Do you like rollers?

[bilbok]

Are they between the fountain pen and the ball point regarding to the writing ?

 

Does it worth buying a high end roller or this is wiser to pay a little more to get the same pen with a nib ?

 

I particulary think about the diamond pattern sentyrman of Dunhill.

 

Thanks

Edited May 31, 2008 by bilbok

[Sharkle]

 

Hi Bilbok. I thoroughly enjoy the RB's I have, and freely admit to having paid a lot for some of them. I feel they're between BP and FP in ease of writing (little or no pressure required to produce a decent line of ink), and find them indispensable for certain writing situations. The expense comes in with me wanting the same charming experience I have with different FP's: the way they look and feel in addition to how they perform. If you can, try out some different pens at a pen store and see what appeals to you.

 

[FrankB]

You ask a simple, straightforward question that causes a complex response in me. I like the way some rollers feel in my hand, their designs being much more comfortable to hold than their BP cousins. But I do not care for the way the standard roller writes. The refill points are quite sharp and the ink is slippery and wet. They are not like a FP at all, and I find my handwriting goes all over the place. I have a couple of rollers with standard refills in them that I use infrequently for filling in forms. Of course, with infrequent use, they dry out quickly. I also have a couple of rollers with Fisher refills that contain BP paste ink. Those refills have Broad points and, with the paste ink, I can control them far better on paper. That particular pen/refill combination suits me well and allows me to say that I can like some rollers.

[Deirdre]

I do like some rollers. I have a Visconti and a Marlen, and I like both of them. That said, I prefer the Visconti gel refills for their ballpoints.

[UsFour]

Thank you for starting this thread, as I was just coming here to do the same. I'm still just a neophyte in the area of quality, thoughtfully chosen pens. While I write for a variety of professional and other purposes, I have never stopped to pay attention to the actual tools of the trade. That said, when time allows, I always enjoy both the leisure and also -- in very practical terms -- the added creativity the more sensual act of actually writing early drafts by hand can produce -- as opposed to "keyboarding" (although i bet there's another forum somewhere exploring the "touch" benefits of various keyboards as well -- :0) . Over time, I guess I've been brought to this point of actually valuing pens and looking into their various "feel" qualities by my son's journey through the world of guitars. I've been with him through many of the visits to stores, talks with musicians, etc., and I have come to understand a great deal about the various playing qualities of those instruments -- and the right match between musician and instrument can help a great deal in the playing, as I am seeing now in my son's growth as a musician, now that he's found the best guitar for his playing -- and paid for it himself, $1800.00. He's done the work, paid the price himself, and so is very connected to that instrument/choice. Writing is music too, I've always thought -- the sound and the rhythm of language certainly play through me. Now that I am at the front end of finding my own best instrument, I am already enjoying the benefits of using more thoughtfully -- and "feel"-chosen pens. It's good to value these things, I'm finding -- their quality -- as another way of valuing what I do as a writer -- or, put better, "one who writes." "Writer" can be a line with many hooks that one need not swim near -- at least in my experience.

 

I'm looking forward to following this discussion and, once again, learning from the posters on this Board. For my own small contribution, I would say that I have a Cross RB, black with gold trim -- good surface feel, a little too light and thin, but good enough for now. Perhaps the best quality about it is the smoothness of the Foray RB cartridge inside. Foray is the go-to generic brand at Office Depot, I believe, but they really make a nice RB cartridge -- generous and easy flow. I like using the RB when reading and underlining, for example -- or writing on student papers at times, etc. Whatever the RB pen package might be -- the body of the pen, I mean -- final satisfaction often enough appears to come down to how much one likes the disposable cartridge.

 

With regard to performance, so far my newbie sensibilities say it takes just a tad more work to write with a RB, something I notice with my increasingly sensitive finger joints -- and even elbow (the body is aging -- and so increasingly "communicative" in these areas). Also I notice perhaps some "pointed" scratchiness at the tip. None of these are bothersome enough to drive me away from a RB altogether. For now I'm just noticing as part of the larger journey toward the "instrument" that will match best with my writing.

 

Environmentally, I am not a fan of throwing out so much metal every time the RB is empty. I've not heard of re-fillable RB cartridges, but I'm always ready to learn there. I carry to use of the RB a conviction that we don't need more unnecessary trashing on the planet, as that practice is coming home to roost enough already these days. Am now weighing that reaction as I move forward.

 

So, these are just some ruminations of a relative beginner in the world of pens. Some say, though, it's good to keep the "beginner's mind" -- and I've got plenty of that to keep! :0)

 

Thank you again for starting this thread. I look forward to following the conversation.

 

UsFour

 

 

[DrPJM1]

Since the ink in rollerballs is less dense than that of ballpoints they feel closer to FP's. However, I have used FP's exclusively for some years and never looked back.

[satrap]

Oh boy. I saw the title of this thread, and had flashbacks to my days of pink sponge rollers. Which I hate.

 

Now, as for RBs, nah, don't like those either, but only use them if I have to (FP is in some un-explored region in my purse, etc.).

[DeaconKC]

I like rollers better than ball points, and do use them for some situations. Where a FP might not write well on thermal paper, etc. There are many good RBs out there and using one does not bar you from being a FP afficianado, any more than owning a Glock and a Smith & Wesson bars you from enjoying one or the other.

