• This topic has 32 replies, 30 voices, and was last updated 8 years ago by JoB.
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  • inexpensive ballpoint pens that are truly a pleasure to use ….?
  • kaiser
    Free Member

    yes i know sounds a bit weird but I’ve just used a free bp pen that truly just glides over the paper making writing almost effortless and really improves my terrible hadwriting as a result. I “borrowed” it from a house we are doing up for a wealthy friend and there’s no brand name as it appears to be a freebie from a hotel in equador . cheap looking but superlight and ..i just can’t express how smooth / fluid and frictionless it makes writing compared to my usual cheapos.
    Anyone recognise the characteristics in a readily available and reasonably inexpensive ballpoint .?
    Billyboy

    mattyfez
    Full Member

    Indeed all ball points are not equal.

    I’m not a pen snob by any means a pen is a pen to me but I’ve got a really nice bic one.. I think they cost a quid or so each as opposed to £10 for a pack of God knows how many of the horrible ones.. I’ll try and look up the model when I get home, lovely very cheap pen, a pleasure to use.

    Speeder
    Full Member

    I like a bit of resistance and good angularity before the body catches the paper so a plain old Bic suits me fine. £1 for 4 is pretty cheap by an standards.

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    jambalaya
    Free Member

    The original Bic’s still work very well. Not sure I’d say they glide over the page like a liquid ink pen like a Pilot G-2 (12 for £15)

    tillydog
    Free Member

    Sounds just like the free ones from the Royal Park Hotel in Yokohama.

    HTH

    vickypea
    Free Member

    Ink joy are good and inexpensive. You can get them in loads of different colours too.

    coolhandluke
    Free Member

    I use

    Caran d’Ache 849

    Usually about £13

    Nice enough to feel like a bit of quality, not dear enough to make you cry when you loose one or it gets nicked.

    kaiser
    Free Member

    i’m normally a very cynical person as a result of living in a world full of marketing bull ..had someone told me a pen could make me write SO much better I’d have laughed BUT…its true!..and i’m a convert now after only a few minutes experience!LOL just need to find the one !

    donncha
    Full Member

    I really like Schneider Slider Basic XB

    choppersquad
    Free Member

    As long as it writes OK on a banana its all good.

    CountZero
    Full Member

    I must admit I find the Fisher Spacepen has a really nice ‘feel’ on paper, it’s something about the friction of the ball against the surface. I’ve got one of the tiny bullet ones I’ve had for donks, tucked into the spiral binding of a cheap WHS notepad, a full-sized one with a clicky cap, and a couple of fairly cheap Matt black WHS ballpoints with Spacepen refills tucked into the sleeve pockets of nylon flying jackets.
    Just really nice to write with, not stupidity expensive either.

    brant
    Free Member

    The free ones from the posh hotel at the top of the hill in Xiamen are my favourite.

    willard
    Full Member

    Mitsubishi Uni-Ball.

    They write smoothly and make even my handwriting look better.

    scaredypants
    Full Member

    papermate flexgrip ultra is as posh as I get – or inkjoy multicoloured ones

    I have, however, just tried a few random cheap ones I found in the kids’ schoolbags. Apparently I’m not choosy as they all seem fine by me

    sweepy
    Free Member

    I like the spacepen too, writes upside down which is useful on the calendar, and also underwater which is less useful as the paper goes soggy

    Northwind
    Full Member

    I’ve been buying these for a long time

    http://www.zebrapen.co.uk/pens/ballpoint/jimnie-retractable/

    Just the right shape for me, basically. Not as smooth/glidey as gel ink pens but on the plus side the ink dries faster on paper so I don’t smudge it with my horrible writing hand shapes.

    CaptainFlashheart
    Free Member

    Plus a banana equals heaven!

    13thfloormonk
    Full Member

    Very timely thread this! Trying to think of groomsmen gifts for my four buddies, can’t do the hipflask/whisky thing and not keen on cufflinks etc.

    Keep coming back to a nice pen for £40 or so, they’re all in professions where they probably do a lot of writing so it seems like a good shout. What’s good for £40?

    darkplunger
    Free Member

    I have a collection of Uni-Ball Power Tank pens. They are simply brilliant. Like a spacepen they write upside down and are waterproof. Constant ink-flow without smudging. The actual pens are very cheap and extremely durable. Refills are available making running costs even cheaper. Fantastic pens, there’s even a choice of ball size and a slightly posher version, if you’re feeling flash.

    CaptainFlashheart
    Free Member

    Groomsmen = ushers, right? Unless you’re an American. You’re not, are you?

    £40 is a tricky price. Between cheap and really good. There was another pen thread a couple of days ago with some lovely bargains though.

    http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/psa-pen-fans

    jb72
    Free Member

    I was given a Parker Jotter (plain one, not all metal) many years ago. Would have been about £5 or less … very comfortable. Just keep buying refills.

    13thfloormonk
    Full Member

    £40 is a tricky price. Between cheap and really good. There was another pen thread a couple of days ago with some lovely bargains though.

    Yeah, seems a tricky budget. And yes, of course I meant ushers 😳

    Edric64
    Free Member

    Take them from the bookies ,they are free

    Teetosugars
    Free Member

    Muji sell some nice ones.

    bravesirrobin
    Full Member

    I had the same experience when I used a colleagues pen last year so I bought a box full of them …Uni Jetstream.

    mark90
    Free Member

    Parker Jotter (plain one, not all metal) many years ago. Would have been about £5 or less … very comfortable. Just keep buying refills

    I still have and use the Parker jotters I had at 6th form (27 years ago) and then university for taking lecture notes. Blue (for black ink), red (for red ink) and a black propelling pencil (2H leads). Was the most comfortable pen I found for prolonged use.

    Also still have the Parker 25 ballpoint that was kept for ‘best’.

    Edit: reading that back I sound like such a geek, only needed the pocket protector to complete the look 🙂

    simply_oli_y
    Free Member

    Parker jotter,

    and fisher space pen.
    Which may be an option 13thfloormonk? Come in variety of options (so each could have a different one) including with stylus on the end etc

    pictonroad
    Full Member

    This solves the mystery, who buys the pens?

    I’ve never actually handed over money for a pen but I can’t recall never having one around.

    ski
    Free Member

    Another vote for Muji, they have recently discontiued one of my favourite cheap oil based pens!

    I am on my last one at work 🙁

    https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=muji+hexagonal+pen+discontinued&prmd=sinv&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwj6qsuo3Z7KAhWCzxoKHWr8CxsQ_AUICSgC#imgrc=SzHFH1NcjE5QPM%3A

    finishthat
    Free Member

    Bic M10 clic medium point

    aphex_2k
    Free Member

    Zebra f701. Write all my nursing notes with one. Have spares too as they tend to go missing.

    notmyrealname
    Free Member

    Whatever the freebie pens are that British Airways give away in their little toiletries pack that you get in First Class. I use them all the time at work and have loads of spares for when they run out.
    I’ve never actually travelled First Class but manage to acquire the freebies when I’m at work!

    JoB
    Free Member

    another vote for the Muji ones

    and getting a variety of those little clear plastic containers while you’re there

Viewing 33 posts - 1 through 33 (of 33 total)

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