Why did they make this metal Bic pen??

[@satunbreeze]

It annoys me to no end how many pens I've had to throw away cause they've run out of ink when theyee so easily refillable if they just came with refill inserts 🙄

[@GranolaMusic]

sustainable choices should be the norm by now. I believe it's a result of Bic's interest in profit at the end of the day. Those pens are everywhere but they don't put refills in front of your face in the store shelves just a whole new pen to buy.

[@tubecated_development]

@@GranolaMusic if only customers would learn to ask

[@tubecated_development]

@@GranolaMusic Every business is interested in profit - hence sustainability should be consumer-lead.

[@phirion6341]

@@tubecated_development want any sauce with your boot 😂?

[@tubecated_development]

@@phirion6341 that makes no sense

[@emilyputerbaugh826]

Yes love your critique of this! I agree it looks like green washing 🙃

[@GranolaMusic]

me too i think Peter had nothing but valid critiques. Also just learned a new phrase w "green-washing" so thanks lol

[@ffotograffydd]

It would be but for the fact that Peter got it wrong, you can actually buy extra refills for this pen!

[@donbutto]

@@ffotograffydd link?

[@ffotograffydd]

@@donbutto Google it mate, the link I found is no use to you if you don’t live in the same country.

[@iTeachMyToast]

@@ffotograffydd except shipping a little pack of pen refills you ordered online definitely negates any environmental friendliness this product has

[@ot7stan207]

are you a magician. how do u just effortless come up with these masterpieces casually?!

[@aydenfimbres9406]

Obviously, He’s a magic man

[@LK-3000]

No, I agree with you. A nice aluminum pen with a plastic cap feels less than complete--even if it is a partially recycled plastic cap in a recycled paper box. Maybe they can make partially recycled plastic pens with the partially recycled cap and all aluminum pens with aluminum caps. But anyway, thank for the video. Your drawings are inspiring as usual.

[@Crispy_Bee]

But if it was an aluminum cap it would get stuck all the time. Metal on metal contacts are less than ideal.

[@gregs.2679]

@@Crispy_Bee That's exactly the sticking point, so to speak . . . metal caps do stick to metal barrels, and most of the engineering workarounds to avoid it increase costs enough that they are practical only for relatively expensive writing instruments, like fountain pens. Also, they may have been concerned that a metal cap would scuff up the barrel so much that it would be uncomfortable to hold. One approach is to add a plastic liner to the inside of a metal cap, but making it thin enough to fit yet durable, while not impossible, probably would bypass the $12 price point by quite a lot.

[@lilpixie25]

I love Bic Crystals. I've used them all my life, and i still find them the easiest to get into drawing. When i was a teen i used to doodle tattoo designs (as you do ) and i remember getting sharp edges... i also remember them being so satisfying to build up. Anyway, just reminiscing. Thanks for the drawing

[@factsandsvchannel5995]

How to get a refill of bic pen

[@rodneyperry6942]

That's why they're still around after over 50 years....they haven't changed much, except for the cap color.

[@lilpixie25]

@@rodneyperry6942 that is very true, even that particularly familiar smell is still the same :)

[@dustiibunnii]

Also, the box it came in could fit like two or three more pens in it anyways- or like you said, make their packaging more environmentally friendly from recyclable sources and such. Stuff like this has to be thought out completely. I like metal pens too, I like using materials that have weight. I don’t consider your thoughts as whiny, it does seem so… “betraying” in an sense to see something be labeled as one way, in this case eco-friendly and just plainly seeing it doesn’t follow suit. Really appreciate your insights, and always love the drawings! If anyone knows any good brands that make good recycle pens and materials, please tell me!!! I’d like to use them!

[@b00boo-f4p]

Simply beautiful Peter

[@leighannenight]

Preach!! I completely agree with you on the pen and it's crap like this that actually motivated me to get into fountain pens.

