Bic Cristal Vs Round Stic?

[mooshi]

Morning!

 

I'm about to go stock up on some stick pens for work. I quite like the Cristals, but they're getting a little bit harder to find locally and it seems like the price has gone up a tad since I'd last bought them - years ago they were about $0.10 each as opposed to the current market price of $0.25.

 

The Round Stics are much easier to find and are at the $0.10 price point. Is there a difference in the ink formulation or writing experience between the two? Or is the price difference due to physical appearance?

 

The only stick pens I've got laying around to try right now are the the promotional Bic Clics, which aren't that great at all.

 

Granted I could just go out and buy a pack of each to try, but I'd much rather order in bulk at once. For some reason the larger packs of blue Cristals are harder to find here - most stores just carry the black ink ones and I may have to order online.

 

Thoughts on these pens? I hadn't been able to find a direct comparison between these two pens on the interwebs yet.

 

Thank you kindly!

Edited December 26, 2015 by mooshi

[Zookie]

I've used a lot of stick pens over the years, and haven't found any as good as the Cristal sticks. They have been around for decades, and for good reason.

The price increase doesn't really bother me, but then, I don't buy them in bulk.

[mooshi]

I've used a lot of stick pens over the years, and haven't found any as good as the Cristal sticks. They have been around for decades, and for good reason.

The price increase doesn't really bother me, but then, I don't buy them in bulk.

Thanks for the input!

 

I was finally able to track down a larger box of the blue Cristals at Wal-Mart and got that earlier this morning. Walmart's a little bit out of the way for me, so I hadn't checked there until earlier today. At all of the Targets, the 24 pack Cristals were only available in black and cost nearly twice as much. I'll eventually order larger bulk when the time comes, but for now, these will do. Walmart's price comes out to be about $0.14 each, so it's not as big of a deal in increase as I'd originally calculated for buying bulk.

 

I picked up some of the Round Stic Grips since they have a 1.2mm point versus the Cristal's 1.0mm to try out too. The innards are interchangeable, so if I feel like it, I could always swap the guts for aesthetics.

[Zookie]

I've used Bic Cristal innards in some vintage ballpoints too, put one in an Eversharp CA once. Worked nicely

[Stephen2020]

Are you only into bic? There must be some great deals on Write Bros in bulk, especially on ebay.

[mooshi]

Are you only into bic? There must be some great deals on Write Bros in bulk, especially on ebay.

I'm open to anything, really. But I have a bias toward Bics since that's just what I know to work. Papermates have been hit-and-miss with me. I hadn't really tried other brands other than those two big-names.

[Shaggy]

I dislike the round Bic sticks. I like the innards of the Cristal better, and of course the Cristal body looks better.

Edited December 28, 2015 by Shaggy

[ppdiaporama]

Crystal all the way! Or, if you fancy something a bit different, get the even harder to find Orange sticks!

 

I've observed here too that they are getting harder and harder to find ... probably because the whole N. American market is dominated by 1 or 2 giant office supplies stores!

[Icywolfe]

I mostly used Crystals but I found when you have then in a hot pocket (not the food) but in your pants with the weather around 90 degrees the Crystals likes to explode and cover the pocket with ink. The Crystals are better in a way that they just don't roll off the table.

 

Now due to reasons of finding out JP Pilot BP ink(Pilot Ageless) is much smoother than Bic's BP ink I no longer keep a Crystal near me for those carbon paper. Also the LA heat doesn't blow the ink in my pocket anymore.

 

But Bic Crystals are still found in stores like Office Depot in 20 packs.

[mooshi]

I am thoroughly enjoying my Cristal's! I'd opted to just carry a blue ink Cristal and Bic 4-color pen with me while while visiting family this week in lieu of a fountain pen. The Cristal has started up every time without fail and lays down a smooth and consistent line.

 

After about a day with the Round Stic, I'm gonna have to say that the Cristal wins.

 

I learned that Bic had bought a big stake in India's Cello Writing company a bit over a week ago. We have Cello pens in our local Dollar Tree and Big Lots. I'm planning on trying those next, out of curiosity.

 

I may also get some 1.6mm Cristal's since my original stash at my childhood home seems to have been used up by my parental units since I'd moved away.

[mooshi]

I dislike the round Bic sticks. I like the innards of the Cristal better, and of course the Cristal body looks better.

They do look better! At the time of the original post i was already hoping that the general consensus would be the Cristal. Haha

[mooshi]

Crystal all the way! Or, if you fancy something a bit different, get the even harder to find Orange sticks!

 

I've observed here too that they are getting harder and harder to find ... probably because the whole N. American market is dominated by 1 or 2 giant office supplies stores!

