Bp/rb Throwdown

[bones]

Hi everyone, not sure if this is the correct spot for this, but seemed the most logical.

 

If for nothing other than the sake of having something to loan out, even the most devout FP user should have a BP or two on hand. In my day-to-day activities, I usually end up carrying BPs more often than my beloved FPs for a variety of reasons. So, I've recently taken it upon myself to test a variety of BP refills (notably a fistful of different Parker-format refills), as well as a few RB refills that fit my RR 600 RB. This process has certainly helped to inform my choices (my previous everyday pen turned out as one of the worst once I got out and bought all these nicer BPs!), so I'm posting in the hopes it will inform others' writing instrument selection.

 

This list is of course incomplete -- I only have so much $$$ to blow on BPs to test! (And I'd much rather blow it on FPs and FP ink!) Also, as you can tell I am biased towards smaller line widths. All pens tested have black ink. (Or at least that's the maker's claim...a few look more like grey to me.)

 

The pens were all written together on the same sheet of HP Premium Choice Laser Paper, then more detailed reviews were written on the cheapo Staples pads I use on a day-to-day basis. Scans to follow my terribly verbose text...

 

Here are the pens/refills featured:

Baseline comparison:

Rotring 600 (old style), EF nib, J. Herbin Perle Noir (so you can see what you are missing by having to use a BP...)

 

Popular BPs:

Uni Jetstream SX-217, 0.7 mm tip

Uni Jetstream SX-210, 1.0 mm tip

Fisher Space Pen, #PR4 (Medium)

 

Popular and Fits in RR 600 RB:

Pilot G-2 0.38 mm

Pilot G-2 0.5 mm

Pilot G-2 0.7 mm

Schmidt 5285 EF (with the funky needle tip)

 

Other BPs:

Zebra F-0.7 mm (stock in the F-301 and F-402)

Zebra F-1.0 mm (stock in the F-701)

Pentel BKLN5, 0.5 mm tip (stock in the Pentel GraphGear 1000 ballpoint)

Pentel BKLN7, 0.7 mm tip (stock in the Pentel GraphGear 1000 ballpoint)

Pentel BK440 (a cheapo Pentel with tolerable characteristics I was given a few years ago that I keep in my bag because I wouldn't cry if I lost it)

 

Parker Refills:

Parker Quinkflow F

Schmidt P900 F

Visconti AA38 F

Schneider Slider 755 M

Staedtler 458 F (stock in the 925 25 F9 ballpoint, which is now discontinued and the dickens to find, I might add)

 

The bottom line for those who don't wish to read my ramblings:

If you don't need a refill that fits in a specific body, go for the Jetstream 1.0. This pen is ridiculously smooth and dries ridiculously fast.

If you need a Parker refill, I'd recommend the Schneider Slider 755M for now, though I'm hoping the Visconti AA38 F will stop skipping if I just break it in a bit more. If that is the case, I'll try to remember to post an update of my opinions, because I prefer the darkness of the Visconti.

 

 

Here is the text of the reviews, in case you can't decipher my cacography:

(For those who do muddle through the cacography, I do also have some additional details thrown into the transcription here.)

 

Rotring 600 EF (old style), J. Herbin "Perle Noir." The baseline. Who can argue with perfection? Effortless, even and dark. Dry time: Only a very minor smear at the bottom pool after 3 seconds. Pretty fast!

 

Uni Jetstream SX-217, 0.7 tip. Fairly smooth, slight sensation of "roughness." Decent darkness for a BP. Dry time: Only a very minor smear at the bottom pool after 1 second, no smearing after 2 seconds. Really fast! (By "roughness" I am referring to the fact that some BPs give me a sort of rough bumping sensation, as if the paper were highly textured, even though it is quite smooth and other pens do not give this effect. I do not know a better term for this, so I shall stick with this nomenclature throughout the post.)

 

Uni Jetstream SX-210, 1.0 tip. Insanely smooth! None of the "roughness" of the 0.7. Like sliding on ice. The Jetstream refill fits a RR 600 RB with slight modification to the cartridge (not the RB!!!). Dry time: Only very minor smear on the top pool after 2 seconds. Also really fast!

