Comments on: Bic Criterium 2613 2.0mm leadholder

By: Jamie Barley

Jamie Barley — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 18:20:48 +0000

I’v had one of these leadholders before and they’re brilliant! does anybody know where i could purchase this holder from now?

By: Tim Horan

Tim Horan — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 19:22:06 +0000

I bought 2 of these in San Tropez in 1982. I still have them! The only markings on them are: ‘ criterium 2403 FRANCE ‘. They were just a couple of bucks at a corner store. I wanted some pencils for drawing while on vacation in France I guess…I was happy to discover that BIC still actually manufactures them but unhappy when I discovered you can’t get them in the U.S.(?). :(
I didn’t bring them to art school because they were too short. We mostly all drew with compressed charcoal then anyway (I still do!). When I DID draw with the old ”lead pointer” I didn’t WANT the (shorter) criteriums. I used the red ”KOH-I-NOOR” TECHNIGRAPH pencil with those color-coded push buttons (I’ve got a drawer full of those!). They were longer holders and could be more easily used while drawing with your arm extended at an easel.
These French aluminum pencils are CLASSY though! They ARE a marvel of design and function. I’ve seen a ”long” version of these holders. I would LOVE to have some of those!

By: maukka from finland

maukka from finland — Mon, 12 Sep 2011 20:35:51 +0000

I found one CRITERIUM 2.0 mm cray pencil from my desk boxes and I am happy for that ! Finest cray pencil in the world ! In Finland novadays only 0.5 0.7 and 0.9 Pentel pens are available. I like to write with woodbased pencils and the CRITERIUM 2.0 mm pencil is as good as them.

By: penciladmin

penciladmin — Sat, 09 Jan 2010 19:10:35 +0000

Finn, thanks very much for your comment.

By: Finn Schultz-Andersen

Finn Schultz-Andersen — Sat, 09 Jan 2010 15:26:14 +0000

The Criterium 2613 is the best mechanical pencil I ever owned. It is perfect for drawing since you can hold the pencil very close to the lead, without holding on unpleasent fronts and tubes sticking out as with most 0,5 pencils. The Caran D´Ache has a similar front, but it does not feels as good to hold. And the Criterium lasts, I´m sitting with my late fathers Criterium 2613 he bought in the midsixties, it simply reads “france Criterium 2613″ on the barrel. The eraser is gone but the sharpener still works, and the pencil looks like it is a few years old, still shiny and deep black, beside from the chrome on the clip is worn.

Best wishes from Denmark
Finn

By: penciladmin

penciladmin — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 12:41:34 +0000

Hmm, I don’t think so . You may wish to investigate the site leadholder.com for more information.

By: Alaric

Alaric — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 10:04:07 +0000

I used to have a Faber aluminum leadholder (2mm), purchased in the early ’90s. It was a dark battleship gray, hexagonal design with a smooth unridged grip area, otherwise very similar to the Bic pictured. I found it far more comfortable than the plastic bodied designs with large grips that I see everywhere. Any idea if this type is still imported to the US?

By: Delicious J-Cub

Delicious J-Cub — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 09:29:30 +0000

I wasn’t aware that Bic made leadholders. Score!