Need advice on refills

[larrystephens]

I am getting back to my penturning work and all my kits are 5+ years old and the refills are mostly trash. Where should I look for good and economical ball point and rollerball refills?

 

[Ted iin Michigan]

I use Exotic Blanks. Can't go wrong there.

 

[BULLWINKLE]

I am getting back to my penturning work and all my kits are 5+ years old and the refills are mostly trash. Where should I look for good and economical ball point and rollerball refills?

Schmidt brand refills are a little more expensive than others but worth it in my opinion. I have gotten them from Lanier pen but you may can find them at a better price

 

[monophoto]

I am getting back to my penturning work and all my kits are 5+ years old and the refills are mostly trash. Where should I look for good and economical ball point and rollerball refills?

I don't know what the shelf life of refills is supposed to be, but it would not surprise me if it's more than five years.

The general consensus is that the Asian-made refills included with most pen kits are generally crappy. That said, the first couple of pens I made went to my wife who used them for many years until they were depleted - one was a Cross clone, and the other was a Parker style. So I suspect it's more like they aren't as good as OEM Cross or Parker, but not necessarily that they are unusable.

I know that a lot of pen makers use the refill that comes in the kit when pens are shown on display, but then make a point of substituting a 'better' refill when a pen is actually sold.

My experience is that OEM Cross and Parker refills are excellent, but they are pricey - especially Parker refills. There are international standards that establish the dimensions of various refills (a Cross ballpoint refill is officially designated as a C1 refill - Parker is a G2 - although true Cross-made refills have very slightly different dimensions than the standard C1). Schmidt has a good reputation for the refills they make in those standard configurations. There are other reputable refill manufacturers, including Yafa Brands who market under the Monteverde label. Another brand that I've heard good things about is Schneider.

 

[Monty]

I use Exotic Blanks. Can't go wrong there.

I second Exotic Blanks

 

[BoonareeBurl]

I like Schmidt, Schneider, and the Parker Quink gel refills. The latter (Parker Quink) are pricey, though they seem to last fairly long. I get my stuff off Amazon.

 

[SteveJ]

The Schmidt Easy flow is a real nice refill and provides a medium thickness of line. I have used the fine point (1.0MM) Nekigoen Parker Compatible Ballpoint Pen Refills and I find write comparably to the Easy flow. At $8.99 for 15 they have served me very well, and even at $10.99 for the medium point the price is very good. As a result I have switched from putting the Schmidt into my pens to the Nekigoen.

 

[wouldentu2?]

Depends what you are doing with the pen. Selling it? Or model of pen. Slimline?

I'm happy with most that come with the pen. Office Depot has refills.