Write On! – Face Off: Fountain Pen vs. Rollerballs

Are fountain pens "better" than other writing instruments? Are rollerballs better for everyday use? How do these two analog communication devices stack up against each other in a world dominated by computers, cellphones, and other digital forms of compiling thoughts, ideas, drawings, and other elements formerly limited to "pen and paper". Fountain pens have made a comeback from the brink of extinction and in doing so created a loud and passionate community that has some very big feelings about their chosen writing instrument. Online claims that fountain pens are just better than other methods of writing abound on blogs, forums, YouTube channels, and Facebook posts. Do those claims have any validity? Is there a specific use-case where one type of pen is factually better than the other? Let's dig into the reasons someone might make these claims and some counterpoints as to why a ballpoint or rollerball might be better suited for a specific task.

Writing experience is the number one reason proponents of fountain pens will use when claiming fountain pens are "better" than other writing instruments. A well-tuned fountain pen nib is smoother than any rollerball or ballpoint pen. The use of liquid ink provides for a more comfortable and effortless writing experience that modern pens can't replicate. A fountain pen that is overly scratchy or rough can be adjusted to fix those issues, while rollerball and ballpoint pens will always have some resistance when writing. The fact that nib material and size can also be specified with a fountain pen can increase the overall writing experience with how each variation changes the inkflow and overall process of laying down ink on paper.

Speaking of ink, the variety of ink formulas, viscosities, and brands can also impact the performance of a fountain pen. Some fountain pen inks are "lubricated" to provide easier flow and smoother writing than other inks. Fountain pen inks are also available in a myriad of colors, and companies are almost always adding new colors. While this isn't an objective reason that fountain pens are better, it is a subjective reason that someone might consider a fountain pen a better writing instrument, specifically if they enjoy writing with a variety of colors. This does make a fountain pen far better for "customization" in terms of external variations, nib material variations, nib size variations, and ink color variations; there are millions of combinations a user can find with a fountain pen that aren't available with modern rollerball pens.

Fountain pens provide a more sustainable choice for those that use analog writing instruments. While there are some disposable fountain pens, they are in the minority in terms of overall fountain pens in use. Whereas, the vast majority of rollerball and ballpoint pens manufactured today are disposable. The reduction in waste associated with the fountain pen is something to consider when purchasing a pen. Fountain pens are also a product designed to be passed down to later generations as an heirloom. Giving them a much longer "life" than modern pens that aren't seen as anything more than tools that can be tossed in a trashcan if they stop writing.

The first area where fountain pens begin to "lose" some ground is in the overall cost. Fountain pens often come with a higher price point. Even disposable and budget fountain pens are significantly more expensive than disposable and budget rollerball and ballpoint pens. The long term cost of refilling ink as opposed to buying more disposable pens might offset this cost, but frequently the fountain pen user begins to amass a collection of fountain pens thus offsetting this long-term "savings". Generally speaking, sustainable rollerball and ballpoint pens that are made to last like traditional fountain pens have a lower price point and low long-term costs associated with them.

Maintenance is something a rollerball or ballpoint user likely never even considers even if they're using a durable pen that isn't disposable. There is very little maintenance required on the majority of modern writing instruments. That's not true with fountain pens which are much less finicky than vintage fountain pens, but still need regular maintenance. Cleaning and flushing the pen regularly to ensure there is no ink build up on the feed and nib isn't something that can be avoided. Learning how to do minor maintenance on a nib in the form of realigning the tines, using shims, or even slight adjustments to the surface of the tip with micromesh are all skills a fountain pen user should learn to keep their pen in tip-top writing condition. While these considerations aren't big enough to dissuade the use of fountain pens, they are extra steps that need to be considered in this argument and probably favor the ballpoint and rollerball user.

Modern fountain pens are much more portable then their vintage counterparts. The use of cartridge converter technology, modern feed design, advanced ink formulations, and other technological advances allow fountain pens to be much more reliable than they were in the past. BUT that doesn't mean they're free of problems when it comes to everyday carry. Fountain pens are still susceptible to changes in heat and pressure which means they can leak in certain circumstances. They don't "explode" on airplanes thanks to pressurized cabins, but they can still explode in your pocket if you're on a hike (trust me, I've experienced this one more than once). When you do have an accident with a fountain pen, it's a BIG accident that requires a lot of cleanup and generally requires a lot of time invested in getting everything back to normal. Sure rollerballs and ballpoints can leak, but it's much less likely for that to happen with one of those pens than it is with a fountain pen.

Finally, an area that comes in as a draw is paper quality. Both types of pens benefit from good paper. Paper quality is probably the single biggest upgrade a person can do if they want to increase their writing experience and not buy a new pen. If you like using a BIC Cristal but feel like the pen is scratchy sometimes, invest in better paper; I guarantee that will increase your overall enjoyment while writing. This is an area where you get MORE noticeable benefit when writing with a fountain pen than you would with a rollerball. A rollerball or ballpoint can only feel as smooth and pleasant as the parts allow it, and you can't "adjust" any of those parts. Customizing all of the individual elements with a fountain pen can maximize your writing experience, but that takes time and money.

What's the verdict? I'm not sure if there is a specific answer. Personally, I think there are "jobs" fountain pens exceed at that rollerballs just can't begin to do. Conversely, there are "jobs" I would never attempt to do with a fountain pen. My daily carry pen is a rollerball pen with a specific type of refill that gives me a "good enough" writing experience that if I need or want to write for an extended period of time, I'm not complaining about it. Having said that, I don't enjoy journaling with anything other than a fountain pen. I don't connect with the process of writing, it's harder for me to focus, and I often get frustrated when journaling with a rollerball pen. I don't personally think either pen is objectively "better" than the other. I do like the feel and comfortability of a fountain pen more than a rollerball, but as an everyday tool, a good rollerball pen is a necessity.