This pen was decades ahead of its time. Made as cheaply as possible, just functional enough, disposable, and replaceable is the new standard for US commodities.
this post was submitted on 30 Jan 2025
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Why fix what's cheap and barely does its job?
They've made more than 10 of these per human on the planet.
If it ain't broke, don't fix it.
It is broke though. Thing is shit. Dries up the nib, smudges, spurts. All round bad design
The nub drying is the no. 1 Problem with the thing. The amount of pens thrown away due to that problem is probably uncountable.
And yet people still buy them.
It does what it needs to, albeit poorly, for a handful of cents per pen. Once you start viewing them as disposable instead of trying to keep them until they're out of ink, it makes more sense.
These are the pens put out where they're going to get lost or taken, pocketed by the general public. I'd say their biggest flaw is that they don't work on hard surfaces, so they suck for signing receipts on counters.
About the only thing they are good for is carbon copy paper. You have to press hard to make it work, and better pens tend not to like being pressed hard.
It's also a use case that's almost dead. Writing checks is a rarity, and most people only come across the odd contract like that once every few years, at best.
They were actually updated in mid 90s when they made the cap have a hole in it.
What was the idea behind the drastic change?
To prevent choking if it gets swallowed.
it's been 74 years that guy can retire now
In this economy?
At least take a potty break, ffs!
He had to have an operation 30 years ago and now is medically bankrupt and can't retire
ah ok makes sense
Why mess with perfection?
Ah, the extremely shitty pen that scratches so bad you might as well carve your message into the paper. Lasts maybe 3 lines before it starts skipping but who cares. It exists to be as cheap as possible so your customer you don't respect can pocket it after initialing twice and signing something.
I hate bad cheap pens so much. I never would have gotten into fountain pens if there wasn't the counter example of how bad a writing experience can get.
American bics may be made in a different way because here in Spain they are so reliable they are a de facto standard for people taking an exam.
Same in Brazil. The closest competitor, Compactor, will either smudge everything or fail twice as much as Bics.
Smudging inks mean they tend not to dry as fast. The downside of less-smudgy inks is that they dry out faster in the pen, gunk it up, and make ballpoints useless.
For filling in circles? Yeah, they're fine. The circular movement tends to keep the ball moving and picking up new ink.
For writing? Hot garbage. When I switched to nicer pens (fountain pens and OHTO graphic liners), I had to unlearn pressing down so hard and cramping up my hand. A good pen can glide across the surface with little effort, and you don't feel like you need to stretch your fingers and wrist afterward.
1-School and college exams in Europe are most usually in "write everything you know" mode.
2-You are clearly talking about some non-bic branded pens.
Yeah, no. People who like pens don't touch Bic.
Fountain pens are the best. I got a Hero 616 off AliExpress for $0.36 on sale one time, and even that is better than a BIC. And my gold nib pens make BICs feel like I'm chiseling cuniform into stone tablets.
As a child I was labeled a bad writer because my writing was so sloppy it made a doctor's prescription look like typed text. I'd always choose a pencil over a pen. Then in college a friend let me use their nice pen and I could write so much better. Turns out I was just always using the cheapest pens possible, and that sometimes quality does come at a cost worth paying.
I had a similar experience. And my hand always cramped up because I was putting a death grip on those cheap, skinny pens. Now, my wife has me fill out all the cards and gift tags at the holidays because I have "nice, fancy handwriting." What a difference comfort, control, and fluidity make. I really enjoy slightly fatter pens, like a vintage Sheaffer's oversized. Or a Platinum 3776. Not as big as a Montblanc 149, or a Wing Sung 630. Just a little on the chubby side. Way less cramping.
I think actual Bic-from-the-Bic-Company biros tend to be pretty good (especially the orange ones with black lids).
For a truly scratchy experience, you need a cheap, unbranded biro.
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honestly, kinda refreshing to see a business not changing their shit constantly just to change shit. it's not the nicest pen, but it works.
likewise, the uniball eco pen is the perfect pen for lefties.
Why does handedness matter?
Smudging
Still tastes great
What? No app connectivity?!
However will they drive engagement?
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