Gel Vs Fountain Pens

[Phormula]

I went from ball points and felt tips to fountain pens, skipping roller balls and gel pens, cos I didn't like them. I tried to like them, but they always skipped, so I skipped them.

 

I am not using RBs and gel pens as well. I have a Parker Jotter RB in my pen case because it was one of the first gifts of my girlfiend (now my wife) back in the early '90s so it has some affective value, and it has never been used. I also have a Paper Mate Chrome Executive RB that I got as a gift for my birthday back in 1985, when Paper Mate was still a Gillette family brand. I guess the refills are both dry.

 

The reason why I don't use RBs and gel pens is because IMHO they are not flesh not fish. I am not the kind of person that goes nuts if he/she can not use his/her FP everywhere everytime, I like to use a FP if I can and the situation is appropriate, and I use a BP, a pencil, a marker or a highlighter where they are the most appriopriate writing tool. I still haven't found a place for a RB, in 90% of the situations I can use a FP in the same situation and in the remaining 10% a BP is more appropriate. For me the RB is just a FP I can put pressure on, i.e. the disadvantage of a BP (pressure to write) with the disadvantage of a FP (liquid ink that smears on glossy paper). Just my opinion.

[Sailor Kenshin]

Gel pens are only good for throwing at the wall, and squirting the ink out of the barrel for fun when you're bored.

 

They'd better not be grouping them with real pens! The common man can NOT be deceived!

 

I do use and enjoy fountain pens, but a good gel ink refill is far more convenient, trouble-free, and produces a nice wet colorful line. I really don't understand any bias against them.

 

 

I love them. I do not take fountain pens on the road. Zebra Sarasa all the way!

[ethernautrix]

I am not the kind of person that goes nuts if he/she can not use his/her FP everywhere everytime, I like to use a FP if I can and the situation is appropriate, and I use a BP, a pencil, a marker or a highlighter where they are the most appriopriate writing tool. I still haven't found a place for a RB, in 90% of the situations I can use a FP in the same situation and in the remaining 10% a BP is more appropriate.

 

Very sensible, Phormula.

 

Perhaps I am biased, because I agree with you.

 

Over the years, I have tried many rollerballs and gel pens (I like pens, after all), and most of them skipped. Perhaps I don't write with enough pressure to lay down a consistent line with RBs and gel pens.

 

BUT! I was introduced the Pilot G-2 several years ago, and if I did not use fountain pens at all, I would most likely use the Pilot G-2, both .05 and .07. I did hack my Montblanc Scenium RB to take the Pilot G-2 refill, and I carry that pen daily, but it is used rarely.

[eric47]

A nice poster here did a gel pen measurement survey and said, gel pens are as off on measurements to what they say they say are as fountain pen nibs.

 

Resulting line width with can be affected by the paper and pressure, for instance, be it with a FP, RB, or Gel. If by gel pen measurement you intend that written on the pen, I suspect that refers to something with a stable repeatable dimension, e.g. the point as Pilot* mentions, diameter of the ball/sphere, etc. *Pilot actually gives two measurements, one for the point (which matches the measurement on the pen) and one for the resulting stroke width, which no doubt varies with paper, pressure, blah blah blah as if that's a big surprise.

 

Aurora also provides in their catalog the diameter of the tipping material on their nibs, which doesn't correspond always to the resulting line width. I suppose that's because when one writes the entire diameter doesn't usually contact the paper along with ink, paper, pressure, blah blah blah.

Edited January 30, 2012 by eric47

[beluga]

Gel vs. Fountain Pens?

 

Instant coffee vs. espresso.

 

 

Apparently there are some people who actually do believe it makes no difference....

 

 

Out of all the writing instruments I use (fountain pen, ballpoint, mechanical pencil, rollerball) the rollerball suits me the least. For me these aberrations things are neither fowl nor fish and do absolutely nothing to develop a young person's handwriting.

 

The only regular use I have for them is drawing course lines on a navigation plotting chart.

 

 

 

But then again; you might call me an Old Fart....

Edited January 30, 2012 by beluga

[eric47]

But then again; you might call me an Old Fart....

 

Ok beluga, we hereby shall call you "Old Fart".

[Markk]

I see someone made the appropriate corrections to the wiki

[Surnia]

The problem with ball-tip pens is you have to hold them almost vertical. They make me scrunch up my hand, causing tension and pain. Fountain pens, however, can recline in the hand at a 45 degree angle. And they write under their own weight, so there's no need to press down on them. Besides, writing with a ball bearing is no fun for me. I don't like the way it feels.

 

You know, I've never understood this... when switching from BP to FP I had to change nothing in my writing angle. Its always been relatively low, anything between 30º-45º from the paper. Never had a writing angle issue with BPs, Gels, or Rollers. The only problem I ever had was the ink accumulation on the opposite side of the ball, requiring me to rotate every so often or have a nice blob of ink that spiderwebs and smudges.

[nardo800]

I think some people's experiences with gel are soured by only trying the ubiquitous Pilot G2 (or other cheap copies of it). The G2 has some good qualities, but it's on the watery/splotchy end of gel spectrum and it uses water-based non-permanent ink. (You can actually see the ink diffuse into the gel plug at the top of the refill, creating an ugly yellow-brown area)

 

If you want to try the best gels, Ohto has a ceramic-tipped gel refill that is phenomenal and comes 0.3-1.0 point sizes. Also Sakura, the company that developed gel ink, has a line of extremely vibrant colours, but unfortunately they just sell disposable stick pens.

