pen 119: bic disposable fountain pen

today's pen, the bic disposable fountain pen is bic's answer to the pilot varsity fountain pen, a pen that i reviewed waaaaay back on post 50. i should probably start this out by saying that, due to some pretty traumatic - pen-explody type valdez-esque spills in my pockets and/or backpack, i am pretty leery when it comes to the fountain pen.

in some ways i wonder why we still use these, i mean yeah the quill and ink was the cutting edge of pen technology for centuries, having been an upgrade from the previous method of drawing with burnt sticks or smearing berries on a cave wall, but wasn't the whole ballpoint pen created by some dude who was sick and effing tired of getting ink everywhere and did not have the benefit of clorox pens or mr. clean magic erasers?

well whatever, yeah the fountain pen is cool, not many people use them, but they seem to be suited to things like sitting on a desk. they just don't travel well.

right, i'm going to assume that the potential mess factor isn't a concern and just go ahead and get on with this review.

this pen has a good flow, it doesn't seem to skip or stutter, unless you're pressing super light, the line is consistent and this pen can put a lot of ink down on the paper. while this pen has minor bleed, it seems to handle most types of paper without soaking through, even when you're filling in areas of black. the ink dries pretty fast for a fountain pen, making it cleaner than most of the india ink filled pens i have used, the medium sized tip can get some measure of fine detail, but it tends to eat at the paper if you're pressing in one spot too long.  the ink is dark, like really dark and it has no range of value, it either is or it isn't, which means that you have to be a little careful when inking (i covers pencil lines great) as the pen is not that forgiving. the body is a solid tube of plastic and the tip can take a bit of punishment.

again, i seem to be using "for a" quite a bit when it comes to this pen. for the price and performance i would probably buy a pen like the bic z4+ roller instead of the unpredictability of the ink issues i seem to have when it comes to fountain pens.

basically i'm saying that this pen doesn't seem to have much advantage over other types of pens - especially pens with the porous plastic tip - instead of buying two okay pens that may or may not be useful - invest in a sharpie or micron.


pricing:
staples (retail): $5.50 (2 pens)
staples.com: $5.99+s/h (2 pens) 
amazon.com: $5-$10 +s/h (2 pens)

website(s):
www.bicworld.com (no information)
www.staples.com
www.amazon.com

staples.com:

Ready-to-use, disposable fountain pen – no messy refills.

• Medium Point
• Black ink
• Elegant, smooth writing
• Unique molded cap
• Visible ink supply
• 2/Pack

amazon.com

• Colored Cap
• Uniquely Molded Plastic Clip
• Ink Reservoir Window
• Medium Point

pen 61: papermate ballpoint stick pen, fine

yet another example of a basic pen yielding unexpected and quality results. the papermate ball point pen (there is no other markings in regard to a specific model outside of the f, for fine point) is one of those workhorse pens that are reliable, solidly crafted, long lasting and inexpensive as hell.(edit: after a brief internet search i learned that the full designation includes: "ballpoint stick pen") on on the sam's club webpage they are being sold a dozen for a little over $1.50, office depot has a dozen for a little bit more but still under the $2 mark.

to begin the pen has a good interaction, there is a definite bite to this pen, you may need to warm it up a little, especially if you haven't used in in a while, but once its going, there is little skipping, stuttering, it will give you a consistent line and has a great range of values in the  color intensity.
the ink is fast drawing - it may smudge a bit, especially if your are putting a lot of ink in one spot, it may stain the heel of your drawing hand but you can fix that by putting something like a tissue or another piece of paper to rest your hand on while drawing or inking.

this pen is also good wor writing, its clear, precise, and capable of making those fine lines of detail you might want, especially if you write small.

should you own one? sure. as mentioned this pen is available pretty much everywhere, is cheap and tend to have a long career in regards to remaining usable over a period of time, i honestly can't think of any reason not to use this pen, especially when you don't have access to those fancier pens that we pen lovers tend to obsess over. all in all a good solid choice for making lines on paper.

pen 50: pilot varsity fountain pen

welcome to the 50th post here at a pen a day...

hooray.

when i noticed that i was approaching the semi-centennial/quinquagenary post here on a pen a day, i started thinking about whether or not i should mark the occasion with some fun over the top event or promotional gimmick... then i realized that not only am i fairly lazy but that the scope of my audience is what i would call quality viewers and not quantity.

i blame you.

just kidding.

so, in honor of the 50th post i decided to feature a pen that i had yet to review, the fountain pen.

when i was in third or fourth grade i remember being into two things, pomegranates, and fountain pens.

both of these preoccupations turned out to be rather brief, as they both stained my clothes and fingers made large messes, were difficult to use and wound up not being worth the effort.

i remember realizing why someone made the ballpoint pen, and why persephone managed to eat only six seeds before finding out that she had signed on to be the goddess of hades, by the way, she's apparently why we have fall and winter.

the pilot varsity is a disposable fountain tip pen that goes for around two to four dollars a pen, they come in seven different colors and are sold individually, in packs of three, seven, and twelve.

the fine print on the back claims that it has an advanced liquid ink system and unique real fountain pen nib that guarantee smooth writing. since i was given this pen by a friend, and it was empty at the time i can't really comment on the ink, however, as you see in the video, i figured out how to refill the unit with india ink, that stuff can be messy but the nib on the pen does work rather well and the overall feel and results came out fairly good. due to my experiences in the past with fountain pens, i no longer carry one around with me, be it in a pocket or bag. its simply not worth the risk of a leak.

because this isn't a stock pen, i have to decide if the novelty of having a pen that looks different and maybe kinda cool is worth the money that i could be investing on another speciality pen. at this point i haven't made up my mind. 

so, enjoy the video, unfortunately i didn't get the part where i basically soaked myself with ink. i'm sure something stupid like that would have scored some more hits on youtube.  

as you can see, there is no shortage of pens to review... 

what have i gotten myself into?

edit:

pen 41: the v ball extra fine has had a facelift, just thought i'd share. new look, same quality.