[@MackieLars]

oh this! definitely this! the few non-fountain pens that i have around are refillable too (i have two coletos that function as an every day pen and a multi-pencil). with FPs, once you get that one or few inks that you really want, you just keep using those few inks all throughout your years. plus, buying ink samples for the more fun inks that you're unlikely to use often is much more enjoyable than having so so many pens that you you'll keep throwing away once they're all used up

[@chrisallen7512]

I think that cross hatch shaded background on the square space drawing was so sick

[@gaelhillyardcreative]

Great and very fair review, Peter and I totally agree. I have filled empty Bic refills with my own ink before. Bit messy, and depending on the ink it doesn’t always work, but when it does is quite fun.

[@SwitchAndLever]

I actually made a metal BIC pen, even made a video about it. It was made out of solid brass though, but took standard BIC refills. Looked smashing, but was way too heavy to use for any length of time comfortably. I kind of want this lighter metal one, even if it's performative, I love me a good light metal pen. Currently rocking a full metal Parker Jotter, and it's been my go-to pen for quite a while, but I do have a lot of love for those BIC refills.

[@JamesTheManiac]

I love the Bic crystal inserts. I believe the Bic 4 colour pens use the same tips, and I love those 4 colour Bic pens.

[@liliyaversus4051]

i think i lost majority of pens in my life before i needed to refill them. So for me an eco-friendly pen needs to have a gps built in X3

[@VanGoWanderlust]

I think it’s really for people that love the Bic pen but want it in a nicer body, that’s all. Like the Pilot G2 you can get all sorts of high end metal and wood bodies for.

[@LoveSource5d]

Thanks for the new video and drawing, Peter! I am inspired by you!

[@michaellindsey1543]

Peter - I swear you are one level up away from cutting off an ear and sending it to an admirer . . .

[@peter_draws]

you want my spare ear?

[@michaellindsey1543]

@@peter_draws Lol!

[@Art2.mp4]

It's almost like an conceptual art piece where you take something that's cheap and replaceable and just make it special by using high end materials. I like it.

[@animula6908]

He’s a genius.

[@LordLoveaDuck]

Exactly! It's fucking genius. And the fact that the cap is still plastic is hilarious! It allows one to bend the clip part which is also iconic. This artist is a very talented moron.

[@BrandonLongwell]

I've been using Bic Round Sticks and pulling the inks as refills for my 3d printed pens. I'm all on board with your assessment of this pen and the lack of just refills on the market.

[@sleepyparrot.]

Its about putting less plastic in the ground to degrade since it's said that it takes a 1,000 yesrs for plastic to degrade.

[@Roni-IIH]

Agree, the essence of being environmentally conscious is to stop buying more things..if they offer no refills, then what's the point?! If they offer refills for the regular pens, that would be more than enough. Love the drawing. It's always interesting to see the outcome ❤

[@landonmillsap3414]

I understand the need for the cap to be plastic with the original bic pen design. The lid only fits onto the original bic pen design because the lid can flex around the ridges of the pen. But I think if bic just made an affordable metal pen that wasn't the shape of the original, and provided quality refills for that one, it would accomplish their goal with this and more.

[@roxannemaguire9844]

Always great to see you, Peter! Thanks for the sensible review 😊 I really like the type of hatching background that you used in your SquareSpace ad!!!

[@ZePinko]

I've been super curious about the bolt action pens i've been seeing floating around Instagram. Bunch of companies that make them, but the one that I remember off the top of my head is called Bastion.

[@NikkiA.Art.]

Amazon UK sells the refills for £6.61 for a set of 3 and the pen for £8.40 or £12.49 depending on which seller you choose. 🤣 Umm, I am perplexed as you are Peter !

[@catblue6393]

I agree with you. My idea for Bic is for them to: discontinue the plastic barreled pens altogether; make all of their pen barrels from recycled aluminum; make the aluminum barrels in different colors (for fun and/or ink color); sell refills with plastic tips in colors to indicate ink colors; make a better cap, perhaps in recycled aluminum with rubber/plastic o-ring inside to pressure fit on aluminum barrel; make all of their packaging recyclable; have place on aluminum barrel to etch your name.

