A good back-up ballpoint?

[TreadwayJohnA]

I know I am going to be harped on for mentioning ball-points, but there are times when it is really more hastle than is worth to use a fountain pen. Now, I love my Namiki Falcon just as much as the next guy, however due to the vast amount of writing I have to do associated with work and college and the low quality of paper I must do it on, using a fountain pen is just not an efficient option for me. I have been using a Parker clone that my wife had customized for me at a local "Things Remembered" store (pen does not have a true parker refill though, so the ink quality is subpar).

My question is: "What is the smoothest writing ballpoint pen/refill for a modest budget ($50 tops). Should I just pick up a few true parker refills, or are there much smoother writing ball-points to be had for fifty dollars? Thank you all in advance and warm regards!

 

[Slivovitz]

If you're using a pen that takes Parker style refills, then Schmidt Easyflow 9000 refills are about as nice as any ballpoint gets. The link to Amazon is not to suggest you buy there rather than someplace else, just to show the product I'm talking about. DuPont ballpoint refills will also fit, and write just as well, but are much more expensive. And if you want a real Parker pen to put it in, Jotters are still pretty nice. Or you could pay a bit more and get a Retro 1951.

There are also Parker style rollerball refills that effectively turn your Parker ballpoint into a gel pen. Parker and Monteverde both make them.

Having just posted a thread of my own in which I admitted to using a ballpoint for a form printed on cheap paper, I can't play the role of indignant fountain pen absolutist. But if I'd had a fountain pen with an extra fine nib inked up I could have used it instead. I have such pens, but didn't want to fill one just then.

 

[Graybeard57]

Zebra F-402. Reliable, inexpensive, can be found at office supply stores.

 

[Commander Quan]

A Parker IM is an inexpensive ballpont with a nice weight, and inexpensive enough that you won't cry if you loose it or it gets up and walks away. I'm not a pen aficionado (my fountain pen career was short lived) but I find that Parker refill's to be perfectly adequate for a broad use of jobs like triplicate forms, thermal paper, and regular wt. copy paper.

 

[the_edski]

The Waterman Hemisphere Stainless Steel is my EDC "Hey, can I borrow you pen" pen. It's slim, uncomplicated and classy. You can get it in rollerball or ballpoint.

 

[ZJ68]

The Parker gel refills are nice. One of them will fix your current pen right up. The Pentel Energel Alloy is my current favorite not plastic inexpensive pen.

 

[TreadwayJohnA]

Well guys, its been on my mind most of the day. With everything I had to write and every time I signed my name I kept thinking about my pen. So... I popped on a pack of Schmidt EZ-Flow 9000. I have a few pens that they will work in so I figured I would try them and see what all of the fuss is about. Also @Slivovitz mentioned the Jotter and seeing as how I am quite partial to 51's I purchased this Jotter:

to match my 51:

I am pleased with the purchase price and I am sure that neither the Jotter or the EZ-Flow 9000 will disappoint.

 

[SAPed]

That will make a nice set, the picture of that 51 looks fantastic and the Jotter looks really good too. I have a black barrel, lustraloy cap 51 along with a black barrel, chrome cap actuated Jotter (rather than the knock) as my set. I enjoy the Jotter for quick notes, usually fits well in my shirt pocket.

 

[Legion]

The Parker gel refills are nice. One of them will fix your current pen right up. The Pentel Energel Alloy is my current favorite not plastic inexpensive pen.

This^

Those gel refills improve the ballpoint writing experience greatly.

 

[NinthSphere]

Parker gels have a tendency to leak the clear substance out the back, which is why mine got relocated from a clicky pen to the S&W tac pen. Easy to clean out when I need to. Never cared for the Parker ballpoint refills

My preference is for Itoya gpr-7 refills in the Jotter. Nice pickup btw. I like the new Jotter clip, but last time I went poking around for them, they hadn't been released yet.

 

[dws]

Alongside my AL Sport fountains, is my Al roller ball. Use all 3 day in and out. Highly recommend.

 

[Runnin_Ute]

For times when something other than a fountain pen is called for, I keep a Parker 45 Flighter ballpoint/mechanical pencil set in my Franklin planner. I also have a Waterman Hemisphere roller ball with a Pilot G2 refill. But for most things, I usually have an appropriate fountain pen inked. (right now I have nibs from F to 1.1 stub inked, sometimes an EF too)

 

[Toothpick]

If you want a ballpoint - the Papermate Profile is worth checking out. Inexpensive. Very smooth. Metal clip, rubber grip. The Papermate InkJoy is another inexpensive good ballpoint.

For Gel - I'll echo what's been said about the Pentel EnerGel. Many different colors and very smooth. Fast drying for a gel pen too.

For a Rollerball - Uni-Ball Jetstream. Not as quick drying as the EnerGel but a solid pen.

All of these are less than $50. You can get a dozen or more of each of these pens for a lot less than $50.

 

[Raissermesser]

For a cheap back-up ballpoint, the smoothest I've ever used was one of those cheap no-name pens sold by the pack. The Foray Celio gel is almost as smooth as the Pilot G2, and the G2 itself isn't an expensive pen. I prefer the Uniball Signo 207, which isn't pricey, and the Micro point is a smooth writer. I prefer the Ultra Micro at work, but it has more of a scratchy feel. I tried the 307, but don't think they perform as well as the 207.

There's also the Pilot V Razor Point; the Pilot Precise V; and the Pilot P-500. All are smooth writers, and the Precise V is a clicker model. These remind me of the rollerball pens I used when I had to give up fountain pens in college due to triplicate forms, though the Razor Point is a felt-type pen.

FWIW, due to a hand injury and scarring I used a Sheaffer "school" fountain pen in high school and carried around a spare cartridge. It was easier to write with than a ball point at that time. We didn't have the rollerball pens locally back then. The lined notebook paper we used was about as cheap as you could get, and the ink back then didn't have much if any bleed-through. For home use I like a Metropolitan with Noodler's Black, though when I tried it at work it used a surprising amount of ink. The reason I no longer use a fountain pen at work is that a fountain pen isn't the best solution for some of the working conditions, and constantly capping and uncapping proved to be a hassle.

 

[jkingrph]

For the long haul, it's hard to beat a Parker, be it a cheaper jotter or one of the classier Sonnet models. Their standard refills in med or broad are fairly smooth, and last forever. Gel refills are smoother but do not last nearly as long and have more of a tendency to leak

 

[Viseguy]

I just splurged on a maxmadco stainless steel bolt-action ballpoint. The Itoya 0.7mm gel refill that comes with it is excellent -- best gel refill I've ever used. Much better than Parker, IMO.

 

[TreadwayJohnA]

Thanks to everyone for the suggestions, I picked up a Parker Jotter to match my 51 and went with Schmidt Easy-Flow 9000 refills. I am immensely pleased with how the ballpoint is writing! Just received a bottle of Rohrer & Klinger Salix for my 51 as well so I am currently in Pen-Addict heaven! Thanks for all of the support!

 

[BigFoot]

The Waterman Hemisphere Stainless Steel is my EDC "Hey, can I borrow you pen" pen. It's slim, uncomplicated and classy. You can get it in rollerball or ballpoint.

Blasphemy.

 

[SAPed]

That writing sample with the Schmidt Easy Flow 9000 looks great - is it a medium. Mine must be a dud, it doesn't look anything like that and I've been disappointed, may have to try another.

Nice looking Jotter - looks like a matched pair!

 

[Toothpick]

Well done!