Hello, JP'ers!

First post to the forum -- I did a search and didn't find the topic covered:

My question is about how long pens last. I have to use fine-tipped (<0.4mm) pens given my profession, and I tend to use the Hi-Tec-C 0.3mm. As we all know, it's great, but I find that I run through them like nobody's business. Does anyone know of any models that are particularly long-lasting? Do fine-tipped ballpoint pens last longer than fine-tipped gel pens? I suppose it's primarily a function of ink reserve.

While other specifications are often described -- e.g., smoothness, viscosity, durability -- I feel that longevity is often neglected. And for short-lasting pens, that can mean a lot of extra money spent!

Thanks!
Sarah :P

Now that is a good question. I am sure that you are going to get a lot of different subjective answers as everyone is going to have an opinion. But a quantitative answer may be hard to find as I don't think that anyone has done a side by side comparison, though I may be wrong.

From a quantitative standpoint it is a primarily a function of ink reserve but there are other factors involved as well such as nid width. A broad nib will lay down more ink per pen stroke that a narrow one. And in just what form do you want your answer? Is it a matter of how many average words a pen will write (an average word being 5 characters long)? Or is it a matter of time, just how long a pen will last you? That of course is also subjective. Just how much ink do you lay down in a day?... :lol:

Sorry, I just couldn't help myself... :D

I really don't know how long any gel pen will last, word wise or time wise. It is a matter of ink reserve as well as nib width and the pressure applied. I can lay down a thinner line if I don't press very hard. But without doing some kind of side by side comparison I couldn't tell you. But you may want to consider a liquid ink pen over a gel pen as they generally hold more ink. They also are supposed to write smoother.

Longevity has been probably been neglected on purpose as it really is subjective. If they were to qualify longevity it would have to be to some standard that all pen manufactures would have to use. A good standard just might be how many average words the pen will write regardless of how much time it takes. But, who knows?

Maybe someone else who has used a few more pens than I have can help you out. I certainly hope so because I'm sure that I haven't! :wink:

Thanks, onelonegunman! Good tip about liquid ink.

I agree, it's difficult to quantify pen longevity, but I would imagine that, for a given person, one pen model would consistently last longer than another. Sure, a certain pen might last me much longer than someone else if, say, I only use it occasionally, but in terms of one person comparing several different pens, the results should be pretty consistent among different people, I should think! :D

Personally, I haven't experimented with enough pens to have a good sense. Maybe I just need to be more promiscuous... :wink:

A very good question, and great discussion on the matter so far. I have to raise a few more points to consider in the area. First, there are two different ways of looking at "longevity", though I think you're clearly asking about only one of them. The first, which is what I think you're asking about, is the mere lifetime in constant use...or how much mileage you can get out of the pen in actual use. The second, is how long they "keep"....especially if left in a box or other container....so how long they will last if you aren't using them. As many pens will clog or go dry over time, that aspect is actually important as well, though probably not what you're mainly asking about here.

Before getting back to the first question, I'll comment on the second area. As with all of this, it's hard to get an objective answer on these....and as we all know, there can always be exceptions to the rules with something like a pen. Many pens now come with a little rubber stopper in the cap that the tip pushes against when it's not in use....which should help keep them longer. How well any of these designs are, the pressure in the ink reserve, the ink quality, etc. can all play a part. And how well they are stored can too. We recently discussed ways of trying to store pens for a spell and things like that can help. But, speaking from personal experience only (which is subjective, but still worth considering), I have had more ballpoint pens clog up or dry up or just become unusable over time...especially if they've sat in a box for any considerable length of time. I have also had some gel pens become unusable after sitting unused for a length of time....though I'll admit they were some cheapies I got somewhere and were mostly silver or gold inks, so not sure if they are thicker or whatnot. My best experience in this regard has been a Pentel Superball! One of the reasons I love them.