[@westernrider100]

Also, make a view strip, so we can monitor the amount of ink in the pen.

[@animula6908]

I hate that idea, but nothing against you. I just love the classic pens.

[@Alexvais22]

It put a smile on my face to see that you posted 😁

[@iuliapopa7250]

Hi Peter! I really don't think that you're making too big of a deal out of this. I too believe there's too much "advertisement" on eco friendly products, when the big companies are just brushing their waste under the rug and feeding is big, fancy words. Love the vid! Keep callin 'em out!

[@visionaryvenus]

Hey Peter, hope you have a great day :)

[@peter_draws]

Thanks, you too!

[@RogerEhinger-tg1hv]

I have long had a pen body named Sherpa. It carries one of several pens inside a classy body. Mine is similar in size and shape to a large fountain pen, black with fine white pin stripes. It added some class to my pocket while providing a pen that could deal with carbon copies. Yeah I'm that old. I still resort to it from time to time, filling it with a Uni Vision for a fine waterproof line when doing watercolor and ink sketches.

[@jamez_gamez]

Been usinig these for journaling/sketching for a good while now. 's good.

[@koskey06]

The bic crystal is my all time favorite pen! So smooth for a ball point, water proof, zero skipping, fast drying, cheap

[@coltchristopher1]

Metal will always be better than plastic.

[@toddlerdurden7331]

I got a stainless steel Sharpie once and promptly lost it, that was the last time I buy a fancy version of a cheap pen.

[@peter_draws]

Haha yeah I lost my stainless steel sharpie too

[@doc_sav]

There is something interesting about taking the simplest, most discardable objects, and making nice versions of them. Like making a glass version of plastic utensils, or high end metal mcdonald's toys. Anyway, I'd wager that the additional processing, heat, and shipping required for this pen make it far more impactful to the environment than a grip of boxes of regular Cristal pens, and it arguable that having zinc alloys (what I am guessing this is made of) leaching into the ground and water is worse than plastic. But for me, that just adds to my artistic appreciation of its absurdity.

[@JH-pe3ro]

Bic does have an eco-branded cheap product in their "Ecolutions Clik Stic" line. But when it came about that I wanted some classic paste ink ballpoint action, the other day, I picked up regular Cristals, both in black and colors, not that other stuff. The thing is, the refills last so long, most people lose or break them before they finish the refill...thus the metal pen enters as the "special" one that won't break. Except for the cap. But the cap is the same as the regular Cristal cap. So for the Bic collectors likely to get this, they have everything covered, because if you're just dipping into your collection for the refills, of course you have extra caps. Everything about Bic is absurdly cost-reduced, to the point that when you get the colors, it does not guarantee that you get an equal assortment of all the colors, but you get so many pens that it doesn't matter. The pens are basically individually wrapped candies, and I'm sure they've been optimized around transport costs too. It might well be the case that on any specific measure other than "quantity of leftover plastic" they have already worked out the option that gives you more pen with less energy and resource consumption.

[@jimmerseiber]

I totally agree Peter. On all fronts.

[@teslastellar]

The casing on my Bic pens always break so I'm not sure the idea would work with plastic Bics. In fact they always break before the ink is used and my pens were always scotch taped

[@jamieshannon9809]

I get that problem as well and have to tape it up close to the nib. Because when I start a pen I have to finish it. Unless I get given a partially used one then I have to finish that first.

