I began my teaching career 45 years ago as a fountain pen only user - but the advent of the photocopier pushed me to use a Parker black rollerball - but with my first PC and printer the roller ball became redundant - but not the fountain pen.
Rollerballs is where it all started with me too - they were my gateway! I LOVED the last shot with your pockets full of the new pens! Priceless!! I get so excited when I received notification that you have uploaded a new video! They are very informative, and quite entertaining too. Keep up the good work!
DenBuh glad you like the stuffed pockets, that was totally done on a whim. I knew if Jenni, Margaret, and Madigan could barely keep their laughs in when I was shooting the outro that it was probably worth keeping ;) -Brian Goulet
One day, The pen gods will bless us with a broader variety of rollerballs with fountain pen feed and ink reservoirs. That day Humanity will rejoice, Sadly today is not that day.
I was thinking about gifting my mom a Safari red rollerball with her name engraved on it, and you helped me a lot to decide. Thank you very much, sir! :)
I’m starting my pen collection journey and have decided to go first with Lamy Rollerball pens. I don’t see myself using fountain pens but I’m open. This video is a big help. I’m looking at Lamy 2000, Aion, Safari, Vista and Al Star as my initial purchases.
The Safari is a great introduction to fountain pens! Super easy to use and become familiar with. When you're ready to make that leap, that's a good place to start. - Colin
I’m glad I discovered this! I’ve tried multiple times to use fountain pens but the necessary tripod grip hurts my hands after a few seconds(my fine motor skills aren’t great because I’m disabled)and I’ve wanted a nice pen I don’t have to throw away every time it runs out of ink. Will definitely consider one of these.
I have a Lamy Al Star Fountain pen after watching your videos! At work however, I write a lot on carbon copy forms so I decided to look into this, since I have a new found love of Lamy. I was gonna order on Amazon, but I like your videos and figured I'd throw you the sell! Rather support real people like yourself. Thanks for the awesome videos and information!
I never had fancy rollerballs, but the Uni Vision Elite pens are what I used for a while before diving into fountain pens. I still carry one as a backup in the case that my fountain pen has an issue. They are nice and wet writers and they have some great colors including black-infused colors that look awesome. I might pick up one of these for that purpose in the future!
Hey, GREAT review on the Safari line up. Thanks for that. I love my Lamy Safari yellow and will get others soon. Mind you I love my Cross pens, Parkers, Mont Blanc's, Pentel pencils, Staedtlers, Kokuyo and many others...nothing like a fine writing instrument! All the best and thanks again for the review!
I actually have a question: Is it to be expected from some of the cheaper fountain pens such as Parker Vector or a Lamy Safari to be skipping even if used properly with their original ink? I would never adjust a nib. It is not acceptable to HAVE to adjust it just because it does not work otherwise.
I just received my first Lamy Rollerball pen (blue colour) and it came with a blue refill! Can the M63 be refilled, if yes can you make a video? If if have not done so yet!
I actually kinda like rollerballs. Especially the ones that can use fountain pen ink (like Noodler's)... so I don't think I'll pick up this one :( I've seen a few versions are already sold out though! It kind of made me sigh in relief or else I might have gotten a black Al-Star out of impulsive need xD
Yep; it took me a very long time to come around to fountain pens, but before that-all through school-I was into rollerballs. They're the gateway drug of the fountain pen addict community. :)
With the G-2 I like to use the vary fine if I'm right that is 0.5mm and I like pilots precise v5 it's a thiner ink but I wrights smoothly and cleanly as wel and it doesn't skip as much like the G-2s
lineman505 Agree 100%. The Precise V5 RT is my go to rollerball pen. Very smooth writing experience. The G-2 0.5 skips and drags a lot while the 0.7, while much smoother, doesn't write as fine as the Precise V5 RT.
I'm confused, Lamy has both rollerballs and ballpoints. I thought the difference was rollerballs can use bottle ink. Is it rollerballs use gel ink instead of the thicker water resistant ballpoint ink?
With the lamy Safari and more specifically the lamy al star rollerball, does the tip in the pen wiggle at all when writing or tap tap tap when put on paper?
