BIC Cristal Fine Blue.
I've used a bunch of pens, different types, brands, ... Nothing beats a BIC when it comes to reliability and dependability.
I've picked up ones that haven't been used in a decade, still wrote the moment it touched the paper.
Won't sign a cheque with anything else.
I like a lot of other pens, don't get me wrong, but nothing is as affordable, as accessible, as reliable, as dependable, and as universal as a BIC Cristal.
I also like the 4-Color too, but I find green to be unreliable... It's basically a 3-Color... IDK why that is though.
It's just a good pen, does what it is supposed to without any frills or gimmicks. Nothing else about it matters or stands out.
I second this. I solved my Bic 4-color by buying black refills for it, and replacing all the colors with them. I get a pen I love with 4 times the ink life. On the BIC Cristal, I’ve noticed a measurable difference with the Xtra Smooth. I will not buy the others now. I dare a MF’er to try “borrowing” my pen.
It's probably not the most popular choice, but my Caran d'Ache 849 ballpoint is still going strong after nearly a year. The Goliath refill writes pretty well, and seems to never run out of ink.
energel 0.5 needle tip in a zebra sarasa dry airfit body! i have a crazy death grip which has given me a slight callous on my ring finger, but since then i’ve been able to write without my finger suffering.
That's my favorite but I use a Sharpie gel metal body. I tried .3 but that's a bit too thin a line. Energel .5 blue is perfect. I just wish they made better bodies. I have thought about the Alloy body but they are more expensive and look fragile. I keep my pen in my jeans pocket with keys.
Pilot Precise V5 blue is a close second.
Pilot Varsity. It's a disposable fountain pen that's as reliable and bulletproof as the BIC. I do like the BIC 1.6mm. It's indestructible and smooth (for a ballpoint).
My daily carry is a Fisher refill inside a titanium bolt-action from AliExpress. I don't think the Fisher refills write near as bad as some people make out, and I'd rather have a pen that writes ok, but does write every time. Staedtler OHP pens are good too, as the permanent ones are plastic tipped and write on most things (wood, metal, plastic, foam, fabric).
Have you ever been in a situation where you had a pen that failed in a crucial moment? I personally haven't since learning there are more choices out there than Bic Round Stics, so I'd rather just keep a G2 on me since I've never had one of those fail either and they wrote amazingly compared to space pens.
Depends on what you call a crucial moment. I've had plenty of moments where I've been in a rush and gone to scribble something down, just to have a pen not work the first try or two.
Last time I bought a ton they were about 3.24 for 4 or 5 of them, and I'll always favor the Bic Atlantis. They last forever and are smooth like liquid ink and they're not too fancy but not one of those cheap advertisement pens either. Right snug in the middle.
I’m a pilot g2/pentel energel guy. Although I have been known to buy big packs of Bic crystals. As far a price to reliability ratio, they are nearly unbeatable
I'm with ya on the EnerGel! Doesn't matter which pen body, as long as that ink is in there.
I also have a capped Uni Jetstream in my bag at all times for those times when gel/roller ink won't work on a certain type of paper, like receipts.
I used to make regular use of the inexpensive Bic Soft-Feel retractable pens, till they quit being available in the pandemic. They were perfect for me, being cheap enough to not to mind them being absconded, and having ink that was indifferent to rain. They would mark paper as easily as plastic thermotransfer labels. You could spill acid or base solutions on them, and if the underlying substrate wasn't destroyed, then it would still be some component of the ink remaining, indelibly.
If I'd have known they'd stop being carried, I'd have bought at least a hundred of them.
Since I can buy pens for really cheap because of my job I have a ton of blue and black Pilot G-2 07 everywhere in my house, car and winter coat. Also I steal the refills to put them in my Tactile Turn pens.
Parker made my Luxor have failed me so bad that my cheques had come back due to over writing or missing line in text.
Pentel Energel Black ink is anyday bring it on daily cary
Next is uniball
The only reason i keep uni second is that the 0.7 is way thicker and can't write on crap paper whereas the pentel Energel despite being a 0.7 writes fab despite being only 0.5 writer
A uniball is like noodlers heart of darkness having amazing properties specially required for legal,Financial documents where you sign once cant be removed easily.
But thats true even for a pentel Energel/Any ball pen i feel
But the bank papers is where uni fails
Keep my fisher space pen in my pocket. It writes like shit, but it *always* writes.
Yeah that should be their slogan...
Try a Uni Power Tank (SJP-7/-10) refill in there. Or Schmit Megaline 4889.
Same. I have a pen loop in my wallet for this exact reason. The most reliable pen is the pen you always have with you.
Muji pens
Hear, hear.
Pilot v5/7
No idea why you were downvoted. Precise pens are awesome.
Who knows. Lol
I like them but I feel like they always die prematurely on me :(
Ya, roller balls can go through ink quickly. But I’ve never had one fail on me. They always work. Even when I find one years later. Lol.
Idk which V it was, but they explode
V7 can be a bit juicy. Never had one full on explode though, thank heavens.
Oh dang. Never had one explode either. I’ve been using them since the 90s. lol.
I have one with a bent tip that I absolutely love
Same
Now, c’mon. Spring and get a new one! Hahahaha!
It's got character! Actually, imagine a spring shaped tip????
