Staedtler Stick 430 M3CP50 Ballpoint Pen Medium, Blue, Box of 50

When I was at school, Staedtler was the go-to ball point pen for me. They were so much sturdier, reliable and easy to use compared to other disposable pens. Fast forward 30 years and my daughter is struggling to get these new pens to consistently work, the ink is pale and they don't seem to last long. These pens really are hit and miss and I do wonder whether they're genuine. I'm also finding Staedtler are not alone in this. We've tried Papermate Inkjoy ball point pens, also black, and these have similar issues. It seems to me that pen manufacturers struggle to make a decent black ball point pen - one that is actually black rather than grey. You may as well buy Bic pens for what these are worth and save some money.

If I could give zero stars, I would.I love Staedtler pens, they are easy to use and my handwriting looks nice when writing with them. Fifty pens arrived on my desk, yippee I thought.Or not.First pen, stopped working after about fifteen minutes. Second pen, lasted around ten minutes.The ink colour is different to normal blue Staedtler pens and they don't write like the normal ones either. So, added together with the lack of longevity, I can only conclude that these are fakes. I always wanted to be a detective when I was little, my dreams have all come true with the purchase of a box of rubbish pens.Why on EARTH is it worth creating fake biros? Seems like a lot of effort for little return. So I'm now stuck with 48 pens, all destined for a short life span. Brilliant.

These pens are awful, lids are tough to remove and almost write in grey till they give out and become near impossible to write with - unless you’d like to play connect the dots with my writing?

I cannot say enough good things about these pens. Though I primarily use black as it is required of me in work the same stands for this colour as its the same pen. I do a lot of writing in work, often in terrible conditions, and these just work, all the time everytime! They are reasonably comfy in hand and produce a good solid medium point. Also, a box of 10 is convenient and the price cannot be beaten. Much better than the standard bic stuff! Not a great deal more to say on these, excellent pen for the price. I highly recommend them.

I like the colour of red but to get a decent looking colour you will have to apply pressure which I am not happy about. I bought 50 by looking at the positive reviews but wasn’t a great idea. It takes all the pleasure out of writing when you feel that you are fighting with the pen. I wouldn’t buy it again.

I have always loved these pens, since the office I worked in in London always provided them. They are the only biro type pens with which can write neatly. Back when I was at school we used pen and ink, then one day the teacher suddenly announced "we will use biros from now on!" Everyone's writing deteriorated just as suddenly. I hated using them and I still do, however when I was introduced to Staedtler stick pens I was pleasantly surprised. I sought them out in shops wherever I could find them. Sadly people seemed to stop selling them and I've not seen them for years, fortunately I found them on the internet and ordered some straight away. Thank you so much.

Arrived very quickly, absolutely love these pens! I'm a big fan of finer pens, they make my handwriting a bit more neat in my opinion. The colour is a nice light blue, and as a left hander I can confirm that there is no problem with the ink stopping and starting when you change pen directions. I'm still using the same pen 2 weeks later, no sign of the ink running out. Only downside is they're not the most comfortable pen to hold if you don't hold close to the nib, which is smoothed round, the top part is hexagonal in shape. Will purchase again... if they finally run out!

I write with my left hand & find it impossible to get pens which make my writing legible. I came upon these pens a couple of years ago & guarded them with my life but alas as with all pens they were loaned out or lost. I had but one left & taking the name from the side decided to try Amazon (you find everything on here right?) and BINGO I found the exact pens I use. I find them excellent to write with & the ink is a nice light-ish blue & doesn't bleed or clot. I am able to use them from beginning to end - not something you can say with many pens. For the price & the ability to allow others to read what I write I can only rate these pens 100%. The lower casing of the pen has never broken - exposing the inner nib & ink - thus making writing difficult. Thank you Staedtler & thank you Amazon!