[Pen/Pencil Review] BIC Intensity Permanent Porous Point 0.5mm

This is one of the last finds on the last Office Depot run. These are the BIC Intensity permanent pens – fiber tipped in a 0.5mm fine point. These came in a five-pen multi-pack – two black, blue, green, and red.

The BIC Intensity permanent pens are kind of cool. They’re long – 5.5″ capped and 6.5″ cap posted. They’re on the narrow side when it comes to diameter – more like your basic stick pen than any kind of marker – but they are designed to be a pen, so that’s to be expected. They did make an attempt to round off the edges, but there are still edges to cut into fingers.

The porous point (or fiber tip) is a 0.5mm tip, which I love (thanks for making a “for real” fine point). However, being a porous point, there’s going to be the possibility of destroying said point over time. I can see that happening, especially if you’re heavy handed – like me.

The ink is dark and vibrant – including the green. Green is always the tough color. Too many times it’s not nearly as rich as I would like. This is pretty decent, especially for the fine line. The black, blue, and red are great, but they’re harder to mess up. The ink doesn’t smear on porous paper – it still takes a second to dry on glossier paper. True to its hype, it doesn’t bleed through paper, and is water-resistant.

Where you have to check the fine print? These are “permanent on paper”. Not PERMANENT. I thought I might be able to use them at work where I write on plastic bags. Nope. Smears right off. Doesn’t wanna. Have to keep using my Sharpies for that. And that’s when I noticed the “on paper” part of the packaging, but they’re still useful.
The numbers:

1. How does it work? – 0.5 – It works like it says it should, not like I thought it would. I shouldn’t knock it for the fact I didn’t read the packaging as well as I should’ve – but I am. The “permanent on paper” in on the back. Not on the front. When I see “permanent” I have certain expectations, and it’s more than “on paper”
2. Grip and feel – 0.5 – It’s a bit on the narrow side. There’s no ergonomics, and there are ridges to get in the way of long-term comfort. And though fairly well-balanced, these pens are long enough to be a touch unwieldy.
3. Material – 1 – They are what they are. Long, stick pens with no frills. They’re designed to be disposable, so they’re made that way.
4. Overall Design – 0.5 – I’m not a huge fan. I think they’re too long and a touch too narrow with no grip. I think “permanent” is an over-reach for a description. But they’re good porous point pens, if that’s what you’re looking for.
5. Price Point – 1 – They’re not expensive. The five-packs run between $5 and $6 which is just over a $1 apiece, which isn’t bad for the pen. They’re worth that – and you can get them in a variety of places.

That’s 3.5 of 5 bronze pencils.

Tags: 0.5mm, BIC, fiber tip, Fine Point, pen, permanent ink, Porous Point, writing instrument