Jump to content

Bic Disposable Fountain Pen - A Picture Review

Grendel

By Grendel
in Fountain Pen Reviews

 Share

Recommended Posts

Grendel Rare

Grendel

Posted
Posted (edited)

Hi all --

 

I was picking up some 20/92 paper at Staples today when I saw an abdomination -- a BiC Disposable Fountain Pen ! :glare:

 

At $5 for two I thought I'll give it a shot, they should make good giveaways for the average BiC user who wants to try a "real" pen. :P

 

For $2.50 a piece I'm willing to write up some impressions, leaving the judging to you. ;)

 

Some facts:

 

- it's definately a Pilot Varsity rip-off

- seems to hold more ink than a Varsity

- it's bigger than a Varsity -- longer, thicker, and heavier

- the ink seems to be designed for cheap paper, dries fast, minor feathering

- ink is a very dark greenish-black, the green component appears to be water proof (30s warm water wash)

- I could not pull the feed out as I do on the Varsity's, barrel may be tapered

- the cap has a spring loaded inner cap just like the Varsity

 

The rest is in the pictures, not my best work -- sorry. I promise I'll take better ones for any future review of any real pen. B)

 

I'll try to answer any questions that may creep up.

 

Enjoy !

 

http://s3.postimage.org/21kmgx3us/PA180998.jpg http://s3.postimage.org/21kt32htw/PA180999.jpg http://s3.postimage.org/21kwe56tg/PA181007.jpg

 

http://s3.postimage.org/21kzp7vt0/PA181000.jpg http://s3.postimage.org/21l4ntxac/PA181001.jpg http://s3.postimage.org/21l7ywm9w/PA181002.jpg http://s3.postimage.org/21lb9zb9g/PA181004.jpg

 

http://s3.postimage.org/21lg8lcqs/PA181005.jpg http://s3.postimage.org/21lhw4p8k/PA181006.jpg http://s3.postimage.org/21ljjo1qc/PA181008.jpg

 

http://s3.postimage.org/21lwrytok/PA181009.jpg http://s3.postimage.org/21lyfi66c/PA181012.jpg http://s3.postimage.org/21m031io4/PA181010.jpg http://s3.postimage.org/21m6p6wn8/PA181013.jpg

 

http://s3.postimage.org/21mdbcamc/PA181016.jpg http://s3.postimage.org/21mgmezlw/PA181017.jpg

 

Edited: speeling...

Edited by Grendel
Link to comment
Share on other sites
  • Replies 87
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

  • Sailor Kenshin

    8

  • Grendel

    7

  • 79spitfire

    5

  • ParkerNutter

    4

Popular Days

Top Posters In This Topic

Popular Days

saketb Extremely Rare

saketb

Posted
Posted

What more can one expect from a $2.50 pen. I think its a good value pen, for rugged use. Good pictures indeed!

 

Which red coloured ink is that?

Pilot Vanishing Point Royal Red

Sailor Professional Gear - Sailor Jentle Grenade

Kaweco AC Sport Red Limited Edition - Kaweco Red

Sheaffer Prelude Chrome - Private Reserve Sherwood Green

TWSBI Diamond 540 - Sheaffer Purple

Sheaffer 300 - Private Reserve Orange Crush

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Grendel Rare

Grendel

Posted
  • Author
Posted

Thanks. The red is Noodler's Dragon's Napalm. Caveat tho, I did not color balance the pictures (for more imnportand shots I use a GretagMacbeth card...) IRL it's a tat more into orange.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Grendel Rare

Grendel

Posted
  • Author
Posted

Addendum: There's a 3 color pack for $6.99 as well, looks like BiC is serious about this. The blue is pretty light and uneventfull, the red is more of a light pink IRL. Water resistance on these two is pathetic at best.

