BIC Ultra Round Stic Grip

   This pen, much like its cousin the BIC Soft Feel Medium, writes smoothly. And while the point is a little bolder, still a medium at 1.2mm, than I generally prefer, the words go effortlessly from pen to page. The only hard part is thinking about the words to write.
   I keep plenty of these pens on hand in my office because they have never failed me. I just do not keep them in my pockets, but they stay in my bag on assignments due to the fact that they are not retractable. The BIC Ultra Round Stic Grip is a pen that comes with a cap, lid, or whatever you want to call the piece that prevents the pen from writing on things it is not intended to write on (i.e. my pocket). This is great except, I like to be able to take my pen out of my pocket and have it ready to go with just one hand, since I usually have a camera and note pad with me most times.
  The cap can become easy to lose in quick writing situations, leaving the pen unsheathed, but that is the only major downside to this pen. While it lacks the quick-draw aspect I enjoy, the way it smoothly crosses the paper makes it a good asset to keep at the desk or as a spare in a bag.

BIC Soft Feel Medium Point

Bic Soft Feel Medium Point

This pen is under rated in my opinion. It is not a medal body like my go-to pen, the Zebra F-301 0.7mm BP, but it does have some of the same features that first drew me to the Zebra.

It has a sleek, almost slim-line body that allows it to slide easily into my pants pocket or a penholder in my bags.

It is simple, but efficient, and much like the other pens, it has the comfort grip. And while the grip is softer, it’s not so soft that it gets hung up in pockets.

The clip is plastic, like the rest of the pen, yet it is strong to hold its shape so as not to bend like the medal ones. I have discovered that it takes a deliberate attempt to break the clip — tough to break it on accident.

When you put the pen to paper, its medium point doesn’t allow to ink to just soak into the paper, especially if you’re like me and hesitate when you write sometimes.

It also comes in my favorite color to write in, blue, as well as black and red.

Though, as the price point, it makes it silly to have refills for this pen, but

Next to the Zebra F-301 0.7mm BP, the Bic Soft Feel Med. is my favorite pen to use. And as a bonus it costs much less. You can buy a box of 12 for less than $7.00 on Amazon.com.

Zebra F-301 0.7mm BP

    As a journalist, my notebook and pen are glued to my person. There is always a pen and pencil in my right front pocket and notepad in my back right pocket.
    Having a pen at the ready is always something I have to do. In my early days as a journalist, I always had a pen with me, but when I would leave work, it would stay at my desk.  Nowadays, I always have one with me.
   My pen of choice is the Zebra F-301 0.7mm BP.
   I love the sleek feel of the all metal body and durable plastic grip. I have tried pens with the rubber grip, but it makes it difficult to slide in and out of my pocket, much like a gun fighter needs to draw his weapon in an old-timey western. The soft rubber grips would get stuck as I tried to holster my pen in my pocket after interviews.
    The Zebra F-301 0.7mm BP never gets stuck in my pocket.
   The pocket clip has a tendency to get loose over time, but that is what I like about it.
   Brand new out of the package, and it comes in packages of two, the clip is tight but not obnoxiously tight. The fact that the medal clip loosens up a bit — but doesn't break — still allows me to put it in my pocket but hang it on the edge. This way, I am sure that it won't go anywhere but also, it won't fall too far down in my pocket. Since I usually carry at least two with me at all times — a blue one and a black one — having them in my pocket but easily available, I won't be getting my fingers jammed into other pens at the bottom of my pocket.
    With the Zebra F-301 0.7mm BP, the fine point has served me well. When I first began using the Zebra F-301 0.7mm BP, i used the bold tip, which writes the smoothest out of any pen I've used.
   However, I also have some of the worst penmanship known to man, in my opinion and anyone who has tried to read it, and I also write small and my words tend to get mashed together. The bold tip tended to make it even more difficult to read.
   But with fine tip, my letters are more recognizable and therefore, easier to read.
    As my kids have started getting older, I have shown my daughter the value of a good pen. Maybe she's biased, based on the ideas of the household, but she now feels that the Zebra F-301 0.7mm BP is the only pen to have. I have given her a few of my older ones and she gets upset if she misplaces one.
   I know I can't stop her from getting her own opinions as she goes through elementary all the way through to high school, but I hope she understands the value of what a good pen can bring. And with the Zebra F-301 0.7mm BP, the sky is the limit.
    My only qualms about the red Zebra F-301 0.7mm BP is hard to find in stores. I only see blue and black, but a red one would be awesome, as I do editing in my line of work.

Penmanship

   For any writer, the pen and paper are as important as air. A good story can't be told without good notes. Sure, a lot of stories these days never get put down on paper with a pen. They are recorded then transcribed on to a word processing software.
    I will admit, that has been me sometimes. I do not have the best penmanship, it really is a lost art. There are times when I look back to the notes I have taken without understanding what I had written.
    It's tough the write a story with unintelligible notes.
    Still, there is something primitive, yet refined, about putting pen to paper that makes the notes almost come alive. Of the many articles I have written, none have felt more real than when I scribble down the interviews with just my pen and pad.
    In the world of emails and text message, which is to say the world of the battle of which news outlet can break the same news first, the is a constant need to be first. And with tight deadlines, emailing stories back to the office gives a sense of urgency.
   The stories I like are the ones were I sit down with someone to ask questions without the aid of a recorder but show my involvement in the conversation. Even as I take notes, they can see I care about what I am doing, not just getting notes to add in quotes. With a recorder, I often times, find myself looking down at it to make sure it is on, taking away from the interview.
    This can also be true in everyday life. I think keeping a journal is an important and undervalued skill few people take advantage. Not typing words on a computer, but sitting down with their thoughts and feeling the words go from the brain, down through the arm, and out of the pen.
    I realize this may seem hypocritical, or downright dumb, to talk about the power of penmanship in a digital format, but I know writing is changing in front of my eyes. Nothing seems permanent or intentional. The world is constantly finding ways to make things easier for us, but making it easy can be a disadvantage as much as an advantage.
    This is a just a simple review website of pens and it won't change the ever evolving writing world, but maybe it can change how you feel about it.