Best Pen(S) Under $150? (Ballpoint/rollerball Only)

[nxn96]

Thanks for the suggestions everyone. Has anyone had experience with both Cross Century and Parker Classic? Which was better?

I've used both at one time or another.

 

Both are nicely-built pens. I have a 12k gf Classic set from early-on in the Classic period and a Flighter set from the "later" Classic period. Both are nice sets, but the earlier set has a more substantial feel. Compared to the Century, I would say the earlier set is on par, but the later Classic has a less substantial feel as compared to Cross.

 

Writing quality of the refills is another matter. Personally, I find Cross refills plain lousy. Parkers are pretty good.

 

Hope this helps.

[hari317]

Thanks for the suggestions everyone. Has anyone had experience with both Cross Century and Parker Classic? Which was better?

 

I have a few Cross centuries and also the classic. The newest 10K GF Cross has tarnished badly, my older 18K GF cross is still pristine. parker BP refills are quite good and longer lasting.

 

Irecommend either the Caran D ache ballpoints or MB. I have found both to be very smooth and require minimum pressure to write well.

[thecrafter]

Thanks for the suggestions everyone. Has anyone had experience with both Cross Century and Parker Classic? Which was better?

 

I have a few Cross centuries and also the classic. The newest 10K GF Cross has tarnished badly, my older 18K GF cross is still pristine. parker BP refills are quite good and longer lasting.

 

Irecommend either the Caran D ache ballpoints or MB. I have found both to be very smooth and require minimum pressure to write well.

Caran D'ache seems a lot thicker than the Century or Classic. I need something as thin as those. And MB (Mont Blanc?) is also thick and much above my price range.

 

I have to admit I'm lost in this thread already. People keep throwing abbreviations and terms I'm not at all familiar with. Where can I find the refills mentioned here such as Curtis? Amazon doesn't seem to have them. Is there an online store you can recommend for these refills?

 

Also I'm not a troll. What kind of a person would come to a pen forum to troll? Be real. I just typed pen forum in google and of the top 5 results this one was the only one that seemed to be an actual forum. I'm not going to spend my entire day finding the perfect forum just to ask such a simple question.

[thecrafter]

In the current Parker line, Sonnet ballpoints often come in a "thin" profile as well as the standard profile.

 

+1. http://www.parkerpen.com/en/discovery/product/sonnet_slim. It cost much less than 150 USD as well.

 

As others have mentioned it is the perfect refill for you that you need to find first and then the pen. There are a lot of choices for Parker compatibles, Cross not that much. Sheaffer, Montblanc are very limited in number of varieties.

 

Regards,

Yes Sonnet Slim is quite nice I see, although it seems a bit thicker than the Parker Classic I have which to be quite frank I'm happy with But was hoping something even nicer. I'm very OCD with pens it seems! Really Century Cross looks like a nice upgrade, fits my criteria well. What's the best place to look for refills though? Amazon (where I shop for everything) has no selection really.

 

Also for Parkers, where is the best manufacturing? On an Amazon review I read that the ones made in US feels cheaper than those in the UK (mine is made in the UK, if it isn't a fake that is). Is there truth to that? This is the Classic I have:

http://ak1.ostkcdn.com/images/products/P12419228a.jpg

 

Also on the pen it says "P.II" any idea what that means?

 

Lovely pen for note taking, feels great. Too bad I got shafted with the replacement ink. It came stock with ballpoint ink which was OK to me, but once it ran out I decided to try the Parker Gel refill because I read on Amazon reviews it's a lot better but I found it to be really bad. Not consistent, seems to dry out quickly and often and the lines are too thick for my tastes

Edited November 8, 2011 by thecrafter

[Gerd W]

Cross Century or Parker Classic, both are decent pens IMHO, so it's a matter of taste. You may take a look at the Parker Classic in black matte with gold trim. I've got one and it is a very nice and elegant looking pen, well build and has a substancial feeling. Good luck!

[rminj]

"Also on the pen it says "P.II" any idea what that means?" ..

 

Those are Parker date codes...I think if you search this site or the web they can be deciphered..

it sounds like it is genuine.

 

As for ballpoints; as others here pointed out the Parker style refills gives you more refill options. I also find the Cross BP refills poor...they seem dry and one needs to press quite hard with them.. recent ones have been better but with Parker style you have more refill and pen options.

 

If you did not like the Parker Gel refills (.7mm..but gel bleed may make the lines broader) then

you definitely wont like the Cross Gels..they write about the same as the Parker Gels. It sounds like you like/need regular ballpoints. I would think recent Medium Pt Parker refills would work well for you..I found their recent refills a bit too fine for me and moved up to their broad point.