 

http://s1.postimage.org/sao78vle3/PA241018.jpg http://s1.postimage.org/xnd1n09aj/PA241022.jpg http://s1.postimage.org/wnrc51jij/PA241026.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites
AlexandraM Near Mint

AlexandraM

Posted
Posted

Great, and not surprising. With Zebra having come out with the 301 within the last year, it makes sense that Bic would enter the marketplace also.

 

I was last at Staples a couple of weeks ago. Next time I go I will look for these, specifically the 3 pack - want to try all the colours!

Alexandra M.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
79spitfire Donor Pen

79spitfire

Posted
Posted

I'm such a darn addict, I want to try one :embarrassed_smile: Is the nib finer than the Varsity? That really is my only grip with the Varsity, the point size.

Increase your IQ, use Linux AND a Fountain pen!!http://i276.photobucket.com/albums/kk11/79spitfire/Neko_animated.gif
http://fedoraproject.org/w/uploads/5/50/Fedorabutton-iusefedora.png

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Grendel Rare

Grendel

Posted
  • Author
Posted

Hard to say, I don't have Varsity loaded w/ its original ink :) Both are labled M but I would say the BiC writes a little bit thinner.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Sailor Kenshin Museum Piece

Sailor Kenshin

Posted
Posted

Then these would be more similar to the V-pen (also Pilot). I have a couple, one green, one turquoise, and they write significantly finer than the Varsity. Jetpens used to sell them but they cost a good deal more than $6.99 for three.

My latest ebook.   And not just for Halloween!
 

My other pen is a Montblanc.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Mkim Rare

Mkim

Posted
Posted

Disposable fountain pen?!

 

When I first read the subtitle-it blew my mind a bit...

 

Why would an instrument of creating personal memories need to be disposable?!?! Gahhh! :gaah:

 

Having said that...Maybe I should give one a try, hehe.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Alohamora Vintage

Alohamora

Posted
Posted

Hi all --

 

I was picking up some 20/92 paper at Staples today when I saw an abdomination -- a BiC Disposable Fountain Pen ! :glare:

 

At $5 for two I thought I'll give it a shot, they should make good giveaways for the average BiC user who wants to try a "real" pen. :P

 

For $2.50 a piece I'm willing to write up some impressions, leaving the judging to you. ;)

 

Some facts:

 

- it's definately a Pilot Varsity rip-off

- seems to hold more ink than a Varsity

- it's bigger than a Varsity -- longer, thicker, and heavier

- the ink seems to be designed for cheap paper, dries fast, minor feathering

- ink is a very dark greenish-black, the green component appears to be water proof (30s warm water wash)

- I could not pull the feed out as I do on the Varsity's, barrel may be tapered

- the cap has a spring loaded inner cap just like the Varsity

 

The rest is in the pictures, not my best work -- sorry. I promise I'll take better ones for any future review of any real pen. B)

 

I'll try to answer any questions that may creep up.

 

Enjoy !

 

http://s3.postimage.org/21kmgx3us/PA180998.jpg

 

That shelf shot is interesting, with the Plumix and spots for Sheaffer Calligraphy pens, besides the varsity and Bic. Could it be that fountain pens are "coming back"?

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Grendel Rare

Grendel

Posted
  • Author
Posted

Hah, someone noticed the shelf shot ;) I was surprised at that row too.

 

Camera is an Olympus E-P1 that I use for "traveling light" :) First two rows (& addendum) w/ a 12mm/f2 lens, last two w/ a 20mm/f1.7 lens.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
funkypeanut Extremely Rare

funkypeanut

Posted
Posted

Thanks for posting the review. This is a better pen than the Zebra, which is really only good for fishing Lego pieces out of tight spaces. It's not as good as the Varsity, though, mainly because the black ink is really an unappealing greenish-grey and the section won't come out so I can fill it with better ink, as you pointed out in the review. The black doesn't look as dark on my paper as it does in the pics here. I haven't seen the other colors except in the photos posted here, but they don't look as good as the Varsity colors, and there's no purple or green. Step it up, Bic. You're late to the field and not catching up. Now where did I put that Preppy.....