+23TLW Maybe a tiny bit, but not nearly as much as pens with retractable refills to. Because these are capped, the refill stays put in one place inside the pen, so it's not moving much. -Brian Goulet
Brian, does the M63 have a finer refill? I am considering getting a Lamy rollerball but the one shown in the video is a little too thick for me. thanks
I know I'm very late but apparently these are Schmidt 5888 refills with a different end cap. And those are available as fine 0,6mm and extra fine 0,5mm. They should fit if the end cap isn't too different
***** J. Herbin has one that I think (keyword 'think') you can squeeze a Monteverde mini converter in. Otherwise, Noodler's has a piston one (that is discontinued, so you might want to hurry if you want one of Noodler's).
Also the Kaweco spork ink roller. But, the collar on the old press-bar Kaweco sport converter is too big to fit in the section. The newer converter they released, which is just a squeeze sac, might fit.
Check out the Monteverde Engage on Goulet. I use mine everyday and it has a converter. Built like a tank. J. Herbin has one too for less, but there's a corresponding drop in build quality (but you're also going from an $80 to a $12 pen).
I have a pen witch is a roller ball. with a ball point. i was able to eyedroper convert it with fourain pen ink. since it took a liquid based ink anyway .
Is there a way to inject bottled ink into the rollerball cartridges similar to how you can with fountain pen rollerballs? I would love to be able to write use Stormy Grey in a rollerball!
I made an eyedropper fountain pen using the Lamy Safari Charcoal roller ball and the Lamy Safari Charcoal Fountain pen. I call it the FrankenLamy. It hasn't leaked in over 1 year of service, and the capacity is closer to that of a piston filler. Apply a minimal amount of Locktite epoxy at the base of the inverted roller ball barrel end and let it sit for 24 hours. Do NOT overfill. Less is more, and you're just trying to cover the holes ringing around the base of the barrel plug. Do it right and the epoxy settles very well, appearing "stock as a rock" (to my eyes at least, and since I post, you'd never know anyway--maybe I just got lucky). But that's on the charcoal color. I'd never try this on a clear demonstrator, which is what Brian's showing here. That would look like a "hack job" (posted or unposted) because the epoxy will be visible through the side of the barrel end. I can't comment on other colors or non-plastic materials. He's also right that it's not a 1:1 parts exchange. To use that roller ball barrel for your fountain pen, you'll turn your other roller ball pieces into spare parts. That was not a pleasant discovery. Thanks for including that part of the discussion, Brian. I'm down for several of these roller ball pens. I'm still hunting down a gold nib for the FrankenLamy... think there's a German Nathan Tardiff in Heidelberg with spare parts?
Jay Karlson Very cool...it certainly CAN be done, but it's not something I would encourage just anyone to take on. Seems you're handier than most ;) haha, no I doubt there's anyone close to another Nathan Tardif anywhere in the world! You probably could track down a 14k Lamy nib somewhere though, Lamy USA used to sell them on their site (not for a year or so now). Someone has some. -Brian Goulet
The Goulet Pen Company I finally found a 14k nib from a fountain pen guy in the Netherlands that isn't Stephen Brown. Although Azizah did help with prototype fit testing. You were right: the 14k nib fits and the pen has so much capacity you'll get sick of the ink before you run out. Wait.... Anyway, here are the specs: Lamy Safari Charcoal Cap and Section (from Goulet Pen company) 14k Lamy Studio Nib Lamy Safari Rollerball barrel with end sealed with Locktite epoxy
Rollerball refills are so pricey compared to a fountain pen inks and the colors are limited. I wonder If the Lamy would take other refills. I've had some refillable roller ball pens that took refills that didn't look like the original. If you have some rollerballs or gel pens (pilot g2, pentel energel, uni-ball signo, pilot precise V7 rt, zebra sarasa) laying around, could you check? Regardless, I need one to match my Al-star!!!
