Papermate refills - are they still being made?

[nstlgia70]

I know this is a fountainpen forum, but there is no dedicated forums for ballpoints, so I hope that you guys do not mind that and are willing provide some helpful information.

As mentioned in the title, does anyone of you know whether the metal refills for the old Paper Mate ballpoint pens are still being manufactured today? I just can't find them anywhere at all, save some online suppliers. I suspect that once these items are sold out, they will not be available even from the online suppliers. I had parted with my hard-earned income to purchase a gold toned pen and pencil set, only to end up a piece of useless metal. I feel that it is very inconsiderate on the part of Papermate /Sanford to just abandon their customers. So again, do you all know whether the refills are still being made, and what do you think of Papermate's and Sanford's behavior? Thanks in advance for your input.

Edited April 27, 2010 by nstlgia70

[mackthepen]

  On 4/27/2010 at 9:36 AM, nstlgia70 said:

I know this is a fountainpen forum, but there is no dedicated forums for ballpoints, so I hope that you guys do not mind that and are willing provide some helpful information.

As mentioned in the title, does anyone of you know whether the metal refills for the old Paper Mate ballpoint pens are still being manufactured today? I just can't find them anywhere at all, save some online suppliers. I suspect that once these items are sold out, they will not be available even from the online suppliers. I had parted with my hard-earned income to purchase a gold toned pen and pencil set, only to end up a piece of useless metal. I feel that it is very inconsiderate on the part of Papermate /Sanford to just abandon their customers. So again, do you all know whether the refills are still being made, and what do you think of Papermate's and Sanford's behavior? Thanks in advance for your input.

 

I saw some in a shop yesterday - but maybe old stock?

 

Andrew

[dflorida]

The wholesale office supply catalogs that I have access to have all dropped them. I too have checked local sources and can find none. You are most likely correct in that the ones available from on-line suppliers will soon be depleted. Sanford makes considerably more money by selling pens than just the refills. In spite of all the blather we hear daily about going green and reducing landfill usage, companies such as Sanford continue to direct their efforts at forcing the customer to purchase a new product and toss the old one away.

[vickiehof]

"Blather", I like that word. I'll have to start using it again.

 

You may check the sizes of the Fisher Space Pen refills. They are still made in America!

"Here's a little history about the Fisher Space Pen Company.

 

In the 1950's there were dozens of ballpoint models, and nearly every one took a different cartridge. In 1953 Paul Fisher invented the "Universal Refill" which could be used in most pens. It was a good seller, since stationery store owners could reduce their stock of assorted refills."

 

They are 3 1/2" long and some of them have plastic adapters of 1" and 3/8". I also like the pen's small, 3 1/2 inch size when closed (to fit in m change purse), and (because it's pressurized) it will write at any angle, comes in a large variety of colors.

 

Here's their web site: http://www.spacepen.com/about-us.aspx

 

Now that I'm looking in their web site again, I'm sure to find something I want to buy. I love them(but not as much as fountain pens).

[nstlgia70]

  On 4/27/2010 at 10:29 AM, vickiehof said:

"Blather", I like that word. I'll have to start using it again.You may check the sizes of the Fisher Space Pen refills. They are still made in America!"Here's a little history about the Fisher Space Pen Company. In the 1950's there were dozens of ballpoint models, and nearly every one took a different cartridge. In 1953 Paul Fisher invented the "Universal Refill" which could be used in most pens. It was a good seller, since stationery store owners could reduce their stock of assorted refills."They are 3 1/2" long and some of them have plastic adapters of 1" and 3/8". I also like the pen's small, 3 1/2 inch size when closed (to fit in m change purse), and (because it's pressurized) it will write at any angle, comes in a large variety of colors. Here's their web site: http://www.spacepen.com/about-us.aspxNow that I'm looking in their web site again, I'm sure to find something I want to buy. I love them(but not as much as fountain pens).

 

The refills currently available on Fisher's website are for the 50s Papermate. These are different from those used in pens from the 70s such as the "Profile". They used to have them several years ago, but sadly not anymore.

[Tora Pens]

Have a look at this link:

 

http://www.cultpens.com/acatalog/Paper_Mate_Refills.html

[Pen Nut]

anyone one remember the UK ad for this pen? It was shown as a heartbeat constantly pulsing ink as required. Fantastic !!