 

The Sonnet is a nice pen and there are slim version..a good step up from the classic. My regular black matte sonnet has been durable and comfortable to write with. Other brands to try

that take the Parker style refills are Retro 51, Visconti etc..

 

This is a good thread.. we've gotten some good pen suggestions and learned about some refills.

[stuartk]

Thanks for the suggestions everyone. Has anyone had experience with both Cross Century and Parker Classic? Which was better?

 

Define "better."

 

I have some of each of these. I don't know that I could say one is overall better than the other. They're both good in different ways.

 

As for your question about best pen under $150, there are a lot of choices. However, at that price level I think I would lean towards recommending a Parker Sonnet in whatever finish you prefer. However, you wouldn't go wrong by buying a Cross or Pelikan BP either.

 

I have Pelikan's K100, K200, K400, and K600, and they're all very nice pens. The K600 is my favourite, but I probably wouldn't buy one now since Pelikan pens have increased so much in price. I'd be more likely to get a 200.

 

However, as other's have noted, what counts with a ballpoint or rollerball pen is the refill. A good way to approach it is to decide which refill you like best and then pick out a pen to fit it.

[Bo Bo Olson]

If you ever get around to using a fountain pen, remember you will have to learn how to grip it like a fountain pen, and not like a ball point or roller ball.

 

Keep the word "Tripod" in mind, when you look in the search section.

 

I use a version of the Tripod called the forefinger up, and with that it don't matter if the pen is skinny, thick, long, short, heavy or light. It promotes a very light grip too.

 

I can see putting out $150 on a fountain pen with a good nib.

If it's a C/C pen it's got to be a real grand nib.

 

I can't see putting out that money on a roller ball.

 

When one hangs with a pack of wild Jones one must howl like a Jones.

[stuartk]

Private Reserve make good ones.

 

I thought the PR refills were just relabeled Monteverde refills?

 

For Parker-style ballpoint refills, I've been sticking with Parker, Schneider, and Schmidt. Pelikan would be another option, but they're much more expensive. These 4 are the only ones I'm aware of that use archival-quality ink.

 

Papermate refills use archival ink too, if you happen across a nice old Papermate Profile or something.

 

Cross refills don't seem to be as good as they used to be, so I've been leaning towards a Parker-style refill and accompanying pen lately.

Edited November 8, 2011 by stuartk

[stuartk]

 

Also for Parkers, where is the best manufacturing? On an Amazon review I read that the ones made in US feels cheaper than those in the UK (mine is made in the UK, if it isn't a fake that is). Is there truth to that? This is the Classic I have:

http://ak1.ostkcdn.com/images/products/P12419228a.jpg

 

AFAIK, they don't make them in the US anymore.

 

I got a couple of Classics last year from someone in Hong Kong. They were made in the UK, and seemed to be about as good as the much older ones I have that were made in the US.

[stuartk]

 

I can see putting out $150 on a fountain pen with a good nib.

If it's a C/C pen it's got to be a real grand nib.

 

I can't see putting out that money on a roller ball.

 

I can think of a few c/c pens that might be worth $150. (Bexley and Edison spring to mind.) As for a roller ball, I was given a Cartier Diabolo roller ball that was more expensive than that. It's built quite well, and you could club someone with it if they bother you.

[owenj]

I have a Parket Latitude Rollerball that I like very much. I have small hands & don't find it difficult to use the pen for long bouts of writing. Parker Latitude

 

Also have 2 Cross Century pens & I think the Townsend Chrome. As well as a Pelikan 215 ballpoint. Any & all are great pens & well below your price range, but the Century is very thin. As noted earlier in the thread, Cross refills can be really hit or miss.

[Bo Bo Olson]

The Edison you can get a semi-flex or more flexi nib.

As I said, I'm willing to pay extra for a real good nib.

 

I can be talked into a Dupont I'm sure.Great top of the line detail work.

 

I hear the Yard o'led has a great nib.

 

Modern MB nibs are ok. I have one, don't need two. It's #12 in my nib list. My vintage '55 MB nib is my #1.

 

I have a very smooth Cross Townsend steel M nail, and a Lamy Person was a OB 18 K nail, is now a cursive italic as my most expensive C/C pens...

Some times one can't help but end up with some c/c pens.

Pelikan Celeby, Lamy CP-1 also.

 

My Lamy Joy is quite good for a Cartridge pen, well I paid € 6 for it at a flea market and it has a nice 1.5 italic nib.

 

But I chase pens with guts and vintage nibs.

