Ballpoint Pen Rant

[Texas Star]

Alpo-

Some fountain pens cost several hundred dollars...I think I paid $150 each for my two Parker 75's, made in the mid to late 1960's, and bought used about ten years ago. I got a matching silver ballpoint, too, for about a hundred. It is checkered sterling silver, like one of the pens. The other is gold-filled over the checkering, and I have the ballpoint to match it, too.

I also have a couple of Cross fountain pens, and a matching ballpoint for the gold one.Just bought a chromed Cross ballpoint. Cost about $25, and is made in China! But it seems to be made to Cross's standards.

I'll try Office Depot. I think the store I used was Office Max, or some such. Unfortunately, the specialty pen store I liked has closed.

 

[CAJUNLAWYER]

Went throug the pen craze about 15 years ago. My sister gave me a nice Mont Blanc fountain pen for my 40th B'day. Bought two more and used only Turquoise and dark purple inks. Problem with fountain pens is that after you use them a while the nib wears to your style and for that reason one should never let someone else write with your pen, It's especially critical when you are a southpaw like me. Plus you never want to leave something valuable lying around in a courtroom. I got tired of looking like a snob when someone would ask to borrow a pen, and the last straw was when some judge pulled it out of my pocket without asking to sign an order and then DROPPED THE THING NIB FIRST ON A TERAZZO FLOOR
Figured life is too short-put them away and went the disposable route-I loves me some blue G-2's
The Mont Blanc comes out when I go to one of those uptown cocktail parties or a DU banquet where I have to put on the "rich lawyer" ritz
Kinda like the nickle 27-2 with El Passo holster for Sunday and the Glock for sliding under the truck seat

 

[Alpo]

I was at Office Depot today, and looked. They had gone up from 2.99 to 3.29.

I know that some fountain pens are outrageously expensive. But, in the same time period, there was a Bic pen. They'd shoot it through a board, to show how tough it was. Bic - Writes first time - Every time.

They cost 19 cents. Now they are around a dollar. So they've gone up in price 500 percent. Based on that, I expected the Sheaffer fountain pens that I had used, that cost a dollar back then, to cost five or six bucks. That's why I was so shocked at the forty to fifty.

 

[LennyLames]

I haven't bought a ballpoint pen in years.

At all the meetings and conferences I go to, I collect the disposable, promotional pens (pencils as well). Sometimes, I even collect the pens from the hotel rooms. N.B., I always bring disinfectant wipes to clean the hotel pens as well as the TV remote.

At home, I separate the pens with marginally better mechanisms, or those with markings from exotic locations, and keep them for myself. I store a couple in my car, and a couple in each briefcase.

The rest, I stack together with rubber bands. Every so often, I travel to poorer countries so I take a stack with me and donate them to local schools.

If I have the opportunity, I do most of my handwriting with my Parker fountain pen. I also get my refills from Staples, and I buy multiple packs at a time, enough to last over a year. There are certain types of paper that are not suitable for fountain pen use, for instance, thermal paper used in some restaurants for credit card receipts, and multi-part customs and immigration forms at various countries' ports of entry. I think we had a discussion on fountain pens a while back.

Does anyone use those refillable pump cartridges that come with the fountain pens? I've never used any of mine, since I have access to the disposable ones.

 

[35Rem]

It's especially critical when you are a southpaw like me.

I knew there was something wrong with you! WRONG handed.

Figured life is too short-put them away and went the disposable route-I loves me some blue G-2's

I agree with the G-2's. I use the .05 width. Nothing writes as good as they do.

 

[GatorFarmer]

If you are feeling in a particular Luddite mood (and don't feel like tossing any wooden shoes today either), you can actually make your own inks. Simply poke around online and you will find the formulas. Most will work best with your quill pens of course, but doubtless you've made some of those as well to keep handy. Though you might want to avoid any formulas containing mercury and/or lead. Or not. Shrug.

Anyway, contrary to the "lesson" contained in many management texts, NASA did not spend oodles of money to make the space pens (as opposed to the Russians using a pencil). The Fisher space pens (no relation) were entirely the product of free enterprise and individual invention.

But... some of the pens and some of the refills are clearly stamped "Made in Germany".

(Though like roller ball pens, some say that recovered tech from the Roswell crash was the real seed.)

The current interest in tactical pens ought spawn a market for refills, assuming that anyone ever bothers to write with them.

The "Rite In The Rain" pens - which I think may be the same as Fisher Space Pens, and refills can be found at most any military exchange alongside the ever popular Staedtler Lumocolors (even in the high tech world, scribbling on your plastic map over lay is still all sorts of fun).

For some years I used a Mont Blanc Boheme. It was a fountain pen with a quite literal twist, you twisted it to use the pen. Chics dug it as the expression goes. I think that I paid close to 400 dollars for it a decade ago, eventually sold it on Ebay. Some non Mont Blanc cartridges didn't agree with it and caused me all sorts of problems. I ended up getting Mont Blanc ctgs at various jewelry stores and the Milwaukee Macys.

I have children now of course, and thus I cannot have nice things.

