REVIEW – MKC is the Montana Knife Company. The MKC X Tactile Turn EDC Mini Pen is a mouthful of a name that’s probably twice as long as necessary. But it is a smooth writer by virtue of the very well known brand of refill MKC uses. At this price point, will it appeal to the masses as the writing tool of choice by looking cool and writing well?
⬇︎ Jump to summary (pros/cons)
Price: $125 for Mini or Regular size
Where to buy: MKC Mini, MKC Regular
What is it?
The MKC X Tactile Turn EDC Mini Pen is a bolt action pen containing a gel ink refill.
What’s included?
- MKC X Tactile Turn EDC Mini Pen (or regular size) with ink refill installed
Tech specs
- Length: Mini pen: 4.25”, Regular: 5.6”
- Diameter: Mini: .38”, Regular: .43”
- Weight: Mini: ½ ounce, Regular: .9 ounce
- Material: Aluminum
- Finish: Black anodized body, cerakote orange clip and bolt
- Grip: Aggressive knurling
- Refill: Mini: .7mm Pilot G2 Mini Gel ink, Regular: .7mm Pilot G2 Gel
Design and features
If your work uniform is a business suit, I don’t necessarily see the MKC EDC pens as a complement to the outfit. Everyone else is fair game. I’m open to, and MKC would be thrilled with, your disagreement.
The MKC EDC pens are not sold as tactical or ‘fighting pens’. The main advantages of the Mini are its easily pocketable size, great refill and fun bolt mechanism.
Some might like the bolt action as a fidget gadget. It can make some click noise in quiet settings, so ease it through its motions instead of flicking it back and forth if you want to avoid stares.
The knurling at the grip of the MKC pens is the best I’ve seen on any device. On some devices, the knurling is so shallow, it is no better than the surface into which it is etched. Some knurling can be so aggressive that it is uncomfortable to hold. The MKC knurling is perfect.
Assembly
The ink refill comes inside the pen so I only needed to pluck the protective plastic material off of the tip of the refill and start writing with the pen.
Performance
Montana Knife Company (MKC) kindly sent an EDC Mini and a regular size pen, but primarily requested a review of the Mini.
The Mini is a little pen. I don’t have hulk hands but wished the Mini had more width if it had to be this short. But the advantage is, it won’t over-burden a pocket with either size or weight.
If I held the Mini pen in my palm and pulled the bolt down to extend the ink refill, it would often mark my hand as the refill extended. I learned to extend the tip outside my palm when preparing to write. That wouldn’t be an issue with the regular size pen.
The bolt action of the MKC EDC Mini was easy to use and very secure. Neither pen ever extended its refill tip in a pants pocket, and it never retracted when writing.
Neither of the pens faltered or failed in any way during my testing. The Pilot G2 refill is a well known standard, and the G2 pen has become ubiquitous in business and personal use. It was a great decision by MKC to use the G2 refill in the MKC EDC pens.
Final thoughts
The price of the MKC EDC pens gives me pause. I have a dozen fountain pens and none of them cost $125. They can be had for that and more, but my dozen work fine and look great, at a fraction of that cost.
The MKC EDC pens write well and should operate perfectly for the duration. But is there enough compelling value in the MKC X Tactile Turn – EDC Mini Pen to move you to get one?
What I like about the MKC EDC pens
- Nice looking
- Smooth writing
- Perfect grip knurling
- Secure bolt action
What needs to be improved?
- Price
- The pocket clip could use another coat of paint and a shine
Price: $125 for either pen
Where to buy: MKC Mini, MKC Regular
Source: The sample of this product was provided for free by MKC and the company did not have a final say on the review and did not preview the review before it was published.
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$249.00 (as of November 20, 2025 02:26 GMT -05:00 - More infoProduct prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.)
