Ballpoint refills: Ink vs. Gel?

[memphislawyer]

On a ballpoint, I looked at the one Parker my wife has in her Retro 51 and it is not a gel, but says ballpoint refill. I don't know that I know the difference. How long does one last, a gel, vs. a ballpoint. That auction does not have them capped, so will they dry out? I think we might have had a Shmidtt refill one time but I dont think it was a gel. The little bit of writing I got out of the Visconti refill that was in the pen seemed like it was a bit wetter.

 

Ok, so pros and cons of ballpoint refills vs. I guess the only other type is the gel?

 

Which ones are better deals, or last longer or, other things to look for?

[OtterNZ]

I haven't used a ballpoint refill and a gel refill in the same pen, but I have had them in different pens.

 

In my experience, the ballpoint refills lasted much longer, possibly due to writing more dryly. Gel refills have a more vivid colour, and write more smoothly, but also take longer to dry (less than most FP inks).

 

For general writing I'd choose a gel refill. For writing on shiny surfaces I'd choose a ballpoint refill.

[OtterNZ]

-oops-

Edited October 26, 2009 by OtterNZ

[kaissa]

On a ballpoint, I looked at the one Parker my wife has in her Retro 51 and it is not a gel, but says ballpoint refill. I don't know that I know the difference. How long does one last, a gel, vs. a ballpoint. That auction does not have them capped, so will they dry out? I think we might have had a Shmidtt refill one time but I dont think it was a gel. The little bit of writing I got out of the Visconti refill that was in the pen seemed like it was a bit wetter.

 

Ok, so pros and cons of ballpoint refills vs. I guess the only other type is the gel?

 

Which ones are better deals, or last longer or, other things to look for?

 

Ballpoint refills last longer. IIRC they run around 3,000 - 4,000 meters; whereas gel refills last around 600 meters. Ballpoint refills that are marked as "ISO 12757-2" are labelled as office use. The idea is that they are manufactured to resist tampering; like our bulletproof. How successfull they are I do not know. Gels have a similar standard in study at ISO, but has not been published yet.

 

But my heart goes to gel; it writes more like a F fountain pen than a ballpoint. After trying a Parker gel for the first time; I got rid of my 2 ballpoint refills immediately, and stopped using a MB ballpoint pen. I bought a Monteverde gel for the MB; it wrote great when I tried it by writing a word or two. But when I really needed to use it; it gave up on me around the fifth word. Just gave it back and bought a B ballpoint refill instead.

 

I have two different types of Parker gel refills. One version has two capped refills in a blister pack. Another blister pack had a single uncapped refill. I started using the uncapped, but it should not matter; since once you put it in a ballpoint pen, it will be uncapped. I had no problem. Maybe the caps are to prolong the shelf life?

 

Regards,

 

I read somewhere that the gel refills last about a year if unused. No experience here.

[Goodwhiskers]

Gel refills are much, much more expensive than ballpoint refills, at least here in the USA. The price of gel refills drove me to start using fountain pens! Gel refills feel nice during writing, and the inks look nice, but the ink's durability varies from brand to brand (and even from color to color in the same brand).

 

Some gel inks resist water (or even sunlight or tampering), while other gel inks do not resist anything. If the label doesn't talk about a resistance quality, assume that that quality is not present.

 

Capped gel refills last longer in capped pens because their ball is loose enough to allow evaporation. "Capless" gel refills (always marked as such) can go in uncapped pens. Capless gel refills have a little spring inside the point to press the ball forward against the outer edge of its seat, producing a cap action from the inside.

[kaissa]

Capped gel refills last longer in capped pens because their ball is loose enough to allow evaporation. "Capless" gel refills (always marked as such) can go in uncapped pens. Capless gel refills have a little spring inside the point to press the ball forward against the outer edge of its seat, producing a cap action from the inside.

 

Thanks for this information. I always wondered how capless gels came into place.

 

Regards,

[memphislawyer]

Wow, got them in and I highly recommend the Parker gel refills over the ballpoint refills. The color is a lot more vibrant and I can see where many think it is akin to a bottled ink. I guess the refills will last only about 25% the time a ballpoint refill will, but since I will be replacing it once every 6 months I guess vs. once every two years, well, given the price point, not bad at all.

[GouletPens]

Now this is an area where I can add some food for thought! I'm a pen maker, and I have standardized on using gel rollerballs in all my pens because they write so much smoother. The ballpoints most certainly last longer, but are scratchy and often need to be "primed" or scribbled all over the page if you let them sit a while, especially the cheaper ones. I include one of each with my pens, in case my customers prefer one or the other. I have standardized on using Parker Gels because they are the most readily available at Sam's Club online, and many Office Max and Office Depot locations in the store. But because they don't last as long (one month, or even less if you are writing daily in a journal like my sister the copywriter does). I have recently ordered some Schmidt Easy Flow 9000 gel rollerballs which are supposed to be higher capacity and even smoother writing than Parkers. I'm expecting them in any day but I've heard good things about them from my other pen-making colleauges. I know viscontis are also very good, but more expensive. Expect to pay $3-4+ for any gel rollerball in a single package, double packages range from $5-7 depending on where you get them. I got this latest order of refills from www.TheGoldenNib.com and he has the best price I've ever seen on any refills.

