finally smacked me up-side-the-head and reminded me that the back-cap unscrews to gain access to the insides to refill the pen.
 
Empty, the pen weighs a slight 12g (2.14 US Quarters in weight), and with a refill a mere 17.5grams (3.12 US Quarters in weight).

The working end and tail are machined with threads to take a similarly highly engineered cap, (with or without a magnet, guess which I chose?).


Interestingly, Brad designed these pens to be as slim as possible (thanks to the tremendous machining available to us in the modern equipped world) and to be able to take the "Fineliner" and "Rollerball" refills perfectly, along with Parker, Fisher, Schmidt, Monteverde, Mont Blanc, Caran D'Ache, Cross. I bought and fitted a Parker "Space Pen" refill to mine,along with the included rubber tubing spacer, and the additional 8 mini-magnets.

What's with all the magnets, you might ask?

Between the magnet in the end cap, and the internal magnets, which can be placed in a couple of different configurations, you have the ability to both pick up ferrous materials (dropped screws anyone?) and also being able to place stow and store the pen. I also found that I could retain the clip on the side with the magnet.

Magnets are awesome, and I love it when I can add some to my kit. Another great element of these pens are the groves milled into the sides of both the working end and along the caps. Using the included o-rings, you can customise the grip and balance of the pen. Brilliant for those of us with big hands, and giving you a better fit, in case you are stowing yours in PALS/MOLLE like I do.

 

I have been really pleased with this as both an easily carryable pen, and also the added utility of the magnets, both for picking up items and as a means of placement.

As with all of Brad's work, its highly engineered, thoroughly tested and fir for purpose, and in this case, came with a killer custom anodizing job, (thanks for that!). I even got a second one to give to my partner, because having a reliable pen, is essential, and the titanium body, Parker Space Pen combination was too good not to share!

Review: Ti2 - PB9 parabiner pulley

I seem to be fully addicted to both Kickstarter, and awesome titanium pieces. Fortunately, this means I not only have a bunch of cool kit to play with on a semi-regular basis, as well as helping people get their ideas off the ground and into your hands, but also I have things to write about.

This is one such item, which I've been sitting on for a little while,This is another creation of Mike Bond, creator of the Sentinel s4s cache, the Sentinel X and the EDCPen (link coming VERY soon). This is the PB-9 Para-biner

The PB-9 measures 48mm x 111mm x 9.5mm thick (1.875" x 4.375" x 3/8") and weighs 100g (3.5 oz) and almost the whole thing is made from grade 5 titanium. This is the biggest of three variants, and features 9 tool options, being a very versatile tool.

There are two versions of the PB-9, in Imperial (SAE) and Metric, each offering a range of wrench openings:
SAE: 15/16", 3/4" 9/16", (5/8"), 1/2", 7/16", 3/8", 5/16", 1/4" (bit driver) MM: 24mm, 19mm, (16mm), 14mm, 13mm, 12mm, 10mm, 8mm, 1/4". I bracket out the 5/8" and 16mm wrench options because they sit in where the pulley pin and wheel reside, and I don't thing they are really accessible. the pins, split rings fastening them, the pulleys and whole assembly would need to be removed to have this option used. However, the pulley significantly outweighs the wrench need, in my eyes. Both feature a "hidden" 1/4" bit driver, inside the locking gate.

That gate is 12.7mm (1/2") or so wide, and features a hook-and-pin overlock, giving a really secure structural gate. Instead of a regular spring, the PB-9 features a torsion spring, cut from a piece of grade 5 titanium as well, as rustproof as the rest of the piece. Outstanding.

The PB-9 has two pulley options, both made from high strength bearing grade bronze 544 (The prototype pin was stainless steel, the production version is also titanium)

The single pulley option allows for lines up to 1/2" diameter, whilst the twin pulley was specifically for use with paracord. I found that it would take paracord, 3mm plastic coated clothes line, 6mm nylon sheath cord, and even the plastic coated braided steel cable from a laptop lock.


 Using two PB-9s with twin pulleys in a "double tackle" setup allows for a 4 to 1 mechanical advantage when lifting loads.
The tool also features a wedge shaped "Para-Cinch" notch for quick lashing of paracord (or as a bottle opener)

The non-pulley end also features a flathead screw-driver, whch could easily be used as a short pry-par, Mike even suggests as a box-opener. This tool has it all!




One of the things I loved about this Kickstarter was the engineering that went into it, and how that was shared. Watching the test-to-destruction clips of all three Parabiners was amazing. The fact that the prototype PB-9's broke at 1771kg (3,905lbs) is amazing. That's around the weight of a car! Having these tests, and subsequent improvements described along the way was a real eye-opener, and very heart warming.

