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Looking For A Nice Rollerball, Possibly Gel


Wdrazek

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A few years ago, I set out to move to a fountain pen from the world of inexpensive rollerballs, ballpoints and gels. After trying out a Pilot Metropolitan, Lamy LX and finally a Faber Castell Basic I realized they just aren't for me. Replacing inks, holding them at a certain angle, one of them leaked... it all felt too high maintenance.

 

During that time I also experimented with a few more upmarket ballpoints and rollerballs. I like the rollerball experience much better than the ballpoint experience. They require far less pressure, and the ballpoints skip at first every time I pick them up. It drives me nuts. Curiously, I really like the cheap gels I've used but they aren't much in the looks department.

 

In the end, my favorite was a Black lacquer Century II for writing. It has a nice weight, but it's too thin and feels like a twig in my hand. When I moved to the Townsend it proved a little too heavy and very back weighted when posted. I like to post and the cap on that one is really heavy.

 

Where am I now? I have this gorgeous MB Starwalker BP that I don't like using and a Papermate inkjoy that I love writing with. The cheap plastic just isn't cutting it, though.

 

With all of that, can anyone recommend an attractive, quality rollerball or possibly gel pen in the $1-200 range that does the following:

 

Posts well and is balanced, not back heavy

Writes smoothly without scratching or skipping

Be finished to the standard of a Cross or better

Have some cachet or brand history to make it interesting

 

I know this is a really long and rambling post, but this is the one place I've found to get the best, most helpful advice.

 

Thanks to all and Happy New Year to all.

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Retro '51.

 

They look great and come with some of the best refills available. I don't know a ton about non-fountain pens, but I love these. You could also try some big gaudy pens with their refills or uni ball refills, I would focus on the refill more than the pen.

 

You could do some research on what refills pens take and see which ones take uni ball or retro 51(I will do this too, I'm curious now :) ) and then pop those refills into some of those big pens.

 

Hopefully you find the right pen!

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well, its about the refill rather than the pen when these pens are concerned ; so figure out which refill work for you, then set out to find a pen that hold those refill , simple as that

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The best writing gel pens today don't have upmarket bodies. But you can always get a custom pen made. Select the refill you like the most first.

 

I am a huge fan of the Uniball Signo UMR80 refills. these are gel, archival grade and designed to work without a cap. I had a custom pen maker called Ratnamson in India make a couple of Ebonite desk pens for me to take this refill.

 

fpn_1577872359__doc00655520200101151531_

In case you wish to write to me, pls use ONLY email by clicking here. I do not check PMs. Thank you.

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My concern with all ballpoint pens up till recently has been that I throw away the writing tip when I change inks. A couple weeks ago I received a Noodlers refillable rollerball pen. I have it filled with De Atramentis Violets at the moment. It is light and easy to fill. The cap does fit for posting but is very loose. I like that I can choose my own colour and do not have to rely on what is available in refills. This pen works at a natural angle in the hand. I will use it for a few months and see how well the ball stands up to hard use.

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Uni Jetstream is my favorite refill. It's a hybrid ink that, on some websites, is categorized as rollerball, because it absolutely never suffers from skippiness and hard starts that are par for the course for ballpoints. But it is most certainly a ballpoint. Writes first time, every time. If you need an upscale body for them, the longer versions of Tactile Turn click and bolt action pens (formerly called Mover and Glider) accommodate these refills (you might need to chop off a millimeter of the length of the refill.

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Thanks for the replies. I'd like a simple plug and play option, where one pen just writes well and feels balanced. Shopping separately for refills or cutting into them isn't for me.

 

It would be easier if there were pen shops like back in the day. Buying online and returning unwanted items is tiresome. I know of the Fountain Pen Hospital in NYC but nothing less than 2 hours from where I live outside Philadelphia.

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  • 6 months later...

The best writing gel pens today don't have upmarket bodies. But you can always get a custom pen made. Select the refill you like the most first.

 

I am a huge fan of the Uniball Signo UMR80 refills. these are gel, archival grade and designed to work without a cap. I had a custom pen maker called Ratnamson in India make a couple of Ebonite desk pens for me to take this refill.

 

fpn_1577872359__doc00655520200101151531_

 

This is really superb !!

How long is this pen? Do you have a picture with a scale or comparison pen?

Is Ratnamson the only brand that makes such pens?

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This is really superb !!

How long is this pen? Do you have a picture with a scale or comparison pen?

Is Ratnamson the only brand that makes such pens?

The pens are on my desk at work. Will try to post a pic with a scale tomorrow. No they are not the only ones to undertake such a custom job. Ranga will do it so will guider of Rajahmundry. I had initially approached Guider but they wanted too much time and a certain minimum number of pens. Eventually I ended up spending a lot more time and money just for these two pens but Ratnamson finally did a superb job. I had a desk pen for Parker jotter refills (iso G2) which I had bought off the shelf from Deccan pens at Hyderabad. I had sent that pen as a reference and the uniball refill also. Edited by hari317

In case you wish to write to me, pls use ONLY email by clicking here. I do not check PMs. Thank you.

