Review: Bic A1 Gel 0.7mm Black

I didn't have high hopes when I grabbed a two-pack of the Bic A1 Gel pens off the shelf at my local Publix grocery store, and as I expected, they let me down pretty quickly.  I bought them because, well, I am a pen addict of course, and I was browsing the school supply aisle and said "Hey, I haven't tried those yet", so into the basket they went.  Big mistake.

Bic has come out with a few new models recently that I have liked (the 730R for one), but the A1 is downright terrible.  I could tell right when I opened the package that the construction of the pen was sub-par, and as soon as I started writing it became even clearer how poorly made this pen is.  When the tip hits the page, all I could hear was the click click click of the cartridge bouncing off the opening of the pen barrel.  It was a really loose fit, and a huge annoyance.  The barrel as a whole is not good, with raised ridges where the plastic is formed together, and scratches and smudges on the barrel like the pen was dropped on the floor a few times before packaging.  The grip was really slick as well for a rubber grip.

Even if the pen wrote well - which it didn't - there are too many issues with the construction to get past.  This may be the single worst pen I have ever reviewed.

Click Here for the XL review.

Reader Mailbag

I have had a few questions sitting in my mailbox from readers looking for help.  Maybe you have some ideas?

Rachel has lost her favorite pen:

It was small and looked like a pencil (half the length I'd say of a normal pen) with a hexagonal, red, pencil like wood casing for the pen. It was retractable and the push button on top was silver and metal. I cannot remember the make although it was written down the side of it. The nib was needlepoint and wrote in such a way that it looked as if the writing had been written in pencil (ie, it wasn't a very deep black coloured ink).  Do you have any idea at all of who might make this pen?

Glenn wonders how long some pens last:

I don't know if you've attempted this or if you'd even have time for it (or maybe you know of someone else who's done it), but after recently buying some of your top picks and other favorites (mostly gel, like .4mm Sarasas and thin Uniball Signo - which I think are great), I got curious about how each pen typically lasts. I noticed that some have fairly thick barrels of the ink cartridge itself, which makes me think they won't last that long.  Anyhow, just wondering if you're aware of anybody who has done any kind of "test" to see which pen gives the most bang for the buck (or if you could figure out a way to make it happen?).

Jeremy (and several other commentors) want to know about pen hacks:

I've found a pen that is just perfect save for one thing...it's looks.  I ordered some Uni-ball Signo DX 0.28mm pens from jetpens, and while I absolutely love the way they write and the colors they support, I'm not too keen on the style of the pen itself.  I was wondering if you had some across a Uni-ball pen that tool the DX ink refills.  My other favorite pen is the Pilot G2 Limited and I was able to put the 0.38mm refill in that and it performs beautifully and looks nice to boot.  Something I like having clients see me with.  So ya, I was wondering if you knew of something similar for the Uni-ball.

Unfortunately for Rachel, I haven't come across any pen that meets that description.  For Glenn, that is one failing of this blog.  I use so many different pens now it is rare when I run the ink out of one.  I will say pretty much any Zebra pen is going to run out of ink prior to a comparable pen.  That has been the case for years as far as I'm concerned.  Jeremy's pen hack situation is something I want to explore more, but haven't had the time to yet.  One of the most basic refill swaps that I do enjoy though is the Uni-Ball Signo RT cartridge (lavender black please!) into the Uni-Ball Signo Premier 207 barrel.  It is a perfect fit.

Feel free to leave any thoughts or suggestions you have in the
comments.

Ink Links

-- I can't live without Pilot Hi-Tec-C Pens  (Loved Despite Great Faults)

-- My Pen Kit  (scherbiphoto)

-- Featured Pen - Salz BCHR  (Whatever)

-- The Fountain Pen Ink Mixing Kit and Basic Colors  (Office Supply Geek)

-- Review - TUL gel retractable four color pack (Pens Etc.)

-- 1 Week to My First Mandala Workshop  (Spiritual Evolution of the Bean)

-- Iroshizuku Tsuyu-Kusa Ink Review  (Everyday Correspondence)

-- Recycled Paper Pencils review  (Lung Sketching Scrolls)

-- Pentel Energel Needlepoint/Uniball 207 Needlepoint  (Cheap Pen Review)

-- Largest/Smallest Rhodia pads  (Rhodia Drive)

-- Review: Rhodia Webnotebook  (Notebook Stories)

-- Thirty Pens in Thirty Days  (Fountain Pen Network via Goldspot Pens)

-- Scripto Pencils  (My Supply Room)

-- Blackwing 602 pencil  (Pencil Talk)

-- Review of Pilot Parallel Pens  (Definatalie)

-- Jac Zagoory Scroll Pen  (Unposted)

-- Sketching in Tokyo, the fluid lines of illustrator Lok Jansen  (Urban Sketchers)

-- Review: Uni-ball Watercolour Pencil set  (Pentamento)

-- Review: Pen and Paper Test in a Small Cartesio Journal  (Journaling Arts)

-- Do fountain pen owners name their pens?  (PostMuse)

-- Miami Pen Show: July 17 - 19, 2009  (Whatever)

-- Head to Head Highlighters  (Prosaic Paradise)

-- Pens I Like  (Blowing Out Lanterns)