Rollerball or Ball Point

[bpetty13]

Hello everyone,

I've just recently ventured into luxury pens and have been eying a couple Montblancs, but I am having a tough time deciding whether to get a Rollerball or a Ball point.

This pen will be my daily user at the office and I plan on using it a lot for the amount of money I'm about to spend on a pen! I have read that the rollerball's write really well, but tend to run out of ink really fast. Can anyone comment on this? How are the ball points? Do they write better compared to the conventional ball point pens that I could pickup at Office Max/Office Depot for a couple bucks? Another thing I like about the rollerball's is that they come with a cap. I like that much better than just the twisting for the ball points.

The one's I have been checking out are:

Meisterstuck Platinum Trim Rollerball #P163
Meisterstuck Le Grand Rollerball #07571
Midnight Black Starwalker Ball Point
Metal & Rubber Starwalker Ball Point & Fineliner

Anyways I am open to either, but I just want to make sure I make the best decision for myself. Would love to get some more thoughts and opinions for my first Montblanc pen.

Thanks,

Blake

[rpryan55]

I have a MB Rollerball I bought a year ago. I use it once a week. I'm on my second ink re-fill. I have a MB Ballpoint I bought 12 years ago. I use it once a week. I've never changed the ink.

Just my experience.

[dba]

I love my MB Classique Rollerball. It won't run out of ink any faster than any other daily used pen. For how nice the pen feels while writing with it, the refills aren't that expensive.

[SeanTRF]

I primarily write with fountain pens because I like the ease with which one can use them. However, they are not always practical and in those cases I prefer RBs to BPs. I find the rollerball requires less pressure to use than a BP.

In my experience, the Montblanc refill cartridges are equivalent to other brands. So you want to buy the form factor that works best for you. I like the looks of the starwalker line, but I found them too heavy for everyday use.

Sean

[Bon Temps]

I prefer the ballpoint. I hold my pens less vertical than most and the rollerballs aren't as smooth at a more severe angle. I only like the blue broad ballpoint, smooth as silk. An advantage to the rollerball is that you can also use the fine liner refills which are like a felt tip. So many choices! The safest thing is to get both!

[Thurnau]

Roller ball is smoother and needs less pressure, but will run out of ink much more frequently.
Ballpoint uses far less ink, but needs more pressure and doesn't glide across the page as smooth.

ps. Buy a rollerball, I love the ink.....

[adriancol]

The Legrand RB are the smoothest and they take a special refill made for the Legrand model. It's a large sized refill that will last you longer than the regular non-legrand sized pens, plus they are really smooth.

[2careless]

Most rollerballs have a cap and pen so you'll have to decide where you put the cap when writing. Ballpen models usually haven't got a cap, just the pen itself.

Others have covered most of the relevant differences already. Have fun :-)

[Shangas]

I write exclusively with fountain pens, but between those two, I would pick the rollerball. It's smoother and when you write for hours on end, the one thing you need is smooth, frictionless writing (spoken by one who wrote over a dozen pages of university notes every day, five days a week during his Bachelor's degree).

[bpetty13]

Thanks for everyone's help. I think I am going to go with a rollerball. It's going to either be the Meisterstuck LeGrand #07571 or the Meisterstuck P163.

Thanks again,

Blake

[drtooth73]

Rollerball, of course.
MB with ballpoint is kinda silly

[Lion]

bpetty13, you can't go wrong with a MB rollerball pen. I like the two I own and you will enjoy yours as well!!!

[sss]

I have a MB ball point and wish it was a rollerball... I like the way the rollerball writes much better.

[Damage Inc.]

Another vote for the rollerball. I've had my classique for ~10 years and use it daily at work (lab notebook)...yes it goes through ink faster than a ballpoint, but it's just sooooo much nicer to write with!
Next one I have my eye on is a RB too...but a Mark Twain &/or Thomas Mann!

[Perdu]

The ball pen will cost you far less in the long run. I own a Le Grand rollerball but I'm not a big fan. For starters they leak when you fly.

[dddrees]

I perfer the rollerball becasuse it is much smoother than the ballpoint. I just purchased the Meisterstuck Le Grand Rollerball with the platinum trim.

[Lion]

Dan, what a great purchase...enjoy your new pen!!!

[dddrees]

Originally Posted by Lion

Dan, what a great purchase...enjoy your new pen!!!

Thanks Leo.

[jta52]

Originally Posted by drtooth73

Rollerball, of course.
MB with ballpoint is kinda silly

Agreed, a good rollerball, much better than a ballpoint.

[TattooedGQ]

I typically use a Fountain pen, however my job has recently started using a lot of carbon transfer papers, so I went out and bought a resin Meisterstuck ballpoint with platinum trim.

I did, however, do some research prior to this (since I didn't want to drop several hundred on a glorified Bic) and found that Monteverde makes capless gel refills for the MB ball points.

As Gary said, Rollers tend to leak on planes, so I have my BP refill in when I travel, and my gel when not. This way I get a nice smooth writing pen, that can be used on carbons, and is OK to travel with. It's a win-win in my book!