Damn good rollerball?

[Steve7]

No shouting, I know this is an FP site!

 

But I need an everyday workhorse rollerball for when my FP just isn't an option (no arguments that there aren't such times, I'm set on this).

 

I'm looking at a Montblanc Legrande (big refill). I love the pen, but how is the $6 ink refill???

 

Anyone want to recommend the daddy of rollerballs... for writing ease, reliability, ink, and longevity?

 

I like the MB style, or I'd stick with my current favourite: the cheap Mitsubishi Uniball Eye.

Ideally, I'd like this standard of ink, or a gel ink type, in a refill to fit a pen of class!!!

[daveg]

My Montblanc roller doesn't write nearly as well as those Mitsubishi Uniballs.

[jsonewald]

Separate the body from the refill. The body provides the balance and esthetic's except for the touch on paper. Get a body you like that uses a standard size RB refill. Refills are cheap enough you can experiment with them easily until you find one you like.

[slide13]

I say go for a nice ballpen that will take a Parker Gel refill. Next to a fountain pen, this is the best writing pen I've ever had. I currently use one in a Parker Jotter and an old Rotring 600. For something classier though, look at Aurora Optima, Pelikan K800/K600/K400/K215/etc. All are nice looking, classy pens that use the Parker Gel refills.

[penguinmaster]

I really like the Montblanc refill. I have one in my Rotring 600, because I wasn't a fan of the Rotring one. But yeah, six bucks for a refill is quite a bit, I might start looking elsewhere.

[Pen Nut]

Hello Steve,

 

So my 149 with the obb nib is not for you then eh ? No problem mate but what I can pass on to you is my search for a 'damn good rollerbal'

 

I use, and have for sale, the Mont Blanc 162 rollerball which is the large type taking the Le grande refill. A great user but i always felt there was beter to be had when it came down to the ink quality. Pity I couldnt find an interchangable refill with the required 162 dimensions.

 

I have finally settled for, at great expense, for the following combination:

 

A Montegrappa Reminiscence rollerball in solid silver fitted with, and this makes the pen, a Schmidt ceramic rollerball refill.

The Rotring refill is nearly as good but having tried a great deal find the Scmidt just has it in all departments. The Itoya was another refill that scored highly as well.

 

The pen itself looks great and has two of my favourite features, a cap which screws on when not in use AND, with its threaded body, when being used as well.

 

Good luck with your quest.

 

This pen thing is addictive !!!!

 

Regards

 

Ian.

 

[kissing]

...I wasn't a fan of the Rotring one.

 

 

Rotring rollerballs write like paint brushes that bleed through the page like a chainsaw :roflmho:

No wonder you're not a fan of them - neither am I :ltcapd:

[Guest PeteWK]

No shouting, I know this is an FP site!

 

But I need an everyday workhorse rollerball for when my FP just isn't an option (no arguments that there aren't such times, I'm set on this).

 

I'm looking at a Montblanc Legrande (big refill). I love the pen, but how is the $6 ink refill???

 

Anyone want to recommend the daddy of rollerballs... for writing ease, reliability, ink, and longevity?

 

I like the MB style, or I'd stick with my current favourite: the cheap Mitsubishi Uniball Eye.

Ideally, I'd like this standard of ink, or a gel ink type, in a refill to fit a pen of class!!!

 

 

I've got two and both are Sheaffer. One is a Targa and the other an Imperial. The refills are like butter. I would go with the Targa first. You'll be very pleased and you'll save a lot of scratch over the MB.

 

PeteWK

[Ghost Plane]

I use Visconti refills in my nice fat mother of pearl Xezo rollerball that came with the fountain pen. Slides over the page like glass.

[Ray]

The Lamy Safari RBs seem quite nice too, but I have to second the recommendation of Parker Gel refills. I prefer them to any RB.

 

Ray

[FrankB]

Steve, this forum is called "Writing Instruments" and it is not limited to fountain pens. Your roller question is right in place here.

 

I am also of the mind that the heart of the roller is the refill. If you find a pen body/cap that you like, for whatever reason, then you can indeed experiment until you find the refill that suits you best.