 

I am missing many filling systems.

 

I got just about all the nibs I need though. So it's time to chase paper and ink.

Edited November 8, 2011 by Bo Bo Olson

[pajaro]

Pelikan M800 blue stripe twist action ballpoint, it takes Parker style refils. (then get the M800 FP to go with it!! he he)

You paid less than $150 for that pen?

[kaissa]

In the current Parker line, Sonnet ballpoints often come in a "thin" profile as well as the standard profile.

 

+1. http://www.parkerpen.com/en/discovery/product/sonnet_slim. It cost much less than 150 USD as well.

 

As others have mentioned it is the perfect refill for you that you need to find first and then the pen. There are a lot of choices for Parker compatibles, Cross not that much. Sheaffer, Montblanc are very limited in number of varieties.

 

Regards,

Yes Sonnet Slim is quite nice I see, although it seems a bit thicker than the Parker Classic I have which to be quite frank I'm happy with But was hoping something even nicer. I'm very OCD with pens it seems! Really Century Cross looks like a nice upgrade, fits my criteria well. What's the best place to look for refills though? Amazon (where I shop for everything) has no selection really.

 

Visconti has F gel refills at 0,5 mm. Schneider has Gelion 39, a gel at 0,4 mm. These are the thinnest lines AFAIK for Parker style refills.

 

I do not know how fine the Cross F ballpoint refill is. You may find Cross Spire attractive, a thin pen.

 

Regards,

[hippity_zippity]

I agree with you about the Parker gel refill - I'm definitely not a fan.

 

However, the Schmidt/Private Reserve 8900 Super Bowl refill comes in the same form factor (Parker-Style "G2" ballpoint) and is a significant improvement. I use one every day.

 

For some other models that take this type of refill, check this out.

 

(No affiliation to either site.)

[lovemy51]

IMO, a $150 BP will perform the same as a .50 cents one. just get a bic stick pen.

 

Yep just like a cheap Hero copy will perform the same as Parker 51 -- they often look the same, don't they?

 

Man, a little too much of the fountain pen kool-aid. Why you think the poster is trolling is beyond me. As witnessed already in this thread there are people who post on FPN that like writing instruments in general, be they fountain pens, ball points, rollers, pencils, crayons, etc.

 

Much the way not all nibs are created equally, so too with BP and RB refills. The same considerations that go into deciding a FP enter in when deciding other writing instruments, e.g the OP said no screw on cap, balance, overall weight, aesthetics, etc.

 

well, when did u get a payer hating degree on P51's?

 

hmm, sugar rush, probably too many mentos...

Edited November 9, 2011 by lovemy51

[Alohamora]

Caran D'ache seems a lot thicker than the Century or Classic. I need something as thin as those. And MB (Mont Blanc?) is also thick and much above my price range.

 

I have to admit I'm lost in this thread already. People keep throwing abbreviations and terms I'm not at all familiar with. Where can I find the refills mentioned here such as Curtis? Amazon doesn't seem to have them. Is there an online store you can recommend for these refills?

 

 

 

I got the Cross style Monteverde refills on ebay.

 

I thought the troll comment was directed at the poster who gave you a hard time about asking a BP (ballpoint) question on a FP (fountain pen) forum. This is normally such a friendly forum, I don't know why some people were so rude in this thread.

[pajaro]

IMO, a $150 BP will perform the same as a .50 cents one. just get a bic stick pen.

 

Yep just like a cheap Hero copy will perform the same as Parker 51 -- they often look the same, don't they?

 

Man, a little too much of the fountain pen kool-aid. Why you think the poster is trolling is beyond me. As witnessed already in this thread there are people who post on FPN that like writing instruments in general, be they fountain pens, ball points, rollers, pencils, crayons, etc.

 

Much the way not all nibs are created equally, so too with BP and RB refills. The same considerations that go into deciding a FP enter in when deciding other writing instruments, e.g the OP said no screw on cap, balance, overall weight, aesthetics, etc.

hmm, sugar rush, probably too many mentos...

You are, of course, entitled to think all ballpoints are the same, but I have never regretted buying a Montblanc 164 for $44 in 1983. Same for my Pelikan K400 and K200.

[andybiotic]

I am recommending what I always recommend when it comes to rollerball.

 

The Lamy swift.

 

A clicking/button pushing Rollerball that retracts it's clip while the tip is out! You may not think that the clip retracting is an attractive feature until you realised how annoying that thing is always getting in the way on you hand while you write! :roflmho:

 

It may not be very thin but it is certainly not thick! Good vivid colour refill!