AimlessWanderer
Remember to forget me!
A dirty word to some pen users 
There was a time not so long ago, when I thought I might phase them out, but mine still get tons of use, despite the higher ink mileage being laid down by my fountain pens.
On the phone taking occasional notes? Ballpoint. Fountain pens don't like being left uncapped and not writing, waiting for the next noteworthy utterance. Out shopping and ticking off the groceries (or rummaging through the cupboards, putting the list together for that matter)? Ballpoint. Same reason, plus the writing might not be done flat, and ballpoints cope so muck better at awkward orientation. Out and about *anywhere* away from home? Reluctantly, I have to say ballpoint, despite having a couple of great pocket carry fountain pens. Fountain pens being carried nib up on public transport, or walks of a mile and above, gradually jiggles all the ink out of the feed, often leaving me with a dry nib when I want to write something.
Not to mention, some writing surfaces just aren't well suited for fountain pen nibs and ink.
These are my main ballpoint users, but there are a few spares tucked away too. They might look awkwardly grouped, but I have collated them by refill type.
From the left:
Zebra Telescopic and Troika Tool Pen
Both of these use the little D1 refills. They're really not pens for writing essays with, as those refills really dont hold much ink, but they are great note takers.
Cleo Messograph, Parker Jotter (standard), Parker IM, Helix Oxford (x2)
All these have either a regular Parker Quinkflow G2 refil, or compatible refill. Workhorse pens, all of them. I'll most certainly lose them before I break them. They just do what I need them to, every time.
Parker Jotter (stainless), Rite-In-The-Rain All-Weather, Fisher Stowaway
All these three have pressurised inserts in. The Fisher and Rite-In-The-Rain both have their respected branded inserts, but both are interchangeable. The Jotter currently has a Schmidt P950M insert, which to me, seems just as good as the other two, but the affixed plastic end piece means it won't fit in the two pens designed for the Fisher refill.
Zebra Expands
This is the only pen in the line up that takes a Zebra F-1.0 refill. It is a shame that it doesn't use something more generic, but it's such a good pocketable size, I'll forgive it that minor quirk. This might be grabbed for the shopping trips more than any of the others.
I'm pretty sure I've used them all at least once this month. Reliable, durable, affordable, and the inserts are reasonable easy to source. I love them all, particularly those that take the G2 insert.
However, as soon as I have more than 1/4 of an A4 page to write, I'd still rather have one (or more) of my fountain pens for the job (below). For continuous writing, and extended use, they can't be beat.
There was a time not so long ago, when I thought I might phase them out, but mine still get tons of use, despite the higher ink mileage being laid down by my fountain pens.
On the phone taking occasional notes? Ballpoint. Fountain pens don't like being left uncapped and not writing, waiting for the next noteworthy utterance. Out shopping and ticking off the groceries (or rummaging through the cupboards, putting the list together for that matter)? Ballpoint. Same reason, plus the writing might not be done flat, and ballpoints cope so muck better at awkward orientation. Out and about *anywhere* away from home? Reluctantly, I have to say ballpoint, despite having a couple of great pocket carry fountain pens. Fountain pens being carried nib up on public transport, or walks of a mile and above, gradually jiggles all the ink out of the feed, often leaving me with a dry nib when I want to write something.
Not to mention, some writing surfaces just aren't well suited for fountain pen nibs and ink.
These are my main ballpoint users, but there are a few spares tucked away too. They might look awkwardly grouped, but I have collated them by refill type.
From the left:
Zebra Telescopic and Troika Tool Pen
Both of these use the little D1 refills. They're really not pens for writing essays with, as those refills really dont hold much ink, but they are great note takers.
Cleo Messograph, Parker Jotter (standard), Parker IM, Helix Oxford (x2)
All these have either a regular Parker Quinkflow G2 refil, or compatible refill. Workhorse pens, all of them. I'll most certainly lose them before I break them. They just do what I need them to, every time.
Parker Jotter (stainless), Rite-In-The-Rain All-Weather, Fisher Stowaway
All these three have pressurised inserts in. The Fisher and Rite-In-The-Rain both have their respected branded inserts, but both are interchangeable. The Jotter currently has a Schmidt P950M insert, which to me, seems just as good as the other two, but the affixed plastic end piece means it won't fit in the two pens designed for the Fisher refill.
Zebra Expands
This is the only pen in the line up that takes a Zebra F-1.0 refill. It is a shame that it doesn't use something more generic, but it's such a good pocketable size, I'll forgive it that minor quirk. This might be grabbed for the shopping trips more than any of the others.
I'm pretty sure I've used them all at least once this month. Reliable, durable, affordable, and the inserts are reasonable easy to source. I love them all, particularly those that take the G2 insert.
However, as soon as I have more than 1/4 of an A4 page to write, I'd still rather have one (or more) of my fountain pens for the job (below). For continuous writing, and extended use, they can't be beat.
