At the time of writing this, the BIC Matic was the last ever pencil reviewed on Pencil Revolution. 
In one of those pencil coincidences that seem to strike me, around about that time (mid 2006) I was thinking how I should stop mucking about and do a review of the BIC Matic, seeing how it was a pencil that I used quite a lot. Well, the Pencil Revolution review put that thought on hold, until now that is. Let me explain my use of the BIC Matic. In the good old days at my work if you went to the stationery supplies cupboard for a mechanical pencil you were treated to a Pentel P205, 7 or 9. Fantastic. But you know, expense budgets always seem to get tightened, and so Pentel became the much less satisfactory Sakura 125, and then the BIC Matic Classic. So, my pencil cup at work has plenty of BIC Matics in it, and somehow they migrate to my pencil cup at home. It just sort of happens; I’m not deliberately stealing them. Maybe it’s some kind of natural dispersal mechanism? Anyway, all said and done, I use the BIC Matic quite frequently and BIC are a super-power in the field of writing instruments so it’s rather remiss of me to have not done this review earlier on.
A few retailers seem to market this pencil as part of the BIC 10km series, i.e. the ballpoint pen or pencil will write a line 10km long. Some also categorise the BIC Matic as disposable. For example, from one online retailer, “This 10K disposable mechanical pencil contains three 0.7mm leads & will write for 10 kilometres”. I don’t really like the concept of disposable mechanical pencils, it just seems gratuitously wasteful to me. Without any real evidence to base this on, I don’t think BIC exactly discourage the disposable concept - after all it keeps sales ticking over. I must admit to being continually amazed at the number of people in my workplace who believe this pencil is disposable and non-refillable. Despite my office going through boxloads of these pencils, apparently I am the only person who has ever asked for lead refills, and they had to be bought in as a special order item.
The transparent main body of the pencil is hexagonal, presumably in imitation of woodcase pencils. The black front section is round in cross-section and tapers to a short fixed lead sleeve.
“Pencil #2” is printed on the pocket clip and on packaging to help push the idea that this is a standard pencil. A wooden #2, just made from plastic. The pocket clip is a rather cheap attachment which always seems likely to break but then generally does seem to last the distance. It is at best, acceptable, as a pocket clip. 
The eraser is a waste. Well, it does sort of erase, but not very well, and it ends up looking grubby. 
It appears to be one of those PVC-free type compounds. For me, its only purpose is plugging the hole to the lead chamber. Rather unusually this pencil comes loaded with three 90mm long leads. BIC claim “Each pencil contains 3 full-length HB #2 leads, which outlasts normal wood-cased pencils! This pencil is never dull and never needs sharpening.” Most of us would struggle to find 90mm leads but there’s no problem refilling it with normal 60mm leads. I only ever see the 0.7mm lead version, but apparently there is a 0.5mm version as well. As you would expect the lead mechanism is a push top ratchet, ten clicks will get you a whopping 13mm of 0.7mm lead. Strangely though there is some variability – I said 13mm but it varies anywhere from 10 to 14mm. That’s with the same pencil. Most unusual.
Photo: 90mm and 60mm leads
The ones in my part of the world seem to all have “Mexico” moulded into the pocket clip, but according to the review on Pencil Revolution they are made in several other countries.
There’s not really much more I want to say about this mechanical pencil, so maybe I should re-categorise this as a mini-review or something. Clearly the BIC Matic Classic is a pure commodity item, priced to compete for and win all those office supplies contracts. As such, you can’t really expect too much from it, but on the other hand it is a BIC so you do expect it to actually do a pretty good job. Overall then, for the price that your boss paid, BIC gave value for money. My only gripe with this pencil is that after a while the lead mechanism starts to lose its grip. By that I mean if you push down reasonably firmly the lead starts to slide back up into the body. This can sometimes become so pronounced that the pencil becomes unusable.
Amongst other things, the BICworld website has this to say about the BIC Matic Classic
#1 Selling Mechanical Pencil in the US
This product is available in:Europe, Near and Middle East, North America, Central America, Oceania, South America, Africa and Asia
(Hmmm, where’s missing?)
- Best Points – Well, it doesn’t cost your boss much to buy a boxful.
- Not So Good Points – The lead sliding back inside under pressure.
- Price Range – Economy.
Dimensions – Length 150mm, width 8mm across the hexagon flats. Balance point about 75mm up from the tip.