Edited January 30, 2012 by nardo800

[ethernautrix]

The problem with ball-tip pens is you have to hold them almost vertical. They make me scrunch up my hand, causing tension and pain. Fountain pens, however, can recline in the hand at a 45 degree angle. And they write under their own weight, so there's no need to press down on them. Besides, writing with a ball bearing is no fun for me. I don't like the way it feels.

 

You know, I've never understood this... when switching from BP to FP I had to change nothing in my writing angle. Its always been relatively low, anything between 30º-45º from the paper. Never had a writing angle issue with BPs, Gels, or Rollers. The only problem I ever had was the ink accumulation on the opposite side of the ball, requiring me to rotate every so often or have a nice blob of ink that spiderwebs and smudges.

 

 

Same here, except that I hold the pen at a nearly 90-degree angle.

[ethernautrix]

I think some people's experiences with gel are soured by only trying the ubiquitous Pilot G2 (or other cheap copies of it). The G2 has some good qualities, but it's on the watery/splotchy end of gel spectrum and it uses water-based non-permanent ink.

 

 

This made me blurt-laugh, cos the Pilot G2 is the one rollerball/gel pen that I actually like! I kindv like the splotchy ink.

[ethernautrix]

If you want to try the best gels, Ohto has a ceramic-tipped gel refill that is phenomenal and comes 0.3-1.0 point sizes.

 

D'oh! I'd meant to comment on this as well.

 

Does anyone remember Pentel Ceramicron pens from the early to mid-'80s? THAT used to be my favorite pen! I had all three point sizes (only three: .1, .3. and .5), refills came in only the four basic colors (black, blue, red, green). I LOVED those pens. I still have one as a memento.

[kcoen52]

I think some people's experiences with gel are soured by only trying the ubiquitous Pilot G2 (or other cheap copies of it). The G2 has some good qualities, but it's on the watery/splotchy end of gel spectrum and it uses water-based non-permanent ink.

 

 

This made me blurt-laugh, cos the Pilot G2 is the one rollerball/gel pen that I actually like! I kindv like the splotchy ink.

 

Funny, I am the same way, only pen I have as a back up to my fountain pen is a .5 Pilot G2... I had a .7 but I smudged the ink to often. Those were the only pens I used until I started writing with a fountain pen 6 months ago. Now the only pen I use is a fountain pen... I have found no situation where I needed something else. (I don't have to sign carbon copies yet, still in college)

[pajaro]

I have no case where a fountain pen is required. I find many cases in daily work where a fine ballpoint, roller or gel pen is required.

[bicfan]

I have no case where a fountain pen is required. I find many cases in daily work where a fine ballpoint, roller or gel pen is required.

 

+1

[XiaoMG]

I have no case where a fountain pen is required. I find many cases in daily work where a fine ballpoint, roller or gel pen is required.

I don't encounter too many requirements, but a large portion of my daily writing for work is in magazine pages, where my fountain pens generally don't really work wonderfully. Gel pens are great, as are some pencils, and ballpoint is generally fine, but fountain pens just don't work as well, and make my handwriting look even more terrible most of the time.

 

I, like Nardo, am not terribly impressed by the G-2. It's OK, but not particularly good. Here in Taiwan, if you go to any big store, there will be a pen rack and scratch paper for everyone to test out pens before buying them. I personally have never seen anyone walk away from the racks with a G-2, though I've heard some people talking about them and how they're popular in America. I tend to pay attention to the pens my [adult] students use, and I can't really recall any of them using G-2s either, though many of them are clearly willing to spend a little more on quality pens.

[danahn17]

I, like Nardo, am not terribly impressed by the G-2. It's OK, but not particularly good. Here in Taiwan, if you go to any big store, there will be a pen rack and scratch paper for everyone to test out pens before buying them. I personally have never seen anyone walk away from the racks with a G-2, though I've heard some people talking about them and how they're popular in America. I tend to pay attention to the pens my [adult] students use, and I can't really recall any of them using G-2s either, though many of them are clearly willing to spend a little more on quality pens.

I'm not a big fan of the G2 either although I have many friends who love it.

 

I personally prefer the 0.25mm Pentel Slicci when I'm using a gel pen. I know the Pilot Hi-Tec C is popular in certain circles too but I didn't like the feel of that one.

[jonro]

If you want to try the best gels, Ohto has a ceramic-tipped gel refill that is phenomenal and comes 0.3-1.0 point sizes.

 

D'oh! I'd meant to comment on this as well.

 

Does anyone remember Pentel Ceramicron pens from the early to mid-'80s? THAT used to be my favorite pen! I had all three point sizes (only three: .1, .3. and .5), refills came in only the four basic colors (black, blue, red, green). I LOVED those pens. I still have one as a memento.

I really enjoyed mine, and still have one sitting in a cup holder. I think the tip dried out and I wasn't able to get it working properly again. I wonder if refills are still available.

 

Jon

[m53al]

Does anyone have any information on which pens the following mentioned: "Ohto has a ceramic-tipped gel refill" - will work in?

 

 

THANKS !

 

Ben M.

[nardo800]

Does anyone have any information on which pens the following mentioned: "Ohto has a ceramic-tipped gel refill" - will work in?

 

THANKS !

 

Ben M.

 

The OHTO G-300 series gel refills are comparable in length to the European standard rollerball (Schmidt, Pelikan et al.) The 0.5 point versions have a needle-like tip which is fractionally longer, but should work in most standard rollerball bodies.