Alexander Fiscu I'm pretty sure the Lamy m63 is proprietary...I think Monteverde makes a compatible replacement, but there isn't a broadly universal one (like the G2 or Parker Gel) that'll fit, unfortunately. -Brian Goulet
my vote is for the pilot metropolitan because for the price its an extremely nice pen. You could also buy a platinum preppy for $3 or so and convert it to an eye dropper which is fun and still writes really well. (or don't convert it and just enjoy a very inexpensive pen). search for "preppy eyedropper conversion" on youtube if youre interested. I can't help you with rollerballs.
magnolya8 As a fountain pen, my first pen personally was a Lamy Safari with a fine nib. Some people hate its section, but it personally helped me align the nib properly at first when I didn't know how to use fountain pens. The Pilot Metropolitan can also be a good choice, just be aware that the nibs on Japanese pens are finer than on others (for example, the Pilot Metropolitan with a medium nib would be similar to a Lamy Safari's fine nib) and that the Metro, which comes in medium and fine, will be scratchier in the fine version. There are more inexpensive choices out there, but these are the more 'trouble-free' ones (Chinese pens are inexpensive but they're a hit-or-miss situation, which isn't exactly the best for a first fountain pen). As for rollerballs, it depends on what you want exactly. If you want something more common, more disposable, I can't really help you. However, if you want to dip your toes into refillable rollerballs (using ink bottles or cartridges), J. Herbin has a cartridge rollerball and Noodler's has a piston rollerball that you can refill from an ink bottle. Hope that helps :)
My first fountain pen was a Lamy Safari and it has been my favourite pen I've bought so far, the nib is so smooth. Maybe buy the Metropolitan once you're used to filling and taking care of fountain pens. Remember that a fountain pen is an investment up front but saves you money in the long run and gives you a better writing experience. You get what you pay for
Would you have experience on how well the rollerballs fair when dropped? My husband dropped his with the cap on, and it wouldn't write well anymore :( He's got the Charcoal one with M63 Refill.
Melissa Pabilona-Ang Really? I haven't really heard of dropping these as an issue, especially if it was dropped with the cap on. Could it be that it's a coincidence, that perhaps his ink cartridge was running out and it just happened that the drop was the scapegoat? I found I needed to replace mine after about a month with some pretty substantial use. -Brian Goulet
The Goulet Pen Company heh well, I'm not _so_ against rollerballs that I'd phrase it that way. anyway, yes, I suppose so. or you could say that the fountain pens are the philips, and rollerballs are the flathead...
Fountain pens are almost always overly large. And can be finicky. Ballpoints/Gel can be nice and tidy. And therefore it's what I carry every day (Parker Jotter for the win). Anything bigger is not something you can carry. Rollerballs usually sit in the middle.
Hey all! Does anyone know if this pen is worth the ~$30 price? Are there any other pens that get you more "bang for you buck"? Like why this pen instead of a G2? Thanks!
Research chinese pens. JPL on youtube has many reviews. You can get Lamy Safari clones for 1/10th the price. Even if you dont want a clone, there are many other somewhat original designs.
Brian goes into some detail on the differences in this video: ruclips.net/video/aDkANGftOqo/видео.html . Type of ink (paste-based vs. gel-based) is one of the major differences. - Colin
The last shot made me laugh, but then I realized that there have been days in which I carried almost as many pens on my shirt. I would put 4 in one pocket, and have one clipped above each button on my shirt.
The Goulet Pen Company =( only oil/paste based inks basically. Our GMP rules that we can't have any inks that smear or if gotten wet can run at all, especially since we're doing mostly wet chemistry, paperwork gets wet often. Oh well. I use my fountain pens at home. =)
Leo Anbu I love Noodler's bulletproof inks! Hehe, I actually have HoD, and it's my main ink, but it's still water based so no-go for work, and it does run a bit if it gets wet. They do get kinda strict on that stuff. Also no colored ink unless it's red for a red-line doc, no pencils, absolutely no white out. I'm jealous of people that get to use fun pens and inks at work.
I just got my first LAMY Safari rollerball pen today and I was really shocked to find it writes poorly on basic notebook paper. It skips constantly. It also smudges on nicer Rhodia paper and, as a lefty, it's a bummer. My $2 Sarasa Dry writes better which is kind of a bummer.
We don't have these anymore, but we do have Retro51 rollerballs which are fun and write really well! www.gouletpens.com/collections/retro-51-tornado-rollerball-pens. -Margaret
Rollerballs do have their place in your daily office pen choices, namely when you have to use tippex (white out) I carry a single rollerball in my pen roll, a Pilot Stanza in blue, it used to be the Vista rollerball.
