What Are The Best Ballpoint Pens? Share Your Thoughts!

[tonydent84]

I think at the moment Parker makes the best ballpoint refills I can get my hands on. For that reason, I have eventually started to favor Parker and pens that take Parker refills. I'm not too crazy about the current selection of Parker ball points though, just the Jotter and maybe the Sonnet. Never wrote with a Duofold before, but they look nice. I used to use the Pelikan K215 for a while but that broke on me when I was switching refills and I never got a chance to replace it (similar build to the Jotter but felt a little more comfortable).

For me the only ballpoints I currently use on an EDC basis are the Montblancs, the discontinued Parker Insignia (which is my absolute favorite at the moment), the Jotter and the Monteverde Jewelria. I used to like Cross pens, but they were too uncomfortable and the refills are 'meh' now that I got hooked on QuinkFlow. I was a big user of Waterman Laureat rollerballs but the refills kept running out on me and it was getting inconvenient -- though they do take Waterman ballpoint refills which are (IMO at least) identical to those made by Parker in performance. I guess I just didn't like the idea of a capped ballpoint.

When it comes to disposable pens I tend to stick with Papermate over Bic, Zebra, Pentel, or Pilot. Their pens are the smoothest for me and the most saturated of the bunch. I favor the recent Papermate Grip in particular. Bought a box of 50 for like $5 and they write just as I like.

I noticed myself gravitating more and more to ballpoints for the simple reason that they rarely have to be refilled and are convenient to use in any circumstance. Not to mention, I keep coming across more and more paper that's not fountain pen friendly and it'd be quite costly to get fountain pen friendly (or even rollerball friendly for that matter) papers for all my tasks. The ballpoint solves that issue. And I think Parker QuinkFlow refills solve it best.

Edited March 29, 2016 by tonydent84

[FOUR X FOUR]

The Bic Crystal has a tungsten rollerball. i don't know what that means. I just learned it from some pencil forum.

[Garageboy]

Jotters and Cross Pens are too thin for any extended writing

I tend to prefer UniBall Jetstreams - does what a BP is supposed to

Or the Uniball Power Tank - a better writing fisher space pen

 

I'm sick of small diameter pens with sticky refills

[Darkbulb]

I just went ahead and ordered a six-pack of the Scmidt 9000 easyFlow (black) refills, They were $7 w/ free shipping.

Intending to use them in both a Jotter and Parker "Classic" - hopefully it'll work out.....

[pajaro]

I have used Pelikan K200, K215 and K400 ballpoints for many years with satisfaction. They click like a Jotter, but are wider. They use Parker type refills. I eventually found the click button pens easier to use than the twist action pens in the grocery store, almost my only use for pens any more.

[Cynergy]

I just went ahead and ordered a six-pack of the Scmidt 9000 easyFlow (black) refills, They were $7 w/ free shipping.

Intending to use them in both a Jotter and Parker "Classic" - hopefully it'll work out.....

We wait for a quick review on that refill... I believe it's great..

[Cynergy]

I read about the Bic Crystal that it is a 2 kilometer pen or that the Parker refill is 9 or even a 10 kilometer. Has anybody ever turn this info into A4 pages or A5?

[BFU]

 

I picked up a Ballpoint of the Pilot Metropolitan while in Japan and it is pretty amazing. I regret not picking up one or two more. Very high quality and the refill is fantastic. As dark and smooth as the EasyFlow 9000, but finer (which is okay for me, mosty use a ball point for filling out forms at the bank, airport, etc anyway)

 

 

I love the Pilot MR [uK Metropolitan] ballpoint - the smoothness is as good a the rollerball and good dark colour inks

[FountainPenCowgirl]

I must admit that I'm kinda liking my new Fisher Space Pen (coveted but never an option as a kid). Had to go for a bold refill, though. All those juicy fountain pen nibs in my collection have ruined me.

 

 

I also have a treasured Cross Townsend Lapis Lazuli that has gone missing often enough that I've stopped carrying it. Beautiful to behold. But, to be honest, Cross never was my favorite refill.

Edited April 11, 2016 by FountainPenCowgirl

[Claymphillips]

I'm really digging the parker quinkflow refill. Puts a solid bold line down everytime. Only flaw IMO is that it needs to be started on another piece of paper.

