BIC

Review: BIC Round Stic, Ballpoint, 0.8mm

by Andrew

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For better or worse, I’ve probably used the BIC Round Stic more than any other pen. It’s usually the pen you’re handed to sign checks at restaurants, the pen you’ll find in office supply cabinets, and the pen your friend is likely to have knocking around in her purse or pocket. And the reason for the Round Stic’s wild success is no mystery; these pens are incredibly inexpensive.

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About as close to a “dime-a-dozen” pen that you can get.

Really, I’ve seen sixty-count boxes of Round Stic pens on sale for under five dollars, which is less than 10 cents per pen. This is why the BIC Round Stic is the darling of office managers around the country. But how well do these pens actually function?

Well, the ink smears a little, and it feels somewhat sluggish on paper. The thin, plastic barrel is uncomfortable to write with for longer periods of time. It also looks and feels cheap and flimsy. But what can you really expect from a ten-cent pen? At this price-point, nobody is buying these pens for the quality. Still, they manage to get the job done.

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Review: BIC Atlantis Exact, Ballpoint, 0.7mm

by Andrew

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Well, BIC has surprised me for the second time in recent weeks.  Maybe we can chalk it up to some planetary alignment or the level of the tides, but either way, the BIC Atlantis Exact is a pretty solid ballpoint pen. Overall, it’s smooth, comfortable, and is a very consistent writer.

It’s not perfect, of course. The all-plastic pen comes across a little cheap in ways that similarly priced pens don’t. On closer inspection, even its “metal” tip seems to simply be just a shiny piece of plastic. It could also stand to have a stronger (metal) clip, and it would be nice to see it hold a bit more ink.

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Regardless, the Atlantis Exact has a “pros” list that can’t be ignored. It has a grip that runs almost the entire length of the barrel, the ink doesn’t blob or smear, and it puts down nice, fine lines. I wouldn’t exactly jump at the chance to use one of these pens, but I wouldn’t be disappointed to pull one out of a supply closet either.

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Extra Links

Review: BIC Intensity, Porous Point, 0.5mm

by Andrew

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To date, one of my favorite pens has been the Sharpie Pen. It’s relatively inexpensive, comfortable to write with, and it has a porous point tip that delivers crisp, clear lines. Every other porous point pen has had to measure up to the Sharpie Pen, and many, like the Sakura Pigma Micron and the Staedtler Triplus Fineliner, have come very close. But for one reason or another, I always go back to the Sharpie Pen.

And then there was the BIC Intensity.

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It’s not that the BIC Intensity is much different from the sharpie Pen. In fact, it’s very similar in most ways. The length and thickness are about the same, they are both fully disposable, and they both contain a nice-quality ink (perhaps the Sharpie Pen’s ink is even a bit darker). But the Intensity edges out the Sharpie Pen for one reason; it has a more durable build.

Holding the two pens together, it’s easy to see and feel. The BIC Intensity has a thicker cap with a metal clip. The plastic construction seems harder, and it feels ever-so-slightly heavier. All of this makes the Intensity better for throwing in a pocket, backpack, or bag – perhaps only slightly, but enough to make a noticeable difference.

I still like the Sharpie Pen, and I have no doubt that I’ll continue to use and recommend it. However, it’s the BIC Intensity that I’ll reach for first.

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Extra Links

  • Rhonda Eudaly’s review points out that the porous tip will break down over time. Though, that’s true for all of these porous point pens.
  • A review at Well Appointed Desk shows off some of the colors. Also, she has a paragraph at the end about why you might choose the Intensity over the Sakura Pigma Micron or Sharpie Pen, but overall she says the performance is very comparable.
  • My favorite line from the Pen Addict review: “Overall, there aren’t any standout negatives, which is a rarity coming from Bic.”

 

Review: BIC Triumph 537RT, Gel Ink, 0.5mm

by Andrew

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When I first saw the BIC Triumph 537RT, I assumed that BIC just took its Triumph 537R pen, added a retracting mechanism, tacked a “T” onto the end of the name, and called it a day. After all, it would have still been an improvement because the worst part about the 537R was its cap.

However, when I got my hands on the Triumph 537RT, I realized that not only is it retractable, but BIC also added a grip, removed a bit of the dull gray color, and replaced the rollerball ink with gel ink. It’s practically a different pen altogether, and, luckily, all these changes make it much better.

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That isn’t to say the Triumph 537RT is a great pen – all said and done, it’s an average gel ink pen. It has a satisfyingly dark ink and it writes reliably, but it also smears fairly easily. It’s adequately comfortable with a sturdy clip, but the remaining gray on the plastic barrel still looks a little cheap. It’s not the worst gel ink pen on my desk, but it’s not the best either. At least BIC is heading in the right direction.

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Colors Review: BIC Velocity Assorted Colors, Ballpoint, 1.6mm

by Andrew

BIC Velocity Color Pens

At 1.6mm, these BIC Velocity ballpoint pens are terrible for writing, but their colors make them all right for drawing. For ballpoint pens, which tend not to have the greatest-looking colors, the pink stands out quite nicely, and the purple takes a good dark note. The green and blue are bright, but they seem to come out a lighter on the page.

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Just like the Velocity Gel pen, the clip feels pretty flimsy, and I’m not a fan of the way the grip flares out near the tip. However, they are still relatively comfortable to hold. There is plenty of blobbing up with the ink, so be prepared for some smearing, but the ink flow is both smooth and consistent.

Because of the thick 1.6mm line and the blobby ink, I can’t imagine artists enjoying these Velocity colors. On the other hand, this seems more like a set of colored pens to give to kids. Keep in mind, however, you may need to replace them soon because these pens don’t have a very large ink cartridge.

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P.S. My apologies to How-To-Draw-Funny-Cartoons.com for butchering this hippo. And, yes, it is supposed to be a hippo.