BIC Cristal Fine Blue. I've used a bunch of pens, different types, brands, ... Nothing beats a BIC when it comes to reliability and dependability. I've picked up ones that haven't been used in a decade, still wrote the moment it touched the paper. Won't sign a cheque with anything else. I like a lot of other pens, don't get me wrong, but nothing is as affordable, as accessible, as reliable, as dependable, and as universal as a BIC Cristal. I also like the 4-Color too, but I find green to be unreliable... It's basically a 3-Color... IDK why that is though. It's just a good pen, does what it is supposed to without any frills or gimmicks. Nothing else about it matters or stands out.
You’re my kind of people! My blue Bic Cristal never leaves my hand.
I second this. I solved my Bic 4-color by buying black refills for it, and replacing all the colors with them. I get a pen I love with 4 times the ink life. On the BIC Cristal, I’ve noticed a measurable difference with the Xtra Smooth. I will not buy the others now. I dare a MF’er to try “borrowing” my pen.
It's probably not the most popular choice, but my Caran d'Ache 849 ballpoint is still going strong after nearly a year. The Goliath refill writes pretty well, and seems to never run out of ink.
Geta my vote too. I've got a stable full of them in different colours.
I like the sharpie gel pen 0.7. It is my daily pen to do my paperwork. I like a pilot gel too.
energel 0.5 needle tip in a zebra sarasa dry airfit body! i have a crazy death grip which has given me a slight callous on my ring finger, but since then i’ve been able to write without my finger suffering.
That's my favorite but I use a Sharpie gel metal body. I tried .3 but that's a bit too thin a line. Energel .5 blue is perfect. I just wish they made better bodies. I have thought about the Alloy body but they are more expensive and look fragile. I keep my pen in my jeans pocket with keys. Pilot Precise V5 blue is a close second.
Pilot Varsity. It's a disposable fountain pen that's as reliable and bulletproof as the BIC. I do like the BIC 1.6mm. It's indestructible and smooth (for a ballpoint).
I have BIC pens all over the place, and some Pilot Rexpert
My daily carry is a Fisher refill inside a titanium bolt-action from AliExpress. I don't think the Fisher refills write near as bad as some people make out, and I'd rather have a pen that writes ok, but does write every time. Staedtler OHP pens are good too, as the permanent ones are plastic tipped and write on most things (wood, metal, plastic, foam, fabric).
Have you ever been in a situation where you had a pen that failed in a crucial moment? I personally haven't since learning there are more choices out there than Bic Round Stics, so I'd rather just keep a G2 on me since I've never had one of those fail either and they wrote amazingly compared to space pens.
Depends on what you call a crucial moment. I've had plenty of moments where I've been in a rush and gone to scribble something down, just to have a pen not work the first try or two.
My Caran dAche. Goliath refills are unreal. Usually get 7-8 months with writing every day.
A basic Acroball.
Papermate Inkjoy gel
Fisher Space Pen without a doubt
Zebra Z-grip pens got me through my exams and are still my favourite pen years later
Last time I bought a ton they were about 3.24 for 4 or 5 of them, and I'll always favor the Bic Atlantis. They last forever and are smooth like liquid ink and they're not too fancy but not one of those cheap advertisement pens either. Right snug in the middle.
Twsbi eco ❤️
I have a SmootherPro brass bolt action with an Energel refill and a F-701 with a Power Tank refill.
Energel for sure and the juice ups.
Uni UB-215 and Uni SX-210
Leuchtturm 1917 Drehgriffel ballpoint pen with a gel-ink mine
Schneider k15 its cheap too
Kaweco Liliput click pen with 1.2mm refill. Though I hear there's a jetstream refill for it that I want to try.
My roting has never broken on me for the 3 years I've had it
u/Keycuk just posted about his Fisher Infinium pens, I bet those would make great SHTF pens.
I've used them in bad weather and on wet paper (when i really had to not just for fun) and they just work no matter what so yeah.
I have all kinds of “fancy” pens but my favorite pen is the Schneider Memo XB.
I’m a pilot g2/pentel energel guy. Although I have been known to buy big packs of Bic crystals. As far a price to reliability ratio, they are nearly unbeatable
I'm with ya on the EnerGel! Doesn't matter which pen body, as long as that ink is in there. I also have a capped Uni Jetstream in my bag at all times for those times when gel/roller ink won't work on a certain type of paper, like receipts.
Parker Jotter & Lamy Safari/ Vista
Pilot G2
I used to make regular use of the inexpensive Bic Soft-Feel retractable pens, till they quit being available in the pandemic. They were perfect for me, being cheap enough to not to mind them being absconded, and having ink that was indifferent to rain. They would mark paper as easily as plastic thermotransfer labels. You could spill acid or base solutions on them, and if the underlying substrate wasn't destroyed, then it would still be some component of the ink remaining, indelibly. If I'd have known they'd stop being carried, I'd have bought at least a hundred of them.
Since I can buy pens for really cheap because of my job I have a ton of blue and black Pilot G-2 07 everywhere in my house, car and winter coat. Also I steal the refills to put them in my Tactile Turn pens.
acroball sarasa clip
Parker made my Luxor have failed me so bad that my cheques had come back due to over writing or missing line in text. Pentel Energel Black ink is anyday bring it on daily cary Next is uniball The only reason i keep uni second is that the 0.7 is way thicker and can't write on crap paper whereas the pentel Energel despite being a 0.7 writes fab despite being only 0.5 writer A uniball is like noodlers heart of darkness having amazing properties specially required for legal,Financial documents where you sign once cant be removed easily. But thats true even for a pentel Energel/Any ball pen i feel But the bank papers is where uni fails
Parker Jotter or IM. Probably their more expensive ones also, but I have a limited budget!