 

[pilgrim6a]

'Simmer down' " MY back up pen is a Bic."

We have, 'Back Up Gun', (BUG). And 'Bug Out Gun', (BOG).
Now we have, 'Back Up Pen' (BUP).
I'm falling behind in the terminology race.
You know a .38 spl LRN can serve as a pencil in a pinch. Would that be a SHTF writing instrument?

 

[old bear]

A quality pen, knife, or revolver is a joy to hold and use. Sadly when working I was always losing pens. After losing two generic Cross pens my first year on the job, I decided that disposable was the way to go, I always kept 4 or 5 in my briefcase lose one no big deal just grab another. The lovely and charming gave me a really NICE Cross rollerball pen 10 or so years ago it seldom leaves the house, I use it for letter signing and checkbook updates but that's about all.

.25 cents or 25 dollars , it won't improve my my horrible handwriting!

Yes it will, give it a try.

 

[labworm]

All this talk led me to locate my Parker T Ball, not sure but believe I purchased it around 1962.

Pressed it on some paper and blue ink began to appear, still working.

 

[sipowicz]

I never buy pens...my bank has nice ones with cool little chains on them.

 

[Dennis The B]

I've collected and restored fountain pens for about 14 years. My first collectible was a 1928 Parker Duofold, restored by one of our local collectors. It's still my favorite. Even the modern 18k gold nibs don't have the feel that this Duofold has.

As to ink, I still prefer Pelikan or Aurora. Waterman is up there, too. I never really liked Quink, and I always thought Sheaffer's colors were a bit thin.

I own about 150, and right now, I'm rotating a Bexley prototype and a Sheaffer Balance, ca. 1935 into use. Both write exquisitely.

I'm a dyed-in-the-wool southpaw when it comes to writing. However, I don't write "over the top", like a lot of lefties, so I can easily use right-handed Italic nibs. I never thought I would like broader nibs, but now the broader, the better.

I went through college with a Parker 75 in Sterling Silver. A few years ago, I found a broad stub nib for it, and its a real pleasure to use.

I agree that the Pelikan 800's are really nice. I also like the Pelikan 600's for a smaller pen.

MontBlanc pens really went through some tough times in the 1980's. Their quality went in the tank, and it wasn't until the late 1990's that they again made a high quality pen.

Oh, and don't forget the Wahl Eversharps and Waterman's. They share the golden age with Parker and Sheaffer.

 

[Penmon]

I own too many guns and too many pens, or at least thats what my family says they don't even know about my watches and knifes.

I look at it this way, I truly admire well made things, the brutal beauty, the fluid action and the deadly potential of a S&W Mdl.27,19,25,28 is something any of us would marvel at and love to own.

In that same way I admire my pens, be it a Fountain Pen or a Ball point I want something I can be proud of and admire.Something I would be proud to pass on one day. Something my kids could sell and buy a disposal gizmo with.

I own a couple of gross of fine writing instruments, some old and some modern. I also have repaired/ restore pens for years. In fact for a few years I was the Sheaffer factory repair person.

Be it a good knife, pen, mechanical watch or gun, I want what I see as quality. As odd as this sounds other than something that starts everyday and is somewhat safe, I don't care about cars. Probably because the ones I truly like I can not afford.

Bottom line is you only get one shot at life and be it a Bic, or a feather or a Mont Blanc if it makes you happy and fills your needs, go for it. After all if you are on this forum in the 1st place and you like S&W guns you certainly admire quality and have excellent taste.

Colecting is a way to preserve and admire history and at the same time can be considered a sound investment.

Penmon aka Jim

 

[Stu1205]

Papermate's Are The Best

My favorite pen is the Papermate Profile. Unfortunately it is not made anymore.
There are still other Papermate pens available though.
I have used Cross, Parker, and just about every pen on the market.
The Papermates still have the smoothest and richest ink flow on the market. Even their Write Brothers stick pens.
Just MHO.

 

[VAdoublegunner]

Glad to see there are other fountain pen collectors here. As I mentioned earlier in the thread, I've been a collector for over 30 years and learned to do my own restorations of most types (except those danged Sheaffer vac fill Balances from the 40s...you gotta really want to write with them to deal with trying to restore them. The oversize ones are cool though.)

I used to travel for work a lot and it was easy to go to just about any antique, especially the more flea/junk store type of "antique", store back in the 80s and find Parker 51 aerometrics for $10 or often less. It got to be a game to find one and clean it to use for the trip. The Pli-Glass sacs (an early form PVC) were designed to last for 20 years, but 50+ years later they are still going strong, so it was almost unheard of to find one in bad shape. If water wouldn't flush it, I could get a bottle of ammonia for 50 cents and make a dilute solution to get dried/clogged ink out of the feed/collector and breather tube. Their lucite barrel and hood were about as durable a material as ever put into a pen too. Their tubular nib was smooth and tough, rarely ever in bad shape unless someone had dropped or abused it. It's tougher for someone to screw them up than a flat nib.

