Are Rollerballs More Complex Than Ballpoints?

[TechnicGeek]

Hi. I wanted to know if rollerball pens are more complex than ballpoint pens and if they are whether such fact makes them more pricier than ballpoints? I know that fountain pens are the most complex than those mentioned and yet they seem to cost less than former two it seems. Just wanted to be more knowledgeable and smart when buying them.

[Pickwick]

Some pens will accept either a rollerball or a ballpoint refill. The Retro 51 Tornado and the Parker Urban which I own as two examples will take both. The refills I use are made by Schmidt and Schneider.

[Greenie]

Are you referring to the pen, or to the refill?

 

Rollerball fine writing instruments have a cap. Ballpoints twist or click to extend the refill and do not have caps. If anything, the ballpoint is more complex, but teh rollerball has more of the fine material and more detailed workmanship with cap threads, or whatever.

[Pickwick]

Are you referring to the pen, or to the refill?

 

Rollerball fine writing instruments have a cap. Ballpoints twist or click to extend the refill and do not have caps. If anything, the ballpoint is more complex, but teh rollerball has more of the fine material and more detailed workmanship with cap threads, or whatever.

There are capless rollerball pens avaialble.

[Greenie]

True. But in general, nice pens that come in fountain pen, ballpoint, and rollerball will have a cap for the rollerball and not for the ballpoint.

[RMN]

Basically, the rollerball refill is a ballpoint with slight modifications for the ink used.

Ballpoint refills use a paste-like ink that is deposited ON the paper and adheres to it.

Rollerballs use liquid ink or gel ink. There are rollerball systems that can use fountainpen inkcartridges or converters.

 

 

D.ick

[TechnicGeek]

Thanks for clarifying

 

 

Basically, the rollerball refill is a ballpoint with slight modifications for the ink used.

Ballpoint refills use a paste-like ink that is deposited ON the paper and adheres to it.

Rollerballs use liquid ink or gel ink. There are rollerball systems that can use fountainpen inkcartridges or converters.

 

 

D.ick

 

 

@RMN When sellers says he has gel pen does he actually mean he has rollerball refill but with gel ink? And when seller says rollerball pen that means it could be either refill with liquid ink or gel ink?

[RMN]

Actually, there are Ballpoint size refills with gel, and rollerball type refills with gel.

 

There are some standard sizes, in some cases the rollerball and ballpoint refill can be exchanged, other brands use different sized ones.

 

As has been said MOST rollerballs are with cap, because the liquid waterbased ink will dry out

Ballpoint refills CAN dry out, but it takes much longer, retracting them in a sheath is usually enough.

 

Usually, the refill will state the type of ink, AFAIK. Personally I hardly use rollerballs of the liquid ink type. I dislike them (but there are other folks who love them..) So I have little experience in brands and sizes.

 

D.ick

[penrivers]

The answer to the op is : yes, the ballpoint uses a point to write. and the rollerball uses a sphere in the nib to write, and yes, I find infinite delicious and exquisit to write with a rollerball than with a ballpoint.

[DiCHi93]

AFAIK, classifying a ballpoint & rollerball & gel pen is a bit of misnomer.

Ballpoint : It simply means the nib(yes, the nib) has a ball that rolls.
Rollerball : A pen with ballpoint mechanism but with a gel ink (ink in which the pigment is suspended in a gel medium as opposed to the "ballpoints" where the ink is a more viscous oil based one)

Gel pen : Duh! Isn't it clear? It's a ballpoint pen with gel ink.

So as I think there are two types of pens

1. Fountain pens (capillary action)

2. Ballpoint pens (gravity action)

 

The ballpoints can be further classified into two subcategories as

1.1 (More viscous)Oil based ink variants (commonly called ballpoint)

1.2 (Less viscous)Liquid or gel based ink variants (commonly called rollerballs)

 

Further here:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rollerball_pen

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ballpoint_pen

So in essence both are same body wise, although inks are a completely different story. I guess gel inks are more complex

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gel_pen

Edited November 21, 2015 by DiCHi93