An open letter to Bic Pens

Kit Walker said:

Actually, the Pilot Varsity isn't truly disposable, because it is so easy to refill.
I have one floating around here somewhere, filled with invisible ink. Unfortunately, I can't find it.

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Easy... It's kinda a pain in the ***. I'd say it's cheaper in the long run to plomp down 15 bucks for a Pilot Metropolitan and use the squeeze convertor for multi colored inks. One squeeze lasts me a few weeks and I write a lot with it. Though it's not as user friendly as Lamy's converter.

SOJA said:

Easy... It's kinda a pain in the ***. I'd say it's cheaper in the long run to plomp down 15 bucks for a Pilot Metropolitan and use the squeeze convertor for multi colored inks. One squeeze lasts me a few weeks and I write a lot with it. Though it's not as user friendly as Lamy's converter.

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You could always buy a CON-50 converter that'll slot nicely into the Metro. It's much nicer than the CON-20 squeeze converter.

SOJA said:

I'd say it's cheaper in the long run to plomp down 15 bucks for a Pilot Metropolitan and use the squeeze convertor for multi colored inks.

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You want "cheaper"?

Stick with Bic disposable ballpoints, and never get close to suffering from Pen-AD, Ink-AD, Paper-AD ...

Corey said:

You could always buy a CON-50 converter that'll slot nicely into the Metro. It's much nicer than the CON-20 squeeze converter.

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I have one in its box somewhere. I've never gotten around to swapping it out. I take it I'd need to use some flushing solution after removing the CON-20?

Doc4 said:

You want "cheaper"?

Stick with Bic disposable ballpoints, and never get close to suffering from Pen-AD, Ink-AD, Paper-AD ...

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I go through a 24 pack of Cristals a month, so it's not exactly cheap in the long run. Already lost on the ink and paper front. I've been careful with my FP habits. But I have a lot of other nice pens. I also have a small assortment of MP, from simple Koru Tuga to Graphgears to expensive Rotrings.

SOJA said:

I go through a 24 pack of Cristals a month, so it's not exactly cheap in the long run. Already lost on the ink and paper front. I've been careful with my FP habits. But I have a lot of other nice pens. I also have a small assortment of MP, from simple Koru Tuga to Graphgears to expensive Rotrings.

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A couple of Pelikan 1000's and the odd Nakaya, and all of a sudden ...

Doc4 said:

A couple of Pelikan 1000's and the odd Nakaya, and all of a sudden ...

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Yup. But, to be honest, even when I was a kid I used to love cool pens and pencils. I see it like a car. If it's something you use every day, you want a little oomph in it. Make it a pleasurable experience.

I've never tried the bic because it isn't available anywhere.
But I do like the varsity. Found a hack where I can open it, dump out that other ink, clean out, and add my own... I load them with bulletproof inks for the gents at work. Plus, they last forever in one fill, but are no longer disposable... Sure they wear down on the barrel to clear over time, but I just keep refilling them!!!

SOJA said:

If it's something you use every day, you want a little oomph in it. Make it a pleasurable experience.

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Indeed.

ouch said:

Perpendicular to transverse.

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Parallel to horizontal.

Stump Jumper said:

View attachment 583472

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If I see that correctly, yours break the same way mine do. I can't believe Bic doesn't know about this. I have to think they just don't care.

They break like that because they're glued or sealed together somehow. You can actually look into the cap and see that it's two pieces

What am I supposed to be looking at in that pic?

Doc4 said:

Indeed.

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My next purchase is going to be a stainless steel graphic holder and accompanying sharpener. I that that would be fun to have around, plus it's more green than pencils.