The absolute smoothest pen for about $25?

T

TFin04

Joined
Aug 21, 2005
Messages
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While I'm at school I really like taking notes with a nice rollerball pen, however I've spent about $50 in pens this semester trying to find one I really like. Currently I'm using either the Pilot or Sanford Micro Uniballs and I like them quite a bit.

I work at a bank and use a pen all day long. While at work I tend to like a nice ballpoint because of the type of paper used for our deposit/withdrawl slips. Rollerballs (esp the fine point ones) just dont write very nicely on them.

I've been using a Parker Jotter for the past 5 years or so as an EDC pen, and while I do like it, I want something more. I recently bought a Fisher space pen hoping it would have a more bold, smoother writing style, but I'm disapointed in it.

I dont mind the Jotters, I'll probably pick up another on of those (mine recently broke), unless I find something different. However, I hate "globby" ballpoints as well as ones where the lines seem to fade in and out while writing.

What I'm looking for:

Small size
Strong pocket clip
Metal construction
SMOOTH ink flow
$25ish

Any ideas? I'm currently looking at some of the Jamy pens, but nobody around here carries them and I'd have no way to test one before buying. With as picky as I am about pens, I dont really like that.
 
1. Rotring rollerballs write very smoothly.
2. Montblanc makes the smoothest writing ballpoint.
3. Nothing writes as smoothly as a good fountain pen.

You might want to try one of the new Parker Gel refills for your Jotter. They're made in the UK and lay down a good consistent line.

The rollerball refills that are generally considered the best are made by Schmidt of Germany. They make several models, including one designed to fit the Parker.

Being a pen lover for a long time now, I can comfortably say that Schmidt and Rotring make the best rollerballs. (Rotring are also made in Germany.)

I'm NOT saying they make the best or nicest pens, I'm saying they make the best rollerballs. In fact, Schmidt doesn't make pens at all.

So get some Schmidt rollerball cartridges; a good place online is www.yafa.com. Use them in any pen that takes a Parker style cartridge (i.e. refill).

Schmidt of Germany. That's the state of the rollerball art.

Hope this helps.
 
I carry a carbon weave Sensa pen daily. nice gel grip if you are writing a lot and the cartidges are presurized so its writes on more serfaces than a normal ballpoint. its a little more than your budget but I find them to be very nice pens. It also might be a little bigger than you are looking for, they make smaller pens as well. I just tried one of these years ago and stuck with them.

http://cgi.ebay.com/SENSA-AMX-CARBO...613936678QQcategoryZ29830QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

thats the pen I carry, if you search you can find them cheaper, in stores though they can be upwards of $100
 
I also use a sensa all day at work, and alternate witha a cross, but the sensa is much more comfortable.
 
My Cross Classic Century is exactly what I desire in a pen, however you may not favor it for long note taking sessions because of it's small diameter.
 
ZJChaser said:
I carry a carbon weave Sensa pen daily. nice gel grip if you are writing a lot and the cartidges are presurized so its writes on more serfaces than a normal ballpoint. its a little more than your budget but I find them to be very nice pens.
Click to expand...

I believe that the Sensa uses the Fisher refill. While you're writing with the Sensa, you're "writing" with the Fisher.
 
rifon2 said:
I believe that the Sensa uses the Fisher refill. While you're writing with the Sensa, you're "writing" with the Fisher.
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http://www.sensa.com/w_operate.php3


3. Drop in gripping section and screw closed. Refills are available in an array of colors.
Ask for the Sensa refill by Fisher, available wherever fine writing instruments are sold.
 
You may want to take a look at Retro 51 offerings, especially the big shot. Tombow also makes some nice pens, the Waterman Phileas is a pleasant and inexpensive pen, and for something a bit over the top, fountainpenhospital.com has a few Rotrings on closeout.

Prepare for mindboggle if you hit fph, Art Brown pens, or other big pen sites. It all boils down to the filler, however. Pilot G-2 fillers will fit many rollerpens, and make a nice line for a relatively short rollout. Tombows are great fillers and the pens have some nice style to them.
 
I have an amazingly smooth Rotring pen. I can't remember the model name but it was $20 and has a big barrel, which is comfortable for me to take notes with in class.
 