They are both great! It's all a matter of preference. Some do not like the grip on the Safari, others think the metropolitan is too heavy or slick. I have both in fountain pens and I love them both. -Lydia
Brian Goulet They call it the Pilot MR in the UK: www.pilotpen.co.uk/en/must-have/pilot-mr/pilot-mr-roller-gel-medium-tip-c/pilot-mr-gel-ink-rollerball-medium-tip.html
GET THAT PEASANT CRAP OUTTA HERE! c: It's a good idea to have a ballpoint in your pen case, it's better than lending a fountain pen and sometime you need the ink to dry quickly.
The Safari, and other Lamy rollerball's like the Swift, etc, take some gel refills, like the Pentel Energel. Which makes them extremely versatile and useful for a more utilitarian setting, without having to worry about leakage
![Blox Fruits Dragon Rework Update [Full Stream]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/EqDAp8udhm0/mqdefault.jpg)
All of the pens in your pockets at the end made me happy :3
I began my teaching career 45 years ago as a fountain pen only user - but the advent of the photocopier pushed me to use a Parker black rollerball - but with my first PC and printer the roller ball became redundant - but not the fountain pen.
2:21 Oceanbluewhichisthebest!
José Ignacio Silva It's a beauty :) -Margaret
Rollerballs.... Brain's gateway drug.
Jim Templin my name is Brian and I have a pen problem.... -Brian Goulet
Jim Templin I
My name is *** ******, and I am addicted to fountain pens. I write all day everyday with a fountain pen, and I write around 50-100 pages a week.
Brains gateway drug
Oh, Brian. That last shot with you and the rollerballs in your pocket....I almost died laughing.
***** Brian had a lot of fun with this one :) -Margaret
Rollerballs is where it all started with me too - they were my gateway! I LOVED the last shot with your pockets full of the new pens! Priceless!! I get so excited when I received notification that you have uploaded a new video! They are very informative, and quite entertaining too. Keep up the good work!
DenBuh glad you like the stuffed pockets, that was totally done on a whim. I knew if Jenni, Margaret, and Madigan could barely keep their laughs in when I was shooting the outro that it was probably worth keeping ;) -Brian Goulet
One day, The pen gods will bless us with a broader variety of rollerballs with fountain pen feed and ink reservoirs. That day Humanity will rejoice, Sadly today is not that day.
Zdez Zaphareon yeah, there's really a shortage of refillable rollerballs. -Brian Goulet
Thank you for this AWESOME video. I would never have considered buying a LAMY rollerball pen. And now - I think I will. Excellent video. Thank you.
I was thinking about gifting my mom a Safari red rollerball with her name engraved on it, and you helped me a lot to decide. Thank you very much, sir! :)
Hey! Those shirt pockets really take a hefty load! ROFL! Watching this in 2020. One of the best vids. Right on Brian! Cheers. George from Hellas.
Love all the pens in your pockets.
I’m starting my pen collection journey and have decided to go first with Lamy Rollerball pens. I don’t see myself using fountain pens but I’m open. This video is a big help. I’m looking at Lamy 2000, Aion, Safari, Vista and Al Star as my initial purchases.
you really can not go wrong with lamy have been using lamy products for almost 30 years now and
I have zero regrets
The Safari is a great introduction to fountain pens! Super easy to use and become familiar with. When you're ready to make that leap, that's a good place to start. - Colin
I’m glad I discovered this! I’ve tried multiple times to use fountain pens but the necessary tripod grip hurts my hands after a few seconds(my fine motor skills aren’t great because I’m disabled)and I’ve wanted a nice pen I don’t have to throw away every time it runs out of ink. Will definitely consider one of these.
I have a Lamy Al Star Fountain pen after watching your videos! At work however, I write a lot on carbon copy forms so I decided to look into this, since I have a new found love of Lamy. I was gonna order on Amazon, but I like your videos and figured I'd throw you the sell! Rather support real people like yourself. Thanks for the awesome videos and information!
+Logan Hamilton Thanks for supporting our business, Logan! :) -Margaret
I never had fancy rollerballs, but the Uni Vision Elite pens are what I used for a while before diving into fountain pens.
I still carry one as a backup in the case that my fountain pen has an issue. They are nice and wet writers and they have some great colors including black-infused colors that look awesome.
I might pick up one of these for that purpose in the future!
