Three Points of the Compass takes a glance at mini titanium pens, suitable for keyring, EDC kits and lightweight backpacking, these are tough little fellows, just don’t lose them!

In recent years things have got a bit silly for UK residents purchasing items from the US. Other than the price of the item, taxes and shipping can be extortionate. Careful thought has to be given before making what can amount to an expensive purchase. This is compounded by the fact that the majority of the most innovative of cottage gear companies producing lightweight backpacking gear are in the US. However, in addition to genuinely US made gear, many of the materials and products that are retailed on the other side of the pond may themselves actually originate from another part of the world.

I was recently browsing the Zpacks product line online and they were pushing their new ‘Titanium Trail Pen‘. This is a company with an admirable track record of producing well-respected and often innovative lightweight, even ultra-lightweight backpacking gear. I have purchased quite a number myself, including two tents. They also complement the ‘home-grown’ gear with rebranded but functional lightweight gear produced elsewhere. This is just such an item. It is a tiny pen, with titanium body, that weighs a remarkable 4.5g. Equally as remarkable was the cost, $19.95. I seriously considered it, for about two seconds. If I had purchased it, I would be expected to pay an additional $35 shipping. I did actually email them to enquire about this remarkably high overall cost and, kudos to Zpacks, received a reply from their customer support lead:

“Thank you for reaching out to us regarding our shipping cost to the UK. I would be glad to help with any questions or concerns that you have. We are not a for profit shipper, meaning that we do not make money on shipping items out, only on the items themselves, so the cost reflects what we are charged by the carrier; either UPS or DHL, whichever is more affordable. Regrettably there are not any alternatives that we can use that are at a lower cost that would include tracking information and visibility on the shipment. If you check with any local shipping carriers you will likely find the same costs for items shipping to the US. If you would like we can set it up to ship with the postal service, however that would have no tracking, or visibility, and if it was lost, or damaged during the transit there would be no recourse. If you are okay with that, and would like to ship with that method let me know and I can create an order for the item with no shipping cost. If you have any other questions or concerns please let me know.”

Knowing this is the type of item being churned out in Chinese factories in huge volumes, I moved to AliExpress to see what was on offer. Tiny titanium pens abound. While I never found the exact same model that Z-Packs are selling, I am sure it is there somewhere. The Zpacks branded bolt-action pen has a pocket clip but I couldn’t see the point of this on such a small item so looked for bolt-action titanium pens without clip. Prices were all over the place, they always are on AliExpress and change all the time, but I did see a very similar little pen and ordered it. The cost was £1.49, inclusive of shipping to the UK. This included two ink refills and a split ring. As I write this, today it is priced at £1.99 with another £1.99 for shipping to the UK.

Ever wasteful and I know my soul is damned, I then ordered two more pens to compare the three. An identical bolt action pen in a different finish, and a much simpler little pen, with screw on cap over the ballpoint pen tip. That last one cost me £6.60, with another £1.23 for shipping. It also came with two spare refills and a split ring, all in a little metal tin made of undefinable metal, ideal for making a mini EDC kit. I note that today (November 2025), it is retailing at £4.41, with £1.24 shipping to the UK.

As always, the description of this pen is all-encompassing: Mini Titanium Pen Keychain Signing Pen Light-Weight Writing Pens EDC Carrying Tools Portable Outdoor Self Defense Glass Breaker

Overall, the pen is 81mm in length, 73mm with cap removed. The pointed end to the cap is described as a glass breaker. I suppose it could be used for that, though I haven’t and wouldn’t like to. It is so thin that it could very well injure the hand of the user if used for that purpose.

This is a pen that it is difficult to get excited about. It is simply an OK writing implement , in desirable titanium body, that will easily slip into a wallet, purse, ditty bag or EDC, or hang almost un-noticed from a keyring.

All three are small pens and easily set down and subsequently mislaid. The muted colours don’t stand out and if the removable cap of the one above isn’t attached to something, that cap can very easily be lost. I know, because I lost mine for a couple of days! The cap easily rolls off the page or table. However it is easily prevented from rolling by attaching the split ring.

The two bolt action ballpoint pens have equally as long names: Pure Titanium Mini Compact Bolt Pen Portable Keychain Pen Portable Travel Metal Ballpoint Pen Signing Party Gifts for Guests

Each pen is 83mm in length and has a small hanging loop at the end to attach it to a key ring or similar. The bolt action works, there is little to prevent this simple deployment from working as it should, it also has that fiddle-factor for those who like such things. The internal spring runs almost the length of the barrel, with smaller spring on the refill body. Each spare refill has this spring attached. There is a small silicone O-ring on the screwed section that will provide not only a seal, but go some way to preventing it from unscrewing itself.

The bolt action prevents the other two pens from rolling. All of the ball point ink cartridges are something unbranded and unidentified. I was pleased to see they were all black ink, not the all-too pervasive blue ink preferred by many manufacturers. But don’t expect this to be archival, write upside down or have much in the way of write length. But, there are two spares included with each pen, which is good to see.

There isn’t much to any of the three pens and an in-depth review is needless. Look at the photos and decide for yourself. Such a pen may be minimal enough for you and your intended purpose. I have a specific intention for mine. They are all too small for prolonged writing. The smooth barrels are 5mm diameter which is too narrow to comfortably hold and use for any length of time. But for simple occasional notes, they are fine. I am one of a dying breed who actually keeps a written journal on trail and trips. They provide the memory jolt for both a lived experience and these blogs. They will hopefully sustain me when this body has aged sufficiently that the calling hills remain unanswered.

My journaling pen is something more comfortable to use for extended periods and I have written before on what I have used. In fact I am currently experimenting with a step change in this. More on that in another post. But because my journaling is important to me, I actually carry a spare pen on trail. This has be very lightweight and small for me to justify it’s inclusion. Amongst those I have used has been the Japanese made Ohto Minimo pen shown here (2.7g and 3.7mm diameter barrel). Also, keeping it even simpler, I have carried and used the replacement ball point pen cartridge (1g) that slips into Victorinox knife scales. Any of them work, will do the job, but are so narrow that pinching them to use soon gets quite painful. My intention is that one of my new purchases will act as a spare for me. At just 4g, I can accept the onerous weight penalty!