Three Ballpoints, Quick Comparison (Monteverde, Parker, Pelikan)

May 20, 2024

Recent events made me aware of just how good the Bic Cristal XB (1.6mm) ballpoint is. They're super cheap, reliable, great to leave laying about for anyone to use (and, potentially, walk off with). I don't want to carry one, though. I wanted to find some ballpoint nicer to carry that writes just as well. I thought, surely there must be some Parker-style refill that writes like a Cristal XB. Well, I found one: Schneider Slider 755 XB. Now, what body to put it in?

I already had two Monteverde Invincia ballpoints, one in orange-and-black acrylic, the other "demonstrator" clear. I got these many years ago, back when I was having a fling with rollerballs. I had intended to use then-new Parker style gel refills. Those refills turned out to be disappointing, but I kept the pens. I thought this was a fantastic design. It's clean and modern, and it doesn't look like anything else. I thought the clear one would be good when used with gel refills, so I could monitor the ink supply. With ballpoint refills and no visible ink supply, I prefer the colorful acrylic version. Also, the section screws onto a metal insert, whereas the clear one's section screws directly into the plastic, and a small crack has appeared there. So, I think the solid colored pen is more structurally sound!

I became aware that there is a Parker Jotter XL now, slightly scaled up from the standard Jotter. I've had a Jotter before, which I thought was a dainty and lightly built pen. Scaling it up seems like a good idea, especially for my full-sized hands. It seems better made than the last Jotter I had, but still a lightweight. It's funny how, when I was growing up, clickable ballpoints like these were everywhere. This was the normal image of a ballpoint. It's still iconic, but most of the direct competitors have long vanished.

I ran some searches on fleaBay, bypassed some otherwise attractive Lamy ballpoints because they only take Lamy's own refills. Then I stumbled onto the Pelikan K74 Form. Wow! Why have I not heard of this before? (Well, I was never looking for ballpoints before.) I tried running searches, but there's very little info about this pen. I only saw several sellers dating it to "circa 2007". I found no reviews, no other info. But there were still NOS examples on the market, so I snagged one at a good price.

Comparing these three… The Monteverde is still an eye-catcher. It's the least dignified (or least stodgy, depending on your taste), most likely to evoke comments. It's short and fat and fits in the pen sleeve on my vest, but it might be too fat for some. The twist action uses the huge-and-shiny finial, which also protrudes way above my pocket. It makes the pen easy to deploy, but some might find gaudy or distracting. The pocket clip is a simple piece of springy metal that has sort of weak grip and doesn't feel the most sturdy. Of these three, I rate it lowest on practicality, yet not so much as to rule out from daily carry.

Despite being scaled up from a regular Jotter, the Jotter XL is the slimmest and lightest of these three, and the click button makes it the quickest (and loudest!) into action. The trademark Parker Arrow pocket clip is another springy piece of metal, but seems slightly more robust than the Monteverde's. The Jotter XL has both style and no-nonsense attitude. Still it feels a bit dainty in comparison with these other two.

The mysterious Pelikan 74 Form has a semi-triangular body with flats that keep it from ever trying to roll. It has more heft than the Jotter, and the solid, inflexible, articulated pocket clip allows it to sit deep (not quite what I'd call a military clip) and should accommodate the thicket pocket material. The point is deployed by twisting the section, which might seem slightly less convenient, but the motion is smooth and dampened, and the section has a frosted, non-slippery finish. The whole pen feels solid, solid. It feels precise and built to last.

Conclusion: I would carry any of these with no complaints, and I may do so, but the Pelikan 74 Form quickly became my new favorite.