Fountain Pen As Murder Weapon?

[VivienR]

Absolutely possible. Specially areas with soft tissue, but with a trained hand, with enough velocity, it can be a perfect weapon to seal. But it also would required a certain length, to get adequate grip to, also its better if the pen body is made from strong material, or inner material, to withstand the moments of impact. Certainly would not use any of my pens for that. I'm perfectly capable do serious damage or even be deadly with my bare hand. Just to be warned I love to wear high heals... Which also are a perfect weapon of choice... Women are well armed, just many are lack of training...

[Brian K]

I looked up the Lanier pens and they look like kit pens with nice materials for the barrel and cap. Like most kit pens, they have long, narrow, metal sections and would probably make effective weapons - especially if applied to a soft tissue area as in this episode of "Forever."

 

Deucedly ugly pens, BTW.

Edited December 7, 2014 by Brian K

[lurcho]

It is absolutely possible to kill a person with a fountain pen.

 

However, for those interested in stationery-based murder, I have found those massive cast-iron desk staplers from the 1950s to do a fantastic job.

[lmarine0510]

Personally I'd fill a really fine nibbed pen with Baystate Blue and just inject that, it'll just melt them from the inside out.

Pfft.. I would go with something along the lines of "51" ink or Superchrome. That stuff will destroy about anything at an alarming rate.

[PS104]

It is absolutely possible to kill a person with a fountain pen.

 

However, for those interested in stationery-based murder, I have found those massive cast-iron desk staplers from the 1950s to do a fantastic job.

 

In Godfather 3 (I think) wasn't someone killed with a pair of eyeglasses (even though he had to break the frame to do the deed)

Sasha is right

 

They are all mere TOOLS. The mind is the weapon.

[lurcho]

Just to point out a detail missing from the above posts: The weapon used is only part of the plan.

 

Make sure you bury the body underneath SOMEBODY ELSE'S patio/greenhouse.

 

Don't learn the hard way, like yours truly.

[Segel]

In a half-decent cinematic thriller, after using the pen to do the deed, the psychopathic killer would extract it, fill it to full capacity with the victim's blood, and write taunting letters to police and newspapers with bizarre hints and clues.

[Wandering Man]

A thing doesn't have to be particularly sharp to be thrust through into...stuff. It's a matter of force being applied to a small area.

 

I watch. I was disappointed that the pen was also straight from the catalog, although that goes along with making the most of the employee discount.

 

Well, if enough force is applied ... Just look at what mother nature can do without the benefit of a sharp or even semi sharp nib:

 

 

 

 

 

[spotted and speckled]

I wanted to do that to someone once, at work. They said something exceptionally stupid (think "some people just need killing"). I was using a stainless steel Hero 100 pen (like a Parker 51) at the time, and I had the visual flash though my mind of stabbing him right in the forehead. Would have been all too easy to do.

[huy3825]

 

Well, if enough force is applied ... Just look at what mother nature can do without the benefit of a sharp or even semi sharp nib:

 

andrew-damage-1a.jpg

 

 

Tornado-2Bphoto-300x225.jpg

Perhaps we could ask Taofledermaus to shoot a fountain pen. Anyone in the US or anywhere mind donating him a pen that has a width of 0.68 inches or a pen with a sabot?

[Moshe ben David]

This topic has definitely come up more than once. Last time I think I voted for the Parker 180, preferably the Flighter. That nib looks like it could be used as a hunting arrow head. (I sort of dabble in archery,,,). For that matter any of the vintage 'manifold' nibs probably would be plenty stiff enough although few look as deadly as the P-180.

 

I'm surprised no one called out any of the multitude of 'Tactical' pens now on the market. Some come as fountain pens. All are intended for fighting as well as writing from what I can surmise.

[SockAddict]

 

I'm surprised no one called out any of the multitude of 'Tactical' pens now on the market. Some come as fountain pens. All are intended for fighting as well as writing from what I can surmise.

 

So, in that case, instead of "the pen is mightier than the sword," it's "the pen *is* the sword"?

[Moshe ben David]

 

So, in that case, instead of "the pen is mightier than the sword," it's "the pen *is* the sword"?

 

Sometimes the club.... Actually with the tactical pens if the nib/bp is not what is used for the fighting, it is a modern version of the ancient weapon used by some monks in Asia; I think in Japan (think ninja times) 'the priests lightning bolt'.

[inkstainedruth]

In a half-decent cinematic thriller, after using the pen to do the deed, the psychopathic killer would extract it, fill it to full capacity with the victim's blood, and write taunting letters to police and newspapers with bizarre hints and clues.

Well, they'd have to siphon off enough blood to write multiple letters, depending on the pen and its capacity. Which means of course that it would have to be pre-meditated (in order to bring an inkwell or appropriate size nalgene bottle).

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[Segel]

My daughter and I had this idea while rereading this topic.

Edited December 8, 2014 by Segel

[LisaN]

I think that this shows a profound lack of understanding of the mindset of a fountain pen user. It would never happen. Not because it is impossible to inflict injury on someone with a fountain pen nib (assuming that the nib didn't bend and/or the feed break first). Anyone who really likes and uses fountain pens would think twice.... as in "What? Risk damaging my nib??? No way! I like that nib!"

 

As long as it's one of those IPG's, I'd say stab away.

But something vintagely precious, (like the Triumph nib you fixed for me, now writing better than before the tragedy, btw), NO.

[Sinuhe]

http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/ThePenIsMightier

Don't stay too long on that site. It's quite addictive... I was just googling for a mythbusters episode, but came up blank. There seems to have been some serious research done on the topic, though.

[MarcS]

Segel: nicely done. How about a classic movie poster for "The Maltese Falcon Nib"?

[Segel]

Here Ya Go:

 

[LisaN]

I'm trying to come up with something witty here...

 

Adam Sandler in "Waterman"?

"The Pelikan Brief"?

"Diamine is a Girl's Best Friend"?

 

unfortunately for us Sheaffer fans...

The Triumph nib points to a Leni Riefenstahl film.