Are Rollerballs Taking Over From Ballpoints?

[daniel0731ex]

I think we will have to agree to disagree. I have no ballpoint pens that dry more slowly than rollerballs. Rollerballs are the fast-drying pens; ballpoint pens are the slow-drying ones. I can go back hours later and smudge words done in ballpoint (depending on the paper); not so with rollerballs. Think about it: smear some oil on some paper and smear some water on some paper . . . which will dry faster? The water, of course. The oil may never dry, depending on what type of oil it is.

 

Believe it or not, ballpoint pen ink is not oil. It actually uses a paste ink based on a dye solute in an alcohol solvent.

The drying time of rollerballs depend on the writing surface. While rollerballs appear to dry quickly on absorbant paper, it is because the ink is absorbed by the fiber rather than actually evaporating. If you write it on less-absorbant papers it will take forever to dry.

Ballpoint pens, on the other hand, dries instantly regardless of the surface, as it uses alcohol as the solvent. It will only smear when you have a blob, whereas gel pens (and rollerballs, on non-absorbant surface) will smear even on regular lines if you did not wait long enough.

 

But this is not the point. What I was focusing on is not the percieved drying time, but rather the physical property of the solvent, which most people tend to identify them by its physical evaporation rate. It is what causes rollerballs to leak, and why ballpoint pens could write on (practcically) any surface.

 

You say that the point of a gel pen was to create a faster-drying rollerball. This simply is not so. Gel pens are the slowest drying of all inks. Slower than ballpoints, and much slower than rollerballs. Creating a gel ink for the purpose of drying faster than a liquid ink (rollerball) would be a failure of epic proportions!

 

The advantage of a gel ink is the pigment; the variety and saturation acheivable with pigments outdo that available with liquid and oil ink. For example, a gel ink black is much blacker than a rollerball black (handy for writing on those coloured envelopes that Hallmark uses!). You can have all kinds of wacky gel inks, too ... gold and silver, etc. Also, because it is a pigment, it is more permanent than oil-based inks and liquid inks (most).

 

The advantage of a rollerball/gel hybrid is the deep saturation of pigmented gel ink combined with the smooth flow, and fast-drying properties of a liquid-ink rollerball.

 

But . . . can we agree that the Jetstream is awesome!? I just wish they made a nicer looking body, like the classic Uni-Ball roller or the Uni-Ball Micro Deluxe. The Jetstream looks pretty gaudy, the 101 being the least so, imo.

 

The main advantage of gel pens with respect to rollerballs is its viscosity when idle. The saturation is merely a byproduct of the means to achieve the solution (excuse my pun). As I mentioned earlier, I am emphasizing on the physical property of the formula, which is reflected but not defined by, drying time. I realized that I forgot to explain this in my previous post, but one of gel pen's intended "success" -- solving the leaking problem -- is not listed because it still failed to achieve fast drying. These two are the same property in different manifestations, which is why I consider it a failure as a whole.

 

Once again, rollerballs DOES NOT DRY FAST! It appears so because the paper absorbs the ink, the very same reason why gel inks smears because the pigment is formed over the surface of the paper rather than dying the fiber itslef. Using water-based ink automatically limits its effectiveness to only good paper, whereas ballpoint pen adapts well to any surface.

 

 

 

 

Even if the above rationalization on hybridizing gel and ballpoint does not stand, it is still known for a fact that Jetstreams are emulsified ballpoint formula, which IS a gel/ballpoint hybrid.

Edited May 7, 2012 by daniel0731ex

[MegWesley]

Have you tried a Pilot V5 or a Uni-Ball Jetstream? These are just two of many modern pens that require no pressure to write. I mean, if you're happy with a fp, then maybe there's no need to, but just a thought.

 

Who is that in your avatar, by the way?

 

It is Sarah from the movie Labyrinth. Actress' name is Jennifer Connelly. One of my favorite movies.

 

And no, I haven't tried either of those two. But I'm going to write them down in case I get a job in the future where I absolutely cannot use fountain pens for some reason.

