I do not get to to take vacations anymore but I have friends and customers who do. I always ask them to pick me up a souvenir pen or pencil during their trips. These folks always come through. This trip was to the northeast part of the country to look at the fall leaves and get some pens. They did both. I added the BIC because I just got it. A BIC Quantech 0.7mm pencil. Have never seen one before in the stores. Nice looking on the card and that is where it will stay. BIC could have done better with this pencil. Just add the souvenir pens and pencils to your collection.
The Quantech certainly looks nice. It kind of looks a bit like the Staedlter 925
ReplyDeleteIt does look nice in the package. It is not a good pencil. The BIC that is a good pencil is the BIC Criterium 2mm lead holder in metal. Thats the one we need to be looking for.
ReplyDeleteGeorge is right, looks can be deceiving. Like almost modern mechanical pencils the most important feature, the mechnism is a combination of metal... and plastic! The Quantech's clutch retainer is brass and the clutch is common plastic... not even ABS plastic, which would be better. Being as it is it will wear off. It may take some time, depending on the usage it gets, but it will stop working properly and eventualy break. It's a shame because it really is a nice looking instrument. Naturaly the same goes to all MPs built like this.
ReplyDeleteThe only "serious" offer on BIC's cathalog is the Criterium 2mm lead holder, available in plastic or metal barrels, the later being a very good pencil.
I don't mean to say BIC MPs are terrible, tey're not! They are as good as any other cheap models made by some of the best well known brands. All in all I still think the Quantech worths a try. It has a few merits like the drafting sliding sleeve that makes the pencil pocket safe, the metal knurled grip and the pocket clip which is very nice too... plus the looks.
Ricardo
I like the one that looks like a fish! When my younger brother was a kid, he actually put together a pencil collection that was so impressive it was displayed at a couple of our city's libraries. I wish I had a picture of that collection now. It was all No.2 pencils but in a huge variety of styles. Looking at your vacation pen collection brought that back because he would have family members bring him pencils as souvenirs from all over the country.
ReplyDeleteDaisy McCarty
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