this old tech is still a bic deal

[tuxumino]

you probable use this every day with out a thought.


https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20201028-history-of-the-ballpoint-pen

The ballpoint pen is testament, Sax says, to one of the tenets of “really great design – it almost disappears. If the ballpoint didn’t exist and you launched one today on Kickstarter, it would be the biggest thing ever,” he says.

One major reason Bich’s cheap and cheerful pen took off was thanks to changes in production techniques. Plastic mass production allowed the new ballpoint pens to be made very cheaply. Over the following decades, the pens have become even cheaper, without compromising on their ability to write. “The basic, cheap example made by Bic works as well as it did 50 or 60 years ago,” Sax says.

 

[W800]

Also good for opening boxes! The ball itself is tungsten carbide. Goes through tape like butter.

 

[budman]

Very interesting.

Thanks for the history lesson Tux. ort

 

[berth]

The ballpoint pen is testament, Sax says, to one of the tenets of “really great design – it almost disappears.

"Almost" to the point that I carry my own for when "almost" rears its ugly head trying to sign a CC receipt or something and the one they gave me doesn't work.

Yes, it's a fancy schmancy Fisher Bullet Space Pen...it's actually a bit of a task to find a "cheap" pen that size. Originally I had something similar sized I bought at a random table at a gun show.

And, yes, I lose them long before they run out of, well, anything. Probably on my third or fourth one now.

"Makes a great gift!"

 

[Butch]

Very cool article. History. Science. Who wudda thunk?

 

[cfives]

Ball point pens are what I tend to use while working, so probably a utilitarian solution.

 

[Pushrod]

1957 and Sister RoseAnn confiscated all ball-points and allowed only fountain pens for composition. We were then punished for ink stains on the school uniforms.

Memory lane is a dark place for me.

 

[CDONA]

Yep, pens and lighters, Bic still has this covered,

Their wind surfers don't seem marketable or available though.

 

[fraz]

Yep, pens and lighters, Bic still has this covered,

Their wind surfers don't seem marketable or available though.

Hehe.. Their razors seem to be hanging in there tough as well.

The standard Bic pen is a popular medium for some very fine art. Crazy how the artists achieve the level of detail they do.

 

[HappyHighwayman]

I don't really write anymore

 

[423yjl]

You can still flick your Bic

youtu.be/84WtXVweO8w

 

[berth]

Yep, pens and lighters, Bic still has this covered,

Saw one of those "prepare" articles about firestarters. Talking about flint and steel and all the other things.

Basically it said "get a few Bic lighters and stuff them in places and forget about it, but here's all the other hubabaloo for those who are interested".

 

[HappyHighwayman]

The thing with the flints is you still need a highly flammable piece of special paper to light up

 

[W800]

You can still flick your Bic

youtu.be/84WtXVweO8w

I've flicked my BIC so many times I lost count!!!

 

[W800]

http://www.blogbyben.com/2013/07/100-uses-for-bic-pen.html

 

[DReg350]

I thought you were referring to one of these...

 

[W800]

I thought you were referring to one of these...

OMG!

I had one of those in the mid 1970's. I think it was "British Industries Company" or something like that.

ETA: the name is still around, BTW. I have these at work.

 

[DReg350]

Yeah, that was my first turntable. That thing spun a lot of Pink Floyd and Led Zeppelin. My poor sister. :laughing My buddy had much nicer gear than me. I didn’t care. I was so happy to have mine and blasted it all the time. :thumbup

 

[W800]

Yeah, that was my first turntable. That thing spun a lot of Pink Floyd and Led Zeppelin. My poor sister. :laughing My buddy had much nicer gear than me. I didn’t care. I was so happy to have mine and blasted it all the time. :thumbup

Same here. Also Blue Oyster Cult. I always trip out that people are all into "vinyl" now. We didn't call it "vinyl" dammmit! They were RECORDS!!!

I can't do the hipster thing.

When I want to hear good audio, I will listen to a lossless FLAC recording, through a single-ended Class A tube amplifier, then my Klipsch's.

Strangely enough, even though I am nearly 60, I do like new music. Right now I listen to a lot of Black Metal, lol. It's basically anti-hipster music. Totally not "groovy" or nice.

 

[DReg350]

Same here. Also Blue Oyster Cult. I always trip out that people are all into "vinyl" now. We didn't call it "vinyl" dammmit! They were RECORDS!!!

I can't do the hipster thing.

When I want to hear good audio, I will listen to a lossless FLAC recording, through a single-ended Class A tube amplifier, then my Klipsch's.

Strangely enough, even though I am nearly 60, I do like new music. Right now I listen to a lot of Black Metal, lol. It's basically anti-hipster music. Totally not "groovy" or nice.

Aah, don't care what they call it. Just glad records/vinyl is still a thing. Though I never really gave it up. IIRC they sold a shit ton last year. Something like 18.84 million records, which was up by over 14% over 2018. I love vinyl. Still spin it.

But, now I'm running through a pair of Meadowlark MiniDSP speakers (no external amp) via a Bluesound Vault 2i and my TT rig. :thumbup