I ended up with a lot of Parker 51s that way. Some were fairly rare models and some had uncommon nibs. As much as I like the early Sheaffer Flat Tops and Parker Duofolds, Watermans, Eversharps and Conklins, the 51 was an easy favorite, a design out of 1941 that looked modern and classy, made of superb cutting edge materials, well engineered and crafted that performed beyond all expectations...the Registered Magnum/Model 27 of fountain pens!

Since the nibs are so tough, it is one of the only fountain pens I may let someone else write with on occasion if they ask to borrow it for a moment to sign something. Just remember to remove the cap yourself and hold onto it while they're standing there ... that increases the odds they will give it back, especially after they forgetfully try to stick it in their shirt pocket uncapped. They'll have a reminder not to do that with someone's borrowed pen again.

 

[steamloco76]

I've been using quality refillable pens every day since I stared high school (30 years plus-eek, I'm getting old). My favorite was the Papermate Profile. Smooth writing and the spring steel pocket clip is indestructible. The Profile I'd used for nearly 20 years was finally destroyed by a brute-ish customer of mine. He popped the top off like a bottle cap. Since then I've gone through Cross, Parker, Rotring and several other brands finally setting on Retro 1951 and Fisher, using the pressurized Fisher refills in all.

For pens and refills at fair prices Google search Daly's Pen Shop in Milwaukee. They have fair prices and sell almost everything.

 

[Texas Star]

'Simmer down' " MY back up pen is a Bic."

We have, 'Back Up Gun', (BUG). And 'Bug Out Gun', (BOG).
Now we have, 'Back Up Pen' (BUP).
I'm falling behind in the terminology race.
You know a .38 spl LRN can serve as a pencil in a pinch. Would that be a SHTF writing instrument?

I'll try that with the bullet. I have several little lead dinosaurs that my aunt bought me at the Ft. Worth Natural History Museum when I was about six years old. Some years ago, I discovered that they could work as faint pencils. That's also how I figured out that they were lead, or had a lot of lead in them.

I'll locate a Staples for the ballpoint refills and stock up on them. They may even have the little plastic refills for fountain pens. Maybe they have a store in Highland Park, where more people probably use fountain pens. (Highland Park is to Dallas as Beverly Hills is to Los Angeles. Actually, the same architect designed both towns.)

 

[CAJUNLAWYER]

If you are feeling in a particular Luddite mood (and don't feel like tossing any wooden shoes today either), you can actually make your own inks. Simply poke around online and you will find the formulas. Most will work best with your quill pens of course, but doubtless you've made some of those as well to keep handy. Though you might want to avoid any formulas containing mercury and/or lead. Or not. Shrug.

Anyway, contrary to the "lesson" contained in many management texts, NASA did not spend oodles of money to make the space pens (as opposed to the Russians using a pencil). The Fisher space pens (no relation) were entirely the product of free enterprise and individual invention.

But... some of the pens and some of the refills are clearly stamped "Made in Germany".

(Though like roller ball pens, some say that recovered tech from the Roswell crash was the real seed.)

The current interest in tactical pens ought spawn a market for refills, assuming that anyone ever bothers to write with them.

The "Rite In The Rain" pens - which I think may be the same as Fisher Space Pens, and refills can be found at most any military exchange alongside the ever popular Staedtler Lumocolors (even in the high tech world, scribbling on your plastic map over lay is still all sorts of fun).

For some years I used a Mont Blanc Boheme. It was a fountain pen with a quite literal twist, you twisted it to use the pen. Chics dug it as the expression goes. I think that I paid close to 400 dollars for it a decade ago, eventually sold it on Ebay. Some non Mont Blanc cartridges didn't agree with it and caused me all sorts of problems. I ended up getting Mont Blanc ctgs at various jewelry stores and the Milwaukee Macys.

I have children now of course, and thus I cannot have nice things.

the universal truth

 

[bummer]

The best pen that I ever received was from a drug rep. No makers name but you twist the top clock wise to expose the point.The barrel is brass and the ends are steel. The ink cartridge is just about finished and I don't know were to purchase another one.The cartridge is marked made in Spain. any help

 

[Texas Star]

The best pen that I ever received was from a drug rep. No makers name but you twist the top clock wise to expose the point.The barrel is brass and the ends are steel. The ink cartridge is just about finished and I don't know were to purchase another one.The cartridge is marked made in Spain. any help

You may be describing a Cross or knock-off. Photo? The "brass" may be gold plating.

I have a ballpoint made in Germany for Carl Schlieper knives, and it's not refillable. I keep the empty pen as a momento of a great knife brand.

 

[CAJUNLAWYER]

You may be describing a Cross or knock-off. Photo? The "brass" may be gold plating.

I have a ballpoint made in Germany for Carl Schlieper knives, and it's not refillable. I keep the empty pen as a momento of a great knife brand.

I remember the Cross chrome ball points-could get them for $6.00. Great little pen. First thing we always did was ditch the blue medium point cartridge that came with them and get a black fine point re fill-they just wrote better with that black fine point.
Problem today with ball points is that the liquid and jell inks write so much more effortlessly than the ball point inks.