[bicfan]

I think we will have to agree to disagree. I have no ballpoint pens that dry more slowly than rollerballs. Rollerballs are the fast-drying pens; ballpoint pens are the slow-drying ones. I can go back hours later and smudge words done in ballpoint (depending on the paper); not so with rollerballs. Think about it: smear some oil on some paper and smear some water on some paper . . . which will dry faster? The water, of course. The oil may never dry, depending on what type of oil it is.

 

Believe it or not, ballpoint pen ink is not oil. It actually uses a paste ink based on a dye solute in an alcohol solvent.

The drying time of rollerballs depend on the writing surface. While rollerballs appear to dry quickly on absorbant paper, it is because the ink is absorbed by the fiber rather than actually evaporating. If you write it on less-absorbant papers it will take forever to dry.

Ballpoint pens, on the other hand, dries instantly regardless of the surface, as it uses alcohol as the solvent. It will only smear when you have a blob, whereas gel pens (and rollerballs, on non-absorbant surface) will smear even on regular lines if you did not wait long enough.

 

But this is not the point. What I was focusing on is not the percieved drying time, but rather the physical property of the solvent, which most people tend to identify them by its physical evaporation rate. It is what causes rollerballs to leak, and why ballpoint pens could write on (practcically) any surface.

 

You say that the point of a gel pen was to create a faster-drying rollerball. This simply is not so. Gel pens are the slowest drying of all inks. Slower than ballpoints, and much slower than rollerballs. Creating a gel ink for the purpose of drying faster than a liquid ink (rollerball) would be a failure of epic proportions!

 

The advantage of a gel ink is the pigment; the variety and saturation acheivable with pigments outdo that available with liquid and oil ink. For example, a gel ink black is much blacker than a rollerball black (handy for writing on those coloured envelopes that Hallmark uses!). You can have all kinds of wacky gel inks, too ... gold and silver, etc. Also, because it is a pigment, it is more permanent than oil-based inks and liquid inks (most).

 

The advantage of a rollerball/gel hybrid is the deep saturation of pigmented gel ink combined with the smooth flow, and fast-drying properties of a liquid-ink rollerball.

 

But . . . can we agree that the Jetstream is awesome!? I just wish they made a nicer looking body, like the classic Uni-Ball roller or the Uni-Ball Micro Deluxe. The Jetstream looks pretty gaudy, the 101 being the least so, imo.

 

The main advantage of gel pens with respect to rollerballs is its viscosity when idle. The saturation is merely a byproduct of the means to achieve the solution (excuse my pun). As I mentioned earlier, I am emphasizing on the physical property of the formula, which is reflected but not defined by, drying time. I realized that I forgot to explain this in my previous post, but one of gel pen's intended "success" -- solving the leaking problem -- is not listed because it still failed to achieve fast drying. These two are the same property in different manifestations, which is why I consider it a failure as a whole.

 

Once again, rollerballs DOES NOT DRY FAST! It appears so because the paper absorbs the ink, the very same reason why gel inks smears because the pigment is formed over the surface of the paper rather than dying the fiber itslef. Using water-based ink automatically limits its effectiveness to only good paper, whereas ballpoint pen adapts well to any surface.

 

 

 

 

Even if the above rationalization on hybridizing gel and ballpoint does not stand, it is still known for a fact that Jetstreams are emulsified ballpoint formula, which IS a gel/ballpoint hybrid.

 

Believe it or not, the paste to which you refer is an oil-based one. Ballpoint ink is indeed oil-based ink.

 

I think that if you do the test yourself, you will see. Grab an ordinary piece of paper, the four different pens (rollerball, ballpoint, gel, and Jetstream) and give it a go. Rollerballs are indeed the fastest-drying pens out there (probably some xf fps are equivalent). For a really fast-drying ink, check out Bernanke Blue from Noodler's! It is a liquid ink, of course.

 

It is not a fact that the Jetstream is an ballpoint/gel hybrid.

 

The Senior Brand Manager for Uni-ball had this to say:

 

"The ink is a modern marvel. It is a hybrid ink which is a mixture of Gel and Roller ink combining the super smooth features of a roller and the vivid color and lay down of a gel pen. The result of infusing these 2 inks together is the smoothest writing experience we offer with the added benefit of a quick drying ink that resists smearing."

