Amazon.co.uk: M. Williams "Matt Wil...'s review of Bic Crystal Ballpoint Pen, Medium Point, B...
Customer Review

 
2,175 of 2,194 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars Very good if you need to write on paper, 7 Mar 2007
Since taking delivery of my pen I have been very happy with the quality of ink deposition on the various types of paper that I have used. On the first day when I excitedly unwrapped my pen (thanks for the high quality packaging Amazon!) I just couldn't contain my excitement and went around finding things to write on, like the shopping list on the notice board in our kitchen, the Post-it notes next to the phone, and on my favourite lined A4 pad at the side of my desk.

My pen is the transparent type with a blue lid. I selected this one in preference to the orange type because I like to be able to see how much ink I have left so that I can put in another order before I finally run out.

When the initial excitement of taking delivery of my new pen started to wear off I realised that I shouldn't just write for the fun of it, this should be a serious enterprise, so by the second day of ownership I started to take a little more care of what I wrote. I used it to sign three letters, and in each case was perfectly happy with the neatness of handwriting that I was able to achieve.

I have a helpful tip for you that you might not know about - if you let the ink dry for a few seconds you can avoid the smudging that sometimes happens if you rub the ink immediately after writing. Fortunately the ink used in this particular Bic pen seems to dry very quickly.

On the third day of ownership I went on a trip to London and took my pen carefully packed away in my brief case, but I needn't have worried, this isn't some temperamental ink pen that leaks when you store it at the wrong angle. I sat at my meeting and confidently removed the cap from my pen and it wrote flawlessly, almost immediately.

I notice that the barrel of the pen has been crafted very carefully to fit in the pen holder down the edge of my Filofax. It's not so grippy so that it is hard to remove when I want to make a quick note, and yet not so loose that it falls out too easily when I open my Filofax in a hurry. Maybe the choice of surface texture on the pen has some part to play here, because it seems that the inside of the leather grip on the pen holder in my Filofax has just the right level of adhesion that I can be confident when I need to reach in and get my pen it's going to be just where I left it!

Today is the fourth day of ownership of my pen, and I have to say I'm starting to treat it like an old friend. I walk around the office with it clipped in to my shirt pocket and someone in the accounts department actually asked to borrow it while we were both standing at the photocopier. Would you believe it, they actually tried to walk away with my pen! They were very embarrassed when I called after them as they walked down the corridor and asked for it back. You will be happy to know that it is now back, safe and sound in my top pocket, ready and waiting to start writing again.

In summary, I would happily recommend this pen to anyone who is planning on writing on paper. If you are considering a writing implement for some other surface such as writing on a CD, or other non-porous substances then another pen might be better suited, but if it's just plain old paper then I think you will probably be well served by this particular model.
Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)


Review Details
Item

3.4 out of 5 stars (187 customer reviews)
5 star:
 (69)
4 star:
 (24)
3 star:
 (35)
2 star:
 (22)
1 star:
 (37)
 
 
 
Out of stock
Add to wishlist
Reviewer


Location: Essex, England

Reviewer Rank: 4,043

[Add comment]
Post a comment
To insert a product link use the format: [[ASIN:ASIN product-title]] (What's this?)
Prompts for sign-in
 


Sort: Oldest first | Newest first
Showing 1-10 of 73 posts in this discussion
Initial post: 3 Dec 2007 21:48 GMT
 Mr. A. Sharpe says:
What an excellent pen that must be, I'm not surprised that they are the worlds most popular. I am now considering purchasing some to give as Christmas presents to my closest friends. Although I am a little concerned about the possibility of my friends be robbed for the pens, it sounds like it could be quite a common occurrence and with the prevalence of knife crime in England as it is the number of friends I have could drop quite rapidly after Christmas.

In reply to an earlier post on 4 Dec 2007 00:14 GMT
Last edited by the author on 4 Dec 2007 00:14 GMT
 Andy says:
Maybe you could include some sort of protective device to prevent theft of your biro. I was in a bank yesterday and they had such a device to stop people walking off with their pens, you should contact your local branch for details

In reply to an earlier post on 7 Dec 2007 20:08 GMT
I recently watched a film called the bourne identity, he killed a man with this very model of pen.

Posted on 8 Dec 2007 02:26 GMT
 alfredo says:
Historically, my preferred writing instrument of choice has always been the excellent Uniball 'Eye' in its 'Fine' specification but after reading this review I'm thinking maybe it's time I revisited the traditional ballpoint solution - the 'Crystal' certainly seems to have come through with flying colours after your rigorous four day workout.

At these prices I'd be sorely tempted to purchase an extra one purely to offset the possiblility of loss, 'borrowing' or just plain theft.

Posted on 8 Dec 2007 16:59 GMT
 Mebirdo says:
I often use pencils to write notes on paper, but have been thinking about changing to a pen. Is this pen a good starting point for a novice?

In reply to an earlier post on 8 Dec 2007 17:41 GMT
Last edited by the author on 9 Dec 2007 15:24 GMT
 R. Kelleher says:
It is a superb entry-level pen, extremely user friendly. If you feel ready to 'move up' to pens, you will not be disappointed with the Crystal.

Posted on 9 Dec 2007 11:33 GMT
 Spangeman says:
What an excellent review, but I fear you have been blinded by this pens brilliance. There is a far superior pen on the market for a fraction of the price. The "Bic Four Colour" pen offers the superb craftsmanship that we would expect from Bic but with four colours. An Amazon review sums it all up - "Choice of blue, black, red and green ink. Ideal when information needs to be recorded in different colours".

Posted on 9 Dec 2007 17:08 GMT
 M. MITCHELL says:
A little known alternative use for this pen is to remove the plastic end stopper and ink barrel and use it in classroom as a peashooter, blimey the fun we had

Posted on 9 Dec 2007 17:57 GMT
 A. Gardner says:
Pics or it didn't happen.

Posted on 9 Dec 2007 17:58 GMT
 A. Clark says:
It is worth remembering that your pen will last longer if you don't bother to dot your I's and J's!
‹ Previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Next ›

Where's My Stuff?

Delivery and Returns

Need Help?

amazon.co.uk Amazon Home
International Sites:  United States  |  Germany  |  France  |  Japan  |  Canada  |  China
Business Programs: Sell on Amazon  |  Fulfilment by Amazon  |  Join Associates  |  Join Advantage
Customer Service  |  Help  |  View Basket  |  Your Account
About Amazon.co.uk  |  Careers at Amazon
Conditions of Use & Sale |  Privacy Notice  © 1996-2009, Amazon.com, Inc. and its affiliates