[goodguy]

I dont like rollers,I dont like BP,RB,Pencil or any other non FP.

At work I acarry on me a 15c Bic just in case I will run out of ink on my FP.

 

for me its pretty simple there is Fountain Pens and there are non fontain pens.I choose FP !!!

[BillZ]

I have an MB Starwalker rollerball that my wife gave me for my birthday along with a FP. I didn't think I would use the RB very much but with the poor quality of FP-friendly paper I find myself using it more and more. I especially like it for signing tickets/reciepts that make copies. There is a soft tip refill avalable but I tried that and didn't like it. Too much like an FP. My problem is deceiding what color to use. It depends what colour i ahve in the FP. Biggest complaint is the price of the MB refills. About $7 each!

 

[Doug Add]

Oh boy. I saw the title of this thread, and had flashbacks to my days of pink sponge rollers. Which I hate.

You resurrected an image my brain has not coughed up for a long, long time. My mom used to do some of the neighborhood ladies' hair when I was a young boy. Remember Dippity-Do?

 

Back on topic, I have a few roller ball pens of various design. In my Daytimer, along with a no-name fountain pen is an amber Waterman Carene. In the pocket briefcase that goes everywhere with me is a ruby Namiki Impressions. I also have a blue Waterman Phileas in the pen cup here on my desk at home, and another green one in the range bag that I take when my son and I go to the shooting range. The blue Phileas is actually the pen that got me moving toward fountain pens.

 

They all have a Pilot G-2 refill. I use them mainly for filling in deposit slips and signing receipts. They also come in handy when someone asks to borrow a pen. Most of my friends hesitate to ask because they do not want to write with a fountain pen, so I keep a roller ball pen handy for them.

[randyholhut]

My biggest objection to rollerballs is that the ink smears when it gets wet. If your paper is damp also, it's hard to write smoothly.

 

 

When I was still using rollerballs exclusively, I thought the Pilot Precise V7 was the perfect pen for all conditions other than damp or cold. Then, it was either a ballpoint or pencil.

 

 

Now that I use a FP/MP/BP trio as my daily carry, I hardly ever use a rollerball. And now that gel refills give you the smoothness of a rollerball with the durability of BP ink, that's what I use for the credit card slips and other times when you have to use a ballpoint.

 

If only Sheaffer made a gel refill for their ballpoints...

[1cockycop]

My 2 cents... I view RB's as the Cadillac of BP's. I only have 2 roller's that I consider to be quality rollers. I have a yellow Montblanc that I received as a gift, and I have a yellow Aurora that some lady gave me one day as I was complimenting her on it! Score for me! Shows what a good compliment can do sometimes!

 

Both of them write very smoothly, and I tend to get a nice wet line from both. However, I do like the "chore" of filling my fountains, and getting the ink spots on my fingers!

[bilbok]

You ask a simple, straightforward question that causes a complex response in me. I like the way some rollers feel in my hand, their designs being much more comfortable to hold than their BP cousins. But I do not care for the way the standard roller writes. The refill points are quite sharp and the ink is slippery and wet. They are not like a FP at all, and I find my handwriting goes all over the place. I have a couple of rollers with standard refills in them that I use infrequently for filling in forms. Of course, with infrequent use, they dry out quickly. I also have a couple of rollers with Fisher refills that contain BP paste ink. Those refills have Broad points and, with the paste ink, I can control them far better on paper. That particular pen/refill combination suits me well and allows me to say that I can like some rollers.

 

If I use a Dunhill pen, should I use a Dunhill refill ?

 

What other could I use ?

 

Is Dunhill a good ink ?

 

 

Thanks

[daveg]

I've never seen a high end roller that writes better than a basic $.50 Uniball pen. But this is generally true of fountain pens too. High prices don't typically bring higher performance, it's more of a luxury/looks/feel/exclusivity thing.

[bilbok]

One question about FELT PENS.

 

Are they some sort of roller or totally different ?

 

Is the writing different ?

 

Thanks

[daveg]

Felt pens are totally different. Pick one at the office store for $.20 and try it out.

[bilbok]

Felt pens are totally different. Pick one at the office store for $.20 and try it out.

 

I know how feel a felt pen, I need experience with rollers.

 

 

Are rollers supposed to be high end pens? Do they all have filling or they can be like bic ?

[daveg]

You can get rollers for under a dollar at an office supply store too. Give them a try. Rollers can be disposable, use refills and a few take ink from a bottle.

 

I don't know what your "high end" question means. If you sell a pen for over fifty bucks, then it's supposed to be high end. Pens aren't inherently expensive regardless of the underlying writing technology.

Edited May 31, 2008 by daveg

[Philip1209]

One thing thing that befuddles me about roller ball pens is that, when the ink is depleted, you usually throw away a cartridge that includes the nib. That means that the majority of the money you paid for the pen is not in the writing part of the pen, the nib, but rather in the fancy casing. This is not true of all rollerballs, though. On the other hand, when purchasing a fountain pen, one can rest assured that their main investment is in the nib itself, which is reused and is never thrown away with refills.