Hacking A Rollerball?

[A2JC4life]

I'm trying to accumulate some nicer (but not expensive) bodies to hold my Pilot G-2 refills. Unfortunately, the first one came today and it doesn't quite fit, so I'm trying to determine if it can be hacked or if I need to send it back. I thought I'd ask for insight from those more experienced than I.

The pen is an OHTO Words. It takes a refill that's almost identical to the G-2 refill, but the "almost" is causing an issue. There's something about the tip that isn't quite fitting through the hole, and I don't know if maybe I can drill it out? When I put the original refill (that the pen came with) in, I have to kind of push once it gets almost in, to get it to go all the way in and "seat." It's a little hard to explain; it feels a bit like when something hydraulic moves. So I'm not sure if there's some intentional mechanism in there that I'll mess up if I try to drill it out.

 

Another potential approach would be to hack the refill, but I don't know if that's doable. You can see in this picture that the original refill has kind of a "collar" where the tip is attached to the "cartridge" area. The G-2 has that, but it also has a second "tier" of collar. I can't tell for sure if the diameter of the tip is the problem or if that extra collar is the problem, or both.

 

Here you can see the two refills side-by-side. Also, you can see where the original refill inserts to without resistance as compared to when it's all the way in.

 

Any suggestions? Anyone done this before?

[A2JC4life]

I forgot to mention that I tried to cut/peel that extra collar off, like stripping cable, but the end result was just cutting off the entire tip!

[Sasha Royale]

The G2 write nicely. You forgot to check the OHTO to compare the refills. They are not the same. Select a pen that uses the same size and shape cartridge. Or . . . . . . get a fountain pen.

Edited May 6, 2016 by Sasha Royale

[A2JC4life]

Any suggestions for how to find out what pens those are? I ordered the one I ordered because I found the cartridge for that pen on a list of cartridges that are (supposedly) the same size and shape as the G-2. (And I guess they kind of are. I think I could put the OHTO cartridge in my G-2 if I wanted to.)

[Zookie]

Hi there! I've been buying a few Chinese made Rollerball pens, and have had no problem fitting them with G2,Energel, or Jinhao refills. Lately I've been using a green/black Baoer 388 with an Jinhao refill. It's a nice combination.

[A2JC4life]

Thanks, Zookie; I'll look for those. I just got a Jinhao fountain pen (haven't had a chance to try it yet), but I didn't realize they made rollerballs.

[Zookie]

Just about any pen they offer as a fountain pen also comes as a rollerball.

There are some nice ones to be found.

[Runnin_Ute]

Waterman Hemisphere is drop in for a G-2 refill. Mine is black with gold trim.

[the_gasman]

I received a Parker 75 RB today. The refill moved in and out of the tip by about 3-4 mm. I cut a small cylinder from a pencil eraser and wedged it into the non-writing end of the refill and it now fits perfectly, without any wobble. It doesn't sound like the same problem that you are having but I thought that I would chip in anyway.

 

Cheers,

David.

[Burtbricker]

The Pilot Metropolitan Rollerball uses the G2 refills.