BIC Cristal Xtra Smooth Black Ballpoint Pens, Reliable Medium Point (1.0mm), 12-Count Pack

BIC Cristal Xtra Smooth Black Ballpoint Pens, Reliable Medium Point (1.0mm), 12-Count Pack =EXCELLENT PRODUCT AT EXCELLENT PRICE, IF RECEIVED.Ordered 2 boxes of pens; 1 box received intact; 2nd was an empty box.The time that it took to address the issue of the empty product box could have been better spent.This raises questions such as When is a bargain a bargain? What is convenience?'Excellent product for which I will now happily be paying a higher price to receive from off -the-shelf.

Old fashion Bic pens very reliable and work great, best deal out there...

What can I say....a bic pen is a bic pen, lol Writes really smooth and I'm glad I ordered them....no more hunting around for the pen that writes nice!

I used BiG ballpoint pens when I was a child. There weren’t many choices back to that time. When I’ve grown up I stopped using them because I had to push harder and more tensed on my wrist and fingers to control it than other pen options like gel pens or fountain pens.However I missed them: BiC pens, so I give them a try again. They write like they used to do. I got cramp on my thumb and wrist if I write with them long time but I still give them 5 stars because it’s the way oil-based ballpoint pens are. They need more push and control than other types of pens.The inks are bright and intense and I like the ink scent though. It reminds me of my childhood.They’re cheap and worth for the price.I intend to use them for my sketching projects but I also write on my journal with them.

A few months ago, i bought BIC Round Stic Xtra Life Ball Point Pen, Black, 36 Pack. This week, i wanted to switch , so I bought this one, 12 in a pack.It turns out to be of better quality which surprises me. But when you do the math, this one is more $$$ than the Stic 36 pack.This worth the price. I will stick to this particular BIC design.

OK, but not as smooth as they used to be.

These pens write smoothly, just gliding across the paper. In ease of writing, they do not quite equal gel pens, but they are close --- surprisingly close, and they are extremely low cost. I ordered these, and a box of the Extra Comfort pens. I can't tell any significant difference in the writing quality between the two for the short, note type entries that I make with them --- both are great--- but I can surely see and feel the improvement in tip drag and continuity of the line between either BIC's and the selection of generic hand out pens I had been struggling with. I do believe there may be a slight improvement in fluidity with the BIC 1.2 mm tips compared to the 1.0 mm tips, but again, if any it is not very much. Conversely, I don't see a lot of gain in comfort for the Extra Comfort pens for my use, but it might be there for more continuous use. For general purpose, intermittent writing, one could spend a lot of money and not beat the performance of these pens. For continuous, intensive writing, the relatively small barrel size of these (actually a hexagon cross section) might lead to hand fatigue compared to a more expensive pen with a larger barrel size. Personally, I don't think these pens are necessarily intended for extended continuous use, and have not downgraded them because of any discomfort that may or may not occur with sustained writing. Also, I think these may come with a tiny bit of seal, probably plastic, on the tip to keep ink from drying out in the ball mechanism. Pulling the tip across paper at a very flat angle while rotating the pen will clear anything that might be present, and prevent traces of grit from getting into the works when one starts to write.

It took me awhile to find my favorite classic BIC pens and I was so delighted when I did find them. I have been using them for decades; one pen lasts quite awhile and you can see when the ink is low. Love Them!