Bic Crystal Cristal 1.6 Ballpoint Pens Compared

[amberleadavis]

These inks will be part of the fade test. Here are the current inks compared.

 

http://www.sheismylawyer.com/2018-Ink/2018-05/slides/2018-05-03_Ink_1.jpg

 

Much to my surprise, you can see some bleed through.

 

http://www.sheismylawyer.com/2018-Ink/2018-05/slides/2018-05-03_Ink_2.jpg

[amberleadavis]

Now, I like ballpoints better on toothier paper. This gray paper has more tooth.

 

http://www.sheismylawyer.com/2018-Ink/2018-05/slides/2018-05-03_Ink_3.jpg

 

On this heavier paper that is not glossy, you can't see any show through or bleed through on the reverse.

 

http://www.sheismylawyer.com/2018-Ink/2018-05/slides/2018-05-03_Ink_4.jpg

[Inky.Fingers]

Thank you for the review. It is most useful. Some rollerball are ink friendly and they are refillable.

 

More chances to use up your ink resevoir and more importantly more color choices.

Edited May 3, 2018 by _InkyFingers

[Bo Bo Olson]

I'd call that echo...one sees the mark. Show through, IMO you can read what was written but hasn't bled through the back. (could be written over.)

Bleed through is more severe; can't read the blotch or can't write over it.

 

I was here in Germany, and with free pens, way behind the power curve with gel and hybred ball points. Even the Jotter refill is expensive just like it always has been....two beers for one! :yikes:E-5.50 something. Schmidt is half price.

 

When I got into fountain pens a decade ago, I collected up some 200 free ball points. Some good enough to sell at a flea market. I did have a few brand name ones.

 

A year ago, I went though the house and found some 30 ball points a couple of them name ones to add to the old name ones in a living room drawer.........

I had read a bit about Gel and Hybred BPs, and they were a class better than the old ink. I had a couple. Even found a couple on the free ball points to be Gel or hybred, so they too went into the drawer.

[amberleadavis]

These are ballpoints not rollerballs. So seeing any bleed through is surprising.

[Inky.Fingers]

Only certain color bleed thru?

 

When I finished the gel-like ink in my ball point pen, I replaced it with Fountain Pen ink. Now it bleeds thu...Perhaps you are onto something...some ink works well some dont. Ballpoint pen ink are thicker is my assumption.

[amberleadavis]

Ballpoints use an ink that was thickened with a substance like rubber cement. The rollerballs can often use FP ink, but the gel pens are (I think) a hybrid between the ballpoint and rollerball.

[Bo Bo Olson]

There is both gel and hybred ball point cartridges. Neither requires as much pressure to make the ball roll as in a 'classic' ball point.

Both are much nicer than the regular ball point, the pen can even be held further back in the grip than a ball point, with gel and hybred and still work, which is not the case with a 'classic' ball point refill.

 

There are 'some' problems with a gel or hybred BP that a normal BP no longer has. (once use to make little ink rings that stuck at the tip...way back in B&W TV days )

Which I don't remember, but noted from the infos that there were minor problems. In I have no great need to use a BP of any kind, did not mark in my mind exactly what minor problems there was; expecting to never run into it.

They hybred,being newer must have addressed gel pen problems.