The cheapest pen in the Bond universe has the most interesting job. In GoldenEye (1995), Alan Cumming’s Boris Grishenko fidgets with a blue Bic Cristal, then picks up Bond’s Parker Jotter grenade pen by mistake. The pen is a Bic Cristal in blue, a design from 1950 that is still the best-selling pen in the world.
Using it now
The Cristal is a ballpoint at its plainest: a clear hexagonal barrel that stops it rolling off a desk, and a plain, smooth-writing refill. Marcel Bich launched it in December 1950, shortened his name to Bic in 1953, and by September 2006 the 100 billionth pen had been sold. The Museum of Modern Art holds it in its permanent collection.
We would keep one in a jacket pocket and not think about it. It is the pen for signing for a parcel, making a note in a margin, or lending to a stranger, and nobody minds if it does not come back. If you want something slimmer and heavier, the Parker Vector rollerball is a better desk pen, though it is from another film.
Specifications
| Maker | Bic, France |
|---|---|
| Model | Cristal, blue ink |
| Introduced | December 1950 |
| Barrel | Clear and hexagonal |
| Film | GoldenEye (1995), used by Boris Grishenko |
More in Accessories, or the full list from GoldenEye.