Edited May 7, 2012 by bicfan

[daniel0731ex]

Believe it or not, the paste to which you refer is an oil-based one. Ballpoint ink is indeed oil-based ink.

 

I think that if you do the test yourself, you will see. Grab an ordinary piece of paper, the four different pens (rollerball, ballpoint, gel, and Jetstream) and give it a go. Rollerballs are indeed the fastest-drying pens out there (probably some xf fps are equivalent). For a really fast-drying ink, check out Bernanke Blue from Noodler's! It is a liquid ink, of course.

 

I am not sure exactly what the Jetstream is. The package for the Jetstream states that it is a rollerball. The website, which you pointed out, states that it is a ballpoint! The video I pointed out seems convinced that it is a rollerball/gel hybrid. Maybe it is all three, somehow. Were it me, I would call it a gel pen that exhibits the flow, smoothness, and fast-drying typical of a rollerball. Maybe that's why they labelled it a rollerball . . . i.e. because people have had bad experiences with gels?

 

:facepalm:

Even though it's called oil-based ink, it's not actually oil.

 

Does pencil leads have lead in it?

 

Early ballpoint pen does use oil-based ink, however; it is in fact a petroleum-based (hence "oil") paste used in newspaper printing, due to its incredibly fast-drying nature. The formula has changed, however, over the years to an alcohol-based paste for health reasons.

However, even the "real" petroleum-based ballpoint ink is not quite the same as what you have in mind; you're probably thinking of those painfully slow-drying oil paste used in oil paintings.

 

Didn't I already made it clear that the perception of rollerball "drying faster" is but a illusion caused by the absorption of the paper? I don't understand how, after going great lengths explaining, you just don't seem to get it (or chose to ignore it?).

The practical drying time does not matter, it is the physically property which the evaporation rate reflects that I'm emphasizing on in order to explain the purpose of secondary hybrids.

 

 

It seems that rational explanations doesn't work for you, so I'll just ask you this:

Neither rollerball nor gel pens could write on glossy surface with ease, so how the heck could Jetstream do it if it is a hybrid of these two?

 

Would I need to ask you to taste the Jetstream ink to show you that it is indeed a modified ballpoint formula?

Edited May 7, 2012 by daniel0731ex

[bicfan]

Believe it or not, the paste to which you refer is an oil-based one. Ballpoint ink is indeed oil-based ink.

 

I think that if you do the test yourself, you will see. Grab an ordinary piece of paper, the four different pens (rollerball, ballpoint, gel, and Jetstream) and give it a go. Rollerballs are indeed the fastest-drying pens out there (probably some xf fps are equivalent). For a really fast-drying ink, check out Bernanke Blue from Noodler's! It is a liquid ink, of course.

 

I am not sure exactly what the Jetstream is. The package for the Jetstream states that it is a rollerball. The website, which you pointed out, states that it is a ballpoint! The video I pointed out seems convinced that it is a rollerball/gel hybrid. Maybe it is all three, somehow. Were it me, I would call it a gel pen that exhibits the flow, smoothness, and fast-drying typical of a rollerball. Maybe that's why they labelled it a rollerball . . . i.e. because people have had bad experiences with gels?

 

:facepalm:

Even though it's called oil-based ink, it's not actually oil.

 

Does pencil leads have lead in it?

 

Early ballpoint pen does use oil-based ink, however; it is in fact a petroleum-based (hence "oil") paste used in newspaper printing, due to its incredibly fast-drying nature. The formula has changed, however, over the years to an alcohol-based paste for health reasons.

However, even the "real" petroleum-based ballpoint ink is not quite the same as what you have in mind; you're probably thinking of those painfully slow-drying oil paste used in oil paintings.

 

Didn't I already made it clear that the perception of rollerball "drying faster" is but a illusion caused by the absorption of the paper? I don't understand how, after going great lengths explaining, you just don't seem to get it (or chose to ignore it?).

The practical drying time does not matter, it is the physically property which the evaporation rate reflects that I'm emphasizing on in order to explain the purpose of secondary hybrids.

 

 

It seems that rational explanations doesn't work for you, so I'll just ask you this:

Neither rollerball nor gel pens could write on glossy surface with ease, so how the heck could Jetstream do it if it is a hybrid of these two?

