Dumb ?

[WoodChucker]

I'm sure everyone but me knows this, but is the only difference between a rollerball and a ball point pen the ink cartridge? [:I]

R.T.

 

[Gary]

The ink in a ballpoint is very thick...almost a gel. The ink in a rollerball is thinner, almost like that of a fountain pen. They both use the same principal to apply the ink to paper, i.e., a roller.

 

[WoodChucker]

OK, thanks Gary!

So would a rollerball cartridge from one of the Gent Jr. pens fit in the Gent Jr. ball point pen, is the size the same?

R.T.

 

[Gary]

I don't know whether the cartridges are interchangable or not for the Gent. I don't think you can make that assumption. I've seen some roller ball cartridges that were much larger than the ballpoint. Also, the delivery ball is engineered differently and it seems to me that the size could therefore be different. I'm sure that someone else here is more knowledgable than me about the differences.

 

[Fred in NC]

There is information on the web about the difference, such as this:

http://www.luttmanns.com/pens/intro.html

 

[WoodChucker]

OK, thanks again Gary. The main reason I was asking was because I didn't see any difference in the Gent Jr rollerball and the ball point that CSUSA sells, other then the cartridge. There the same price and I wasn't sure which one would be more popular. I would guess the rollerball. Maybe I'll try one of the ball points and just see how I like it. Thanks again for your help and once again I was able to learn something new. []

Hey Fred, thanks for the link. It looks interesting and I'll read it tonight when I have the time.

R.T.

 

[DCBluesman]

A word of caution regarding rollerballs. Left-handed people often have a problem with their hand smearing the ink as they write. Ballpoint pen ink dries almost on contact with paper, but rollerball ink stays wet for a time, much like fountain pen ink. If a customer is looking for a recommendation, have them show you their writing style. You'll see in seconds if they will be satisfied with a rollerball. [8D]

 

[WoodChucker]

Good tip, never would have thought about that. Thanks!

R.T.

 

[Fred in NC]

Ah... I usually let people test the pens, but never thought about observing them... Thanks, Lou!

 

[wayneis]

RT the cartridges are not interchangable. They are two different kits. With the two pens that you are refering to, the ballpoint has a twist mechanism where you twist the two halve to make the cartridge go in and out. The rollerball cartridge just sits in the body and you use the cap of the pen to cover the end.

I hope that I was able to explain this.

Wayne

 

[jkirkb94]

Some good points made about the difference between a rollerball and ballpoint. To me the rollerball is like a cross between a fountain and a ballpoint pens; ink like a fountain but ease of use of a ballpoint. Kirk [8D]

 

[WoodChucker]

Wayne, thanks for the info and yes, you explained it very well.

Thanks Everyone!

R.T.