One of the coolest undiscovered families of writing instruments is the Platinum Bee Line. Here is some information to get you start on your Bee Line journey.
Bee Line Basics
The Bee Line (often spelled “BeeLine”) is a historic relic from Platinum, who is well-known today for their 3776 fountain pen and Preppy line.
The Bee Line was sold in the 1980s and has a style that is typical of the time. Many pens then had a “tube” or “cylinder” design, which was common then but basically unknown today.
The Bee Line was sold as a fountain pen, mechanical pencil, retractable ballpoint, and a rollerball. It was sold in black and gun metal (dark grey) finishes.
The Bee Line was most notable for the mechanical in the ballpoint and the mechanical pencil. The writing tip extended when it was pushed against the paper, causing it to pop out in a very cool manner. Some mechanisms have disappeared today and aren’t at all intuitive so both the ballpoint and pencil could be confusing to new users.
You can watch out Bee Line vintage pen video for some additional visuals.
Bee Line Manual
Here are some scans taken for Unsharpen.com of an original Bee Line manual. The same manual was sent with all four writing devices.
All Pens Pages
Bee Line Fountain Pen
The fountain pen has a tiny, gunmetal-colored nib which is interesting but looks oddly small. It is very much of the era.
The pen uses the same Platinum disposable cartridges still sold today, over 40 years later.
Mechanical Pencil
The most interesting and desirable model in the line is the Bee Line mechanical pencil. Note the hidden pipe which is extended by pressing the small plastic piece on the paper. This small nub extended when the pencil is not in use, protecting the lead sleeve.
Bee Line Ballpoint
The ballpoint pen had a similar extension mechanism to the pencil.
A major downside of the pen is that is uses a non-standard refill that is difficult to replace now, in 2022. It’s similar to a Parker-style refill but longer and thinner.
Bee Line Rollerball
The least notable pen in the series is likely the rollerball, which was perfectly functional, but lacks the style of the rest of the line and has no notable features outside of the Bee Line’s cool exterior.