 

Would I need to ask you to taste the Jetstream ink to show you that it is indeed a modified ballpoint formula?

 

Actually, it really is oil. Schmidt, maybe one of the best-known producers of ballpoint refills, says:

 

"Ballpoints inks are dyestuffs in an oil based paste suspended in an alcohol solvent."

 

I edited my most recent post to include a statement from the Senior Brand Manager for Uni-Ball pens:

 

"The ink is a modern marvel. It is a hybrid ink which is a mixture of Gel and Roller ink combining the super smooth features of a roller and the vivid color and lay down of a gel pen. The result of infusing these 2 inks together is the smoothest writing experience we offer with the added benefit of a quick drying ink that resists smearing."

 

I think he must be right?

[daniel0731ex]

 

Actually, it really is oil. Schmidt, maybe one of the best-known producers of ballpoint refills, says:

 

"Ballpoints inks are dyestuffs in an oil based paste suspended in an alcohol solvent."

 

Ahh, I see. So it's a suspension in which the pigment is oil particles. However, there is a distinct difference between this type of oil-particle suspension and actually using an oil-based solvent. The former is the fast-drying type, which is why it's used in newspaper printing, while the latter does not dry at all. Our discussion originally is on whether ballpoint pens dry quicker than rollerballs or not, and regardless of the precise chemical composition, my point still stands. Undeniably, ballpoint pen ink is the fastest drying of the three types.

 

 

I edited my most recent post to include a statement from the Senior Brand Manager for Uni-Ball pens:

 

"The ink is a modern marvel. It is a hybrid ink which is a mixture of Gel and Roller ink combining the super smooth features of a roller and the vivid color and lay down of a gel pen. The result of infusing these 2 inks together is the smoothest writing experience we offer with the added benefit of a quick drying ink that resists smearing."

 

I think he must be right?

 

Nice try, but you haven't addressed my point: where did the ballpoint-like property of the Jetstream come from, if neither of the two inks it is derived from have this property?

 

You know something is wrong when both you and your wife's blood type is A, yet your son have B-type.

 

Also, the fact that the ballpoint/gel hybrid "emulsification ink" being extremely popular and is offered by numerous different brands, it makes sense that the Jetstream is another one of the likes of the Zebra Surai

 

And regarding the statement from Steve, you've already seen from the contradiction between the official site and the English counterparts that there is probably a lot of confusion internally between the R&D and the "company face" department. Needless to say that a "Brand Manager" probably have lots of things to do than getting the technical descriptions that nobody is gonna pay attention to perfectly accurate.

 

If you would quote someone from the R&D then it would be much more believable.

Edited May 7, 2012 by daniel0731ex

[bicfan]

 

Actually, it really is oil. Schmidt, maybe one of the best-known producers of ballpoint refills, says:

 

"Ballpoints inks are dyestuffs in an oil based paste suspended in an alcohol solvent."

 

Ahh, I see. So it's a suspension in which the pigment is oil particles. However, there is a distinct difference between this type of oil-particle suspension and actually using an oil-based solvent. The former is the fast-drying type, which is why it's used in newspaper printing, while the latter does not dry at all. Our discussion originally is on whether ballpoint pens dry quicker than rollerballs or not, and regardless of the precise chemical composition, my point still stands. Undeniably, ballpoint pen ink is the fastest drying of the three types.

 

 

I edited my most recent post to include a statement from the Senior Brand Manager for Uni-Ball pens:

 

"The ink is a modern marvel. It is a hybrid ink which is a mixture of Gel and Roller ink combining the super smooth features of a roller and the vivid color and lay down of a gel pen. The result of infusing these 2 inks together is the smoothest writing experience we offer with the added benefit of a quick drying ink that resists smearing."

 

I think he must be right?

 

Nice try, but you haven't addressed my point: where did the ballpoint-like property of the Jetstream come from, if neither of the two inks it is derived from have this property?

I smell something fishy; Who's the father?

