The Bic Pen -- The Ultimate Multi Tool

[TheToadMen]

10. When selling real pens (like fountain pens) put a BIC pen in the image for size comparisation.

Everybody knows the size of a big pen :roflmho:

Edited July 5, 2010 by TheToadMen

[jonro]

In fifth grade, I discovered that the Bic stic was ideal for launching *spitballs.

 

*If you're reading this, Miss Garcia, that wasn't me or my friend Andy. Must have been someone else.

[Dakotaslt49]

Remember the commercial in which they put a Bic pen down a rifle barrel, fired the rifle putting the pen through a pine board? And it wrote after that?

[HBlaine]

You forgot lethal weapon. Need I remind you of those scenes from The Bourne Identity?

 

Truth of the matter is, FP fanatic that I am, I like & respect the BIC Cristal. Yes, blasphemy, I know, but... You'll never find a more perfect example of industrial design. And when you can find a the exact same product being used everywhere, from the boardrooms of multi-million dollar corporations to dirt-floored, grass-roofed schools in the "developing world", and it's been in use for nearly 60 years... Well, it must have something going for it.

 

And it is the perfect answer for those, "Do you have a pen I can borrow?" moments...

Edited July 6, 2010 by HBlaine

[voop]

You forgot lethal weapon. Need I remind you of those scenes from The Bourne Identity?

 

Truth of the matter is, FP fanatic that I am, I like & respect the BIC Cristal. Yes, blasphemy, I know, but... You'll never find a more perfect example of industrial design. And when you can find a the exact same product being used everywhere, from the boardrooms of multi-million dollar corporations to dirt-floored, grass-roofed schools in the "developing world",

 

<SNIP>

 

 

Do I sense an admiration for the BIC Cristal, on par with that which Andy Warhol expressed regarding Coca Cola (Imperialist Lemonade ) being a great social equalizer?

 

I haven't used a Bic in decades. And I'm to old to learn how to use one now.

[Bo Bo Olson]

8. Blowing paper pellets at classmates.

9. Writing your name on a wooden school desk

 

 

This brings back memories from grammar school. That point was pretty indestructible.

 

Back in the early 1960s, when Bic pens were new, there were TV commercials where someone would fire a Bic through a "high powered" rifle, the pen would go through a 1 inch board, with point protruding, and the hack would write with the pen, stating: "Bic pen: writes first time, every time." IIRC, it is the same guy who used to wrap a Timex wristwatch around the prop of an outboard boat motor, put the prop in a tank of water, fire up the motor, run it for about 15 seconds, closeup of the watch, "Timex: takes a licking, and keeps on ticking." John Cameron Swayze comes to mind.

 

Donnie

 

I forgot that.

 

I "remember" many Timex commercials.

 

As long as you had the cap, nobody could steal it...unless of course they had a spare cap too...but if it went missing, you checked to see if the pen matched your cap and not his...some times you got the thing back.

I never cared for them, the tops went missing too often....even on mine. :embarrassed_smile:

Shoving one in the spiral wire of you notebook, was a sure way to lose your cap.

 

Too big for a shirt pocket as far as I can remember...small kids have small shirt pockets.

[pen2paper]

quote 'mhwombat'

You forgot:

7. Emergency tracheotomies

Rats, who can argue with this?

 

quote 'oldstoat'

8. Blowing paper pellets at classmates.

9. Writing your name on a wooden school desk

+ This

quote 'Pippin60'

This brings back memories from grammar school. That point was pretty indestructible.

 

quote '79spitfire'

Since the breather hole was half way down the barrel, I used to put a push pin in the hole and spinning the pen at high rates of speed. The caps also made great rubber band projectiles!

Ditto the cap-hmmm, the spinning thing-sounds interesting-dignity taking a dive here.

 

quote 'vans4444'

In earlier decades they were good for winding on an audio cassette when the tape was tangled.

Also good for pushing reset buttons

essential equipment in radio stations-back when.

quote 'gregkoos'

Great drumsticks for a desk top - until the nun came after you with a ruler!

Ahem-This was the song I believe?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UofdWQG346k

 

quote 'jonro'

In fifth grade, I discovered that the Bic stic was ideal for launching *spitballs.

*If you're reading this, Miss Garcia, that wasn't me or my friend Andy. Must have been someone else.

liquid being the US improvement-_-

jonro, that's some Powerful guilt-trip with Miss Garcia there-whoa!

Red Crystal - THERE! I've admitted it - useful - wince-tic:huh:

[Sonny Boy Havidson]

Well... Whereas I tend to prefer fountain pens, here are some arguments to explain the success of the BIC:

- Marcel Bich was the first to come in the market with an efficiant ballpoint pen with the appropriate ink (previous trial were not successful). Remember that we were in... 1950!

- This was the first disposable pen and it was very affodable.

- This the ballpoint ballpoint pen that has a continuous ink flow (not the case of its Reynolds concurrent). Many roller catridges today are still not able to do this.

[InkyCarl]

The white BiCs could be cut down to a shorter size to create a cool little pocket pen.

[weemeng]

The lowly BIC stick pen... don't overlook it. Let's start a list on what it could do.

:

:

I can't think of any others for now.

 

A blow pipe for barley seeds!

Remove the refill and end cap, put a handful of barley seeds in mouth, blow seeds through the Bic pen. Great fun!

[Sonny Boy Havidson]

The white BiCs could be cut down to a shorter size to create a cool little pocket pen.

Well... BIC produced a short version of the Cristal in the 90's.