# Why are Bic pens with green ink not available in the US? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 29, 2016, 9:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-bic-pens-with-green-ink-not-available-in-the-us/767190 "2016-09-29T09:44:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2016, 9:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-bic-pens-with-green-ink-not-available-in-the-us/767190/1 "2016-09-29T09:44:57Z")
Bic Cristal pens (the ubiquitous ballpoint/biro) come in black, blue, red and green. But according to their [website](http://www.bicworld.com/en/products/details/7/): > [@](#): > > This product is available in: > Europe, North America, Central America, Oceania,South America, Africa and Asia. > \*Please note: Green ink is not available in the U.S. What? Why? What are crazy people and teenage girls supposed to write letters with in the US? Is there no demand? Does green ink contain some substance banned in the Land of the Free? What’s up with that? 😕 ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2016, 9:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-bic-pens-with-green-ink-not-available-in-the-us/767190/2 "2016-09-29T09:52:19Z")
[These](http://www.bicworld.com/en/products/details/513/4-colours-shine) are available. Why buy a single-ink pen when you can get four colors together? ---
**Author:** ![naita](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/naita/32/5862_2.png) [@naita](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/naita)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2016, 10:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-bic-pens-with-green-ink-not-available-in-the-us/767190/3 "2016-09-29T10:17:45Z")
> [@Colophon](#): > > What? Why? What are crazy people and teenage girls supposed to write letters with in the US? Is there no demand? Does green ink contain some substance banned in the Land of the Free? What’s up with that? 😕 I think this is a question that will be difficult to get a proper answer to, and I believe the reason is just that US Bic Cristal buyers are so uninterested in green ink that Bic has decided to just not sell that there. They will happily sell you a bunch of other green ink pens though. ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2016, 10:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-bic-pens-with-green-ink-not-available-in-the-us/767190/4 "2016-09-29T10:40:08Z")
Seems odd because green used to be the standard color used by auditors. ---
**Author:** ![crucible](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/5f8ce5/32.png) [@crucible](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crucible)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2016, 10:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-bic-pens-with-green-ink-not-available-in-the-us/767190/5 "2016-09-29T10:41:55Z")
doesn’t copy in some machines? Probably not the answer. ---
**Author:** ![naita](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/naita/32/5862_2.png) [@naita](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/naita)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2016, 10:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-bic-pens-with-green-ink-not-available-in-the-us/767190/6 "2016-09-29T10:49:47Z")
I guess people will keep speculating wildly, but here’s some further evidence for my hypothesis. [Bic Cristal Grip](http://www.bicworld.com/en/products/details/19/cristal-grip) not available in red or green in North-America [Bic Round Stic](http://www.bicworld.com/en/products/details/12/round-stic) - Not available at all in Europe, but “One of the best-selling BIC ball pens in the USA” and available in Black, Blue, Red and Green. Now why isn’t the Bic Round Stic available in Europe? Round pens banned in the oppressive EU? ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2016, 11:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-bic-pens-with-green-ink-not-available-in-the-us/767190/7 "2016-09-29T11:17:54Z")
I remember those… this oppressed European found them too thin, but whether that’s merely my personal preference or shared by enough Europeans to drive a marketing decision, I cannot tell you. ---
**Author:** ![bob\_2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bob_2/32/3341_2.png) [@bob\_2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bob_2)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2016, 11:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-bic-pens-with-green-ink-not-available-in-the-us/767190/8 "2016-09-29T11:22:36Z")
> [@Nava](#): > > I remember those… this oppressed European found them too thin, but whether that’s merely my personal preference or shared by enough Europeans to drive a marketing decision, I cannot tell you. Cos we have such fat fingers over here 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![naita](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/naita/32/5862_2.png) [@naita](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/naita)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2016, 11:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-bic-pens-with-green-ink-not-available-in-the-us/767190/9 "2016-09-29T11:34:43Z")
[Bic Crystal Extra Bold](https://www.shopbic.com/products/stationery/pens/MSB1DC/) - only available in the US - in red and green. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2016, 12:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-bic-pens-with-green-ink-not-available-in-the-us/767190/10 "2016-09-29T12:07:07Z")
