The Bottom Line: Looking for a good disposable pen that will give you a good ink flow, no smudging and a comfort grip? Then the BIC Cristal Grip is your best bet.
Freak369's Full Review: BIC America Cristal Stick Ball Pen Medium Point Cl...
When it comes to disposable pens, there are a lot of different brands, styles and colors to choose from. Companies like PaperMate, BIC, Pilot and Pentel all have great disposable pens in a variety of colors, tip points and designs but so far I’ve found that BIC’s Cristal Grip is the best. It was created based on the original stick pen design, given a clear barrel and cap and features a rubber comfort grip to easier writing. This is the type of pen that will last you a month or so [if you use it everyday] and will give you crisp solid lines with great ink flow for about .30 cents a pen when you purchase them in multi packs. For the money, these are one of the best disposable pens on the market and if you haven’t tried them yet, what are you waiting for?
BIC Cristal Grip
If you used any of the other pens in the BIC family you will be familiar with the ink flow and design of this pen but it’s got a few new features. The rubber comfort grip is a definite plus that allows you to write for extended periods of time without the usual cramps and pains that other pens give you. The grip isn’t textured so it looks like regular black flat rubber. The clear cap is a nice touch and gives the pen a sharper look than those that come with color caps. This also allows you to see the color of the ink [as well as the small back cap on the opposite side of the pen]. Since it’s clear they do tend to get lost on a cluttered desk but that is the only real downside to the BIC Cristal Grip.
This comes in several different tip points however the one I like the most is the medium, it allows a nice ink flow but not so much so that it globs on the paper or smudges. The ink is dark and dries almost instantly but you will have a small amount of smudging if you run your finger over it right after you write with it. The tip might need to get wiped off every so often to remove excess ink but I have only had to do this when writing pages and pages, with general writing of notes or shopping lists you won’t normally have to do this. This is a great pen for students, executives or anyone that does a moderate to heavy amount of writing and is looking for a pen that will keep up. Since they are inexpensive you can afford to lose one here or there or when someone asks to “borrow” it for a minute and never returns it.
If black isn’t your favorite color you can also pick this style BIC pen up in red and blue and if you live in Europe, you can also find this in green. Want a real kick in the pants? Check out the new scented Cristal pens [available in a variety of colors and scents] or the sleek gel ink Cristal pens [black, blue, green and red]. The BIC Cristal Grip is available in single packs, variety color multi packs, single color six packs or my preferred method – the twelve pack. Prices range from .79 cents for the single to about $3.50 for the dozen pack. I suggest you check this out by purchasing the individual pen first to see if it is something that you’ll like, then you can save some money buying them in larger quantities. There are several different styles of the Cristal on the market, so if this one doesn’t do it for you, there are others to try out.
The Bottom Line
While I’ll admit that this isn’t the only pen that I use, it is the disposable that I purchase most often. It’s inexpensive, doesn’t leak, gives me a nice dark ink that dries quick [not instantly, but quick enough] and is virtually goof proof. My boys use these from time to time when they need to take notes or are writing letters to pen pals but their first choice is always an automatic or mechanical pencil. The plastic body is strong enough to put up with a lot of use, a fair share of abuse and a lot of writing. The comfort grip is something that I really appreciate when doing a lot of writing and could really benefit those that have a hard time using standard plastic pens due to wrist, hand or finger ailments.
To check out all the cool colors and pens that BIC offers, feel free to visit the official website at www.bicworld.com.
Epinions.com periodically updates pricing and product information from third-party sources, so some information may be slightly out-of-date. You should confirm all information before relying on it.
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