How Easily Does Your Ballpoint Start?

[mitchjg]

After realizing that fountain pens were not for me anymore (too messy and too much maintenance for me but that is another tale), I have turned to the land of ballpoints (and gel pens )and I have, unexpectedly, run into a bit of an annoying issue.  It is about skipping - but only when beginning to write.

 

I have accumulated a good size selection of refills to try out and (almost) all of them write nice and smoothly and skip free once they get going.  But, several of them only get going after some initial skipping.  If the pen has not been used since the day before (or only a few hours before), it will exhibit skipping as I write the first letter or two.  Once I get past that initial annoyance, all is well.  

 

This is prevalent with my "traditional" ballpoint refills but not with most of the ones with hybrid or pressurized ink.  Specifically:

 

The traditional ballpoints, being Parker Quinkflow, Schmidt P900, Lamy M16, Monteverde Soft Roll (M16 clone) and Rotring refills are all guilty of the crime of skipping on those initial 2 or 3 strokes.

 

One hybrid ink refill, the Schmidt Easyflow 9000s does this, too.

 

As I said, they are all skip free and smooth after that initial frustration.

 

The hybrid refills, being Jetstreams and Acroballs are flawless.  The same for the pressurized Fisher Space Pen refills.  They all write the first time, every time.

This is somewhat limiting - the Jetstreams only come in black in Parker style G2 refills, the Acroball refills are proprietary to the Acroball pens and the Space Pens work well with Parker style pens but they are a bit on the "too sluggish" side.

 

None of  the gel refills I have tried have a starting problem.

 

I know I can scribble a bit before writing but, for goodness sake, we are well into the 21st century.  I have tried licking first with limited success.  I have tried soaking them in very hot water for an hour with no change.  The various postings and articles I have read on the web are about reviving dead pens.  This is not about pens that refuse to write or are months or years unused.  It just takes a few hours at most before they exhibit that very short lived but annoying balking.

 

So, what gives????

Is this "just the way it is" with  traditional ballpoints and it is part of their nature? 

Do you experience the same?

Are there any brands/models out there that also write first time, every time?

 

Thanks,

Mitch

 

[Strega]

About 40 years ago, I found these pens in the supply cabinet at work.  I’ve never found anything that writes better for me in the world of ball-style pens.  It amazes me that fancy pen companies haven’t matched or exceeded them.  So, I stick to fancy fountain pens and cheap roller ball pens.  (Although they do look a bit like Lamy 2000s.)

[Ron Z]

If I must use something other than a fountain pen, I use a Retro 51 tornado, which uses  the Retro 51 REF5P, or the short Schmidt rollerball.  Cap off time is 1 year, but I have a Retro 51 refill that's been in use for about 3 years.  

[bunnspecial]

The BP I've had kicking around on my desk for a few years now takes Cross type refills, and that's what's in it now. I don't use it terribly often, but when I do it starts immediately.

 

My only other BPs of note around are Parkers, although I've been dropping gel refills in them when needed.

[mitchjg]

Thanks folks for your replies.  

 

It is somewhat comforting to know that bunnspecial has not had this problem. 

 

And, I have  been thinking about gel refills as a solution.  Most of my new ballpoints are Parker style and I find, sadly, that I do not like the Parker blue gel color.  Hard to describe since so many people like bright and vivid, but it is too much so for me.  The blue seems to call so much attention to itself that it gets in the way of being able to read the words.  

 

- I have some gels in my shopping cart from elsewhere (Monteverde)

- also, a short Schmidt roller ball (thank you, Ron - that will fit in my Lamy Swift with a spacer).

 

Anyone else having this issue (or not?)?  Any solves or specific refills that work well?

 

thanks,

Mitch

[lovemy51]

Bic Cristal... very smooth

 

[dipper]

I have just now taken a walk through the house looking for entrants in an impromptu Ball Tip Pens QuickStart Shootout competition.

 

Twenty-two keen competitors were rounded up. All were certified by the doping control judges as not having touched ball to paper in the past six hours.

