Sadly my plans for actually testing this Bulletproof Clipboard from ThinkGeek fell through, as there was no gun range that would let me test it and record video of it. I still couldn't pass up the chance to write about bulletproof office supplies, so I wanted to at least shre my initial thoughts on it.
The first thing to know about this bulletproof clipboard is that it is heavy, it measures 9″x12″ and weighs in at about 3 pounds. This is not the kind of clipboard that you would want to be standing around with and holding all day because I’m sure you will get tired from it. Additionally, if you take a look at the close up picture by clicking on the image above, you can see that the edges are not finished in any way. The reason I mention this is because after handling it I began to notice I had small sharp splinters of the material in my skin which were pretty uncomfortable. It reminded me of the feeling you get if you have ever handled fiberglass insulation without proper protection. It was not excruciating pain by any means, but it certainly was not comfortable, and I don’t even want to think about what would happen if I rubbed my eyes after touching it. I’m sure that some sort of duct tape or something along the edges would solve this problem, so I am not sure why the manufacturer did not actually do something like this to prevent the uncomfortable feeling you get from handling it.
The next picture shows the thickness of the bulletproof clipboard. For comparisons sake, I’ve placed a regular sharpie pen in front of it, but to be more precise, it measures almost half an inch thick. I guess this is necessary in order to be bulletproof and able to stop up to a 9mm bullet. The technical specs for this are that it is equivalent to Level II body armor, which means it also stops everything that is stopped by Level I and Level IIA body armor. Hopefully you don’t actually need that in any office setting, but if you do, the Bulletproof Clipboard from ThinkGeek is probably your only non-vest option. If any readers know a place in the NY, NJ, or Philly area where this thing can be tested with the results being recorded, drop me an email and I’ll get on it.
