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Bic 4 Color Grip Ballpoint Pen

Ballpoint Pens — 08 June 2011
Bic 4 Color Grip Ballpoint Pen
Bic 4 Color Grip Ballpoint Pen Package

The Bic 4 Color Grip Ballpoint Pen

The Bic 4 Color Grip Ballpoint Pen is a newer twist on the classic version of the Original Bic 4 Color Pen.  It has been out for a little while now, but there has been quite some time that has gone by between the release of the original, and the release of this newer modern version, so I thought we should take a look at the differences.

Bic 4 Color Grip Ballpoint Body

The Bic 4 Color Grip Ballpoint Body

 

The immediate and obvious difference between this version and the classic version is that as you can tell from the “Grip” nomenclature, there has been an emphasis put on adding an actual grip to the barrel of this pen, which previously was gripless.  Additionally the pen now has a more modern black and silver body with a more angular (think the new Cadillacs and Acuras if you know anything about cars) design for the section of the body that houses the 4 different color plungers.

 

Bic 4 Color Grip Ballpoint Comparison to Classic 4 Color Ballpoint

Bic 4 Color Grip Ballpoint Comparison to Classic 4 Color Ballpoint

In a side by side comparison, the new version has one curious functional difference which is that the order that the colors run in are different.  In the above photo you can see that the black and red have been swapped, and while not shown in a photograph, the blue and green remain in the same positions.  Additionally, the new grip version of the 4 color pen has a slightly longer body, and feels just a bit heavier, and the ball on top now has a hole drilled in it, presumably to throw this sucker on a lanyard.  Also of minor note, the old classic version has a large “Made in France” running up the side of the top half of the barrel, while the new version has a very tiny “Japan” stamped on the side.

 

Bic 4 Color Grip Ballpoint Ink Comparison

Bic 4 Color Grip Ballpoint Ink Comparison

 

The last thing to compare between the new and old versions of this pen is the ink, and surprisingly enough there was zero difference there.  Same ink cartridges, same writing performance, so it wasn’t even worth putting together a writing comparison for these.  I am a little surprised that Bic didn’t try to improve these with their Easy Glide ink, but I guess the classic version has a pretty solid following, so I am sure they didn’t want to mess with that.   I can tell you though that writing with the new version is certainly more comfortable because of the much improved grip and the nicer heft that gives the pen a more solid feel, and noticeably less rattle when writing.

One thing I’ve noticed with the classic version is that they are heavily favored by baseball analysts and reporters, I’ve been meaning to document this with screen caps of some games, but my timing is always bad and I miss all the good shots, anyway thats a discussion for another day.  For now, if you have been a big fan of this pen, definitely grab yourself the new grip version and see how Bic has made some nice little improvements to this old favorite.

© 2011, OfficeSupplyGeek. All rights reserved.

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  • http://www.JetPens.com Brad Dowdy

    Welcome to the 21st Century Bic! The barrel looks really nice, but I am surprised like you that they didn’t take the opportunity to upgrade the ink/writing performance. How about a Bic 4 Color Easy Glide?

    And you are right about the baseball analysts. It’s a good scorebook pen.

  • http://www.JetPens.com Brad Dowdy

    Welcome to the 21st Century Bic! The barrel looks really nice, but I am surprised like you that they didn’t take the opportunity to upgrade the ink/writing performance. How about a Bic 4 Color Easy Glide?

    And you are right about the baseball analysts. It’s a good scorebook pen.

  • Anonymous

    Hey Brad – Good to hear from you.  Glad I’m not the only one thinking that.

    And I have to tell you, I’ve been tempted to start sending some of these baseball folks some Jetstream and Coleto multi pens to get them on the right track. :)  I think I may have to do that.

  • http://pretenseofknowledge.com/ speedmaster

    Wow! Blast from the past. My memory of them … Mid to late 1970s I would often go to the nearby Catholic school with my grandmother on a Friday evening for Bingo. The room was packed with aggressive 50+ year old women, the air was so thick with cigarette smoke you could d@mned near cut it. And it seemed like they all had those same Bic pens.  ;-)

  • Imgovtdrone

    I bought one of these and used it at a meeting where several people asked me where I gotten it. Went to lunch and it was gone off of my desk.

  • Richard Tingey

    Hey OfficeSupplyGeek. I like the black and silver version of the GRIP pen. We don’t have it yet. In New Zealand we’ve had the smooth blue version for at least forty years. A few years ago I noticed the smooth orange barrel fine tip version on the BIC website and they sent me some. I was very impressed. I had to press more lightly to stop the paper ripping but I soon got used to it. They’re ideal for technical drawings. The ink lasts longer for same number of words. Then, last year they sent me one of the new orange barrel fine tip GRIP pens to try as a free sample and I was over the moon.The grip coating is fused into the plastic so my high quality compass set screw clamp holds firm. I need to use a tissue to wipe the tip of ink build up when using a ruler because  the fine tip ball goes more into the paper. I put it on a website too. http://www.bic4.webs.com They’re sold in a nationwide red budget store called the warehouse in a pack of two GRIP pens for $10.However, they do not sell the refills yet. It’s a top quality long lasting pen with a tight non moving tip when extended. Try squeezing the grip barrel sideways and it will not pop out like a lemon pip as the smooth barrel ones do. The grip surface will not go gooey and soft when old like on some pens, yet stays fully gripping. The pocket clasp looks better and is backed up by a split ring hole for neck band clips.  It’s a winner with me.