Seeing the hooked gate go into the design, as well as the living/torsion spring enter the process really gave me a sense of being part of the experience, and has lead to an outstanding tool.All part of the Kickstarter joy.

If I had a gripe about them, it might be that the gate only opens 1/2" or so, which limits what I could clip them to directly. I certainly made do with braided steel cable, and could have used chain, just something I noted.

These are totally going into my bug-out kit, and I look forwards to being the guy with the pulley when it comes time to lift an obstacle.

Review: Tactical Keychains - Large WTF

Here's another one of Brad from Tactical KeyChain's ingenious mind creator of the TiPiK and TiKeY, which came as an optional extra from his WTF Kickstarter project.

The is the "Large WTF", cut from the same titanium (Ti-6Al-4V) alloy as the regular titanium WTF's, but is significantly beefier in all respects. at 4.5mm (3/16th") thick, and 110mm x 33mm (4 1/4" x 1 5/15") in length and width. Featuring the same 1cm and 1/4" marking dimples done the long edges, this tool also features in its jaws; Imperial 1/4", 5/16", 3/8", 7/16", 1/2", 9/16" & 5/8" and Metric: 6mm, 8mm, 10mm, 11mm, 13mm, 15mm & 17mm wrench heads.

It also features a recessed neodymium magnet that sits flush with the face, allowing the tool to be stuck to a toolbox, to hold the bolt you just undid, or the like. I've used mine both to store the tool, and to catch parts.

This has been especially good when working in messy, cluttered spaces, I just attached the tool to a pipe, girder or the like, and kept working.

As with the Mini WTF tool, the titanium has a bit of "flex" which gives some leeway with nuts and bolt, the thickness of the tool keeps it from flexing TOO much, though. 

There is also a built in 1/4" bit holder, which is an invaluable addition, as it gives you significant torque advantage, when working on stubborn jobs. Make sure you use good quality tools, and the rest will follow.

The two spacer holes in the tool reduce the weight and add lashing points, should dummy-cording or spooling of paracord be desired.

Brad suggests that you could carry 7.5m (25') of paracord wrapped around the central mouths of the tool.


I had my Large WTF lightly anodized, which gave it a "olive drab" finish that worked nicely with my collection of khaki gear, and found that it fitted pretty well into PALS/MOLLE channels, spanning two channels, and three rows for a secure fit.

All in all this is a robust and useful tool, and well suited to a lot of tasks where lugging an entire socket wrench set might be impractical. Getting in to reach close-fitted nuts could prove tricky, but hey, more titanium for my collection, and distributed tools for my EDC and bug-out-bags.

Review: Cybernetic Research Labs - Tactical Pen

I've had a few good occasions to make use of this particular item, and thought I should give it a review.I covered the Tactical Pen a while back. I misplaced that pen but 2 is 1 and 1 is none ...

This was another Kickstarter item from the folks at Cybernetic Research Laboratories who previously produced the Tactical Whistle and the Tactical Cache. I wanted to "collect the set" of their products, because that's how I like to test not only the items, but the brand itself. More on that later.

This is a modular pen / hex-tool / stylus / glass-breaker with aggressive knurling and grips.

Machined from aircraft aluminium (with stainless steel and titanium options, too), I had my pen anodised in their "OD green" which matched the OD green their Whistle and Cache, which I must say, is a long way off what I expected Olive Drab to be. This could just be due to the sheen of it, (rather than being a matte finish). I think I should have gotten black.

The pen itself comes in four parts; The end cap, with a lanyard hole and a titanium clip. The main body, which is threaded internally, with three deep gripping groves. It is bored to accept a Fisher Space Pen cartridge from one end only.

Either end of the body can accept one of the various heads, in my case I have; the stylus end, the pen end, the tungsten carbide glass-breaker and the hex-bit driver (which I opted to get in titanium for additional resistance to wear).

Each of the heads have two different threads, one for attaching the head to the body, and the other for securing the cap to the head.

Interestingly, the cap can also take the tool-tips, including the pen with its cartridge.

This modularity makes this tool quite appealing, I tend to keep the glass breaker tip out and exposed, both for potential escape requirements I might have in punching out a window, but also for being a rather unpleasant pointy end to make my displeasure known. I've also used the carbide tip to scribe things onto metal.

The stylus tip is not very effective on my iPhone and iPad, but they did state this would be the case during the Kickstarter.

It's a functional tool, it makes senses as a backup item.