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Probably the most familliar writing instrument to most people, ballpoint pens are everywhere. While a ballpoint does require some pressure to make it work, most good quality modern ballpoints write quite smoothly, and can put down more solid lines, and better colours, than older or cheaper models.
Despite the introduction of liquid ink and gel ink rollerballs (see What's the Difference Between a Ballpoint and a Rollerball?), ballpoints are still the most-used type of pen, for some good reasons. Ballpoint pens are amazingly reliable, and if they do stop working, usually only need a bit of scribbling to get going again. Choices are almost unlimited, at high or low price ranges. All but the cheapest ballpoints are refillable, and refills last a long time - both in terms of writing length and shelf life.
If you're looking for a simple 'stick' ballpoint, you can't go far wrong with the classic Staedtler Stick. If you prefer retractable pens, the Zebra Z-Grip offers great quality for a low price.
For a more luxurious ballpoint, it can be worth looking for something that takes standard refills - many full-size ballpoints take Parker-style refills, giving you a huge range of options for refills, with a large range of colours and tip sizes, from extra-fine to extra-broad. Compact pens often use 'D1' multipen ballpoint refills, again giving you a good choice of brands and colours.
The ubiquity and popularity of ballpoint refills means that it's the default choice for most designer pens - the sheer variety of ballpoint pens is amazing. Try Caran d'Ache and Lamy at the mid price points; and Graf von Faber-Castell or Montblanc for some luxury options.
Which ballpoint pens are refillable?
You might be surprised how many are - it’s just that it’s often difficult to get hold of refills. Well, it would be if we weren’t here! If refills are available, we’ll pretty much always stock them, and they should be linked from the pen.
What standard refill types are there?
Quite a few! We're big fans of pens that use standard refills, where there are lots of options to refill them. That way, if you don’t get on with one refill, you can try others, and find one that suits you. For compact pens, D1 'multipen' refills are a good choice, with lots of different refills available. For full-sized pens, the most common type is the 'Parker-style' G2 refill - you probably know the one, with it’s strange-shaped plastic end, and narrow section at the tip. Not to be confused with the Pilot G2 gel pens, which use very different refills, the names are just a coincidence.
Is ballpoint ink permanent?
Usually it's fairly permanent, at least on paper. Refills that meet a certain standard for permanence are usually labeled 'document'. We love Uni-ball's 'super ink' pens, with very permanent ink.
Is ballpoint ink toxic?
No, it's usually pretty safe - there’s no reason it needs to be made with anything dangerous, so any remotely reputable manufacturer would keep things safe. It doesn't make for a good eating or drinking experience, though, so we wouldn't recommend eating it. But if you happen to get a bit in your mouth, you'll probably survive!
Is ballpoint ink safe on skin?
Again, we wouldn’t necessarily recommend it on skin, but it shouldn't do any harm. Plenty of people have hastily written phone numbers on their hands with no adverse effects!