The incredible invention that is the BIC Cristal pen

[Retro]

We pretty much take BIC pens for granted, right? This is because the design is so good, that they achieve great performance and at such low cost that everyone can use them. Here's the story of how they came about, the clever engineering behind them and how the vast numbers of sales, dwarfing anything else on the planet, have been achieved.

But of course, the one thing that the video doesn't explain, is how they're the perfect cross sectional size and shape to wind a cassette tape by hand!* Since they came before it and were so incredibly popular, I suspect that the cassette's reels were invented with that in mind.

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Bic Cristal - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

The design is now an incredible 70 years old.

BIC Cristal Anniversary | BIC

70 years ago, the BIC® Cristal® pen changed the way people wrote by bringing affordable, quality ball pen technology for everyone’s use to the market…

eu.bic.com

*Those of us of a certain age remember these well.

Cassette tape - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[Tiffany]

OMG, I see the relationship now between the BIC pen and a cassette.....and, yeah, I remember cassette tapes.

 

[Geffers]

I didn't realise they worked upside down, I seem to recall if one tried to write leaning on a wall that it didn't work, maybe I got that wrong somewhe\re along the line. I thought the Papermate Powerpoint was the one for that.

Ah, the bic and the cassette, great repair tool.

Geffers

 

[Retro]

I didn't realise they worked upside down, I seem to recall if one tried to write leaning on a wall that it didn't work,

You're right. Just tested a bic here and can confirm that upside down doesn't work. Runs out after a short time. The video is wrong.