Hey, GREAT review on the Safari line up. Thanks for that. I love my Lamy Safari yellow and will get others soon. Mind you I love my Cross pens, Parkers, Mont Blanc's, Pentel pencils, Staedtlers, Kokuyo and many others...nothing like a fine writing instrument! All the best and thanks again for the review!
Sigh, more pens I want. At least the black Al-Star and Charcoal Safari. Great video as always!
HAHAHA love your pockets overflowing with pens!
Kenny Cross You can never have too many! ;) -Margaret
I actually have a question: Is it to be expected from some of the cheaper fountain pens such as Parker Vector or a Lamy Safari to be skipping even if used properly with their original ink? I would never adjust a nib. It is not acceptable to HAVE to adjust it just because it does not work otherwise.
"Ocean Blue -- WHICH IS THE BEST --"
kanashiiryuu YES! :) -Brian Goulet
i was laughing at the end when brian had all the pens in his pocket... he looks like a version of Pen Santa Claus
LiAnn7396 Haha, pens for everyone! :) -Margaret
Ghosting/shadowing on different kinds of or on popular notebook papers would be awesome
excellent video man!
How long does the rollerball cartridge last if it's not in use?
Does it dry out quick-ish or can I leave it around for year and get back to using it?
That ink window has become welcome a signature they should incorporate it in all their lines. Tinker Hatfield would agree
I just received my first Lamy Rollerball pen (blue colour) and it came with a blue refill! Can the M63 be refilled, if yes can you make a video? If if have not done so yet!
Still holding out for the Pilot Metropolitan Rollerball with the G4 refills! BTW, I have the Safari Mechanical Pencil and it is also pretty cool..
Tony Thomas Metro rollerball! That would certainly be a possibility. We'll take things one step at a time here Tony ;) -Brian Goulet
I actually kinda like rollerballs. Especially the ones that can use fountain pen ink (like Noodler's)... so I don't think I'll pick up this one :( I've seen a few versions are already sold out though! It kind of made me sigh in relief or else I might have gotten a black Al-Star out of impulsive need xD
bahaha all the pens in your pocket at the end
Yep; it took me a very long time to come around to fountain pens, but before that-all through school-I was into rollerballs. They're the gateway drug of the fountain pen addict community. :)
James Hart Haha! Glad they got you over to fountain pens :) -Margaret
On one of the websites I saw that The roller refills come in Medium and a Fine these days. How does the Fine refill compare to other pens?
Did it not occur to lamy that VISTA doesn't need an ink window ??
With the G-2 I like to use the vary fine if I'm right that is 0.5mm and I like pilots precise v5 it's a thiner ink but I wrights smoothly and cleanly as wel and it doesn't skip as much like the G-2s
lineman505 Agree 100%. The Precise V5 RT is my go to rollerball pen. Very smooth writing experience. The G-2 0.5 skips and drags a lot while the 0.7, while much smoother, doesn't write as fine as the Precise V5 RT.
I'm confused, Lamy has both rollerballs and ballpoints. I thought the difference was rollerballs can use bottle ink. Is it rollerballs use gel ink instead of the thicker water resistant ballpoint ink?
Do you carry parts for Pilot fountain pens? The nib on my Pilot is a little too fine and will cut through the paper.
Unfortunately no - Pilot doesn't sell those separately. - Drew
I know the G2 refill works in the Lamy Tipo but does it work in the Rollerball Safari.
With the lamy Safari and more specifically the lamy al star rollerball, does the tip in the pen wiggle at all when writing or tap tap tap when put on paper?
+23TLW Maybe a tiny bit, but not nearly as much as pens with retractable refills to. Because these are capped, the refill stays put in one place inside the pen, so it's not moving much. -Brian Goulet
What is the blue pen holder that you use to showcase the pens in this video? Is it commercially available?
They are pen trays from Pendora pens: www.pendorapens.com/ - Colin
Brian, does the M63 have a finer refill? I am considering getting a Lamy rollerball but the one shown in the video is a little too thick for me. thanks
I know I'm very late but apparently these are Schmidt 5888 refills with a different end cap. And those are available as fine 0,6mm and extra fine 0,5mm. They should fit if the end cap isn't too different
What is the weight like on these pens? I'd like three or four rollerball pens that are on the thin side like these but have some nice weight to them.
