Would you pay a premium to get the matching ballpoint version of your fountain pen?

[Hanoi]

I really want to add the ballpoint Marcel Proust to my collection but in the flesh dealers just want too much for it...

[Wolverine1]

No.

[mizgeorge]

Nor me.

 

But, that's coming from the perspective of a user - and I don't use ballpoints.

 

If I were a collector, especially one with half an eye on resales, I might, if the price was attractive.

[tommym]

Nope.

[KAC]

No. A free advertiser's ballpoint is as good as a costly one in my opinion. I only write with fountain pens.

[sgphototn]

Why? I look at expensive Montblanc ballpoint pens and chuckle to myself. Then again, I look at expensive Montblanc fountain pens and chuckle too and remember Beanie Babies.🤣

 

If it makes you happy buy it. My opinion is worthless.

 

My ballpoints are Uni-Ball Power Tank pens. Write in every position including underwater, permanent ink, smooth writers, and cost less than $25 for twelve pens. I bought 12 in 2013 and have gone through 3 of them. Long lasting.

 

 

[bunnspecial]

26 minutes ago, KAC said:

No. A free advertiser's ballpoint is as good as a costly one in my opinion. I only write with fountain pens.

 

To a point, good quality BPs are worth their money IMO. The Montblanc, Cross, Parker etc refills are are all better than Bics or the typical freebie, and like it or not BPs do have their place.

 

With that said, you can get relatively inexpensive pens that use these refills. The last I looked, a Parker Jotter was ~$20.

[Wolverine1]

I said no in my initial response because I rarely use ballpoint pens. When I use a ballpoint pen, I either use my Cross Townsend BP or I use my Parker Jotter XL BP pens. I have therefore no need for any MB ballpoint pens. And, if I have money to afford a MB BP pen, I would use the money towards another MB 149 fp!!!! :):)

[gyasko]

Never.  The mechanical pencil maybe.  

[inkstainedruth]

Nope.

I don't do "sets" just in general.  And if I need a pencil, I will reach for one of my Berol Turquoise or Staedtler-Mars lead holders.

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[meiers]

Why not match fountain pens?

[meiers]

14 hours ago, Hanoi said:

I really want to add the ballpoint Marcel Proust to my collection but in the flesh dealers just want too much for it...

I own  a few MB ballpoint pens. They are fantastic. In my experience, it pays to shop around. And some dreams don’t have to come true. 

I purchased this pen new (at a reasonable price) from an authorized dealer. It doesn’t match any of my fountain pens. 

[CS388]

No. 

 

I can't really see the point in an expensive ballpoint - it's essentially a basic ballpoint in a fancy wrapper. 

I guess that the same could be said for many fountain pens - it just seems more blatant in a BP.

 

Only my opinion, of course - and many of my own wants and desires defy any rationale.

So, if you like it, go for it - and the cost be damned!

 

Good luck.

[ParramattaPaul]

No.

 

[PAKMAN]

I have a Classic size ball point that matches my fountain pen but it was a service award. Probably wouldn't purchase one for the more expensive fps.  I do have some ball points to match some of my Pelikan fountain pens.

[sansenri]

me neither

I don't use ballpoints so I see no point in matching them to my pens, which are already too many on their own...

[Amit.]

If you are fond of ballpoints you should as long as the price is reasonable. There are many who are purely ballpoint users so they may have a different perspective.

As far as i am concerned - only fountain pens.

[Kalessin]

I like getting the matching pieces to my fountain pens.  I use pencil and ballpoint much less than fountain pen, but I like having the options.  Most of my writing is work notes, and if I need to write without the possibility of smearing wet ink or waiting for ink to dry (I'm left-handed, which complicates things), I will use a ballpoint.

 

I've been planning to get a 164 and 165 at some point to go with my 149.  I've been meaning to replace a long-lost first generation Noblesse set of fountain pen, ballpoint an pencil; the original were birthday gifts to me long ago, and were my first fine pens.

 

In other brands, I just bought a Parker Duofold Red Mosaic fountain pen, and couldn't resist buying the matching pencil when it came up.  I'll also buy the matching ballpoint when one becomes available.  My most-used everyday pen set is a Pelikan M400 in tortoise with matching ballpoint and pencil.  

 

Interestingly enough, I dislike nearly all of the matching rollerball pens.  They typically are the same size as the matching fountain pen with no distinguishing marks, and the barrel size and appearance usually look awkward, as if a nib should be there instead.

[MHBru]

i have done this... once... my rabbit hole was opened by a Pelikan R800 rollerball... the matching M800 followed as my first fountain pen,  I only used it at my desk and didn't take it when i traveled so I got the matching ballpoint.... with three of the four already in hand I said what the hell and got the matching pencil.  and the all lived happily ever after... 

[peroride]

On 1/21/2021 at 11:07 PM, Hanoi said:

in the flesh dealers just want too much for it...

Maybe try the virtual online dealers? or skip.

 

I got my Kaweco Dia2 ballpoint/fountain pen as a set though the ballpoint only gets very infrequent use for cards and fountain pen wary paper. I could not get the fountain pen separately at a good price. 😕  To justify use, i use the ballpoint over the other dried out Bics, that said, it's not worth it due to the refills to landfills.