[Darkbulb]

I'm loving the Schmidt

My mini-mini review here

[stevedacahil]

For me, if I am going to spend money on a pen I will only buy a fountain pen, as after all isn't the whole point of spending more money a better writing experience? Anyways, for this I will only use cheap ballpoints, for quick notes or in situations where I have no other options. For my purposes the best ballpoint is the Uni Jetstream SX-217.

[Studio97]

The best ball pen is the one you have with you when its needed.

[ink-syringe]

I love the Pilot MR [uK Metropolitan] ballpoint - the smoothness is as good a the rollerball and good dark colour inks

 

 

 

Yeah. I can't believe I am going to say this but the Pilot Metropolitan / MR ball point is giving the Schmidt EasyFlow9000 a run for it's money. Just as dark and smooth but a neater line.

 

Best non-Schimdt pen I have used in a very long time.

 

Horrible disappointment: Fisher Space pen. Faint, requires lots of pressure. Feels like a 1970s ball pen to me. Don't get folks singing its praises. Awful refill if you ask me.

[rminj]

 

 

 

...

 

Horrible disappointment: Fisher Space pen. Faint, requires lots of pressure. Feels like a 1970s ball pen to me. Don't get folks singing its praises. Awful refill if you ask me.

 

yeah...I just got a pen that only takes Fisher refills.. I for the life me cannot understand how people write with them. They are good for a short note

when you have to write on a variety of surfaces.. The amount of pressure and skipping is like a dry pen from the 1970s.. But people swear by them.

Its a shame because the blue is nice dark shade and you can occasionally find a smoother paper where they write pretty well.

[Cynergy]

Parker Jotter Premium

I have heard a lot of people to complain about Jotters, that this pen is slippery and inappropriate for long time writing. I am sure they have not experienced the great grip of the Premium Jotter. This is a special mat finish and also a great grip and you can feel it immediately.

 

 

 

 

[Notgatherox]

I like the Jotter - I got it as a gift for a friend. In fact I liked it so much I might just get one for myself.

 

My fav ballpoint atm is the Caran D'Ache 849 - quiet so I don't irritate people and hexagonal shape makes it easier to hold on for long periods of time (if I ever have to!)

 

My Cross is not bad too - it's the Edge and was originally a rollerball, but the person at the shop very kindly swopped it out for a ballpoint review on my request.

 

 

 

~Epic

[Flippy]

My favorite is the Parker Jotter, although the more expensive Parker ballpoints also use the same refill. You can also use a gel refill in this pen. It writes on lots of surfaces, writes well, writes smoothly, and it looks good.

 

As far as looks, I like the Parker Duofold ballpoint the best. Am I allowed to say that I like the looks of the Duofold ballpoint better than I like the Duofold fountain pen?

 

I've tried Cross, but I didn't care for that pen as well. It didn't write as smoothly.

Right down agreed. I love the jotter. I think it's directed towards journalist/freelancer/students thingy.

 

The urban and the IM are also that way. The Sonnet and the 5th are for writers (DUH!) Duofold is for work, or for old professer, teacher styles. And the premier (One of my favorites) is meant for work. These are just my opinions.

 

How about the Fischer Space? those are good.

[Sasha Royale]

The relative quality of ballpoint pens, likely applies only to disposables. The refillable bp's , such as Montblanc, Sheaffer, Parker, etc are not relevant to "best" ballpoint pen. Better you should ask,

" Who makes the best ballpoint pen refills ?" If I has to use one long term, I would choose something resembling a Jinhao 500, installing Schmidt refills.

 

Which "pen body" feel good in your hand ?

[usk15]

The relative quality of ballpoint pens, likely applies only to disposables. The refillable bp's , such as Montblanc, Sheaffer, Parker, etc are not relevant to "best" ballpoint pen. Better you should ask,

" Who makes the best ballpoint pen refills ?" If I has to use one long term, I would choose something resembling a Jinhao 500, installing Schmidt refills.

 

Which "pen body" feel good in your hand ?

 

I think is fine balance between a good refill and good pen body.

 

I also think a ballpoint pen should be a clicky one for the simple action with one hand only.

For the moment I prefer Parker IM ballpoint with Schmidt Easyfloow 9000 blue or black refills, another recent discover being UniBal Jetstream refill fitting in many pens like KarasKustom Retrakt, Pentel Energel Alloy or Pilot G2 Limited.