[nstlgia70]

  On 4/27/2010 at 11:17 AM, Tora Pens said:

Have a look at this link:http://www.cultpens.com/acatalog/Paper_Mate_Refills.html

 

I know they are still available from some online suppliers, just as I had mentioned earlier on. These are most probably their last remaining stocks and will never be replenished.

[nstlgia70]

  On 4/27/2010 at 9:50 AM, dflorida said:

.... In spite of all the blather we hear daily about going green and reducing landfill usage, companies such as Sanford continue to direct their efforts at forcing the customer to purchase a new product and toss the old one away.

 

I will not to purchase any of Sanford's products again. Sanford really stinks. IMO they their takeover of Papermate had really helped to kill off the brand.

I think those European brands that use standard ("International") converters /cartridges for their fountain pens and universal refills for rollerballs and ballpoints (albeit Parker-style) are to be lauded.

Edited April 27, 2010 by nstlgia70

[nstlgia70]

  On 4/27/2010 at 2:17 PM, Pen Nut said:

anyone one remember the UK ad for this pen? It was shown as a heartbeat constantly pulsing ink as required. Fantastic !!

 

There was a time when the previous owners made an advertising blitz on TV to promote the brand. These days the present owners are just trying to kill off the brand.

[WriteAway]

In the US, our local Wal-Mart has Lubriglide BP refill 2-packs on clearance for $2/pkg. These fit the older retractable pens, as well as some of the recent models. I scooped up a bunch for my 1970s-80s pens. If no more will be made, I say, get the refills now, while you can.

[welch]

A couple of years ago, Sanford was still selling a rubber-grip version of the retractable Papermate. Brushed-steel body. Refills used to hang near them in the Staples "pens" aisle.

 

Last time I looked, my nearest store had very few refills, and few refillable pens of any type. All disposable plastic ballpoints, razor-sharp rollerballs, gel pens, etc. One old familiar line: the Flair fiber tip is still around, and looks the same as it did 30 or 40 years ago.

 

My hunch: Sanford makes its money, or intends to, by selling throwaway pens.

 

(Which leaves the Parker Jotter where???)

[WriteAway]

  On 4/29/2010 at 12:23 PM, welch said:

A couple of years ago, Sanford was still selling a rubber-grip version of the retractable Papermate. Brushed-steel body. Refills used to hang near them in the Staples "pens" aisle.

 

Last time I looked, my nearest store had very few refills, and few refillable pens of any type. All disposable plastic ballpoints, razor-sharp rollerballs, gel pens, etc. One old familiar line: the Flair fiber tip is still around, and looks the same as it did 30 or 40 years ago.

 

My hunch: Sanford makes its money, or intends to, by selling throwaway pens.

 

(Which leaves the Parker Jotter where???)

 

See this thread... https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/index.php?/topic/151704-end-of-jotter-ballpoint-availability/

[buffalowings]

I dislike papermate products, I find the ballpoints to be hard starting and constantly skipping, IMo Bic does a much better job making ballpoints, though, of course, nothing beats a fountain pen

[nstlgia70]

  On 4/30/2010 at 2:34 AM, buffalowings said:

I dislike papermate products, I find the ballpoints to be hard starting and constantly skipping, IMo Bic does a much better job making ballpoints, though, of course, nothing beats a fountain pen

 

Looks like you had only used their older products. You should have tried the Lubriglide metal refills. They were the best I had ever seen. Smoother than anything else out there, don't skip and start quite easily. BiCs just don't compare to them. At least they're still alive. Papermates won't be back from the dead anymore.

[t12]

  On 4/27/2010 at 9:36 AM, nstlgia70 said:

I know this is a fountainpen forum, but there is no dedicated forums for ballpoints, so I hope that you guys do not mind that and are willing provide some helpful information.

As mentioned in the title, does anyone of you know whether the metal refills for the old Paper Mate ballpoint pens are still being manufactured today? I just can't find them anywhere at all, save some online suppliers. I suspect that once these items are sold out, they will not be available even from the online suppliers. I had parted with my hard-earned income to purchase a gold toned pen and pencil set, only to end up a piece of useless metal. I feel that it is very inconsiderate on the part of Papermate /Sanford to just abandon their customers. So again, do you all know whether the refills are still being made, and what do you think of Papermate's and Sanford's behavior? Thanks in advance for your input.