[@gregs.2679]

Although mostly a fountain pen and mechanical pencil guy, I was a big fan of the so-called "Bic Stic" in the 1990s. It was disposable, and slender like the Cristal, but had a liquid ink rollerball cartridge inside. Now I'm wondering if the Bic Stic is still available and whether the cartridge will fit this aluminum barrel. My grail metallic Bic, however, is the sterling silver version of their iconic four-colour pen that they made in VERRRY limited quantities to celebrate some sort of business or French historical milestone. Unfortunately, I've seen only one of them, and that was in a photo, so I don't expect to be able to add one to my collection. In 1975, Bic actually came up with a sterling silver version of the Cristal to mark a key anniversary, and some of them were even rendered in vermeil (sterling silver dipped in molten gold to ward away tarnish). With current prices ranging from $600 to $900, I'm not even vaguely interested in one of those. Maybe for an upcoming review, you could look into the Bic fountain pens that are relatively unknown outside of France?

[@LukeSeeleygamertagisV3XChintzy]

Love you Peter 😊

[@dead2that]

I agree, the people that made this missed reality. The metal pen should of come with the 24 refills. Same as the plastic pack at least.

[@seancoyote]

It is odd that they don't supply refills to the most ubiquitous pen in existence.

[@tubecated_development]

The oddest thing is that people (mostly) never asked? do a web search for ‘the refill guide’

[@ffotograffydd]

They do! Somehow Peter missed it. It took me all if 30 seconds to find the refills on Amazon.

[@tubecated_development]

@@ffotograffydd yeah, but that doesn’t get view$ does it ;). in all honesty, I put my hand up, I’ve never sought/bought a refill for a rollerball

[@ffotograffydd]

@@tubecated_development I watched for a review of the pen, but instead just heard lots of complaints about a nonexistent refill that does actually exist… it might have gained my view this time, but I’ll probably give future reviews a miss… so short term gain leads long term loss.

[@tubecated_development]

@@ffotograffydd hustle culture is short term, but that is culture right now

[@sajjadpour2552]

Brother, your explanation is good and your drawing with pen is amazing ❤

[@StevenIngram]

Call me old fashioned, but I think the best refillable writing instruments are fountain pens and mechanical pencils. I mean, for a pen, all you should need is ink. And for a pencil, all you should need is graphite. When you think about it, anything more is waste. So, when it comes to pens with replaceable cartridges, I don't think of them as refillable so much as reusable. :) Of course, I may be splitting hairs. :)

[@ZKorvin]

Seems like they had a great idea but couldn't be arsed to see it through.

[@ffotograffydd]

You can buy the refills, Peter just missed them somehow.

[@TheArtOfJerry]

It's more sense to buy the normal plastic pens. I love your doodles, Drawing.

[@chrisallen7512]

Subscribed to you. I can relate with you on so many things and quirks… love your channel brother. You have gotten me into fountain pens and drawing on a whole other inspirational level! 😎🧑‍🎨🧙‍♂️

[@EvanDeitrich9]

Love the hat!

[@jperry6779]

You make a good point, Peter. Now, I am looking at all my various pens and wondering if they can be refilled.

[@gorf1342]

Though not the bic refills your asking for, g2 pens hav refills available in a couple of big name office supply stores, so that’s a start

[@clipdump]

The metal ones are the way to go. I’ve had so many bics break. You are right about replacing the ink but the plastic barrels feel disposable and most end up in landfill or the ocean. How much of that plastic is going to end up going through someone or something’s digestive tract? To me it’s a step in the right direction

[@squeethesane]

it seems like the re'news can use the same refills as any non click retracting bic. Now I'm not seeing BiC expressly saying this anywhere, but the measurements on the whitepaper registration seems to fit just fine. Uhhhh I think it's their "B3 standard" refill. Potentially that means being able to find wild color options.

[@GilezDavidson]

Your point makes the most sense. 😊

[@Ni5ei]

2:38 Bic had an ad here in Europe ages ago which said: Bic Cristal; world's most chewed pen. Now you know why people don't want a refill but a whole new pen.

[@nyghtlie]

i agree! they should have just worked on their packaging and making it easier to refill the plastic pens. cutting production by only adding 2-3 pens in a pack, adding refills, and then selling the refills in store. making everything out of recyclable waste in the most sustainable ways or we could just do converters and our own ink.