> [@crucible](#): > > doesn’t copy in some machines? Probably not the answer. I believe it’s blue ink that doesn’t reproduce well. Thirty years ago, I was on the college newspaper and we used to mark up the pages with blue ink for that reason. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2016, 12:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-bic-pens-with-green-ink-not-available-in-the-us/767190/11 "2016-09-29T12:33:14Z")
BIC Round Stic Grip Xtra Comfort Ball Pen is available in [green](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0029XJM50/ref=pd_sim_229_5?ie=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=HQBM7ZZZPAYY4CNPD0CX), and also [purple](https://www.amazon.com/GSMG11-PE-Ballpoint-Pen%252c-Purple-Medium%252c/dp/B0096XO8JQ/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1475152108&sr=8-2&keywords=bic+purple). So it’s not that Bic pens with green ink are not available in the US, it’s that they don’t sell _that particular model_ with green ink. [Amazon apparently sells some that are imported](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0029XJM50/ref=pd_sim_229_5?ie=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=HQBM7ZZZPAYY4CNPD0CX), though, if that’s what you really want. ---
**Author:** ![GimbalLocker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/aca169/32.png) [@GimbalLocker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GimbalLocker)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2016, 1:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-bic-pens-with-green-ink-not-available-in-the-us/767190/12 "2016-09-29T13:06:34Z")
delete wrong placement ---
**Author:** ![GimbalLocker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/aca169/32.png) [@GimbalLocker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GimbalLocker)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2016, 1:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-bic-pens-with-green-ink-not-available-in-the-us/767190/13 "2016-09-29T13:08:36Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > I believe it’s blue ink that doesn’t reproduce well. Thirty years ago, I was on the college newspaper and we used to mark up the pages with blue ink for that reason. I’m an animator, and we used those for pencil tests, “Col-Erase Non-Photo Blue” specifically. It’s more of a light sky blue though. ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2016, 1:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-bic-pens-with-green-ink-not-available-in-the-us/767190/14 "2016-09-29T13:13:16Z")
I use purple G2s for my writing, for a variety of reasons including just personal preference, and that’s after switching from years of using green. I gave up on the latter because the ink always sucked and the pens skipped and ran dry much more easily than other colors. I had no idea they’d become a rarity here. 🙂 Purple G2’s are hard enough to find that I buy them in modest bulk, a couple of dozen at a time, once a year or so. I still have to extract and ‘restart’ cartridges on those, but not as often as green. Funny how the color can make such a difference. ---
**Author:** ![watchwolf49](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e9c0ed/32.png) [@watchwolf49](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/watchwolf49)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2016, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-bic-pens-with-green-ink-not-available-in-the-us/767190/15 "2016-09-29T14:15:21Z")
I’m glad green ink is still available here ---
**Author:** ![Randolph](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Randolph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Randolph)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2016, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-bic-pens-with-green-ink-not-available-in-the-us/767190/16 "2016-09-29T14:17:28Z")
Banking thing, maybe? They seem to hate green pens. (Prostitute thing, maybe? They seem to hate green peens.) ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2016, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-bic-pens-with-green-ink-not-available-in-the-us/767190/17 "2016-09-29T15:48:48Z")
[Box of 50 Bic Cristal green pens from Amazon.](https://www.amazon.com/Cristal-Ballpoint-Green-8373629-Pack/dp/B000WG4JRC/ref=sr_1_16?s=office-products&ie=UTF8&qid=1475163608&sr=1-16&keywords=bic+cristal+pens) ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2016, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-bic-pens-with-green-ink-not-available-in-the-us/767190/18 "2016-09-29T16:09:20Z")
> [@Boyo\_Jim](#): > > [Box of 50 Bic Cristal green pens from Amazon.](https://www.amazon.com/Cristal-Ballpoint-Green-8373629-Pack/dp/B000WG4JRC/ref=sr_1_16?s=office-products&ie=UTF8&qid=1475163608&sr=1-16&keywords=bic+cristal+pens) That’s the one I linked to earlier, which is apparently an import. It’s “sent from the UK.” ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2016, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-bic-pens-with-green-ink-not-available-in-the-us/767190/19 "2016-09-29T16:21:42Z")
Which means, at worst, that the pens are not made in America, but they ARE available here. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2016, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-bic-pens-with-green-ink-not-available-in-the-us/767190/20 "2016-09-29T16:24:14Z")
> [@Boyo\_Jim](#): > > Which means, at worst, that the pens are not made in America, but they ARE available here. Damn. So all those years I spent smuggling them in in my rectum… [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-bic-pens-with-green-ink-not-available-in-the-us/767190.md?page=2)