The colored cap of Bic pens has not always had holes in it. It was only in the 90s that the brand decided to break it. But why ? Astrid Canevet, communication manager for Bic Europe, explains the story of this pen that we all use.
THE original Bic Cristal pens are essential: we all have one on hand, in the office, in our pencil case, in our closets, at home and even in stores. Because this blue, red, black or green ballpoint pen crosses the generations and is one of the most used supplies. But did you know that its plastic cap, which we all like to chew on, hasn’t always had a hole in it?
The cap of the Bic pen drilled in the 90s
The Bic company began to market its pens in the 1950s. But it was not until 40 years later that the brand decided to add a hole to the tip of its caps. And this for a very particular reason, following accidents in England in the 1990s. “Bic has always been very involved in the safety of its products, and it is from there that we decided to apply this new British standard worldwide for the caps of our pens.“, explains Astrid Canevet, communication manager for the Bic Europe brand.
“It was from there that we decided to apply this new British standard for the caps of our pens worldwide”
But then, why are Bic pens with holes in their caps?
“There is indeed a small hole in the cap of Bic pens For safety reasons”, confirms Astrid Canevet. In effect, “If the cap is swallowed by mistake, the small hole then allows air to circulate and avoid choking“. She also specifies that many other pens today have holes for this same reason.