 

Fisher Space Pen #PR4 (med.). Tolerable smoothness, but much more drag than either Jetstream. Leaves blobs. Not very dark, occasionally skips. I fail to understand this refill's apparent popularity. Dry time: Only minor smear throughout the line after 3 seconds. (Note: even 24 hours later, a greasy finger causes the ink to smear slightly. I am seriously underwowed by this ink/refill's performance in just about all aspects.)

 

Pilot G-2, 0.38 tip. Fine and dark, but a bit draggy and scratchy for my taste. At least it doesn't take much pressure. Dry time: Only smearing in bottom blob after 3 seconds. Good for an ink this juicy and dark. (But otherwise pretty mediocre.)

 

Pilot G-2, 0.5 tip. Nice darkness, but kinda draggy, Much less drag than the 0.38, though. Dry time: Very little discernable smear after 4 seconds.

 

Pilot G-2, 0.7 tip. Heavy, dark line. Acceptable flow smoothness, but still draggier than I like. Some of the same "roughness" as in the 0.7 Jetstream (it should say 0.7 in the scan -- I goofed). Some feathering on this paper, and even on the HP stuff. Dry time: still lots after 5 seconds. Bleh. (I gave up after 5 because I consider that downright unacceptable. This ink and the next had the most show-through of any of the ones tested. The back of the sheet of the cheap paper will probably not be too usable with either this or the Schmidt 5285. The nice HP paper was fine, though.)

 

Schmidt 5285 EF. Interesting "needle" tip. Fits nicely in RR 600 RB. Not as fine as I hoped for, significant feathering on both papers, comparable to the G-2 0.7. Slightly smoother than the corresponding G-2's, with almost none of the "roughness." Dry time: No discernable feathering even at 1 second. Really fast, especially for this darkness!

 

Zebra F-0.7. Not very dark, is it? Some blobbing, but not nearly as bad as the Space Pen. Draggy, too. Dry time: Very little smearing after 2 seconds. Decent! (This was my standard pen for many, many years. I started using them to take notes in class because the ink was the only one I could find at the time that dried fast enough that the bottom of my hand didn't end up colored black by the end of the day. I don't have to take notes that fast anymore, so my priorities have changed, and I'm not so keen on this refill nowadays.)

 

Zebra F-1.0. Better darkness than the 0.7. Still pretty draggy, and I've had some false starts. I don't like doing this (arrow pointing to where I had to squiggle in the margin to start it) every time my pen rests an hour or so... Though it could just need some breaking-in. Dry time: Barely discernable smearing even after 1 second. Good! The dry time was my initial draw to Zebras, though the drag is making me turn away now...

 

Pentel BKLN5 (GraphGear 1000 Ball). Fine, dark line but blobs at least as bad as the Zebra 0.7 and is rather draggy -- probably the most drag out of the bunch. Dry times: Barely discernable after 2 seconds. Good -- if you don't catch the blobs.

 

Pentel BKLN7. Same issues as the BKLN5, but with an ever-so-slightly thicker line and ever-so-slightly less drag. Seems to blob a bit less, too. Dry time: Barely noticeable after 2 seconds.

 

Pentel BK440. Poor starts. Inconsistent line. Blobs. Drags. It was free... Dry time: Barely noticeable after 1 second. Nice. (Good dry time and darkness are what have caused me to retain this pen.)

 

Parker Quinkflow 0.8 F. Tolerably dark, thin line. Intolerably draggy compared to other options. Very slight blobbing. Dry time: Nothing noticeable after 1 second. Quick ink! (couldn't resist!) (This refill's performance was rather disappointing for its price relative to the other Parker-format refills.)

 

Schmidt P900 F. Not very dark. Not very smooth. Gave some false starts. Almost no blobbing, though. Dry time: Nothing noticeable after 1 second. Fast! (These are the cheapest of the bunch. You get what you pay for...)

 

Visconti AA38 F. Dark, maybe a bit of feathering. (And third-most showthrough.) A bit more drag than the 0.5 G-2, but better than the 0.38 G-2. Some skipping, but maybe just needs breaking-in? Dry time: Barely discernable after 2 seconds. Fast! <- I'm just not a big fan of the skipping. (It had skipped out pretty bad trying to write "fast." I'm hoping this refill just needs a bit of breaking-in, because it is so far one of the best for a dark line and decent smoothness in a Parker format that I've tried.)

 

Schneider Slider 755M. Potentially the smoothest of the Parker-style refills tested here. Maybe a hint more drag than the Jetstream 0.7, slightly lighter, too. No blobbing, none of the "roughness." Dry time: Nothing noticeable even after 1 second. Good!