+nick Schuman The Safari is 19g, and the Al-Star is 24g. So in comparison the Pilot G2 (11g), they have a bit more weight to them. - Colin
Are there any rollerballs out there with the option to use a converter?
***** J. Herbin has one that I think (keyword 'think') you can squeeze a Monteverde mini converter in. Otherwise, Noodler's has a piston one (that is discontinued, so you might want to hurry if you want one of Noodler's).
Also the Kaweco spork ink roller. But, the collar on the old press-bar Kaweco sport converter is too big to fit in the section. The newer converter they released, which is just a squeeze sac, might fit.
Check out the Monteverde Engage on Goulet. I use mine everyday and it has a converter. Built like a tank. J. Herbin has one too for less, but there's a corresponding drop in build quality (but you're also going from an $80 to a $12 pen).
***** I agree with Jay. Check out the Monteverde One Touch Engage Rollerball. It uses a converter for bottled ink or ink cartridges! -Margaret
I have a pen witch is a roller ball. with a ball point. i was able to eyedroper convert it with fourain pen ink. since it took a liquid based ink anyway .
Is there a way to inject bottled ink into the rollerball cartridges similar to how you can with fountain pen rollerballs? I would love to be able to write use Stormy Grey in a rollerball!
Shan Reddy hmmmm nope. Not that I'm aware at all. That'd be SWEEET if you could though. -Brian Goulet
I made an eyedropper fountain pen using the Lamy Safari Charcoal roller ball and the Lamy Safari Charcoal Fountain pen. I call it the FrankenLamy. It hasn't leaked in over 1 year of service, and the capacity is closer to that of a piston filler.
Apply a minimal amount of Locktite epoxy at the base of the inverted roller ball barrel end and let it sit for 24 hours. Do NOT overfill. Less is more, and you're just trying to cover the holes ringing around the base of the barrel plug. Do it right and the epoxy settles very well, appearing "stock as a rock" (to my eyes at least, and since I post, you'd never know anyway--maybe I just got lucky).
But that's on the charcoal color. I'd never try this on a clear demonstrator, which is what Brian's showing here. That would look like a "hack job" (posted or unposted) because the epoxy will be visible through the side of the barrel end. I can't comment on other colors or non-plastic materials.
He's also right that it's not a 1:1 parts exchange. To use that roller ball barrel for your fountain pen, you'll turn your other roller ball pieces into spare parts. That was not a pleasant discovery.
Thanks for including that part of the discussion, Brian. I'm down for several of these roller ball pens. I'm still hunting down a gold nib for the FrankenLamy... think there's a German Nathan Tardiff in Heidelberg with spare parts?
Jay Karlson Very cool...it certainly CAN be done, but it's not something I would encourage just anyone to take on. Seems you're handier than most ;) haha, no I doubt there's anyone close to another Nathan Tardif anywhere in the world! You probably could track down a 14k Lamy nib somewhere though, Lamy USA used to sell them on their site (not for a year or so now). Someone has some. -Brian Goulet
The Goulet Pen Company I finally found a 14k nib from a fountain pen guy in the Netherlands that isn't Stephen Brown. Although Azizah did help with prototype fit testing. You were right: the 14k nib fits and the pen has so much capacity you'll get sick of the ink before you run out. Wait....
Anyway, here are the specs:
Lamy Safari Charcoal Cap and Section (from Goulet Pen company)
14k Lamy Studio Nib
Lamy Safari Rollerball barrel with end sealed with Locktite epoxy
Rollerball refills are so pricey compared to a fountain pen inks and the colors are limited. I wonder If the Lamy would take other refills. I've had some refillable roller ball pens that took refills that didn't look like the original. If you have some rollerballs or gel pens (pilot g2, pentel energel, uni-ball signo, pilot precise V7 rt, zebra sarasa) laying around, could you check? Regardless, I need one to match my Al-star!!!
Alexander Fiscu I'm pretty sure the Lamy m63 is proprietary...I think Monteverde makes a compatible replacement, but there isn't a broadly universal one (like the G2 or Parker Gel) that'll fit, unfortunately. -Brian Goulet
Love it!
