Bic Easy Clic Review

[mountimprobable24]

Hello! Below is a review of the BiC Easy Clic fountain pen, and my first review of a fountain pen, ever. Though I realize this pen has been reviewed before, I figured I'd go ahead and try reviewing it myself - mainly for practice before I review a pen I know has not been reviewed before on the FPN (Faber-Castell Basic). Keeping this in mind, please comment with any recommendations and suggestions regarding the review itself. Without further ado, on the the review:

 

Having once been looking for a good pen for "everyday use," I came across the BiC Easy Clic fountain pen on the internet some time ago but didn't think again about it until I saw it at a supermarket in Poland. Seeing it was only ~5 Euros and curious about the lateral cartridge system, I went ahead and bought it.

 

Note: Please forgive the absence of photos - my browser seems unable to load the "Upload Manager" on the "Upload" section. Pictures are plentiful on the internet, just search Google Images for "BiC Easy Clic Fountain Pen."

 

 

Quality & Construction: (5/5) This pen feels very well made; the plastic feels far sturdier and thicker than any similarly priced pen I have seen. The cap also feels solid and sturdy, and unlikely to break. The grip section is comfortable and perfect for beginners, as it forces one to place one fingers on it correctly. The barrel also feels solid, despite being comprised of two separate pieces of plastic held together by a metal hinge (the reason for this unusual barrel construction being the unique lateral cartridge loading mechanism. The pen is very light - lighter than a Pelikan Pelikano. It's also quite on the shortish side, and given the posting problem elaborated upon below, it's a little too short for someone with average-sized hands. For it's price, this pen deserves a 5 out of 5.

 

Design & Appearance: (3/5) Unfortunately, although the pen feels well built and solid, it's design leaves something to be desired. Regardless the colour or version of the pen, all are sold with decorations on one side of the barrel that inevitable relegate it to the status of a school pen. The lateral cartridge loading mechanism works very well - the only disadvantage being that the pen only holds one cartridge rather than two. Keeping in mind the large number of converter fanboys & fangirls on this site, I should point out that the pen is incapable of taking a converter. However, the major disappointment for me, and what got this pen a 2/5 from me here, is that the cap cannot be posted. Alright, technically it can, but doing so requires one to actually force the cap onto the barrel with enough strength too wedge the two together. Not practical at all, and very annoying.

 

Nib: (4/5) The nib is a clearly a fine despite not actually saying so on the package. Unfortunately, it's a bit dryish - or maybe it's the generic ink it came with, or the very cheap paper I've been testing it on. The nib is an interesting and cheap butterfly nib, and definitely nothing to be excited about. However, compared to a similarly priced pens I own as well as a Pilot Varsity, it behaves infinitely more so like a proper fountain pen nib. Overall a good nib for the price.

 

Performance: (4/5) This pen writes surprisingly better than I expected it would. The line is steady and consistent. I've never had it skip on me, nor has it ever dry-started, even after a week of disuse. It does dry out a little if left uncapped for about 10 minutes, but even then it regains regular ink flow after a word or two have been written.

 

Conclusion: (Final Score: 16/20) This pen is definitely one I can see myself using often, maybe even every day as my "daily usage" pen. Its disappointing failure to post is its largest single short coming. The lateral cartridge loading mechanism is sure to turn heads, even amongst other regular fountain pen users. This is a great pen for the price, and far better than any alternative I've seen thus far. While it's not a Lamy Safari by any means, it's far better than the cheap Chinese pens one usually sees in the sub 5 Euro price range. Looking forward to more BiC fountain pen releases.

 

Questions or comments?

 

Thanks for reading!

[gf1911]

Pictures !

[terminal]

Pictures !

 

srsly

[professionaldilettante]

PICTURES!!!

[Pen2009]

http://www.bicworld.com/img/products/BIC_select_easyclic_plume_r.jpg

 

No close up pictures on Bic site.

 

http://www.bicworld.com/us/products/details/286/select-easy-clic-fountain-pen

Edited July 20, 2012 by Pen2009

[gf1911]

How does it fit in your hand, do you have to post it or is it long enough ?

 

How is the material when you write for long and hands become a little sweaty ?

[terminal]

...please comment with any recommendations and suggestions regarding the review itself...

...

Note: Please forgive the absence of photos - my browser seems unable to load the "Upload Manager" on the "Upload" section. Pictures are plentiful on the internet, just search Google Images for "BiC Easy Clic Fountain Pen."

...separate pieces of plastic held together by a metal hinge (the reason for this unusual barrel construction being the unique lateral cartridge loading mechanism.

...

Questions or comments?

 

 

I cannot picture said plastic pieces and held together and click and barrel and lateral cartridge.

 

PICTURES

 

So here's a pro tip: You cannot count on this site for storing your pictures anyway. If you write more than one review (maybe two or three depending) then you'll have to store your pictures externally. A lot of folks here use FLCKR or whatever other free image service.

 

I think you've also passed the time limit for being able to edit this post and add pictures. For a pen like this, I have to say, without pictures it's almost a non-starter. And as far as googling for it... not so much