 

Staedtler 458F (925 25 F9). Not too dark, smoother than P-900F, though. Blobs more than I like. Dry time: Just a little bit of smearing after 3 seconds.

 

The contenders:

 

The results:

 

 

[dapv]

Very cool.

[bones]

Upon further testing tonight, I think I have identified a pattern in the skipping of the Visconti Parker-format refill: it can't write through even moderate grease. It would skip on spots I had rested my hand on the paper. This was then verified by purposefully rubbing my finger over a spot on the paper and attempting to write. As expected, the refill behaved quite poorly over the rubbed area.

 

So, if you want a reasonably smooth, dark refill for a pen that takes Parker-format to use while wearing gloves , go for the Visconti. Otherwise, I am inclined to put my support behind the Schneider Slider for now.

 

I'll try to update this comparison the next time I splurge on BP refills...though I'm kinda swimming in them for the near-term...

 

If anyone has particular suggestions of what to add to the list, I'd be curious to hear them.

 

I'm curious about the Monteverde Soft-Roll, but I've also heard they blob and run out rapidly (especially given the cost compared to other options), so I didn't get them this round. I suspect I should also get my hands on a Parker Gel and a Schmidt P9000, but those seem like they would have broader tips so I didn't go for them for this round.

[rminj]

What a nice review.. I often thought of posting differences I've found between refills but didn't think

there was a general interest. Some comments/questions...

 

1.) A review I would like to see is on blue refills ...medium to broad points. I

generally use blue and notice that one sees a lot of difference with blue refills versus black. I think the black color hides a lot of deficiencies.

 

2.) I thought for sure the new Quink Flow would do well as the Parker ink, to me, was always very good and

the Quinkflow was suppose to improve on that. They only make medium and fine point so if I like the current blue broad , I may be annoyed going to a medium quink flow.

 

3.) That your using a fine point; its interesting to see which ones put more ink on the paper..I've had to

go to a broad blue Parker point in recent years to get a decent line width and ink on the paper. Parker Gel gets around that problem also.

 

5.) Based on the pictures Pilot, Schmidt and Visconti look darkest to me. I actually like Fisher blue ink but, will agree, the re-fills have some odd drag to them that slows them down even though the lines appear even. I think its the point shape. Broad is too broad and Medium a little to fine. I would place them write behind Parker or even next to them.

 

6.) Are the Jetstream and Pilot gel refills? I really like the Parker Gels (and also the Cross Selectip Gels). But the Parker Gels must be the most un-waterproof ink on the planet.

 

7.) I tried the Schmidt easyflow 9000; what a frustrating refill..one minute is would write smoothly then suddenly skip or go faint/dry. Getting a replacement it did the same thing. Scared the Parker quinkflow would do this but I don't see how.

 

8.)I've tried the Monteverde soft-rolls. I had the best luck with blue-black..the point was very broad but despite that it seemed to be the closest regular ink refill to a gel. But I didn't like the color. The blue ones I tried had a finer medium point, were more purple than blue, and scratchy..so I couldn't win there. I think a broader point blue may have done it.

 

9.)Next review should include Cross refills so the company can see how far behind they are. Many people are going to the Fisher Cross refills because Cross has not updated their ballpoint ink in 25 years.

[bones]

I did a water test with the Jetstream, G-2 0.7 and Schmidt 5285EF. Wrote the name, let dry overnight, ran under cold water for 1 minute, tried to swipe with my finger a couple of times, let dry:

 

Schmidt fared the worst, Jetstream the best.

 

In other news, the Quinkflow has grown on me a bit with a bit more breaking-in, but I still like the Schneider Slider better.

Edited June 1, 2011 by bones

[rminj]

Schmidt fared the worst, Jetstream the best.

 

In other news, the Quinkflow has grown on me a bit with a bit more breaking-in, but I still like the Schneider Slider better.

 

Those don't seem too bad with water.

 

Any place to buy the Schneider refills in the USA? I can't find them anywhere in the USA online. The Schneider Gelion 39 is

suppose to be water proof or water resistant. Sent email to the company.

 

I've gone back to my Cross and Parker gels..I'm always looking for something as smooth and more water resistant.

[bones]

Schmidt fared the worst, Jetstream the best.

