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Rollerball pens that use fountain pen ink

unsharpen.com

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Re: Rollerball pens that use fountain pen ink

#3
Am I missing the point here?

>You might be wondering, why is this a question?

Why yes, exactly my thought, please tell me...

>If you check out Unsharpen’s Ink Types Guide, you’ll see that while rollerball ink is great, fountain pen ink is quite special.

Oh, ok, so I'll follow that link, and...

>It is, of course, the ink used in fountain pens, but it takes thousands of forms. The ink can be in a bottle or cartridge, it can be iron gall or water-based, it can be handmade or produced by the vat, it can be lubricated, fluorescent, quick-drying, or any number of other qualities. [...] Fountain pen inks are a looser, more watery consistency compared to all other pen inks. This means they are free-flowing and prone to splashing, forming droplets, and doing other things that have been known to ruin countless shirts.

Ok... So if I an to recap... The only real reason to use a ball pen with fountain ink is so I can refill it with whatever ink I like? OK, HN, I have some particular interests as well, but this is about the article of least importance I've ever seen on here.

It's as if all my other problems in life have been solved and I can be a pen/ink hipster? Maybe for someone, but I guess I'm just not there yet!

Re: Rollerball pens that use fountain pen ink

#4
Nice, I was looking for something like this. I currently use a Lamy Al-Star with an ink converter (to use ink from a bottle instead of single-use cartridges). Really great for writing but sometimes I miss the speed and fluidity of a rollerball. Lamy also offer rollerball pens but only with single-use cartridges that are ridiculously overpriced (I think around 3 € for a single cartridge which might last a few weeks to months) compared to normal ink, which costs around 3-5 € for 30 ml and will last several years. My writing fills roughly one 100 page notebook per year, in addition I write down a lot of things on scrap paper as well.

Re: Rollerball pens that use fountain pen ink

#6
post #5

I work in a job where I have to sign things with a fountain pen for etiquette reasons. I wonder if this will give the same effect as a fountain pen but be more practical.

Out of curiosity, what role/industry is that?

The Army - supposed to top and tail letters, especially social letters, with a fountain pen. Ballpoints are crass.

Re: Rollerball pens that use fountain pen ink

#7

Am I missing the point here? >You might be wondering, why is this a question? Why yes, exactly my thought, please tell me... >If you check out Unsharpen’s Ink Types Guide, you’ll see that while rollerball ink is great, fountain pen ink is quite special. Oh, ok, so I'll follow that link, and... >It is, of course, the ink used in fountain pens, but it takes thousands of forms. The ink can be in a bottle or cartridge, i…

I'm not into pens, so maybe sometime who is can shed light on the specifics. In general, I see this as any other hobby that can be taken to obsessive levels. I see it as similar to, for example, building your own PC and making sure all parts are color matched and all cables are routed in an esthetically pleasing ways, or growing Bonsai.

Re: Rollerball pens that use fountain pen ink

#8

Am I missing the point here? >You might be wondering, why is this a question? Why yes, exactly my thought, please tell me... >If you check out Unsharpen’s Ink Types Guide, you’ll see that while rollerball ink is great, fountain pen ink is quite special. Oh, ok, so I'll follow that link, and... >It is, of course, the ink used in fountain pens, but it takes thousands of forms. The ink can be in a bottle or cartridge, i…

To each their own.

Re: Rollerball pens that use fountain pen ink

#9

Am I missing the point here? >You might be wondering, why is this a question? Why yes, exactly my thought, please tell me... >If you check out Unsharpen’s Ink Types Guide, you’ll see that while rollerball ink is great, fountain pen ink is quite special. Oh, ok, so I'll follow that link, and... >It is, of course, the ink used in fountain pens, but it takes thousands of forms. The ink can be in a bottle or cartridge, i…

I'm not into pens, so maybe sometime who is can shed light on the specifics. In general, I see this as any other hobby that can be taken to obsessive levels. I see it as similar to, for example, building your own PC and making sure all parts are color matched and all cables are routed in an esthetically pleasing ways, or growing Bonsai.

You can draw a close parallel to mechanical keyboards. If you spend all day behind a keyboard, it makes sense to invest in a good experience. If you spend all day writing, it makes sense to have a nice pen.
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