The UniballEye team objected to an unfair disadvantage - they had been in a closed box for six months and had never been used - but the objection was overruled.

 

Performances on the day were better than expected. All 22 competitors achieved smooth skip-free lines within 8mm of the starting line.

 

 

Bronze awards were given to BicCristal, StabiloG2 refills, Pentel Superb, and Papermate InkJoy.

 

Silver awards to the single Parker Quinkflow (who complained that all his team-mates had been used up before the event due to them being so good), and Fisher Space Pen.

 

Gold awards went to the clear outright winners - All the Uniball and Pentel Gel pens - who celebrated by parading around the desktop singing their team song "You can store us laying flat, you can store us ball end down, but don't store us with our balls pointing uuuup-wards, ... "

[mitchjg]

dipper:

 

Thanks very much for all of that effort and your conclusions.  I was already pretty convinced that gels do not seem to have this balky starting that I have been griping about and you have confirmed that.

 

Regarding the more traditional ballpoints, your example of the Parker Quinkflow shows the type of behavior that I have been seeing - your first stroke (the diagonal goinig up) shows the signs of the skipping I have been experiencing.  Sometimes, it faintness in the ink (like what your example showed) and sometimes it is a downright skip.  And, it is somewhat random.  For example a pen may work perfectly in the morning after not being used for a day.  Then, 3 hours later, I will pick it up and try to write with it while it proceeds to balk completely on the first letter.

 

I suspect my new Quinkflows, Schmidt P900s and others will end up in a drawer until they age and dry out to then be tossed.  I will be using gels, Fisher refills and hybrids because they are the ones I can count on to write on demand - no begging, prodding and hoping on my part.

 

Luckily refills are not all that expensive and I have learned from the  investment.

 

 

 

 

[dipper]

2 hours ago, mitchjg said:

Luckily refills are not all that expensive

Gel pen refills are very quickly emptied though. Especially in contrast with oil-based ballpoints that seem to last forever.

 

With the larger ball-size options I feel I can see the length of gel ink in the refill shrinking as I write or sketch!

 

The very smallest balls, drawing the narrowest lines are not so bad - if you like very narrow lines.

 

These are good, at 1.0mm and 0.7mm and 0.5mm ball sizes.

https://www.cultpens.com/i/q/PL00020/pilot-blsg2-gel-rollerball-pen-refill

 

And the very smallest balls...

0.4mm diameter....

https://www.cultpens.com/i/q/PL00687/pilot-blsgc4-g-tec-gel-refill

 

In past years I have consumed far too many of the various size Pilot gel refills, as links above. The freedom of movement over the paper, and guaranteed solid line with no skipping were particularly pleasing.

 

 

[redpillow]

It also depends on the tip size, B can be a bit skippy for the first centimeter or so, M generally smoother to start.

 

[mitchjg]

23 hours ago, redpillow said:

It also depends on the tip size, B can be a bit skippy for the first centimeter or so, M generally smoother to start.

 

I had not thought of that.  My skippers are all M.  So, I take it that an F may perform better?

[Black Spot]

There are a number of factors that influence how well my ballpoints start. 

Is it hot or cold. How old is the pen. when did I use it last. 

If a pen is difficult I warm the tip with a lighter or match.  Sometimes it works and sometimes I just end up needing a new pen. 

Do not try that with a welding torch it vaporises about half the pen instantly and the other half is a melted mess. 

 

[willisoften]

I mostly was and still am a fountain pen user,

but at various times I grabbed Pentel G2s from the Stationary cupboard.

Company specified ball pens for form filling etc. I always found them pleasant to write with and they put down a nice solid line.  But my goodness you burn through them quicker 'an sticks!

[willisoften]

Can’t edit above post  should read Pilot G2 and not Pentel

[Black Spot]

I could make you a Pentel G2 if you really want.

[mitchjg]

On 10/4/2022 at 10:30 AM, Black Spot said:

There are a number of factors that influence how well my ballpoints start. 