Takasnooze Thanks! So many awesome colors! -Margaret
I'm new, please recommend what pens to buy initially, both fountain & rollerball. I'd appreciate it :)
my vote is for the pilot metropolitan because for the price its an extremely nice pen. You could also buy a platinum preppy for $3 or so and convert it to an eye dropper which is fun and still writes really well. (or don't convert it and just enjoy a very inexpensive pen). search for "preppy eyedropper conversion" on youtube if youre interested. I can't help you with rollerballs.
magnolya8 As a fountain pen, my first pen personally was a Lamy Safari with a fine nib. Some people hate its section, but it personally helped me align the nib properly at first when I didn't know how to use fountain pens. The Pilot Metropolitan can also be a good choice, just be aware that the nibs on Japanese pens are finer than on others (for example, the Pilot Metropolitan with a medium nib would be similar to a Lamy Safari's fine nib) and that the Metro, which comes in medium and fine, will be scratchier in the fine version. There are more inexpensive choices out there, but these are the more 'trouble-free' ones (Chinese pens are inexpensive but they're a hit-or-miss situation, which isn't exactly the best for a first fountain pen).
As for rollerballs, it depends on what you want exactly. If you want something more common, more disposable, I can't really help you. However, if you want to dip your toes into refillable rollerballs (using ink bottles or cartridges), J. Herbin has a cartridge rollerball and Noodler's has a piston rollerball that you can refill from an ink bottle.
Hope that helps :)
My first fountain pen was a Lamy Safari and it has been my favourite pen I've bought so far, the nib is so smooth. Maybe buy the Metropolitan once you're used to filling and taking care of fountain pens. Remember that a fountain pen is an investment up front but saves you money in the long run and gives you a better writing experience. You get what you pay for
Amaryllis Lachapelle Yes your info helps, thanks so much. I'm sure you know there's much to learn, but I like that! Thanks!
***** 'I can't help you' is the comment winner regarding rollerballs lol, not much ♡ for them I guess. Thank you for your suggestions :)
Would you have experience on how well the rollerballs fair when dropped? My husband dropped his with the cap on, and it wouldn't write well anymore :( He's got the Charcoal one with M63 Refill.
Melissa Pabilona-Ang Really? I haven't really heard of dropping these as an issue, especially if it was dropped with the cap on. Could it be that it's a coincidence, that perhaps his ink cartridge was running out and it just happened that the drop was the scapegoat? I found I needed to replace mine after about a month with some pretty substantial use. -Brian Goulet
wholesome vid...
Your pens that you produced are extremely beautiful, I would pay good money for one if it was a fp.
David Bond Thanks! Haha, where were you 5+ years ago? ;) -Brian Goulet
I always thought that the finials on the al-star/safari were a plus and a minus, but I guess it depends which way you turn it
ThoperSought hmm, true. so that would make fountain pens positive and rollerballs negative? ;) -Brian Goulet
The Goulet Pen Company
heh
well, I'm not _so_ against rollerballs that I'd phrase it that way. anyway, yes, I suppose so.
or you could say that the fountain pens are the philips, and rollerballs are the flathead...
just plug up the holes in the fountain pen and it becomes an eyedropper pen
it's not appealing but it works
When it comes to potential ink disaster, I tend to be more cautious, so I wouldn't risk a plug. - Colin
Lamy needle point...?
Fountain pens are almost always overly large. And can be finicky.
Ballpoints/Gel can be nice and tidy. And therefore it's what I carry every day (Parker Jotter for the win). Anything bigger is not something you can carry.
Rollerballs usually sit in the middle.
Me: this is blasphemy, this is madness
Him: no this year is goullet
Hey all! Does anyone know if this pen is worth the ~$30 price? Are there any other pens that get you more "bang for you buck"? Like why this pen instead of a G2?
Thanks!
Research chinese pens. JPL on youtube has many reviews. You can get Lamy Safari clones for 1/10th the price. Even if you dont want a clone, there are many other somewhat original designs.
Sorry for this stupid question, but is someone willing to tell me the difference between rollerball pen and ballpoint pen?
Brian goes into some detail on the differences in this video: ruclips.net/video/aDkANGftOqo/видео.html . Type of ink (paste-based vs. gel-based) is one of the major differences. - Colin
Oh how I wish Lamy would make a shorter barrel for it's rollerball similar to the size of the pilot g2 mini. Dammit! Lamy make it happen :-)
The last shot made me laugh, but then I realized that there have been days in which I carried almost as many pens on my shirt. I would put 4 in one pocket, and have one clipped above each button on my shirt.