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Besides fountain pens, rollerballs are the only option I am willing to accept, ballpoints don't write smoothly enough without pressure for my liking.

 

In the rollerball department there are some very interesting options, if you are looking for fancy ones.

The suggested Pelikan is a very good start

The R200 is a very good rolleball and can be found at reasonably affordable prices

fpn_1594848992__p1180820-3_pelikan_r200_

 

For something fancier some Omas rollerballs can still be found around

fpn_1594849164__p1190405-3_omas_milord_r

 

This Visconti Manhattan celluloid rollerball was too beautiful to let go, despite not being a fountain pen...

fpn_1589015320__p1190399-3_viscont_walls

Edited by sansenri
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The pens are on my desk at work. Will try to post a pic with a scale tomorrow. No they are not the only ones to undertake such a custom job. Ranga will do it so will guider of Rajahmundry. I had initially approached Guider but they wanted too much time and a certain minimum number of pens. Eventually I ended up spending a lot more time and money just for these two pens but Ratnamson finally did a superb job. I had a desk pen for Parker jotter refills (iso G2) which I had bought off the shelf from Deccan pens at Hyderabad. I had sent that pen as a reference and the uniball refill also.

 

Thank you Hari !

Please post pics of the Parker Jotter refill Deccan pen also when you get time...

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Thank you Hari !

Please post pics of the Parker Jotter refill Deccan pen also when you get time...

fpn_1594884103__doc00714020200716121050.

Hope this helps. The Deccan one will have to be located, let me see.

In case you wish to write to me, pls use ONLY email by clicking here. I do not check PMs. Thank you.

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  • 1 month later...

A few years ago, I set out to move to a fountain pen from the world of inexpensive rollerballs, ballpoints and gels. After trying out a Pilot Metropolitan, Lamy LX and finally a Faber Castell Basic I realized they just aren't for me. Replacing inks, holding them at a certain angle, one of them leaked... it all felt too high maintenance.

 

During that time I also experimented with a few more upmarket ballpoints and rollerballs. I like the rollerball experience much better than the ballpoint experience. They require far less pressure, and the ballpoints skip at first every time I pick them up. It drives me nuts. Curiously, I really like the cheap gels I've used but they aren't much in the looks department.

 

In the end, my favorite was a Black lacquer Century II for writing. It has a nice weight, but it's too thin and feels like a twig in my hand. When I moved to the Townsend it proved a little too heavy and very back weighted when posted. I like to post and the cap on that one is really heavy.

 

Where am I now? I have this gorgeous MB Starwalker BP that I don't like using and a Papermate inkjoy that I love writing with. The cheap plastic just isn't cutting it, though.

 

With all of that, can anyone recommend an attractive, quality rollerball or possibly gel pen in the $1-200 range that does the following:

 

Posts well and is balanced, not back heavy

Writes smoothly without scratching or skipping

Be finished to the standard of a Cross or better

Have some cachet or brand history to make it interesting

 

I know this is a really long and rambling post, but this is the one place I've found to get the best, most helpful advice.

 

Thanks to all and Happy New Year to all.

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Why not consider a Tactile Turn Gist Rollerball?

I have a titanium one, and it is in a league of its own!

It is easy to adapt an Energel or Inkjoy Gel refill as well, both work well.

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  • 5 weeks later...

The only rollerball I have that gets even semi regular use is a Waterman Hemisphere with a Pilot G2 refill. Drops right in.

Brad

"Words are, of course, the most powerful drug used by mankind" - Rudyard Kipling
"None of us can have as many virtues as the fountain-pen, or half its cussedness; but we can try." - Mark Twain

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Just an update, both the Jotter and 45 write well with the Parker gel refill. I'm no longer looking for something else. I do not know if these refils are rollerball type or not. Some may not like a slender pen.

"Respect science, respect nature, respect all people (s),"

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As it turned out, I have given up on the MB ballpoint refills - they require too much pressure and start very hard. It drove me crazy when the first letter didn't form correctly each time I picked it up. And it wasn't one or two stale refills, I must have tried a half dozen of them, from a few sources.

 

I have since switched to Monteverde refills, which work well. The blue could be a little more vibrant but I am pleased with the smoothness and reliability. If anyone knows of another ink option I'm open to trying it.

 

For the time being, no interest in changing to or adding another pen. That's not to say a Pelikan or Duofold is out of the question at some point.

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I have just ordered a Ranga rollerball which takes a Parker refill.

It's in unpolished ebonite mottled brown.

I love the size of the Ranga 3 so I though the rollerball version would be good to have and in bakul ebonite should look different than most other rollerballs.

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