Ballpoint Or Rollerball?

[Nihontochicken]

A user grade Parker 61 ("International") Flighter ballpoint has recently joined my current issue Parker stainless BP with the 45 style clip in my shirt pocket, along with my Kaweco Sport FP. I use the Schmidt blue refills since the Parkers are so expensive. The Schmidts vary, some very smooth with a strong line, others scratchy, draggy and skippy. For home use I have a nondescript Chinese BPP that I pick up yearly at my accountant's office (she has a jar full for the taking) that is much thicker than the Parker pens and hence more comfortable with which to write, luckily also uses Chinese Parker style refills.

Edited November 5, 2017 by Nihontochicken

[Flippy]

Ballpoints. I don't know why, but I've had very VERY bad luck with rollerballs (ex. drying out, skipping, needle.)

[Stef]

I prefer a pencil, then rollerball, and then the ballpoint.

[MYU]

Ballpoint refills have come a long way, in terms of formulation. But so have gels. The gels are superior to a ballpoint, but have the added problem of drying out. I've come to discover that "capless" refills are just slightly improved formulations. They still dry out. And in fact, I've had some that dried out even with the original cap in place... just sitting in the drawer in the new package, waiting to be used. They seem to have a shelf life of up to 3 years. Do not buy a bunch like in a 12-pack, unless you use them up frequently. I'd done this and after 3 years, they were all dried out. Schmidt brand.

 

So I prefer to use a gel refill, like a Pilot G2, and when installed in a pen that has a cap, like a trusty Rotring 600.

[torstar]

I prefer the clear refills as well. Not only can you see how much ink you have left, but also how much ink you started with. I'm just paranoid, and I don't trust manufacturers of the metal refills.

 

If i cannot see the ink level on a roller, I'm gonna get ripped off...

 

Some ballpoints are fine, MB has never let me down.

[JaysonHarrington]

Pilot G-2 05... Fine point like my Pilot Metropolitan...

[Qoan]

Ballpoint with Parker or G2 style gel refill. I prefer gel refills over the standard ballpoint, because they're much smoother. I prefer gel over rollerball refills because they work well over a broader range of papers.

 

+1

 

I may sometimes use a Pilot V5, but most times a FP would work just as fine in the same context.

[RMN]

I very much dislike rollerballs. So a ballpoint with a gel refill is mu choice here.

Several brands give good enough results.

 

 

D.ick

[dkirchge]

I gave up on rollerballs because I burned through refills too quickly. I mostly use ballpoints with Fisher Space Pen refills in either actual Space Pens (AG-7, Cap-O-Matic, or bullet) or with the Parker adapter in my Rotring Skynn. I also like the Zebra F-701, the Skilcraft Aviator B3 multipen, and the humble Field Notes Bic Clic.

[PAKMAN]

I like a ball point as long as I can put a Parker Gel refill in it.

[tonydent84]

When not using one of your fountain pens, what do you prefer? A ballpoint or a rollerball? Why?

 

 

I used to prefer a rollerball, sometimes even more than a fountain pen. But that all changed one day about 7 months ago. I was taking notes in a new notebook, and the amount of show through on the other side was unreal - especially for a gel pen. That's how cheap the paper was (I think it was one of those Made in Egypt Staples notebooks). So I had to switch over to a ballpoint, and then I got to experiment with all the different ballpoint refills and came to find that I love Parker ballpoints more than Cross (an old favorite of mine). After writing a bit with the ballpoint, it grew on me, and I ended up buying vintage ballpoints and modern luxury ones to see which ones I like best. Most recent acquisitions were: Parker 75 ballpoint in gold (love that pen!), Parker Insignia in gold (the Insignia line is perhaps my favorite), and a Pelikan K400 (like the Jotter, just a lot fatter).

 

I prefer pens that take Parker refills. Of the refills I personally enjoy are Parker's own QuinkFlow catridges (fine and medium points), Schmidt EasyFlow, Schneider Slider Broad, Staples refills for Parker ballpoints, Parker gel refills, and the various cheap refills you can buy in bulk on eBay that are either ballpoints or gel pens (found a gel pen a while back that wrote with a decently fine line). And I could've sworn several years ago I had a Parker-style refill that wrote with liquid ink, but I don't remember now.

 

Outside of Parker ballpoints - then I'd go with Waterman or Cross. Oh, and Montblanc! Montblanc pens write average, but they are so classy.

[tonydent84]

I prefer a pencil, then rollerball, and then the ballpoint.

 

 

Which pencils?

 

I kinda got interested in pencils and built a small mechanical pencil collection, but nothing too expensive. I was going to splurge a bunch of money on the whole Rotring series, but decided against it given that I use pencils very seldomly (though I would've forced myself to use them more had I got those pens).

[tonydent84]

I gave up on rollerballs because I burned through refills too quickly. I mostly use ballpoints with Fisher Space Pen refills in either actual Space Pens (AG-7, Cap-O-Matic, or bullet) or with the Parker adapter in my Rotring Skynn. I also like the Zebra F-701, the Skilcraft Aviator B3 multipen, and the humble Field Notes Bic Clic.

 

You can put the Fisher refill in the Zebra F-701 with a simple quick mod. I did it with one of my pens a while ago, and bought another so I could still use Zebra refills if I prefer. The Fisher and Zebra go together like peanut butter and jelly.

[Mike 59]

Looking up the price in the UK for a Zebra F-701, I see that the new (2017) number for this pen is now F-xMD.