 

Also, the fact that the ballpoint/gel hybrid "emulsification ink" being extremely popular and is offered by numerous different makes, it makes sense that the Jetstream is another one of the likes of the Zebra Surai

 

And regarding the statement from Steve, you've already seen from the contradiction between the official site and the English counterparts that there is probably a lot of confusion internally between the R&D and the "company face" department. Needless to say that a "Brand Manager" probably have lots of things to do than getting the technical descriptions, that nobody is gonna pay attention to, perfectly accurate.

 

If you would quote someone from the R&D then it would be much more believable.

 

Well, the package says it's a rollerball. The English site says it's a liquid-ink rollerball. The Brand Manager says it's a rollerball/gel hybrid.

 

I'm thinking . . . rollerball?

 

Actually, R&D are completely unbelievable here, as well. R&D says: "Dries nine times faster than a standard ballpoint." ??!! The Jetstream dries more slowly than a ballpoint! On glossy calendar paper, the Jetstream dries like a gel pen (tested it just now), not like a ballpoint pen.

[daniel0731ex]

Well, the package says it's a rollerball. The English site says it's a liquid-ink rollerball. The Brand Manager says it's a rollerball/gel hybrid.

 

I'm thinking . . . rollerball?

 

Actually, R&D are completely unbelievable here, as well. R&D says: "Dries nine times faster than a standard ballpoint." ??!! The Jetstream dries more slowly than a ballpoint! On glossy calendar paper, the Jetstream dries like a gel pen (tested it just now), not like a ballpoint pen.

 

That seems very, very different from the Jetstream I have...

Are you sure you didn't get a Made-in-China knockoff?

 

And where on the website does it say it's liquid-ink? Please don't make stuff up.

 

And, according to yourself:

 

Were it me, I would call it a gel pen that exhibits the flow, smoothness, and fast-drying typical of a rollerball. Maybe that's why they labelled it a rollerball . . . i.e. because people have had bad experiences with gels?

 

Faceslap much?

Edited May 7, 2012 by daniel0731ex

[lovemy51]

i voted for Mech Pencils as my second weapon of choice.

 

lately i've noticed that the BP's are coming out with better, easier flowing ink. i do not see the use of a Roller Ball -or gel pens- in my case -tho' i own a few, from before i started using FP's.

 

edited to add the underlined...

Edited May 7, 2012 by lovemy51

[bicfan]

Well, the package says it's a rollerball. The English site says it's a liquid-ink rollerball. The Brand Manager says it's a rollerball/gel hybrid.

 

I'm thinking . . . rollerball?

 

Actually, R&D are completely unbelievable here, as well. R&D says: "Dries nine times faster than a standard ballpoint." ??!! The Jetstream dries more slowly than a ballpoint! On glossy calendar paper, the Jetstream dries like a gel pen (tested it just now), not like a ballpoint pen.

 

That seems very, very different from the Jetstream I have...

Are you sure you didn't get a Made-in-China knockoff?

 

And where on the website does it say it's liquid-ink? Please don't make stuff up.

 

And, according to yourself:

 

Were it me, I would call it a gel pen that exhibits the flow, smoothness, and fast-drying typical of a rollerball. Maybe that's why they labelled it a rollerball . . . i.e. because people have had bad experiences with gels?

 

Faceslap much?

 

I see you are going down the road of personal attacks by calling me a liar. (The Mitsubishi Pencil Australia site classifies the Jetstream as a liquid-ink pen.)

 

You also attempt to discredit my own test by saying that I must have a Chinese fake.

 

Also, I don't understand the faceslap comment. It doesn't sound very polite, whatever it means.

 

The Fountain Pen Network is a really friendly place. I think that you should refrain from the personal attacks and inflammatory comments.

 

We will agree to disagree.

[lovemy51]

There's really no practical reason for anyone to use a fountain pen today. There are tonnes of pens that write with no pressure nowadays. Anyway, nobody actually writes with zero pressure. There is always a little. My hands will not cramp with a Pilot V5 or a Uni-ball Jetstream, or even a Bic (and I spent 12 years in university using Uni-ball Vision Elite, writing hours and hours a day).

Yeah, lots of pens can write with extremely little pressure.

 

Forgive the very poor video quality, hope the scribble demo is useful anyway...

