Pelikan Rollerball Refill Alternatives (?)

[Ishinho]

Hello! I hope you can read my chicken scratch. Thanks!

[Jim Holzemer]

Hello! I hope you can read my chicken scratch. Thanks!

 

The new Monteverde roller refill(specifically for Pelikan)should do the trick. I've some

 

in blue/black that write wonderfully!

 

My best,

 

Jim

[Gloucesterman]

Also the Visconti, which has or at least had a sepia and turquoise medium and fine point refill, fits my 200 RB.

[tonydent84]

I bought my R200 secondhand and when it got to me it had an Itoya NPR-5 refill in it. Wasn't particularly crazy about the refill as it's very fine and scratchy like the G2 .5mm but I think they also sell the NPR-7.

[rsx]

Well, this is an old thread but I have an answer if anyone is still interested.

 

Notice that the Pelikan rollerball refills say "made in Japan". The refills are actually made by Ohto in Japan. Note, too, that standard European rollerball refills (by Schmidt, Hauser, Waterman, etc, won't quite fit the Pelikan rollerball pens.

 

The Ohto rollerball refills are available from Jet Pens (I have no affiliation other than as a long time satisfied customer - JetPens.com). The Ohto ceramic refills come in point sizes 1.0, 0.7, 0.5 and 0.4 mm, blue, blue-black and black. A much larger range, obviously, than from Pelikan itself. I find that the 0.5 and 0.4 mm refills are smooth and sharp, much to my liking. They are completely identical to the Pelikan refills and fit perfectly in the Pelikan rollerball pens.

 

Ohto also makes a compatible GEL refill that will fit in the Pelikan pen and will last longer than the liquid ink variety.

 

So, now you know.

[memphislawyer]

Any updates? Thinking of a Pelikan R200 roller and want to know if I can use visconti (available locally) or does Schmidt make a long one now for this? Monteverde works too? Any others?

[Melchott]

I know that it is an old thread but after been using Ohto Ceramic refills for some months, I have been noticing about its lack of waterproofness, and I was wondering if some could tell me about any differences with the Gel ones, specially referring to the blue black shade or the feeling with the ceramic ball.

 

Thank you in advance!!! I look forward any comments.

 

Well, this is an old thread but I have an answer if anyone is still interested.

Notice that the Pelikan rollerball refills say "made in Japan". The refills are actually made by Ohto in Japan. Note, too, that standard European rollerball refills (by Schmidt, Hauser, Waterman, etc, won't quite fit the Pelikan rollerball pens.

The Ohto rollerball refills are available from Jet Pens (I have no affiliation other than as a long time satisfied customer - JetPens.com). The Ohto ceramic refills come in point sizes 1.0, 0.7, 0.5 and 0.4 mm, blue, blue-black and black. A much larger range, obviously, than from Pelikan itself. I find that the 0.5 and 0.4 mm refills are smooth and sharp, much to my liking. They are completely identical to the Pelikan refills and fit perfectly in the Pelikan rollerball pens.

Ohto also makes a compatible GEL refill that will fit in the Pelikan pen and will last longer than the liquid ink variety.

So, now you know.

[torstar]

A lot of "cheapies" have done a great job for me.

 

Some minor snipping or work is done to make it a perfect fit.

 

I'm studying for a 4-hour exam for tomorrow and don't have the details in front of me for brands, but I can look it up later in the week.

 

"If I can't see the ink supply then I am going to be disappointed and ripped off with a rollerball refill......"

[Melchott]

Hello torstar,

 

I was wondering about the Ohto Ceramic vs Gel refills, but any recommendation about rollerball refills will be more than welcome, my loss of confidence in Parker refills have made me a directionless wanderer...

 

The best of lucks for your exam!!!

 

A lot of "cheapies" have done a great job for me.

 

Some minor snipping or work is done to make it a perfect fit.

 

I'm studying for a 4-hour exam for tomorrow and don't have the details in front of me for brands, but I can look it up later in the week.

 

"If I can't see the ink supply then I am going to be disappointed and ripped off with a rollerball refill......"

[dennis_f]

I occasionally use Pilot gel refills. They're a bit wide at the base, however, and in order to make them fit you have to shave some of the plastic material off of the tube.

 

This is a bit of a delicate operation. The plastic tube wraps around the metal point/rollerball/"nib" (for lack of a better term) and there's usually an excess of about 1mm of plastic. Using a boxcutter or razor blade I simply shave a bit of plastic away making sure I don't cut the tube itself. It takes a few minutes, but it works in a pinch.

 

Hth,

D.

[Melchott]

Hello Dennis_f,

 

Thank you for sharing your trick with Pilot gel refills, but I am afraid that I am not very fond of Pilot G2 refills. I was actually wondering if Ohto Gel refills (G-305, 307 and 310) would be comparable to their Ceramic refills (C-305, 307 and 310) in terms of smoothness and colours, but with more waterproofness.

 

As I am looking for a rollerball refill that could take the place of my beloved Parker ones (since they are French they have lost quality in my opinion), I am testing different brands. I have found excellent results with Lamy M63 and OHTO C-305 black ones, but as I would like them to be blue black, and OHTO blue black ink is not waterproof, I am thinking in this Gel refill but it is not easy to get.

