Is the Bic Soft Feel the perfect pen?

It's pretty close to being one.

I said recently that I have a small obsession with pens and pencils, and that I might try Bic Soft Feel pens next, so I did.

Ever since I bought a box of these, it is the only pen I've used. I still haven't tried the PaperMate Profile yet; that comes later. For now, I'm all about the Bic Soft Feel.

What makes the Bic Soft Feel soft?

Texture. When you look really close at the pen, you can see it. With the exception of the ball point itself, every single part of this pen's exterior is textured.

Is it literally softer? No, but it feels like it, so the claim of a soft feel is 100% legitimate.

Is the click correct?

The Bic Soft Feel is a retractable pen which most people call a "clicky" pen. The click action is actually kind of a big deal. Yes, the technical reason for the retractable pen is so the writing instrument is a single piece instead of two (meaning no pen cap to lose), but good click action really matters...

...and this pen has got it. The spring has just the right amount of tension, the click itself feels right, and the sound of the click has exactly the right volume. Whether intentional or not, this pen was engineered right.

Is it small?

The barrel and tip of the Bic Soft Feel have a standard size, but the barrel length is about one centimeter shorter than a Bic Cristal. If you take a Cristal with the cap off and put it next to the Soft Feel side-by-side, you see that 1cm length difference.

Does this make the pen feel drastically different compared to other longer pens? No. It's just a little shorter, which actually makes it fit easier in a shirt pocket if you use the clip.

Complaints?

My only complaint is that the ballpoint tip could fit more snugly. I do understand that all retractable pens do have ballpoint wiggle at the tip. I also understand that it's very difficult to engineer an ever-so slightly smaller hole that holds the tip more firmly while at the same time allowing the retraction mechanism to work properly. However, I do notice the movement there.

But make no mistake, it's still a great pen. Not perfect, but really close.

Published 2022 Jan 18