Wasted Pens

[Raissermesser]

I'm in the process of using partial ball point and gel pens in order to clear them out. Seemed to have collected quite a number over the last few years. After one walked off two or three weeks ago, I was using a partial Uni-Ball Signo. As this pen tends to do, it grows lighter just before the ink runs out, implying it's mixing with that clear medium filled in the tubes. You could actually see it in this particular pen, a lightening of the blue ink. But there was something else: Over time, the ink seemed to shrunk into a column surrounded by the clear medium. That it isn't an even flow through the tube is interesting.

This morning I finally used it up. There was some ink in this one that had separated from the main body, but not much. I took another partial pen from my desk, the same type, and checked the ink. It had plenty enough, but the clear medium had flowed around the ink and formed a clear space at the base of the tube. Useless.

I took the last partial of this type in my desk, and it, too, had the clear medium flow around the ink, but this time left enough to use for a week or so.

A check of the same pen in my upright pen holder on my desk shows the ink column intact. I have some fuller pens here that I'm saving for after using the ones in my test. The slimming of the ink is clear in the two I've used for a time, but another, less used, has ink all across the tube.

That's when I checked my unused pens ordered some years ago. These are laying flat in boxes, and were the source for the partials. They all show some slimming of the ink column, but no breaks. This has me wondering if the slimming is from the point of manufacture, but then what of the one that doesn't show it?

Also checked my Pilot G2 pens. These show no slimming of the ink column, but the clear medium is starting to yellow. Like the unused Uni-Ball Signos, they have a bit of plastic over the tip that you brush off to use.

I'm thinking that, had I kept these partials upright, the ink wouldn't have separated. Wondering if ball points have the same problem, or if this is something that only affects gel pens.

Why am I mentioning this? Ball points and gel pens are cheap, right? Just toss and go again, right? But other than being a bit cheap myself, if we have some sort of special use gel pen, it might be better to store it upright. But the downside is that ball points and gels can leak this way, which is why there's such as thing as pocket protectors. Besides, it's interesting.

 

[kcore]

At work before I took over as manager of my current office they ordered more ballpoint pens than the office would ever be able to use since most of our work happens on the computer. All of these old pens were stored with the tips facing up and all of them at the problem of gravity pulling the ink away from the tip and creating an air bubble causing the pen not to write correctly. I eventually just threw them all out and ordered a couple boxes of the signo 207 pens or the GET for the office to use. I only order enough pens to last us about two months and then I order more that way this won't happen again.

 

[ajkel64]

I have been given some very nice ball point pen sets over the years as presents. I have started using them an I have stored my pens laying flat in a box. I have found that most of the ink in the pens will not write at all. They have either dried up or must have this separating effect that causes them to either write sporadically or not at all. So now instead of using up these pens and saving on ink, I have to buy refills to get some use out of the pen.

 

[BMWRider]

I am a fountain pen guy but keep a few ballpoints around as well as gels. Once a year I clean everything out and hand my cheap ballpoints/gels to my wife, who takes them to the high school she teaches in. The kids need pens and I know they are not going to a landfill unused. I have found that after a year, they may have another year in them at best. I have had really good luck with Fischer and Parker refills on the other hand, they seem to keep on going. Maybe the higher price point of the pen means manufacturers do a bit better job, or maybe I am lucky.

 

[John Rose]

Is the end of the refill open?
If so, would it be practical to insert an unwound guitar string (one of my favourite DIY tools) and stir up the separated ink?

 

[KW Driver]

I am a fountain pen guy but keep a few ballpoints around as well as gels. Once a year I clean everything out and hand my cheap ballpoints/gels to my wife, who takes them to the high school she teaches in. The kids need pens and I know they are not going to a landfill unused. I have found that after a year, they may have another year in them at best. I have had really good luck with Fischer and Parker refills on the other hand, they seem to keep on going. Maybe the higher price point of the pen means manufacturers do a bit better job, or maybe I am lucky.

It’s my understanding that the Fisher carts are pressurized so they write at any angle (of feed) and in 0G. They’re the only ballpoint I keep on hand because of that, and that they don’t skip or pool excess ink on the exposed portion of the ball.

 

[AimlessWanderer]

A while ago, I cast out dozens of wasted ballpoint and gel pens. All good writers when new, but they had ceased flowing properly, or indeed ceased altogether. Five or six years old, at a guess.

Now all I have in the pen drawer, is my fountain pens (the ones I actually use), and about 10 refillable ballpoints which are comfortable/convenient to use. As each insert expires, I'll upgrade it to a pressurised one, which should (in theory) never conk out till it's empty. As much as I like my fountain pens, I do prefer other pen types for stop/start writing (shopping lists, phone notes, etc), and the fountain pens for more fluid, continual writing.

There is one refillable rollerball ib the drawer too, but the insert is HORRIBLE!!! It skips, feels "crunchy" on the page, and gives very inconsistent lines. Over the last couple of days, I've been going back and forth as to what to do with it. I'm not sure I would use it enough to be sure of it not drying out and going to waste again... but on the flip side, it is a very comfortable pen, which gives a bolder line than my array of ballpoints. The other annoyance, is that it looks identical to the matching fountain pen when capped, and so have to be stored/carried separately, otherwise I am forever reaching for the wrong one.

It kind of feels like a wasted pen already, which makes me want to replace the insert, but I don't want to use it so infrequently, that I end up wasting the insert too...

Decisions... decisions...

At least I'm now at the stage where I don't have to feel guilty about not using all my other pens enough, as I'll know they're all still ready for service when I do reach for them.