Why do people use Ballpoint pens ?

[Koyote]

FPs, BPs, RBs -- horses for courses.

[BrandonA]

As others have said, different pen types suit different situations.

 

I tend to play with my pens a lot, like spin them in my hand when I'm bored. I therefore tend to drop them a lot. For this reason I always use a BP at work.

 

Also a FP does not work well (for me) when stating or writing on a vertical surface.

 

If I want to do some proper writing at home, I'd always use one of my FPs though.

[kaissa]

That's a little harsh. Kind of like looking down on a person for wearing a nice pair of jeans and shirt instead of donning a tailored suit from Savile Row.

I'm in agreement with you.

 

Welcome to the FPN and have some extra points for knowing the correct spelling of "Savile Row".

 

this guy looks like he is fitted at Savile Row:

 

Off topic, but I did not start it

 

http://www.indielondon.co.uk/Film-Review/body-of-lies-mark-strong-interview

 

http://www.porhomme.com/2008/10/mark-strong-x-savile-row-in-body-of-lies/

[Deirdre]

Also a FP does not work well (for me) when stating or writing on a vertical surface.

Starting?

 

If it doesn't work well for you, that's a nib or feed problem.

 

When I got my MB 149, it worked fine on horizontal surfaces, but would quit writing after 2-3 sentences if I wrote point up (as I often do in bed). Richard Binder adjusted it at the NYC pen show and now it writes like it should.

[Mrsal]

because you get them for free pretty much where ever you go. and everybody has them

[Ron Sabbagh]

try signing for your FedEx package with a fountain pen....then you'll know why we use ballpoints...

[TheRustySuper]

Well for one...that's really all that you can buy, at least around here. There's no pen shops or anything.

 

They require no maintance. You don't have to ink a ballpoint. When it dies, you pitch it.

 

The fact that you can lend someone a ballpoint without worrying about if they'll accidentally take it with them, drop it, chew on it, etc.

 

They're dirt cheap.

 

You can take a ballpoint anywhere, and not worry about damage, it getting wet, stuff like that.

 

Because they're just laying around everywhere, and every company has a pen with their name on it that they give you.

[Bearcat]

<!--quoteo--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE</div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->...why do people still use ballpoint pens?<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

Uh, they're cheap. They're everywhere. They can sit around for months and be expected to start writing again. They're indestructable. Their ink is waterproof. They're cheaper than cheap - they're free as marketing swag at any hotel or office building.

 

But you want a rational reason, so here it is - they got that cute clickey-clickey thingy in em that you can operate in boring meetings and drive your coworkers bonkers with. <img src="https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/rolleyes.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid="" border="0" alt="rolleyes.gif" />

 

 

+1

[TheRustySuper]

<!--quoteo--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE</div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->...why do people still use ballpoint pens?<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

Uh, they're cheap. They're everywhere. They can sit around for months and be expected to start writing again. They're indestructable. Their ink is waterproof. They're cheaper than cheap - they're free as marketing swag at any hotel or office building.

 

But you want a rational reason, so here it is - they got that cute clickey-clickey thingy in em that you can operate in boring meetings and drive your coworkers bonkers with. rolleyes.gif"

 

 

+1

 

+2

 

Or drive your classmates bonkers.

[TemurAmir]

Ballpoints are much more common. They are cheaper, too, so when you lose, one, you don't get a heart attack.

[wolf4]

Ballpoint pens and rollerballs are more practical,unfortunately. I was arguing this point when I first joined but I was shot down for it - almost treated like a heretic. The obvious reasons have been already mentioned in the posts. Fountain pens are delicate instuments. You have to watch where you swing that nib. There is not that problem with ballpoints and rollerballs. You can write ballpoints in any position, fountain pens, no.

 

Hope you don't get burned at the stake for asking THE question.

Edited November 6, 2009 by wolf4

[ethernautrix]

Probably cos they like 'em.

 

Or they haven't noticed, "Hey! I'm using a ballpoint pen instead of the many alternatives!" Perhaps because they are interested in other things more.

 

I might ask, for instance, "Why do some people watch golf?" It would not occur to me that watching golf is a more interesting alternative to anything else I might be doing.

[ToasterPastry]

I'm certain someone said it about 4 pages ago...but paper quality these days is not what it used to be. Some ink just feathers terribly on cheap paper. Thus the beauty of a fountain pen is lost. I will like to tell the world to please use Rhodia or Clairfontaine or some other high quality cotton bond paper. But life doesn't quite work that way.

[MYU]

Ballpoints are refill holders. Some refills are better than others.

Very good point (no pun intended). All ballpoints are not created equal. It's amazing the difference from one to the other. What I find most infuriating is when refills suffer ink creep--the ink moves away from the tip, resulting in a gap and the ink flow going dry.

 

Anyway, the ballpoint was an amazing invention and it still has an important place in the writing instrument world. It's just not as enjoyable to use as a fountain pen.

[Silvermink]

Ballpoint pens and rollerballs are more practical,unfortunately.

 

Yup. Not everyone wants to spend as much time thinking about their pen as a fountain pen requires, and this doesn't make those people misguided or brainwashed. Some people just don't have any interest in high-end writing instruments.

[dogpoet]

My dad (whose lefthanded) has mentioned that he switched to using a biro immediately he finished Catholic school. He was fed up of how fiddly writing with a pen that uses liquid ink lefthanded was.

I'd imagine in most cases, it's that ballpoints are less fuss, or that they're put off by FP's reputation for being fiddly, temperamental and difficult. A bad one can probably put you off fountain pens for life in less than five minutes, after all.

[jniforat]

Why do I use a ballpoint still (sometimes)? Would you bring a Dani Trio or Mont Blanc into Organic Chemistry lab or the general chemistry labs that you TA (by You TA i mean what I TA)? Of course not. Also, it's a pain in the rear-end to have to write with a fountain pen on carbon copy paper provided by my school. Ball points work much better.

 

It's almost like saying, for me as a long-distance runner, does anyone really use a treadmill still? Why? Well, because sometimes weather conditions call for it (or, insert another reason).

[jstar]

Why not?

[XBaucus BillX]

Why do I use a ballpoint still (sometimes)? Would you bring a Dani Trio or Mont Blanc into Organic Chemistry lab or the general chemistry labs that you TA (by You TA i mean what I TA)? Of course not. Also, it's a pain in the rear-end to have to write with a fountain pen on carbon copy paper provided by my school. Ball points work much better.

 

It's almost like saying, for me as a long-distance runner, does anyone really use a treadmill still? Why? Well, because sometimes weather conditions call for it (or, insert another reason).

 

wuts ta?

[Tweel]

TA = "Teaching Assistant". They're more advanced students who take some of the class workload off of a professor -- hopefully for pay.