Edited November 4, 2009 by GouletPens

[LuckyR]

Wow, got them in and I highly recommend the Parker gel refills over the ballpoint refills. The color is a lot more vibrant and I can see where many think it is akin to a bottled ink. I guess the refills will last only about 25% the time a ballpoint refill will, but since I will be replacing it once every 6 months I guess vs. once every two years, well, given the price point, not bad at all.

 

 

Best post in the thread. I write a lot at work so I blow through the Parkers much more quickly, but the writing experience is a whole different ballgame from a ballpoint, worth the added cost, IMO.

[GouletPens]

Update: okay I got in my Schmidt Easy Flow 9000, and they write quite nicely. They are not as bold as the Parker gels, which is probably why they last longer. How much longer, I'm not quite sure, time will tell. I am impressed with them though. I put a ballpoint, Schmidt Easy Flow 9000 and a Parker Gel in 3 different pens and I was writing back and forth with each one. I must admit I do like the bold line the Parker draws, but since the Schmidt writes every bit as smooth if not smoother. If it's true that the Schmidt significantly outlasts the Parker Gel, then I'm going to permanently switch to Schmidts in the pens I sell since the amount of time the Parkers last has been an issue.

 

...of course in a perfect world everyone would just realize the superiority of the fountain pen and I wouldn't even have to carry ballpoints;)

Edited November 5, 2009 by GouletPens

[adamselene]

My vote for the best experience (outside of FP's) are the Itoya gels. The have the very fine, almost needle point.

 

There is a remarkable fact about these. The very first time the pen skips, take out the refill and the clear refill is COMPLETELY DEVOID OF INK. (I have had 1-2 exceptions in about 50 refills)

 

Another advantage of these are they are available on fleabay at good prices, cheaper than the Parkers, and while I have not done a roll-out test, seem to last way longer. AND THE PARKERS DRIVE ME CRAZY by skipping and starting and stopping.

 

 

Any other Itoya gel fans out there?

 

I am still looking for a better refill for roller balls.

 

It would be more of an issue if I could put down the FP's.

 

 

Update: okay I got in my Schmidt Easy Flow 9000, and they write quite nicely. They are not as bold as the Parker gels, which is probably why they last longer. How much longer, I'm not quite sure, time will tell. I am impressed with them though. I put a ballpoint, Schmidt Easy Flow 9000 and a Parker Gel in 3 different pens and I was writing back and forth with each one. I must admit I do like the bold line the Parker draws, but since the Schmidt writes every bit as smooth if not smoother. If it's true that the Schmidt significantly outlasts the Parker Gel, then I'm going to permanently switch to Schmidts in the pens I sell since the amount of time the Parkers last has been an issue.

 

...of course in a perfect world everyone would just realize the superiority of the fountain pen and I wouldn't even have to carry ballpoints;)

[LisaG]

Parker Gel is the one I vote for. I use them at work when I cannot use a fountain pen. The black is very dark without having to exert any pressure on the paper, and very smooth, rivaling many fountain pens. I never buy a ball pen any more that cannot use Parker Gel refills.

On a ballpoint, I looked at the one Parker my wife has in her Retro 51 and it is not a gel, but says ballpoint refill. I don't know that I know the difference. How long does one last, a gel, vs. a ballpoint. That auction does not have them capped, so will they dry out? I think we might have had a Shmidtt refill one time but I dont think it was a gel. The little bit of writing I got out of the Visconti refill that was in the pen seemed like it was a bit wetter.

 

Ok, so pros and cons of ballpoint refills vs. I guess the only other type is the gel?

 

Which ones are better deals, or last longer or, other things to look for?

[FrankB]

I guess I will be odd man out here. Gel refills are too slick for me. They are so lubricated that I do not feel in control of my pen or my penmanship. I have found that if I use a BP refill with a B point, I do not have to push super hard to get the refill to write, I can hold the BP at a comfortable angle (as opposed to 90-degree vertical) and I have some pleasant tactile feedback from the paper. The feedback seems to me to be closer to a FP than a slick, frictionless gel. I never use a BP for extended writing, so the modest pressure I employ with the broader ball pen point is fairly comfortable for me. I also do not use BP's or rollers that often, so the time between uses can be considerable. In those intervals, roller refills dry out on me. All things considered, I prefer BP refills.

Edited November 7, 2009 by FrankB

[cowboyjack]

Another Vote for the Itoyas. They fit in the Parker, have great ink, and are way cheaper in use. I got one when I purchased a pen off of here and never looked back. They are all I use in my Parker 75 "ballpoint."

[memphislawyer]

Well, given that the parker makes a better line, and since my seller got me 5 refills for less than $1.50 per refill, I will go with the Parker. Would like to try Itoya to just compare, but the Parker really makes a vibrant line when compared to the Ballpoint refill and it does not skip, so easy to start up and I have it in a Visconti Opera Club ballpoint.

[mrt77]

Monteverde SoftRoll is a very smooth writing cartridge. It's not really a ballpoint or a gel, but somewhere between.

[Garageboy]

Gels dont work on glossy paper, though

[bugmenot]

Wow, got them in and I highly recommend the Parker gel refills over the ballpoint refills. The color is a lot more vibrant and I can see where many think it is akin to a bottled ink. I guess the refills will last only about 25% the time a ballpoint refill will, but since I will be replacing it once every 6 months I guess vs. once every two years, well, given the price point, not bad at all.

 

 

 

Best post in the thread. I write a lot at work so I blow through the Parkers much more quickly, but the writing experience is a whole different ballgame from a ballpoint, worth the added cost, IMO.

 

+1

Edited November 12, 2009 by bugmenot