pen 143: bic ai

today's pen, the bic ai, a lightweight, retractable ball point pen that features a rubberized comfort grip, and a spring loaded pocket clip. i'm not sure what a spring loaded pocket grip would be useful for, but there you have it. i guess "because they can"is as good a reason as any that i could come up with.

i bought this pen from one of those office supply stores, retail, and while i can't remember how much that cost me, i do remember thinking that it was on the bit more expensive side. even considering that the package had two pens, it feels like i spent a little over four dollars a piece.this pen has good glide and poor bite. the flow is fairly consistent, but the pen does seem to build up ink on the tip and can leave messy ink deposits on your fingers or on the paper. the ink doesn't skip or stutter, so that is a plus, but by far the best thing about this pen is that the ink has a excellent range of value. the ink goes on light, especially if you don't press hard, but can be built up to darker tones with either pressure or multiple passes.


but is that worth the extra cost?

honestly, no. when it comes down to it, this pen performs about as well as a bic round stick, soft feel, or cristal.

save your money and buy one of those.

pricing:

amazon.com:
$8.93+s/h (two pens)
$10.38+sh (three pens)
$12.14+s/h (twelve pens)

staples.com
$6.29+s/h (two pens)
$18/99+s/h (twelve pens)

wallmart.com
$17.51+s/h (twelve pens)

websites:
www.bicworld.com (not listed)
www.wheresmybic.us (not listed)

www.amazon.com
www.staples.com



what they say:

amazon.com

• Retractable ball pen
• Easy Glide ink system enables smoother writing and a more vivid line
• 1.0mm medium point
• Binder clip attaches to notebooks, binders and more
• refillable

staples.com

• Medium point, 1.0 mm
• Black
• Integrated co-molded grip
• Semi-translucent barrel with jewel tone accents
• Binder clip attaches to notebooks, binders and more
• 12 per pack

wallmart.com

The BIC A.I. Ball Pen is great for smooth writing performance. It is ideal for school, home or office use. The BIC A1 Ball Pen offers both quality and reliability for your everyday needs.

BIC A.I. Ball Pen:

• Black ink
• Features BIC's exclusive, ink system technology
• 1.0mm ball point
• Binder clip attaches to notebooks, binders and more
• Refillable pen
• 12pk of pens