Rollerballs and Ballpoint Refills

Rollerball pens were designed to combine the convenience of a ballpoint pen with the smooth wet ink effect of a fountain pen. The principal advantage of a rollerball pen over a ballpoint pen is that less pressure is needed to write clearly thus reducing the stress on the hand. The main characteristic is the distinctive smooth writing quality generated by the liquid rollerball ink which is less viscous that the paste ink of a ballpoint pen. Ballpoints inks are dyestuffs in oil based paste suspended in an alcohol solvent. They dry quickly on paper but have more drag on paper than liquid ink. Ballpoint refills last longer than rollerball refills because the rollerball ink penetrates deeper into the paper thus more ink is absorbed as well as the fact that it is pure water base resulting in some evaporation when the pen is left open and capeless.

Fibre/Porous/Felt Tip Pen Refills

Also known as fine liners – were originally invented in Japan and a water based inks similar to the rollerball except that it has a tip made of fibre as opposed to a metal ball. The ink is the same as used in a rollerball or fountain pen. Glycol is an essential ingredient that keeps the tips from drying out. The newest fine liners on the market actually have a spring held tip, which will not break or get crushed when pressed – instead because of the spring it will just go back into the body of the refill and pop out as soon as you lift off the pressure.

Gel Ink Refills

The most recent development in the writing instrument industry is the introduction of the gel-pen by the Japanese. A Gel pen uses ink in which pigment is suspended in water-based gel. Because the ink is thick and opaque, it shows up more clearly on dark or slick surfaces than the typical inks used in ballpoint rollerballs and felt tip pens. Compared to rollerball refill, the gel refills does not evaporate as it is a mixture of water and gel. They can be used for many types of writing and illustration. The main advantage of gel ink is its high viscosity, which supports a higher proportion of pigments in the medium. The gel is made up of water and biopolymers thickeners. The pigments are opaque, and gel ink refills are available in a rainbow of bright colours, as well as opalescent, metallic, and glittery colours which show up clearly on dark paper.

We have a full collection of all kinds of refills for fountain pens, rollerball pens, ballpoint pens, converter pens, gel pens, etc. We also carry a wide variety of bottled inks. Some brands of refills and inks that we carry include: