Ballpoint Pen Or Rollerball Pen?

[discopig]

I generally liked most rollerballs I've tried. They were usually the pens I used before I knew about fountain pens.

[agentdaffy007]

I would say BP pen.

 

Here's the reason why. I own a MB Starwalker RB that i love but the refill for MB RB is ok, not the greatest. The ink refill gets depleted fast. On the other hand, my MB Meisterstuck LeGrand BP has a great black Broad refill that is super smooth.

 

But my favorite BP has to be the Caran d'Ache Ecridor Maya style with a nice blue Broad refill. I use it all the time!!

[Sallent]

As my signature says, "ball-point pens are only good for filling out forms on a plane." I will carry a roller ball pen on occasion so I can fill out the blank order forms in court if I am at a trial, hearing, or a case status conference. The blank order forms have carbon copies attached to them, so one needs something other than a fountain pen for them. If I'm a senior judge someday, I'd pass a bench order requiring the court to stock fountain pen friendly order forms.

Edited April 28, 2014 by Sallent

[FloatingFountain]

Rollerball. They combine the convenience of a ballpoint with the advantage of the foundation pen, at least to some extent. Expensive refills though.

[tedd]

Ball point pens are more commonly found in my hand at work and for things like signing important documents and the mortgage check. I have many companions to go along with my preferred fountain pen, like a Cross Metropolitan,Fisher Astronaut pen, and a Sheaffer Prelude and Balance ball point. I like parker ballpoint refills along with Fisher. I also write with Rollerballs, but most of the ones I have are disposable. Mechanical Pencils I use in drafting and design, so not as often. Cross pens are nice,if you find the right one. Not the classic skinny ones. Refills are average.

[Mezzie]

Rollerballs are nice to write with, but I was recently debating the issue myself, and I ended up getting a ballpoint (a Parker Jotter to be specific) because the refills last longer, so it's cheaper and more environmentally friendly in the long run. For a ballpoint (not my favorite kind of pen), the Parker actually writes pretty smoothly, so I'm happy with it. Like someone else said above, I have it for the express purpose of filling out carbon copies at work. For just about everything else, I seem to be doing fine with a fountain pen.

[WriteAway]

As a retired former newspaper journalist, I have used mostly ballpoints and wood pencils during my career. After the transition to computers beginning in the '80s, I now use the keyboard far more than any handheld writing utensil. My weapon of choice remains the reliable, smooth and convenient BPs I personally own, with the gel/rollerball, mechanical pencil and fountain pen filling out the rest of my writing time.