I mostly used Crystals but I found when you have then in a hot pocket (not the food) but in your pants with the weather around 90 degrees the Crystals likes to explode and cover the pocket with ink. The Crystals are better in a way that they just don't roll off the table.

 

Now due to reasons of finding out JP Pilot BP ink(Pilot Ageless) is much smoother than Bic's BP ink I no longer keep a Crystal near me for those carbon paper. Also the LA heat doesn't blow the ink in my pocket anymore.

 

But Bic Crystals are still found in stores like Office Depot in 20 packs.

I'll keep that in mind! When I was originally searching, the 24 packs of Cristal pens were doing at the big box office supplies stores for about $7 while the round sticks were $3, which was why i started looking into which ones were better.

 

I found the 22 pack Cristal's at Target for about $4, but only in black ink, while I wanted blue.

 

I was finally able to find the 24 pack blue ink Cristal's for about $3/$3.50 at Walmart as well as 10-packs for $1.57. I'm pretty happy with that price for not having to buy in bulk.

[Stephen2020]

I have had some Cellos and they have been good. Linc and Flair are other good Indian brands. The Flair Peach are like Inkjoys but slightly better.

[mooshi]

I have had some Cellos and they have been good. Linc and Flair are other good Indian brands. The Flair Peach are like Inkjoys but slightly better.

I picked up a pack of the Cello Smooth pens from the Dollar Tree the other day. They write similar to the Bic Round Stics. They seem to start up every time without having to prime it like the problematic unbranded pens and are pretty smooth, comparatively.

[sciumbasci]

I think the price difference is due to the BiC new policy to move part of their product line in France rather than oversea. If I'm not mistaken the Round Stic is made in South Africa, while the new Cristal appears to be made in France (according to the BiC app and what the bulk packages says. But I might be wrong about the South Africa, as BiC stated they opened a new plant in one of their former colonies, either Tunisia or Morocco)

The round stic I had was opaque and greyish, and wasn't really comfortable to hold, at all. Plus it had this bad habit to just roll away if you left it unposted on your desk. I wouldn't buy it again, unless in dire need.

I often tried to break free from the Cristal. You just can't. At that price point not many come close in terms of perfomance and life.

[flatline]

Out of curiosity, what is the appeal of disposable pens to you? Is it just the price or something else?

[EricTheRed]

I think the price difference is due to the BiC new policy to move part of their product line in France rather than oversea. If I'm not mistaken the Round Stic is made in South Africa, while the new Cristal appears to be made in France (according to the BiC app and what the bulk packages says. But I might be wrong about the South Africa, as BiC stated they opened a new plant in one of their former colonies, either Tunisia or Morocco)

 

The round stic I had was opaque and greyish, and wasn't really comfortable to hold, at all. Plus it had this bad habit to just roll away if you left it unposted on your desk. I wouldn't buy it again, unless in dire need.

 

I often tried to break free from the Cristal. You just can't. At that price point not many come close in terms of perfomance and life.

I mostly agree with you but would add my belief that at that price point NOTHING comes close to the BIC Crystal, especially with a broad point. Its consistent, comfortable, and incredibly smooth. Its an incredible writing machine, As a bonus, its also a Demonstrator

[pencrazed]

 

I mostly agree with you but would add my belief that at that price point NOTHING comes close to the BIC Crystal, especially with a broad point. Its consistent, comfortable, and incredibly smooth. Its an incredible writing machine, As a bonus, its also a Demonstrator

When you say "broad" point, do you mean the "Xtra Bold 1.6mm point" version? Thanks!

[pencrazed]

Out of curiosity, what is the appeal of disposable pens to you? Is it just the price or something else?

As a person who uses both disposable pens and fountain pens on a daily basis, I'd say the best appeal of disposable pens is its cheap price. My heart won't break if I lose a disposable ballpoint/rollerball, but it would shudder at the thought of someone skipping off with my fountain pens.

 

However, this is not to say that people like me don't appreciate quality just because we find appeal in disposable pens. In fact, many disposable pens offer very high-quality writing experiences for their price points - e.g. the Uniball Vision Elite rollerballs, Uniball Jetstream ballpoints, Papermate Flair felt tip pens, etc.

[bluebellrose]

Also would depend on what you call disposable rollerball. For example, the pilot precise cartridge rollerball system is retailed the same price for the disposable v7 and v5s. The pentel energel is cheap enough that it can be a disposable yet it has an entire line of refills for the pen.

 

And gasp BIC HAS A LINE OF BICS THAT ARE REFILLABLE! It's the Bic alantis line. I found the refills by accident at staples when I was looking at their ink carts

Edited March 5, 2019 by bluebellrose