 

In other news, the Quinkflow has grown on me a bit with a bit more breaking-in, but I still like the Schneider Slider better.

 

Those don't seem too bad with water.

 

Any place to buy the Schneider refills in the USA? I can't find them anywhere in the USA online. The Schneider Gelion 39 is

suppose to be water proof or water resistant. Sent email to the company.

 

I've gone back to my Cross and Parker gels..I'm always looking for something as smooth and more water resistant.

 

Hmm...not sure. I ended up getting mine from CultPens in the UK, since I was getting some other somewhat hard-to-find items from them anyways. I could only find a US company selling 10 packs (passion4pens) in a quick Google search. Hopefully someone else can chime in if they've found them conveniently Stateside. I'm also not sure if the "Slider" stick pens are the same as the "Slider" Parker refill.

[rminj]

thanks.. I'm hoping they appear state-side someday. The quink-flow just appeared on web sites here last month.

I wish there were a brick and mortar store that had all the different brands to try. Only one I have is paradise

pens where I can pick up the Visconti refills, Parker non-quinkflow (but they sell the Premier pen with the new

refills in it) or the EasyFlow 9000 (did not like).

[m53al]

Greetings,

 

I've been playing around in the find "better refills arena" and havelearned a few things -and am still working on it.

 

Other peoples efforts and postings in this arena ARE appreciated!!

 

A good bit of this for me really started when I saw a check my Mother had written to my sister that had gotten just slightly wet - it looked like

nothing had ever been written on it- so the hunt for better, and waterproof refills began! Prior to that the search was for a blue refill that I liked and that wasn't $6.95 or higher!

 

 

The Gelion 39 I was informed is not something they (Schneider) is marketing -sending - to the US. (per:Joe Ptasinski Passion4Pens.com, Inc)

 

I have rollerballs I use (Waterman Gentleman mostly) and I have been usingPilot G2 for some of my pens. I am still working on a "better" rollerball refill.The Pentel refills are now of great interest.

 

Also learned: Schmidt (I think, - I couldn't find the e-mail this am) is working on a Waterman style rollerball refill.

 

For my own check and document writing /signing, it looks like for now I amgoing to use Noodlers Big Black Moccasin. I have a Yaffa refillable rollerballthat I am trying to get Mother to use for her check writing.

 

A better refillable (with FP ink) rollerball I am still looking in to. I have a N Creaper I am playing with currently. More tips and suggestions welcome!

 

Does anyone have any experience with any of the Pentel ink refills?

 

I got in some Schmidt P 900 refills for the Parker Sterlings my Mother likes touse (Mother is 85), I also keep jotters and some Parker Sterlings around too,and the P 900 seems- so far -to be a very good refill in the Parker style ofthings.

 

Does anyone know what the preferred - at this time- washing agent fraudstersare using?

 

My favorite everyday FP ink is BSB, but it does go away with Chlorox. Anyone know what fraudsters are primarily using to wash checks?

 

Chlorox in any amount seems to noticeably make a mark on the check, when and where and how this might stop a fraudulent check I don't know.

Enough for now!

 

VBM

 

 

 

 

[Koyote]

I'm pretty happy with the Parker Gel refills. Nice smooth wet writers. Can even cut 'em down a few millimiters (on the plastic end) to make 'em fit my Sheaffer BPs.

[m53al]

Hi Koyote,

 

I have also used quite a few Parker Gel refills in a good many of the pens in the house that they will fit in, and agree about them (and I WILL look at trimming one for a few Sheaffer pens too, thanks!)

 

My current "problem" with refills like the Parker Gel is that with a bit of Clorox the writing "goes away". I need to make sure my 85 year old Mother doesn't write any checks with an ink that can "go away". She sent a check to my sister that got just a little wet and then looked like it had never been filled out - thus the reason for the current efforts.

 

I also have to decide on what kind of routine to have so that I don't get caught having to sign checks or documents with something that is not good for that purpose. For other writing it's not that big a problem with me. All the years I've been in the wine business I can't recall ever spilling wine or water on my tasting notes.

 

These days I enjoy using a Waterman Expert with BSB in it. (Though at a wine estate in Germany in May my pen and ink cartridge had a little explosion problem -so I was tasting some really superb wines with a VERY blue hand!)

 

How many pens does one want to tote around with them?

 

 

Enough for now!

 

Ben M.