[@TheNightowl001]

This is one of those items I'm tempted to buy just because I think it's going to flop in the market and someday somebody will be saying "Remember that metal BIC pen?" Chalk it up to fear of missing out on which I feel probably will not be a market-saturating pen that could inadvertently become something of a collector's item for a very small niche collector.

[@atl17isfast]

I'm getting ready to start singing the Daniel Boone song, with that coon skin hat you are wearing. ha

[@Meganthamac]

I’ve been using the metal pen. I like it but the grip hurts lol. I got it on sale from my school’s bookstore.

[@entheogenetic]

fan for 2+ Years - Peter Draws..... conclusions about pens.

[@ichirofakename]

1. How do you like drawing with a BiC? 2. For a while at least two competitors for some years have made metal bodies in which to put a BiC refill. One was $20, one was $40. I'm pretty sure at least one has gone under. They seemed to imply you should buy a BiC Cristal and pull out the refill and shove it in the metal. Not for any eco reasons, but rather to have a sturdier, nicer pen body.

[@TheThirdeYe1337]

I can completely understand your argument -- and it's disappointing they do not seem to readily offer the refills for these. I grew attached to the older Stainless Steel Sharpie, and after my first refill died, I couldn't find a replacement refill for it anywhere. It seemed to be totally discontinued, and became a stainless steel paper weight. At least with this one you could technically buy another plastic one to harvest the refill, but that seems to defeat their intended purpose. Very strange.

[@dianamcdavis1335]

Gorgeous drawing!!! Have you used a R2 rollerball black ink pen? It's a pen that I got at Dollar tree and the ink was perfectly black instead of a dark grey or blue and the ink flowed so well, like a sparkling water spring. I haven't been seeing them at any Dollar tree near me lately. I hope they aren't taking them off the shelves permanently. The ink is great, it's 2 per pack at $1.25 at Dollar tree, and it has great ink flow. It's my favorite pen. No other pen I've used fills in large areas anything like the .7mm R2 rollerball black ink pen.

[@Brenilla]

I think most plastic pens/pencils don’t get much for refills/come in sets of a lot is cause most people don’t have a pen till it is needed to be refilled. People are verry shocked when they see how short some of my pencils are, and even more shocked when I had to buy refills for one of my favorite pens. (Not even a fancy pen just a regular pilot p2 jell pen)

[@archivist17]

Right on, Peter! 💚

[@tanakeilidh384]

Thanks, Peter

[@kitskitt5412]

LOVE the hat!!!😻

[@MrBraun-kq5qf]

In Canada you can get the metal one for $5 still pricey compared to the plastic ones but a lot cheaper than other places

[@oshin4403]

nice 'etching' pun during square space section haha

[@bigsadwolf6937]

you are Peter Draws. Congratulations!

[@agradoville]

Honesty is always best....love that about you. Tell us what you feel it helps us out...

[@mute_ed984]

Some may like the extra weight and sturdiness of the metal ballpoint.

[@louizelimepips3517]

I remember using BIC pens as a kid. I used to bite on them and the barrel would crack before the ink runs out. 😂

[@ffotograffydd]

You can definitely get the refills, at least here in Europe. Are they a new product in the USA? Maybe speak to wherever you bought the pen from?

[@flikkie72]

I agree that you don't need a lot of the stuff the metal pen is pushing. But do you need 24 plastic pens if they're refillable? Btw, in the Netherlands, you can get a pack of 50 refills for €10

[@MisterNiles]

It very well may be a performative gesture of a pen, but you made a remarkable drawing with it. Was it the set and setting or was it the pen?

[@arncj18]

they made it to jump on the "sustainable" train. i wish they made a premium version of this body in polished SS, or brass... like the direction of the Monami 153. And made it cheaper.

[@hakonrunner]

I agree. Most of the pens that claim to be refillable have refills that cost much more than just buying the entire pen again. Or, as in the case of this Bic, refills gutted from other Cristals.

[@HeidiSue60]

Yahooey Louey! Hi Peter!