 

http://youtu.be/AuCRAlpcPcQ?hd=1

 

Good demonstration. Is that a Uni-Ball Signo?

i'm not impressed. i've tried all kinds of BP's and they just don't feel right to me. i don't have the control that i have with a FP -but, hey, maybe it does to you!!

 

 

besides, no one writes in the "paper in the air" position....

[P.A.R.]

Would the above combatants please take up their debate over PM? It would be a shame to have such a interesting thread blocked.

 

It's interesting to see how the votes have played out so far - I would have expected fewer votes for ballpoint and more for pencils (and not just based on my personal preferences.)

[XiaoMG]

i'm not impressed. i've tried all kinds of BP's and they just don't feel right to me. i don't have the control that i have with a FP -but, hey, maybe it does to you!!

 

 

besides, no one writes in the "paper in the air" position....

I was not trying to impress you...I was trying to simply demonstrate that it is a lie that gel pens require lots of pressure to write. I have heard it many times, so I wanted to demonstrate that it is just not the case, at least with finer points.

 

I understand that the diameter of gel pens and the light weight of them are a bit of a problem for some folks' hands. I understand that holding them at angles lower than 45 degrees can conceivably cause inconsistency, and there may be a bunch of other little issues that could reasonably and justifiably contribute to a disliking of them. However, the most common one I hear is that they require lots of pressure to write, so I wanted to address that specifically.

[daniel0731ex]

 

I see you are going down the road of personal attacks by calling me a liar. (The Mitsubishi Pencil Australia site classifies the Jetstream as a liquid-ink pen.)

 

You also attempt to discredit my own test by saying that I must have a Chinese fake.

 

Also, I don't understand the faceslap comment. It doesn't sound very polite, whatever it means.

 

The Fountain Pen Network is a really friendly place. I think that you should refrain from the personal attacks and inflammatory comments.

 

We will agree to disagree.

 

 

Sorry about that...it was late last night and I'm getting tired, so I didn't pay much attention of what was coming out.

 

By no means was I calling you a liar; I'm just asking for your source because I can't seem to find it on the North American website.

 

And about Chinese counterfeits, that's just my way of joking exclamation, not "trying to discredit you" or anything.

 

But still, you haven't addressed my points before this.

 

I was pointing out with the quote that you yourself agreed that it being classified under rollerball is but a marketing trick, due to the public impression that rollerballs must be superior to ballpoint pens. But nowhere on the site did it state that the formula is a rollerball-gel hybrid.

Whereas on Asian websites, where people does not have this prejudice towards ballpoint pens, it is correctly classified under "ballpoint pens" (Japan, Korea, Taiwan), and spicifically stated that it's an emulsified oil ink formula. Actually, most of the time it's put under its own category.

 

Now, to your other point:

 

The Jetstream dries more slowly than a ballpoint! On glossy calendar paper, the Jetstream dries like a gel pen (tested it just now), not like a ballpoint pen.

 

First off, ballpoint pens also take time to dry on glossy paper. Just try it, it smudges.

Gel pens won't even adhere to the glossy paper properly; the difference between gel and ballpoints on glossy paper is that ballpoints will only smudge the excess, while gel pens could be wiped off completely. Now THAT's what I call fast drying.

 

Did you try to test regular ballpoints on glossy paper?

 

And like fountain pens, ballpoints will also have dry and wet writers. In practical use, the drying time depends on how much ink you put down on the paper, rather than the physical evaporation rate of the solvent. This is why you may perceive the Jetstream as "slower-drying" than regular ballpoints, because it is indeed quite a wet writer. But the base ink dries instantly as soon as it hits the surface, it's just the excess that takes time to dry.

 

Have you ever used a Jetstream to the end of its lifespan? If you do, you'll notice that as it begins to write drier, it starts to exhibit ballpoint-like characteristics. The first thing you'll notice is that the drier ink will have the oil sheen identified in ballpoint pens.

The first time I used the Jetstream I also thought that it's a gel pen...a really smooth gel pen. It isn't until the ink supply becomes exhausted that I realized that it is in fact ballpoint pen.

 

Have you ever tried the Zebra Surai? Now this is spicifically marketed as "emulsion ink formula" ballpoint pen. It writes just like the Jetstream: very gel-pen like.

