1970s! There's even a commercial for them here on RU-vid from around 1971! I haven't been able to find the secondary kind with a different set of colors in forever!
I'm a motorcycle instructor in Ohio. A co-instructor borrowed my Bic multicolor, and at the end of class I rolled up next to his car, my passenger window lowering in one smooth motion. My expression was one of subdued threat, like a Tarantino character. He said "Please tell me youre here for the pen." "That's right. Hand it over." *laughter*
i am a courier for an environmental and food testing lab. I pick up samples from many places each day for my job. I have to record mileage, sample type, temperatures, averages and more. this pen is a HERO and allows me to separate my workflow on my data sheets.
70's I think .. But to say the ink lasts forever ???? I had these all the time, they had a LOT of ink .. BUT the tip dried up after a few days .. ALL THE TIME ..... ! ! ! ! Just bought one recently ... Did the exact same thing ...! ! ! ! I have NEVER seen one that had a ring on its top instead of a round ball though !! IS that something brand new ?????
I used to be about the bic 4 color pen but I now use a Uni Jetstream 4+1 exclusively! What is amazing about them is they also have a mechanical pencil inside them! Trust me Brodie, they are worth a look for sure :)