Link to comment
Share on other sites
atypical Rare

atypical

Posted
Posted

Thanks for the review.

 

The BiC pen looks fairly similar to the Carrefour "FluidINK" pen.

 

http://i1105.photobucket.com/albums/h346/diokan/carrefour_pen.jpg

 

Feed pulls out easily. In fact, the top pen is filled with Sailor Sei Boku.

Ink is a nice dark blue. May feather a tiny bit on poor quality paper. No water resistance whatsoever. The packaging states that the ink is erasable.

Nib is marked 'A' and is comparable to a European medium.

 

Price: 2.9 EUR (4 USD) for a pack of two.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Vulcan1066 Rare

Vulcan1066

Posted
Posted

Maybe they are getting in some for Christmas card season....

"Meddle not in the affairs of dragons for you are crunchy and taste good with ketchup"

Link to comment
Share on other sites
OrangeJoe Near Mint

OrangeJoe

Posted
Posted

Could the Bic be filled with the same vaccum trick as the Varsity? (no need to pull the feed)

You need to evoke more terror in your co-workers. No one would grab Darth Vader's fountain pen. Hmm, I wonder what kind of pen that would be.

-Scribblesoften

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
 Share
Go to topic listing

  • Most Contributions

    1. amberleadavis
      amberleadavis
      43844
    2. PAKMAN
      PAKMAN
      33558
    3. Ghost Plane
      Ghost Plane
      28220
    4. inkstainedruth
      inkstainedruth
      26730
    5. jar
      jar
      26101

  • Upcoming Events

  • Blog Comments

    • Shanghai Knife Dude
      Links to web pages or articles about Chinese typesetting, signwriting, etc.

      By Shanghai Knife Dude · Posted

      I have the Sailor Naginata and some fancy blade nibs coming after 2022 by a number of new workshop from China.  With all my respect, IMHO, they are all (bleep) in doing chinese characters.  Go use a bush, or at least a bush pen. 
    • A Smug Dill
      Skeleton of a primer for a budding hobbyist

      By A Smug Dill · Posted

      It is the reason why I'm so keen on the idea of a personal library — of pens, nibs, inks, paper products, etc. — and spent so much money, as well as time and effort, to “build” it for myself (because I can't simply remember everything, especially as I'm getting older fast) and my wife, so that we can “know”; and, instead of just disposing of what displeased us, or even just not good enough to be “given the time of day” against competition from >500 other pens and >500 other inks for our at
    • adamselene
      Skeleton of a primer for a budding hobbyist

      By adamselene · Posted

      Agreed.  And I think it’s good to be aware of this early on and think about at the point of buying rather than rationalizing a purchase..
    • A Smug Dill
      Skeleton of a primer for a budding hobbyist

      By A Smug Dill · Posted

      Alas, one cannot know “good” without some idea of “bad” against which to contrast; and, as one of my former bosses (back when I was in my twenties) used to say, “on the scale of good to bad…”, it's a spectrum, not a dichotomy. Whereas subjectively acceptable (or tolerable) and unacceptable may well be a dichotomy to someone, and finding whether the threshold or cusp between them lies takes experiencing many degrees of less-than-ideal, especially if the decision is somehow influenced by factors o
    • adamselene
      Skeleton of a primer for a budding hobbyist

      By adamselene · Posted

      I got my first real fountain pen on my 60th birthday and many hundreds of pens later I’ve often thought of what I should’ve known in the beginning. I have many pens, the majority of which have some objectionable feature. If they are too delicate, or can’t be posted, or they are too precious to face losing , still they are users, but only in very limited environments..  I have a big disliking for pens that have the cap jump into the air and fly off. I object to Pens that dry out, or leave blobs o

  • Chatbox

    You don't have permission to chat.
    Load More

  • Files






×
×
  • Create New...