Edited May 7, 2012 by daniel0731ex

[sidheblessed]

If I can't use a fountain pen, I am definitely more inclined to use a rollerball. I used rollerballs before I discovered the mighty FP. They're what I used as a pre-teen and young teenager. There was a particular style that was very popular (and I think still reasonably so) when I was young that we called "gelly pens" aka clear, cheap plastic rollerballs with gel ink in bright, shiny colours. Uniball Signos in metallic colours were the most popular.

 

These days my go-to rollerball is a Pilot G2 for work or study. I don't like to take my FPs to work or Uni because people tend to borrow pens off people's desks, forget and wander off with the pen still in hand.

 

If I can't have a rollerball or FP, I'll use a fineliner. My favourite is the Staedtler Triplus.

 

 

 

[daniel0731ex]

I suppose they might even figure out how to make italics out of them some day.

 

How about a tip with multiple inline balls?

[bicfan]

To get back on topic, I will say that I have actually noticed **less** rollerballs and **more** ballpoints. That could just be a local thing.

 

Personally, my experience with the aluminum-sheathed rollerball refills has not been positive. I've had better luck with Pilot and Uni-Ball disposables.

 

I'll throw this out here. What do you all think is the best non-disposable rollerball (i.e. the refill is disposable, but the body is really nice)? Waterman? Parker? Mont Blanc? Lamy? Sheaffer? Let's here some experiences.

[daniel0731ex]

To get back on topic, I will say that I have actually noticed **less** rollerballs and **more** ballpoints. That could just be a local thing.

 

Personally, my experience with the aluminum-sheathed rollerball refills has not been positive. I've had better luck with Pilot and Uni-Ball disposables.

 

I'll throw this out here. What do you all think is the best non-disposable rollerball (i.e. the refill is disposable, but the body is really nice)? Waterman? Parker? Mont Blanc? Lamy? Sheaffer? Let's here some experiences.

 

Uniball Jetstream.

Edited May 7, 2012 by daniel0731ex

[bicfan]

To get back on topic, I will say that I have actually noticed **less** rollerballs and **more** ballpoints. That could just be a local thing.

 

Personally, my experience with the aluminum-sheathed rollerball refills has not been positive. I've had better luck with Pilot and Uni-Ball disposables.

 

I'll throw this out here. What do you all think is the best non-disposable rollerball (i.e. the refill is disposable, but the body is really nice)? Waterman? Parker? Mont Blanc? Lamy? Sheaffer? Let's here some experiences.

 

Uniball Jetstream.

 

Indeed, a fine rollerball.

 

I would like to see them do what Pilot did with their Cavalier body for the Hi-Tec C refills. State-of-the-art refills in a nice body.

[daniel0731ex]

To get back on topic, I will say that I have actually noticed **less** rollerballs and **more** ballpoints. That could just be a local thing.

 

Personally, my experience with the aluminum-sheathed rollerball refills has not been positive. I've had better luck with Pilot and Uni-Ball disposables.

 

I'll throw this out here. What do you all think is the best non-disposable rollerball (i.e. the refill is disposable, but the body is really nice)? Waterman? Parker? Mont Blanc? Lamy? Sheaffer? Let's here some experiences.

 

Uniball Jetstream.

 

Indeed, a fine rollerball.

 

I would like to see them do what Pilot did with their Cavalier body for the Hi-Tec C refills. State-of-the-art refills in a nice body.

 

"Marketed" as rollerball; you seems to include gel pens in this category, so I suppose a gel/oil hybrid would also qualify?

 

http://tw.myblog.yahoo.com/q1002123-123/article?mid=15834&next=15797&l=f&fid=228

 

http://blog.yimg.com/2/u_sbhbh7s5_sO.S_3ZYxa4AcHl3NpGKqOfNQabsMUbDryvX9daCVTA--/25/l/S6s05nkfVIZHDff3tpFMEg.jpg

http://blog.yimg.com/2/u_sbhbh7s5_sO.S_3ZYxa4AcHl3NpGKqOfNQabsMUbDryvX9daCVTA--/26/l/OkMHR2BjOuO2knvrAaBw.g.jpg

Edited May 7, 2012 by daniel0731ex