[@gunsmokeandghouls]

Instead of making a metal pen they should focus on making pens completely made out of recycled or recyclable material. But. That's corporate world for ya .

[@OrangeOrange006]

nice! im happy i saw this video today, 💮

[@HeroOfThePeople]

I really like this piece

[@macklee6837]

I like it, I think it's cool

[@jamieshannon9809]

As I'm not able to draw and also have no imagination - I have to ask what does your drawing represent or portray?

[@EvilHag1]

I bet the plastic cap has to do with the past choking hazard issue, that is why there is a hole in the end of the cap. Maybe people might hurt themselves accidentally chewing on a metal lid.

[@paulsway]

Well they want you to buy the box of regular ones for the ink refills and throw out the body makes a lot of sense

[@vertik7]

I like BIC Cristal because you can see how much ink left. So, it would be logical to sell one BIC Cristal pen with 10 refills and also sell refills separately. Metal Bic Cristal is really strange (and it's not transparent, like Cristal should be, maybe some holes to see ink would've helped) and not needed and is not sold in the USA. Also, BIC Cristal has a competition now PaperMate Inkjoy are also transparent pens - refills not transparent though.

[@Michelt007]

Best is using fountain pens. Refilled with ink bottles, minimum waste, especially if the bottle is made of glass.

[@jerryharper8499]

What is your drawing of. Is just random doodles?

[@leelu2274]

Thanks❤️

[@lisaabascal2643]

Those bic pens are my favorite pens. Nothing compares to them.

[@coloringanddoodling9751]

Totally with you Peter, 100%. Understand it completely. I feel the same way about Cascade dishwasher detergent. They have ads telling people to run their dishwasher everyday, no matter how few dishes are in it, because it saves water. You do however have to use the same dishwasher tablet to wash 4 plates as you would to wash a full dishwasher. Cascade is solely trying to sell more of their product, CANCEL Cascade. Whew, I have to calm down HA

[@rootz420]

I mean yes. But also using the dishwasher literally only uses like 2 gallons of water. Running your tap for like 10 minutes is MUCH MUCH MUCH more water than 2 gallons.

[@LadyPelikan]

My local shop said the refill was more expensive than a new pen (other ballpoint brand than BIC). I went to the competition.

[@johnps1670]

I want the 1.6 mm as a refill for writing.

[@Frankschtaldt]

I really wanted one right up until the point you said the lid was still plastic. That's always the first part to fail for me.

[@jennaknight8863]

Maybe the metal pen doubles adds a straw or to poke a hole into someone's neck as a makeshift trachiotomy

[@TyBraek]

It sucks that the refills will probably be way more expensive than the plastic pens themselves. I haven't even seen listings for the refills. Maybe they expect you to never use 3 full bic pens in your life.

[@georgehiotis]

You can also use the crystal as substitute pea shooters for spit balls. We used them for that in school.

[@spycedezynuk]

Wait, what, you can use them as pens ?!

[@Vigilant76]

Great to see your making content, I freakin' love this channel!!! By the way, not to pry... But how goes the battle with your anxiety and stuff? Hope this comment finds you happy and healthy!

[@ArcaneTinker]

I make a full copper version. With a copper cap, which takes the inserts, but it's more than 12 bucks.

[@jesusalcantara7594]

Show me

[@hakonsoreide]

My initial reaction when I saw this is it's way worse than the plastic version since you can't see how much ink is left. Anyway, on the BIC website, under the heading "Refillable", it only says : "Comes with 2 refills". Nowhere does it say "Refills sold separately". In other words, the only way to get more refills would be to buy plastic BIC Cristals and cannibalise those. Great(!). Their claim that it's a "Sustainable design" is only backed up by two things: the recycled plastic cap (really?), and the two refills it comes with. That's it. It's also not clear whether it's a 70th anniversary special limited edition, but I somehow feel it would be best if it were.

[@jraddthomp270]

❤ you Peter