Leo Anbu You can never carry too many pens! :) -Margaret
Thank you! Rollerballs will be my trial n error I guess lol
magnolya8 These would be great to try! Hope you find something you love :) -Margaret
The Goulet Pen Company re:Margaret, thank you! Appreciate all the info, I'm excited :)!
The Goulet Pen Company 😂
I got that little bit excited... but I can't use gel or water based inks at work, which is where most of my writing happens. Sadness.
moranalilith aw dang! What can you use then? -Brian Goulet
The Goulet Pen Company =( only oil/paste based inks basically. Our GMP rules that we can't have any inks that smear or if gotten wet can run at all, especially since we're doing mostly wet chemistry, paperwork gets wet often. Oh well. I use my fountain pens at home. =)
moranalilith
Sounds like Noodler's Heart of Darkness fits that bill
Leo Anbu I love Noodler's bulletproof inks! Hehe, I actually have HoD, and it's my main ink, but it's still water based so no-go for work, and it does run a bit if it gets wet. They do get kinda strict on that stuff. Also no colored ink unless it's red for a red-line doc, no pencils, absolutely no white out. I'm jealous of people that get to use fun pens and inks at work.
Are these all plastic?
The Safari & Vista are plastic, the AL-Star is aluminum. - Colin
I just got my first LAMY Safari rollerball pen today and I was really shocked to find it writes poorly on basic notebook paper. It skips constantly. It also smudges on nicer Rhodia paper and, as a lefty, it's a bummer. My $2 Sarasa Dry writes better which is kind of a bummer.
I would like to get a roller ball I would like to know more about them
We don't have these anymore, but we do have Retro51 rollerballs which are fun and write really well! www.gouletpens.com/collections/retro-51-tornado-rollerball-pens. -Margaret
Pilot G2. I thought those were gel ink and not rollerball ink.
is lamy m63 refill are rollerball or ballpoint?
It's a rollerball refill. - Colin
Rollerballs do have their place in your daily office pen choices, namely when you have to use tippex (white out) I carry a single rollerball in my pen roll, a Pilot Stanza in blue, it used to be the Vista rollerball.
Kenneth McGeechan It's always good to have options :) -Margaret
OMG THE PENS IN YOUR POCKET AT THE END!
What's the point in having double breast pockets if not to put 10+ Lamy's in there?? - Colin
Grammer error detected.
'Lamy's' is incorrect. 'Lamys'
Well, 'the more you know'. Cool. - Colin
LOL all the pens in your pockets 😂😂😂
Which is best? Metropolitan or Safari Rollerball
They are both great! It's all a matter of preference. Some do not like the grip on the Safari, others think the metropolitan is too heavy or slick. I have both in fountain pens and I love them both. -Lydia
+The Goulet Pen Company Thanks I think I will get the metropolitan because I have the fountain pen version and I like it! Plus the G2 refill helps!
Brian Goulet They call it the Pilot MR in the UK: www.pilotpen.co.uk/en/must-have/pilot-mr/pilot-mr-roller-gel-medium-tip-c/pilot-mr-gel-ink-rollerball-medium-tip.html
The Goulet Pen Company Just remember who told you to get into rollerballs, rollerball pens in the pockets guy! :0)
GET THAT PEASANT CRAP OUTTA HERE! c: It's a good idea to have a ballpoint in your pen case, it's better than lending a fountain pen and sometime you need the ink to dry quickly.
SniperWalrus whatever works! -Brian Goulet
Yup, rollerballs
Rollerballs=gateway drug
I literally learned this in my health class a few weeks ago, lol. Best comment ever.
?!
#ballpointblasphemy
Shan Reddy hey hey hey, these are rollerballs now, not ballpoints. I do have standards y'know ;) -Brian Goulet
This guy knows too much about pens...
I mean that's his job.
Treason. You are dead to me.
Sam Sowden García :( -Brian Goulet
The Safari, and other Lamy rollerball's like the Swift, etc, take some gel refills, like the Pentel Energel. Which makes them extremely versatile and useful for a more utilitarian setting, without having to worry about leakage