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Tactikey Review

Low-pro force multiplier.

I recently discovered a new self-defence product – Tactikey.

Tactikey is an upgrade on an old-school, low-tech means of self-defence.  The old “punch them with your keys” technique, except with some modern upgrades.

The product itself is a small (1 x 1.75 x 0.5 in), lightweight (6.5 g) and strong (TPE 110 Composite material) designed to ergonomically accept a standard Kwikset house key and give it a platform to use as an impact weapon.  This design is helpful in reducing injury to the defender’s hand while allowing the transference of force through the key point to the assailant’s soft tissues.

Tactikey in it’s packaging (front).
Tactikey packaging (back).

The combination of supporting grip and solid metal point is surprisingly effective and protects the user from injury well, unlike an un-shrouded key being used for the same thing.

Low-pro force multiplier.

When I received my package of a few Tactikeys and was caught by several positive things:

  • VERY light
  • VERY small
  • VERY easy to add to your key ring
  • Usable in non-permissive environments and will likely not raise any red flags if inspected by authorities
  • Allow the key to be used for it’s intended function AND as a self-defence implement and;
  • Comes in your choice of Blaze Orange, Hot Pink or Carbon Black.
  • Inexpensive (as of this writing – going for $9.99 ea with free US Shipping)
  • Full details from website available here.

Along with the personalized note from them, I immediately equipped my Tactikey and went to work playing around with it.

I found that holding it was comfortable.  The finish on the grip was soft and smooth but didn’t slip.

Ergonomic and secure grip.
Fits well into the hand.

It intuitively holds well between the fingers and stays solid when striking.

Pointy, ouchy and very solidly held.

I had access to a building site where walls were being replaced and took a few jabs at drywall and lathe & plaster.  The results were good (see below).

Drywall – before.

I was able to make holes in both mediums without pain or injury to my hand.  The regular (un-sharpened key) penetrated both types of walls with relative ease making me feel confident that it could cause trauma to soft tissue on a hostile human target.

Through drywall with first strike.
Repeated strikes had no issue with penetration.

As it is a simple piece of plastic, Tactikey can go anywhere a set of keys can go and will always be ready as an added force multiplier if you should need it.  I have added this to my Every Day Carry (EDC) as it is useful, lightweight, practical and effective.  Along with the other items I carry, I feel it is a wise investment and doesn’t add bulk of weight to your setup.

Although I haven’t had the opportunity to hit a person with it at this point, I’ll be sure to update this post with those results, should they occur.  That said, punching holes in drywall happened very easily and I wouldn’t want to be on the receiving end of a hit with one of these.

Tactikey also has a fantastic return policy on it’s product (from their website):

“30 Day 110% Return Policy – Purchase with Confidence.
We at Tactikey work tirelessly to develop the world’s most unique and efficient EDC products that will help you achieve well-being and safety. We believe in our products so much that we stand behind them with a no hassle, no questions asked, satisfaction guarantee 110% return policy. If you purchase any Tactikey product on our website Tactikey.com and you are not satisfied, return it within 30 days for a 110% refund. The guarantee is applicable to all purchases made from Tacktikey.com only and does not cover Tacktikey retailers. Retail purchases will be handled by the particular retail store’s return policy. That is our commitment at Tactikey to you our customers.”

Instructions on the use of Tactikey can also be found on their website here.

The one and only downside with Tactikey is that it is only compatible with Kwikset key blanks at the moment.  If your house key or other keys on your ring are not of this kind, they may not fit properly.  That said, Tactikey is working on different formats for several other major key manufacturers (like Schlage and Yale) and customers will be able to choose which works for them.  In the grand scheme, this isn’t a big deal.  They will come out with others soon and, really, I’d sooner have a dedicated defensive key (a blank, sharpened) than my primary house key.  If you do hit something or someone and bend it, you may have issues using your key after.  Not to mention if you lose it in a fight, buddy will have your house key.  I’d sooner have a non-key.  I used an old, out of commission Kwikset key I had laying around for my test & carry key to ensure that doesn’t happen.  I will pick up a Kwikset blank and sharpen it with a file for primary EDC use in the coming days to ensure I have it the way I want it.  You can pick up a Kwikset blank from anywhere that cuts keys (Home Depot, local hardware stores, shoe repair places, etc) and just ask them for one.  Again, not a big deal right now as you’re best off to go with a dedicated key or key blank for this particular use.

Have a look at their website, check them out on social media and feel free to pick one up for yourself and maybe some family members.  For the money, I thinks it’s a great deal and you get something solid and useful.  I really like it and I bet you will too.

Till next time, stay safe and stay crafty.

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Training Review: Behavioural Profiling and Situational Awareness from Emergence LLC

Emergence LLC – http://www.emergencedisrupt.com

Recently I completed the Behavioural Profiling and Situational Awareness online course produced by Emergence LLC and presented by Yousef Badou.

Mr. Badou is a US Marine veteran (with 3 tours in Iraq) who contributed to the development of the behavioural profiling programme used by the USMC.

As an introduction, I thought it was a concise overview of the principles of behavioural profiling and situational awareness.

Developing awareness of the Baseline.

A lot is covered in the ~1 hour online course (especially for the cost, at $9 USD).  For someone new to it, it really opens up a window into the world that your senses disregard if you’re not in tune to your environment.  For the practitioner, it is a good review from the ground up of basics, reframed from another perspective.  He states that if he can, through imparting his knowledge, give you even an extra second (or more) of advantage to act, he will have given you an edge in surviving an event.  This is all predicated upon becoming in-tune with the environment around you and feeling the baseline.

Seeing what stands out even when it’s not obvious can give you that extra second to act and increase your chances of survival.

Mr. Badou’s examples and delivery are engaging and spot-on.  Such as the  recognition of “pre-incident indicators” are all learnable and actionable.  Though a large portion of the material he covered was a review to me, I did like the way he explained some things I hadn’t heard before – the concept of “File Folders”, for instance and how they affect one’s decision making processes.

Seeing the threat early is like seeing in the future.

The entire overview hit the salient points while providing easily understandable context for each.  Broad topics covered are:

  • Introduction to Behavioural Profiling (with physiology and psychology backgrounders)
  • File Folders and Denial (as well as anomalies and perception)
  • Fear and Brain Errors (including the Limbic system), and;
  • Final Thoughts

Mr. Badou references a few different additional sources for further reading in the form of Patrick Van Horne’s Left of Bang, Gavin De Becker’s The Gift of Fear and Dave Grossman’s On Combat – all excellent primary sources for this type of material.

I recommend giving Emergence LLC a look and trying out their introductory offering.  I am also looking forward to further modules they will be putting out – such as Observable Behaviours and Behavioural Indicators.

Till next time, stay warm, stay safe and stay crafty.