Bic Round Stic: Stick With Bic for Cheap Pick!

The BIC round stick medium black is a standard pen that is ordered and used in my office. In fact, in the United States, it is one of BIC's best sellers! With its easy to hold plastic barrel, no frills design to keep it cheap, and reliable ink, it is no wonder that it sells so well.

Wherever I travel in my company, and often in other companies, I tend to find these laying around. Since everyone tends to have the same pens, there is no hoarding or fighting over them, as who knows whose pen it was that you just picked up. There is something to be said about a pen that is common, cheap, and used by most people in an organization.

Casing
The casing is a slightly bendable-plastic, lightweight round barrel. It is easy to grip, but not as comfortable as a rubber grip. The casing is durable and will last you until the ink runs out, which takes a while. It can be dropped, stepped on, washed, kicked, and bent a bit and still keep on writing.

The color of the cap and the plug at the end show you the color of the ink, so you won't accidentally grade your papers with green, instead of red. The cap fits on snuggly and can be put on the bottom of the pen while writing. The clip on the cap, though, continually draws me to bending it back and forth until it breaks...I'm not sure if that is a design flaw, or a "me" flaw! :-) I tend to throw the broken caps away, so rarely do I have any capped pens, yet these very rarely dry out on me. I like a pen that doesn't require a cap.

Ink & Colors
The BIC round stick can be purchased in blue, black, red, or green, and all work equally well. The BIC is not an upper-tier pen, so remember you get what you pay for. The ink sometimes has small gaps if you don't press hard enough, and if you leave it upside-down for a while, the ink can take a moment to start, or you may need to shake it out. Once it is going, the ink flows pretty nicely from the tungsten carbide ball and gets the job done. It is not a very thick line, and has the occasional white spot, so it should not be used if you are writing anything for posterity...but, for day-to-day business use, it is cheap and does the trick.

Final Thoughts

Why waste money on expensive pens when the good ol' trusty BIC can be there for you for a lot less? Also, you can get them personalized at sites such as www.bestimpressions.com/bicroundstic.html if you want to brand your company. Plus, if you are like me and lose pens on a daily basis, buying monthly boxes of pens can be expensive if you let it, so these help keep my costs down.

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Cost: You can find these for less then $1.50/dozen.
Manufacturer: BIC