Is it hot or cold. How old is the pen. when did I use it last. 

If a pen is difficult I warm the tip with a lighter or match.  Sometimes it works and sometimes I just end up needing a new pen. 

Do not try that with a welding torch it vaporises about half the pen instantly and the other half is a melted mess. 

 

- All the refills are new

- Alway room temperature - 69-74 depending on time of day and weather.

 

Sometimes, they start up nicely in the morning, sometimes they don't.  Sometimes, when they start well in the morning, they won't start nicely just a couple of hours later.  But, sometimes, they do.  Overall, they probably start nicely only 20% of the time or thereabouts.

 

I think that is just the way these ballpoints are, even though we have such incredible technical advances all around us.  If you don't mind scribbling to get started before writing, they are very nice.  I find that to be BS.  

 

As far as ballpoints go, I will stick with Jetstreams, Acroballs and Fishers.  They work every time for me - they start, they write, they don't skip.  I will continue to dabble with some gels and rollerballs (and I bought a short Schmidt rollerball refill, per Ron's recommendation).

 

If a skip free, easy start traditional ballpoint shows up, great, but I will stop trying to find one.

 

But, I may try a cactus burner to warm up the ink in one of the refills I have already invested in.  You never know........

 

 

[Black Spot]

On a more serious note skipping and hard starting pens tend to have two main problems. Old ink, The ink is not as fluid as it once was. The ink dry's on the tip causing the ball to become hard to start, it also does not flow properly.

A lighter can liquify the ink for a bit.

 

cheep pens. a ball point pen is a masterwork of engineering and the tolerances are in the fraction of a millimeter. That ball is tiny the groves in the ball microscopic and it has to sit in the socket just right to work at all. Badly made pens tend not to have the necessary tolerances will skip or clog.  

 

 

[Zookie]

I don't want to impress anyone, I just want a good writing experience!

I use Bic Bold  (1.6 mm) pens. They write 1st time every time 😁

[Blue_Moon]

Ballpoint ink is oil-based.

Rollerball ink has a water base.

Gel ink, of course, has a gel base.

As a general rule, oil-based ink will start slow and skip before water or gel-based inks. The pens I've found that write perfectly are most Zebra Sarasas, most Uni-balls, and most Pentel Energel pens.

 

About the best ballpoint, IMO, is the Uni-ball Jetstream.

[MYU]

The oil base of higher quality ballpoint refills has changed. It's not the thick, sticky mess it once was. Some are now liquid enough to nearly approach rollerball ink. Case in point, PILOT BRFN-30. I'm using it in a number of vintage PILOT pens.

 

About Rollerball ink vs. gel ink, it seems like those two are becoming more interchangeable. Some rollerball ink is so fluid, it's almost like writing with a firm fine fountain pen nib. Of course, the problem with these is that ink tends to dry out. As Ron Zorn mentioned, there's a "cap off" time limit. Usually 1 year but that can be extended. I had bought a dozen pack of Schmidt "Capless" rollerball refills that came in an acrylic box, seemingly air-tight. I bought that many because I got a terrific deal on the price and figured this is enough to last me a decade or two. Well, after just 2 years, I finally reached for a replacement only to find they had ALL DRIED OUT. Apparently the box wasn't as air-tight as I'd expected, and the "caps" that they had were actually open on the business end. This was such a maddening experience that I wrote to Schmidt about it. And they basically said "sorry, but they aren't meant to last multiple years like that." Needless to say, I don't buy that brand any longer. I've gone with Pentel Energel. They've got a wonderfully well made range of refills, with some seriously fine lines too (down to 0.3 mm). They seem much more robust.

 

What I also do now is use a soft rubber cap on all of my open ballpoints. It's a long rounded soft rubber cap that you typically find in use with wire shelving, to protect the ends. They come in a variety of lengths and diameters that work well for ink writing instruments. I've got a few Energels in a couple of ballpoints that were installed 3~4 years ago. The translucent body shows the ink has barely evaporated and the business end still works smoothly.