Workplace & School

BIC pens
BIC pens
"writes first time, every time" (and shot spitballs)

Contributed by Camden

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There are 12 comments for this item.

Posted by Bob Matthews at 1:59 pm (PDT) on Mon September 5, 2016   
When the ink clogged you could hold the metal tip over a flame for a couple of seconds. That melted the clog and the BIC would resume writing.
You knew it was a clog because the plastic ink cartridge was see-thru and you could see there was still some ink left.
Posted by Robert Hutchison at 1:21 pm (PDT) on Tue August 30, 2016   
Two commercials I remember from back then were the BIC ones and of course, TIMEX Watches!
Posted by LoyalTubist at 7:04 pm (PDT) on Sat August 27, 2016   
The base of the ink cartridge used to be metal. There was a TV commercial in which a female ice skater strapped a Bic pen to her blade and ground the point of the pen in the ice. It would be taken off and the pen point would be put through a flame. Using a pair of pliers to hold the cartridge, she wrote BIC on a piece of paper. You can't do that now: It's all plastic.
Posted by IOfferMyBentNickel at 6:52 pm (PDT) on Sun April 3, 2016   
Thanks for looking it up, "CJ" ! I knew some clever cat would have the information. That's why I enjoy this group. I searched Wikipedia and according to their research, the BIC pen was the company's very first product. They also introduced a BIC lighter to the marketplace in 1973: they guaranteed it could produce a flame "3,000" times; clever scientists at work or clever marketing.
Posted by freddo30 at 10:20 pm (PDT) on Sat April 2, 2016   
19 cents
Posted by CJ at 7:45 pm (PDT) on Fri April 1, 2016   
@IOfferMyBentNickel - "BIC" is actually a shortened version of founder Marcel Bich's name. Société Bic (commonly referred to just as Bic) is a company based in Clichy, France
Posted by IOfferMyBentNickel at 4:59 pm (PDT) on Fri April 1, 2016   
We were "the BIC master spit shooters" back in the 70s (re: public school).
I lost that skill somewhere along the way.

Does anyone know if "BIC" was/is one of those acronymns that actually meant something? You know, curiousity almost kills the cat - "bang."
BIC pens changed: back in the day when they appeared "drained" they were kind of like Timex watches...they just kept on ticking/writing.


Posted by paktype at 12:10 pm (PDT) on Mon March 21, 2016   
They're still around. Can't fix what ain't broke.
Posted by buff glenbrook kid at 5:00 pm (PDT) on Sun September 20, 2015   
Hahahaha....yes I shot a lot of spitballs with these.But! my best memory of them was the commericals.The skater would attach one to their skate downward onto the ice....take a couple of laps and then write with the pen."Writes first time..every time" This caused many a kid to give thier own "tests" just to see if that was the case.Not so.
Posted by Bob Matthews at 4:42 pm (PDT) on Fri May 15, 2015   
...and leak when the ink was running low. Got on your shirt, your hand...
Posted by CJ at 6:22 pm (PDT) on Wed May 13, 2015   
They did make the greatest "spit-ball" shooter. Take out the ink cartridge and the small cap on the bottom, cover the little hole in the barrel and you were good to go.
Posted by Steverino at 8:04 pm (PDT) on Thu April 3, 2014   
Absolutely hated them. I thought they were the worst ever. Only thing was, that was the only brand in the student store, and tasted like crap...

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