Shiploads of Viking Skjoldungen 400’s, numbers 1 through to 4. Not sure why these Vikings would use the (American) number system in the (European) HB system heartland.
Lots of information on the box.
Treesort high quality wood.
Made from cedar trees. 
Phew, here’s a big one. So heavy you just about need the strength of Thor to lift it. 
Penol PL56 eraser. At 27 x 14 and 72mm long it’s a bit of a jumbo, nearly twice the size of Staedtler Mars Plastic 526 50, and it weighs a ton. Well 48 grams to be slightly more accurate. I had to put my nice new digital cailpers to some use so a quick bit of measurement and calculation tells me Penol PL56 is over 20% more dense than Mars Plastic. Heavy stuff. The texture makes it feel like there are plenty of fillers or additives in the compound.
You can see the join where the two wings of the body are folded around to butt up against each other.
In the past questions have been raised about some expensive pencils having push top mechanisms whereby over time the push top will scratch and wear against the body thus becoming unsightly. I am pleased to report that Lamy have placed a plastic sleeve inside the top folded section up by the pocket clip so that the push top button should not scratch and wear over time as it is clicked up and down. You can hopefully make out the black plastic sleeve in the photo below.
The whole central column is the “mechanism”, and moves up and down when you activate the push top ratchet lead advance mechanism. You can’t hold that section when you push the top button or it won’t “push”. Ten clicks of the mechanism will get you about 8mm of 0.5mm lead.
The tip section is a fixed short conical sleeve. General writing purposes only and only semi pocket safe. Up at the other end of the pencil the pocket clip is quite strong and flexible. Its does a good job although the ball on the end of it didn’t always facilitate an easy slide on to papers or pocket.
The rows of tiny holes punched in the main central grip section of the body provide an interesting aesthetic element. To one degree or another they must also help improve the grip. However, this pencil is narrow, thin even. At only 6mm (1/4 in) diameter the main grip section is not going to win any awards for comfort. You’ll never see one of those “Recommended by the Arthritis Foundation” stickers on the Lamy Spirit. For a person like me who has a medium sized hand and good dexterity the Spirit is perfectly fine for short duration occasional use. Taking some notes at a meeting, scribbling a list in a notebook on the run – no problems; but regular daily use for lengthy durations at a time, well, I suggest you look for another pencil. That is not what the Spirit was really made for. To give you an idea just how thin the Spirit is, here below it is pictured with a Forest Choice woodcase pencil, a Lamy Scribble and a Lamy 2000.
The Spirit is an all-metal mechanical pencil, and despite being so narrow it weighs in at 15 grams and outweighs many a much bulkier plastic pencil. The balance point is obviously down towards the tip and that combines to make the Spirit feel surprisingly substantial in the hand. Deep in thought? Need something to help keep those mental cogs turning, well I thoroughly recommend this pencil when it comes to twiddling around with in your fingers.
Notice any differences? #2 and #3 are the same, #1 and #4 are the same, and #5 and #6 are close. I can also tell you that the guts of #1 thru #4 are fixed, and can not be removed. However, the method of attachment differs between them. #2 and #3 are glued in, #1 and #4 are held in by a c-clip. #4 and #5 can be removed, and are only held by the nosepiece when screwed on.
At first glance these are all very similar pencils, the only feature that obviously separates them apart is the pocket clip which is a classic variant component. Keep the body, mechanism, etc all exactly the same and just put a different pocket clip on to make a different variant that you can sell under another brandname.
Eraser Cartridges
Hopefully in the enlargement below you can see the grooves depression in the main shaft of No Name
Metal Tips
Internal mechanisms 
No Name and F-C are different to each other. Penol and F-C have different white storage chamber shafts, but this could be a difference caused by the difference in lead diameters. Mould markings on the black housing section really make me think Penol and F-C are the same. No Name’s black housing is clearly different when held up against the others. All three mechanisms actually screw back into any of the three different bodies! It’s basically to close to call, but I’ll go with the theory that Penol and F-C are the same.
Just like the Vario L up at the top end of the pencil is the twist out eraser. The Executive comes in 0.5mm and 0.7mm lead options. Mine is 0.7mm. Ten activations of the lead advance mechanism will get you about 6mm of lead, which is perhaps not quite enough for a general writing pencil in 0.7mm. 
Like the Vario L, the Executive has lead cushioning, but unlike the Vario L it is not adjustable.
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