Bic Cristal Xtra-BOLD 1.6mm

[tonybelding]

There are three desks in the lobby of the post office here in my little town, where people can pause to sort through their mail, address envelopes, fill out forms, etc.  I noticed that sometimes there were ballpoints of various sorts at these desks.  Some of them might have been left there by the staff, others by patrons (accidentally or not).  They were various types, various shades of awful.  So, I decided to try an experiment.

 

I went onto Amazon and bought a 48-pack of Bic Cristal ballpoints, Xtra-BOLD 1.6mm, blue ink.

 

For those who haven't tried these, I find them the best writing ballpoints that I've ever used.  They always work, they write on the worst paper, they write smoothly and produce a dark, consistent line.

 

I began leaving these on the desks every time I went to the post office.  And I have a PO Box, so that's most days.

 

At first a lot of them disappeared.  Walked away.  I can't blame anyone.

 

I kept the supply flowing, and over time I've had to replace them much less often.  All the regulars have got one by now, I guess.

 

I wonder why so many ballpoint pens, and ballpoint refills, are so wretched when Bic can make something this cheap that writes this well?  If I can find a Parker-style refill that does actually write like this 1.6mm Cristal, I'll jump on that.

[Claes]

I remember when those were introduced in Sweden,

in the 1960s. They could be had in four ink colours(!!!),

with blue, red, green, and black ink. They existed in two varieties:

65-öres Bic, and 85-öres Bic (at that time approximately 0.13 US dollars,

and 0.17 USD respectively). The cheaper ones = Cristal Bic,

and the more expensive ones = Bic Clic.

 

Have fun!
Claes in Lund, Sweden

 

[Graywolf503]

I've been using a Bic Grip which has a 1.2 mm line. Smoother than the Bic Stic. I shall have to try these to see how much better they are.

[welch]

Great ballpoints. I use a BiC 1.6 as a backup to whichever fountain pen I have carried. Sometimes I need something to write on paper that is only a little better than newsprint. BiC also makes a retractable 1.6mm pen, called "Velocity", I think. Feels the same. 

[tonybelding]

Incidentally, I did find that ballpoint refill I wanted that writes almost identically: Schneider Slider 755 XB

 

As I noted in another thread… It works just fine in a Parker Jotter XL, and I like it even better in my Pelikan K74 Form.

[Black Spot]

The beauty of Bic is it only has one moving part. 

[lectraplayer]

Believe it or not, those Bics are among the awful pens I've used on occasion, though they are definitely outsucked by most of the Chinesium novelty pens or dollar store pens (Looking at you, INC!) Most rollerballs and such by recognizable brands tend to outwrite the infamous BIC. That said, I have enjoyed drawing with my "Fight For Your Write" multicolor pack of Crystals that I got that time. Probably won't get more, though, as I actually prefer my brush pens.

[EricTheRed]

To each his own, I guess.  I have been collecting pens for over 40 years and still find the BIC crystal, blue or black ink,  to be the best writing ballpoint in the world.  It’s amazing how well and reliably they write while being so inexpensive.  That being said, while the blue and black ink ones are easily the best, the red and green inks are washed out and disappointing.

[Black Spot]

Lucky for us when it comes to pens, The rule

There can be only one does not apply.

[lectraplayer]

That's definitely true, Spot. To say otherwise would probably get you run out of this community. 😛 

[zslane]

The only thing I like about the Bic Crystal is the smell of its inked ball point. Some serious sense-triggered nostalgia right there.

 

But I admit that I don't think I've ever tried a 1.6mm crystal. It's a little hard for me to picture using it since the 1.5mm (stub) nib on my fountain pens produces a line way thicker than I'd want for ordinary writing.

[Black Spot]

zslane what would you do if I showed you my 3mm Pica Pencil ? or the koh I noor with the 1 cm led ?

[zslane]

I guess I'd be curious to see if they lay down a 3mm and 1cm line respectively. And if so, wonder if you use them for everyday writing.

[markofp]

With apologies to Ice-T and JayZ . . .

 

[Black Spot]

13 hours ago, zslane said:

I guess I'd be curious to see if they lay down a 3mm and 1cm line respectively. And if so, wonder if you use them for everyday writing.

 

They can lay down thick lines but do not have to, I use the pica to wright with. Its a carpenters pencil, Also depends on how big the letter x you are making has to be

[Safari_Camo]

Nice thread
I tried the other day, the BIC blue ink (the Crystal one) torture resistance test.
I sprayed with Isopropyl alcohol and wow!, is very resistant, the other brands I tested aside were, Lamy, Schneider Slider Viscoglide Ink and Faber Castell and Pelikan and Pilot.

 

All blue color

 

1st place: Bic

2nd place Pelikan

3rd place Lamy

 

Additional info, the hue, color of BIC is very similar than Pelikan, minimal difference.
 

[Zookie]

I've been using a vintage pen, a Faber from 1946, and it's impossible to find an original ink refill. They just don't make them.

I have, however, found that a Bic Cristal refill fits right in with no fuss! 

Now I have a very classy looking ballpoint that writes nicely 😁

I'll post a pic if anyone would like to see it.

[I am not a number]

Just as an addition to this thread, I've been using these for years now, and they are the best and most reliable pens of any kind that I've ever encountered.

 

I've probably given away about 500 by now, mostly to emergency services workers (I'm an ex First Responder). Not only are they utterly dependable, they are also great for 'back of the glove' patient records as the large size makes them far less prone to tearing the latex and any hastily taken details are very easily readable when it comes to transcribing.

 

The phlebologists also love them for marking blood sample labels, and the GP receptionists appreciate the lack of wrist pain as they are so easy to write with.

 

So yes, I'm a huge fan.