The rollerball and I have shared a fraught relationship over the years. Yes, I’ve tried. I really want to love what many describe as the most “elegant” writing instrument short of a fountain pen. I know they’re supposed to be smoother. I know they’re the “professional” choice. I know the ink is permanent. But for nearly twenty-plus years I haven’t been able to find one that truly works for me. Lately I’ve been trying a bit harder.
What prompted me to revisit rollerballs? I still get weekly questions about them, for one thing, and it’s hard for me to recommend specific items if I’m not familiar with the product category. But beyond that is a general sense that I’m missing something. I regularly have customers who bulk order rollerball refills - there are pen people out there who really love their rollerballs - so I figured I should do a deeper dive.
Five different writing samples, from the top: Caran d’Ache 849 Rollerball Fine in Blue; Montblanc Medium St. Exupery limited edition rollerball refill; Pilot G2 gel refill, for comparison; Schneider Topball 580 fine; and Baron Fig/Schmidt P8127. Note the new “Hex” Baron Fig Squire at the bottom, which Baron Fig was kind enough to send me to test out!
Reasons Why People Love Rollerball Pens
Dark, Permanent Lines. As I remarked in my recent writeup of the Lamy AL-Star Rollerball, there’s something deeply satisfying about a pen that lays down a dark, bold line, especially when you’re brainstorming on a legal pad or a giant desk blotter. Since the majority of rollerball refills only come in black or dark blue (and less commonly red and green), you’re sure to get a dark line, and the ink is almost always permanent.
The Smoothness Factor. If you ask rollerball enthusiasts why they love their pen so much, many - if not most - will tell you that it’s because the writing experience is so smooth. Rollerball cartridges contain liquid ink, and most companies use relatively wide tip sizes (.7mm-1.0mm) to guarantee a wet, “smooth” writing experience that seems to glide across the page, especially compared to an oil-based ballpoint.
Ubiquity and Convenience. Rollerballs are popular, having assumed the mantle of the “executive” pen of choice over the fountain pen during the 1990s. You can typically find rollerball refills in any big-box store, even for higher-end brands like Montblanc, and it’s quite easy to change the cartridge. (Which you may have to do often - see below.)
Versatility: Both Capped and Capless Options are Available. Over the past 20 years, rollerball technology has improved to the point where there are very good capless refills that allow for a retractable design. Pens such as the Retro 51 Tornado, the Baron Fig Squire, and the Caran d’Ache 849 Rollerball all use capless refills and twist or click mechanisms.
Even on relatively thick Midori MD Paper, you still see the Montblanc and Schmidt refills come through the paper a bit.
Why Rollerball Pens Haven’t Necessarily Worked for Me
Temperamental Refills. My biggest problem with rollerballs has been that the refills are expensive and don’t last very long. Costing anywhere from $8-10, you would expect to get at least a month or more of writing, yet I regularly come across rollerball refills that dry up and clog long before they actually run dry. I’ve even had refills that don’t write out of the box. If this happens I always contact my retailer/distributor and request a replacement, or I return them to the store.
Feathering and Bleedthrough. Whether you are writing with a rollerball or a fountain pen, any ink that’s a combination of “wet” and “permanent” will have a tendency to bleed and feather on most papers. Rollerballs can be even worse than fountain pens because the ink is being applied with a sharp tip, which presses the ink into the paper fibers and makes bleedthrough and feathering even more likely. You can, however, find drier rollerball refills to minimize this tendency, and I’ll discuss a few of my preferred options below.
Lack of Color Options, Namely Blue-Black. Nine times out of 10, I’ll choose a blue-black ink over standard black or standard blue. It turns out that blue-black rollerball refills are hard to come by, and you’ll typically have to seek out third-party “aftermarket” options by companies like Monteverde. That said, I’m more likely to choose a rollerball or fineliner over a fountain pen when I want to write with plain black ink, since it’s typically quite dark.
I Personally Prefer Fineliners. Most capped rollerball pens are also compatible with fineliner cartridges, and since I genuinely love how fineliners write, I will typically opt for one over a rollerball. Lately I’ve enjoyed refillable fineliners, since I can use my fountain pen inks without worrying about expensive and finicky cartridges. I’m also playing around with a Kakimori “inkball” pen that I was sent as a promotional tester, which also allows you to use fountain pen ink in a rollerball-style tip.
Two Sunderland mk1 machined pens, one with a Montblanc rollerball refill (right), and another with a Pilot G2 gel refill (left).
So What’s the Verdict? For Me, a Rollerball Depends Entirely on the Refill
Namely, a drier refill. As much as I may try to “accept it”, I hate feathering and bleedthrough. I think it looks sloppy on paper, and defeats any of the so-called elegance inherent in writing with a nice pen. For this reason, I strongly favor drier rollerball refills that don’t lay a thick line of ink down on the page. My three favorites are:
Caran d’Ache 849 Parker-Style Rollerball Cartridge. While I have no proof, I suspect that there is gel pen technology incorporated into this refill, because it behaves quite differently from most other rollerball cartridges I’ve tried. The ink does not bleed or feather on most papers, and the versatile Parker-style cartridge fits a wide variety of different pens. There’s even a finer tip available. (Disclaimer: We sell these refills, and quite a lot of them.)
Schneider Topball 850 Refill. This has long been my “stick” rollerball cartridge of choice for capped pens. It writes a clean, precise line, and fits most European rollerball pens, though you may have to modify the length with tape or a spacer.
Montblanc Rollerball Refills. Expensive, yes. Short lifespan? You bet. BUT, they’re also well-behaved and feature a relatively wide color selection (including limited editions). Despite being a finicky refill that tends to dry out faster than I would like, Montblanc rollerball cartridges look super nice on the page. Because they are threaded and screw into the pen, there is zero tip wiggle.
I’ve gradually come to accept that a rollerball will never be my everyday carry pen of choice, but I feel like I have a solid stable of refill options I can turn to if I like the design of a specific pen and want to pick one up. It’s also worth remembering that many gel ink cartridges can be hacked to fit rollerball pens, and many smaller manufacturers (like Sunderland Machine Works) are making pens specifically designed to fit both rollerball cartridges and gel refills like the Pilot G2.
What’s your favorite rollerball cartridge? I’m thinking of exploring more Japanese options, such as the Ohto Ceramic series, in the near future, as I’ve heard these tend to favor finer lines and may work better for my style of writing. Stay tuned!
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