 

Today I went to the office supply, pack of two metal, Paper Mate Lubriglide

item number 49324 $4.29 Complete UPC 41540-49324 current stock

[Parse Error]

papermates disposables are only in use because people don't want to buy anything better, and some people just simply don't care about what they write with.

 

Before I bought my Lamy Vista and my first bottle of American ink, I used a Pilot Dr Grip Limited. It was overpriced, but it accepted common gel refills -- nearly any brand that had wide size standard length gel refills.

 

Then I tried to get myself to get a better pen body after my Dr Grip started falling apart (screw threads stripped!). I tried looking at Lamys, but they were too expensive.

 

It shows how American pen companies can but won't give you refills. But there is hope if you take away brand loyalty.

There are a couple types of refills:

1. filament type -- common with ballpoints, it is simply a filament in the middle of the pen that gives ink. There are a couple of sizes that are nearly international, so just choose the size that is appropriate. They are also the flimsiest, and length doesn't matter, as you simply cut it to spec after using the ink up to there.

 

2. rigid open -- these are like the BIC velocity pens, having an open top but has some structural integrity. Again, you could cut these to spec if you need to. These are generally gel ink refills.

 

3. rigid closed -- these are like your pilot refills, they cannot be cut up to spec. However, they are compatible with rigid open refills of the same size both ways.

 

4. proprietary -- you're screwed if your refill is a wierd shape, but maybe not if the shape is just at the top.

 

There are a few diameters of rigid refills, which are long and short, which are around the size of the Pilot G2 and the Pilot G2 mini. They also come in different thicknesses.

 

So essentially all you have to do is to take your refill, measure the diameter and length of the actual ink and the total length. That'll be enough information for other people to check their refills and give information about what works and what doesn't.

[WriteAway]

If buying PaperMate refills becomes a thing of the past, some of the better pens of the 1970s/1980s (Malibu, Profile, for ex.) will become drawer clutter. And that's a shame, because those pens wrote/still write quite well, and have a nostalgic appeal for me.

 

My first "nice" pen in high school was a green Malibu, which is still in good working order. That pen helped develop my interest in writing as my career. My other PaperMates were all smooth writers and always reliable (except in the cold!).

 

I thought there would always be refills available when needed. Oh well, I'll enjoy 'em while I got 'em. Since I also use the FlexGrip stick pens at work, I'll grab a few packs of those where I can. Sad to see this change come along.

[RLTodd]

Probably there is something available that will fit.

 

Newell Rubbermaid owns lock stock & barrel, Sanford, PaperMate, Parker, Rotwing, Waterman, Uni-Ball, Sharpie, and Berol. They are once a publicly traded common stock company.

 

The big Southern California PaperMate plant was shut some time back and naturally, the pens ain't the same. Once upon a time they made first line writing instruments, now they apparantly OEM to the lowest cost bidder and slap their brand on it.

 

Sad, but thats people for you.....

Edited May 3, 2010 by RLTodd

[pajaro]

If you think it's hard to find refills for your pens, consider the case of the Papermate Lady Capri. It came with one section of the 2-section Piggyback refill.

 

I like these pens for no sane reason, so I thought I was hosed until I found some cut-to-size ball pen refills on ebay. The refills are Fisher Space Pen refills. For the Lady Capri, the indicated cut points were all too large, so I used a fine saw to cut the refill to the same size as the Piggyback single section, and removed excess ink with a toothpick to avoid leakage into the pen. I have made three of these pens workable in this way, and my wife loves them as much as I do.

 

Generally, for the regular size Papermate ball pens there are a lot of ordinary pens that have the same size refill. It's a standard. I have the old Holiday, Profile, Capri and other types and sometimes use them. The Holiday is the two-tone green that was my grandmothers. There's a great feeling I get from the way some of my pens bring beloved people to mind.

 

Most people don't feel about pens the way we do who are enthusiasts. To most people pens are just more stuff. To most of us who like fountain pens, pens are endlessly intriguing.