TFin04 said:
While I'm at school I really like taking notes with a nice rollerball pen, however I've spent about $50 in pens this semester trying to find one I really like. Currently I'm using either the Pilot or Sanford Micro Uniballs and I like them quite a bit.

I work at a bank and use a pen all day long. While at work I tend to like a nice ballpoint because of the type of paper used for our deposit/withdrawl slips. Rollerballs (esp the fine point ones) just dont write very nicely on them.

I've been using a Parker Jotter for the past 5 years or so as an EDC pen, and while I do like it, I want something more. I recently bought a Fisher space pen hoping it would have a more bold, smoother writing style, but I'm disapointed in it.

I dont mind the Jotters, I'll probably pick up another on of those (mine recently broke), unless I find something different. However, I hate "globby" ballpoints as well as ones where the lines seem to fade in and out while writing.

What I'm looking for:

Small size
Strong pocket clip
Metal construction
SMOOTH ink flow
$25ish

Any ideas? I'm currently looking at some of the Jamy pens, but nobody around here carries them and I'd have no way to test one before buying. With as picky as I am about pens, I dont really like that.
Click to expand...


Whoops I didn't see that you wanted a metal body. I have a Lamy fountain pen with an aluminum body that is just as smooth or smoother than the Rotring fountain ball. The only downside is that it leaks through notebook paper quite readily, so I can only write on one side of each page.

Here's the Lamy.

Found the Rotring. It's called the Core.

both of these have great pocket clips, too.
 
TFin04 said:
Small size
Strong pocket clip
Metal construction
SMOOTH ink flow
$25ish
Click to expand...
Snow said:
I have a Lamy fountain pen with an aluminum body that is just as smooth or smoother than the Rotring fountain ball.

Here's the Lamy.
Click to expand...
Get the Lamy All-Star Ballpoint with the Broad refill. Lightweight with a tri-grip for comfort. Aluminum body, and the M16 Broad refill is among the smoothest I've found for ballpoints.
 
RTfact said:
You may want to take a look at Retro 51 offerings, especially the big shot.
Click to expand...

Yes, you might. They have some interesting designs, are inexpensive, and you can use a Schmidt refill in them.

Tombow also makes some nice pens...
Click to expand...

Tombow (from Japan) does make some very nice pens. However, I do not recommend them for smooth writing; their ink is a little too thick and the pen ends up moving a little too slowly across the page for my taste.

the Waterman Phileas is a pleasant and inexpensive pen...
Click to expand...

Waterman (France) makes some extraordinarily nice pens. The Edson, for example. Respectfully though, I cannot recommend the Phileas.

More importantly, I disappointingly cannot recommend Waterman rollerball refills. They just don't "have it". You can end up with a gorgeous $500.00 lacquer pen that doesn't write as nicely as a $10.00 Parker with a $4.00 Parker Gel Cartridge. It's a great mystery in the pen world why Waterman rollerballs are not on a par with their better pens.

It all boils down to the filler, however.
Click to expand...

Quite true.
 
I found a very smooth pen for about $2. It's a "Pilot Better Retractible Fine". I think I found them at Office Depot. But then nothing writes quite as smoothly as my MontBlanc fountain pen with a gold nib.
 
Check out the Fisher Space Pen X-750BK. To illustrate it's relative size and form factor, check out listing #6606186618 in a popular online auction site. It's not my listing. I purchased one from an authorized dealer while here on vacation in the Philippines.
 
I'm using a UniBall 207, which I like, but I think it's a gel rollerball and you wanted a ballpoint. I think this is the ink that does not wash out, and is being touted as an anti-fraud pen. Might be worth checking out the 207 for your use.

My favorite cheap pen of all is a Pilot P-700. Dirt cheap, my fave pen to write with if I don't have a fountain pen. It's gel also, which again I think means rollerball.

Fishers at their best are not remotely smooth, at at worst are blotchy and jerky. I'd avoid fisher refills if you want any semblance of smooth.

Joe
 
I affirm the previous recommendations on getting the Parker Gel refills for your jotter.

I have tried just about every pen and refill out there and I like the Parker gels the best. They also make a good rollerball refill.

As noted above, the Schmidts and Rotrings are also excellent. I have not been excited about the Fisher or Lamy pens that I own-they do not write as smoothly or they have a tendancy to blotch their ink. I am left-handed and I cannot stand dragging my hand through wet ink.
 
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