 

Anyway if there is any refill that you would suggest for trying, I would be happy to hear about them.

 

Best regards from Catalonia

[Melchott]

I must clarify that my intest is not exactly in a refill that could fit a Pelikan rollerball (I only own a couple of Pelikan rollerballs), I would like a refill that could write as smoothly as the Pelikan refills do (and knowing that they are made by OHTO that is why I started there).

[dennis_f]

I'll be honest: I don't like most of the rollerball refills I've tried. I find a lot of them form globs of ink on the pages I rarely buy brand names just because they are brand names (ie: they also have to be aquality product), but frankly, the only rb refills that I've tried and liked without reservation are the Pelikan, Montblanc, Waterman, and Faber Castell.

The Waterman's are very saturated (but not as much as Parker -- which I used to like, but not so much anymore). I'm not sure if the FaberCastell and Montblanc are propietary. Both of those are very nice.

 

Sadly, the only experience I've had with Otho Ceramic refills has been bad (maybe it's because they don't sell well, and I'm always trying old stock in the stores I visit, but the refills always seem scratchy and far far too dry (and I like a dry writer)).

 

Llike you, I'd be curious to hear what people might say about the Ohto gels.

D.

[Ron Z]

I hate to put a damper on things.... You really shouldn't use an aftermarket refill even though it seems to fit.

 

I had a couple Pelikan rollerballs come through the shop that were referral for repair. One of them included the Montiverdi refill. This was a "Classic" rollerball, which I grant is not known for being the best made pen. The front end of the section had broken loose about 1/4" awaIy from the end. I took some careful measurements of both the aftermarket refill and the original Pelikan refill. The aftermarket was just a tad longer.

 

I will agree that in this case the pen was one where the front end is vulnerable. But I will also argue (based on seeing quite a few Pelikans that have come in for repair) that the cone on a RB section while thicker than the Classic, still isn't all that thick no matter what the model is. I would strongly recommend doing a careful side-by-side comparison of the aftermarket and Pelikan refills. If the former is longer than the Pelikan, don't use it.

 

Here's the note that I sent to the folks who referred the repair to me:

 

 

You have I'm sure, noticed that it breaks just below the gold clutch ring, right at the end of the cone on the front end. The plastic is very thin there, only about 30 thousandths thick.

The one sent included the refill that the guy was using. Not a Pelikan, but a Montiverdi. It appears to fit, but there is just enough of a difference that it doesn't fit quite right. There is a spring in the end of the barrel that holds the refill against the section, but because the Montiverdi refill is longer it compresses the spring more, so more stress is placed on the section.

http://www.mainstreetpens.com/pix/Pelikanrefill1.jpg

Picture 1 - Montiverdi on the top, Pelikan on the bottom. The inside ends of the refills are lined up. Note how much longer the body of the refill is, note how much farther forward the intermediate step is.

http://www.mainstreetpens.com/pix/Pelikanrefill2.jpg

Picture 2 - Shoulder at the point end lined up. Note how much longer the black piece is than the corresponding part on the Pelikan. The shoulder on the Pelikan takes the pressure. This presses against the forward end of the cone, rather than the shoulder taking the pressure. The result is that too much stress is placed on that very thin plastic, and it breaks.

Moral of the story - don't use anything but a Pelikan RB refill, even if something else seems to fit.

 

 

[dennis_f]

Thanks for posting that Ron... I only use the non-pelikan refills when I'm in a jam (ie: away from a major centre where no one seems to stock Pelikan), but you've frightened me sufficiently that I'll make sure I always travel with a spare Pelikan refill in tow.

 

Thanks a million,

D.

[Melchott]

Hello Ron Z and Dennis_f,

 

In this particular case you are telling us Ron Z, the problem was that your customer (if I have understood it correctly you own a shop where someone wanted his Pelikan to be fixed) put a Monterverde M2x refill (due to be used in Montlblanc rollerballs) instead of the K2x type it should be used in a Pelikan rollerball. Monteverde M2x refills are easily recognizable due to the thread for screwing in Montblanc points.

 

Monteverde K2x refills are exactly like the Ohto ones (very suspiciously in my opinion, they even have the same shade of blue black), and as you know Ohto produces the Pelikan original refills, so if you use Monteverde K, Ohto or Pelikan refills you shouldn't have problems.

 

The other thing is if they write correctly, I have been using Ohto and Monteverde refills for some months now and I am still not convinced about their performance, they stop writing several times in a single sentence. Besides I have noticed the lack of waterproofness I mentioned in my previous post.

 

That is why I am still looking for my best rollerball refill...

Edited October 2, 2016 by Melchott

[torstar]

Bic Velocity works well, you have to clip off the smallest amount you can opposite the writing end.

 

Uni-ball Jetstream refills work, pull out the blue plastic extended piece opposite the writing end. This is for me the most reliable and enjoyed non-ballpoint refill out there.

[sargetalon]

I've never been truly satisfied with Pelikan's roller ball refills but have always been hesitant to retrofit another manufacturers cartridge into the pen. I can see based on Ron's excellent input that the caution is well advised. Rather than retrofit something, I would love to see Pelikan build a better cartridge but it seems that is a very stagnant area for them.