 

I have several RB's that I use on occasion. Since I don't use them frequently, the refills tend to dry out. (The MB refills being the worst for drying out in my experience.) I found that Fisher Space Pens makes a universal fit RB refill that contains the same pressurized ball point ink as their standard BP's. With a B point, I think those refills write as well as any standard RB refill, and better than many. And, they don't dry out! Those are the refills I use and no one knows the diference but me when I use them.

[Shelley]

I like a duofold BP that I stuck a perker gel in and it writes like a dream, I also have an old Waterman RB that I would not cry if I lost it and writes wonderfully...

[Phthalo]

I just bought my husband a Faber Castell / Porsche Design P3110 Rollerball pen, and then a stack of Schmidt 888 and 5888 ceramic rollerball refills for it - a really nice combination.

[mr T.]

I like the MB style, or I'd stick with my current favourite: the cheap Mitsubishi Uniball Eye.

Ideally, I'd like this standard of ink, or a gel ink type, in a refill to fit a pen of class!!!

 

Probably is the Uniball, in terms of writing quality, the better product. The MB Legrand has also the problem that it doesn't take standard rollerball refills. Rollerballs from manufacturers like Waterman, Caran d'Ache, Faber Castell (and Porsche Design), Ballograf, Pelikan and Aurora do. When buying a rollerball, only consider brands that take standard rollerball refills. And for refills: the cheap (standard) ones from manufacturers like Schneider or Schmidt are very good and cheap. Buying a MB Legrand means limited choice in refills (only the ones from MB) and original MB refills are overpriced and not worth the money.

[wiglaf]

I use a Visconti Van Gogh roller ball with Schmidt refills- relatively inexpensive, choice of colors, and for my money, quite smooth.

The pen body is a fine piece of work, a bit on the weighty side, and you need to either like or ignore slick metallic sections is you are writing for an extended period.

I also have a Tombow Zoom- another nice alternative for the roller ball- uses proprietary refills.

Tony

[HesNot]

I use a Caran d'Ache Ecridor ballpoint that accepts the Parker gel refills - very nice writers but the Parker gels are not very water resistant.

 

I think my favorite combination is a Waterman laureat rollerball with a Pilot G-2 refill - great writing and archival qualities as well.

 

I sold my MB rollerball due to the expensive and not that great refills, although some will disagree.

 

I also agree that the Tombow rollerballs are pretty nice - I use several with some regularity and their refills are nice but, as mentioned, proprietary so I bought a box of them. They last quite awhile, however.

[J English Smith]

I recommend two Lamy rollerballs: the Accent line takes one type of refill, the Tipo/Swift lines take another. Both are very good, last a reasonably long time, and are very wet and smooth. My black gloss accent with the sliver clip and the wood grip is an impressive pen and very good in the hand.

 

Montblanc rollerballs do dry up fast, and at $6 a pop, that's unpleasant. I used them in several other pens where the fit worked, but have stopped doing so. The writing feel was eclipsed by the money issue.

 

The Waterman refill is very nice, lasts somewhere between the MB and the Lamy. It has a "toothier" quality than Lamys. Lasts awhile when it is running out of ink, but you know when it is. It goes from toothy to saber-toothy.

 

I do like the newer Parker Gel refill, last one I used did write out fairly quickly but of course they are a decent buy pricewise. I wish they made a .5 as well as a .7

 

Oh, another good refill are the Schmidt capless rollers that are used in Rotring Jaz pens and also Retro 51 (Big Shot) pens. This is nice, not as wet as the Lamy, smooth and not as toothy as the Watermans.

 

Happy hunting! The most expensive ink, of course, but they are definitely nice to have.

[Keng]

How about a Wayne Mason pen fitted with the smooth G2 or Hauser refill? No affiliation of course

 

[Arkanabar]

Call me a philistine, but when it comes to RBs, I favor a couple of disposables: Pilot's VBall and Precise V7. I'm using some Sanford uniballs because I have them, but they're not as nice.

[Dean]

Two options for you.

 

I like the Yafa gel refills for my MB ballpoint pen. The blue/black is very nice, relatively cheap and will last a good while. These are MUCH better than the MB refills. Option number 2, and maybe the best option in my mind, has already been mentioned. Purchase a nice Waterman rollerball and fit it with a pilot G2 gel refill. These are the best refills out there in my opinion and while they might not last forever, they are cheap.

 

Dean