I sorted through my various stashes of writing instruments about a year ago and decided to toss most anything that didn't work and keep only working pens. I found that some pens I'd liked in the past were just not holding up to any long term storage...like the Papermate Flexgrips and so on...but mostly ballpoints. My mechanical pencils were the best, of course! :) The best of the lot....the Pentels! I have no idea how long I'd had the Superballs.....could have been a few years, or possibly even over a decade....maybe longer. But, they came out writing like they never were on vacation! I prefer the micro Superball of the ones I have, but even the regular fine point works great. Since I have no idea how long they'd been in storage, I can't give a good answer, but I know they held up when others just curled up and became ghosts. I've a couple other pentels that have held up well too, but the Superballs are ones that really impressed me. The most disappointing were the ballpoints. So, on that angle, I would tend to vote for Pentels....at least as a brand.

Now, back to the question of much mileage you can get out of a pen...all the points already made are good. I will only add a few angles to consider. Some, but I doubt all, pen makers sometimes list or mention how long a "line" a given pen can write...."over a mile" or "over 3000 ft" or whatever. I'm not sure how they test these, nor if say a given maker that does list it for one...if they'd list it for all their pens. I'd almost like to see a standard developed to compare pens in this way. So that when you do buy a pen, that is a rating you can easily compare to other pens. It would certainly answer your question in a more objective manner.

But this would all be in theory, as was mentioned, how a person actually writes and whatnot plays a huge part in all this. I think we've all also had pens just stop working well before they were clearly out of ink.....whether the ink pressure or if they'd developed a clog that's stopping ink flow or what, we may not know, but it all can play a part.

I think it boils down to what personal experience is in a given pen. Personally, I'd like to see *all* pens be refillable...at least with new ink sticks or whatever....but liquid ink pens would be great if you could just refill the reserve, and so on. Probably the best mileage you could get out of a pen is a fountain pen that you refill yourself. Find one that does what you want well and get some good ink for it and use it. Arguments are good for fountain pens actually being cheaper in the long run, so it's something to consider if you eat up a lot of non-refillable pens.

I haven't used enough "good" pens to really answer your question or poll....at least not gone through enough to tell you I chew them up like candy or they last forever. But, for flow and usage, I have been very impressed with the Pentels...and knowing how well the Superballs last in storage....I would tend to lean toward voting there if I had to. I also like the Slicci's.....very nice pens. And though I don't like the body, the RSVP's write a very nice line. Though I haven't used them long enough, I also like the ballpoints from Zebra....the F-series as well as the Technolines.....very nice ballpoints, but have no idea on longevity overall. Uniball makes some nice pens as well. My least favourites have been the Pilots....I've had times I fight with ink flow, and even when they do flow, it's not always as I like. I'm not a big needle-point fan.....except in doing technical work. I also can almost watch the ink reserve go down in the Pilot Precise RTs I have, so I doubt they'd rate well on the long line mileage test.

But mileage is only a part of the equation...if the pen doesn't write smoothly, doesn't "fit" well, etc.....it's going to be uncomfortable or unpleasant to use...so even if it can get a lot of mileage, if the rest doesn't add up, it may not even be worth it. On the other extreme, if a pen fits well, writes to your liking, etc....but just goes through ink readily, it may still be worth it....as it does the job well. And this gets right back to your original question, and whether certain pens or lines actually last longer. And I can't really give an answer, but longevity in this regard isn't the top criteria to me in a pen. It's important, and should be, but maybe not the "make or break" aspect of a pen to me. Still, I wish all the makers would do the line test for at least a more apples to apples comparison.

The "Perfect Pen" would be one similar to the Platinum Preppy. It would be modular. It would have a replaceable (large reservoir) liquid ink supply, like the Preppy. The nib would also be replaceable but instead of just one size/type of nib it would be customizable. A number of sizes would be available in both needle and conical points and maybe even felt tips. The nib would be replaceable while there is still ink in the reservoir. The tips would be semi-permanent: washable/reusable but cheap enough to buy to be disposable if damaged or clogged. This way the ink supply could be sold in lots of a dozen and in as many colors as possible. Longevity would then be less of an issue. The ink runs out, pop in a new refill. The nib clogs/ breaks or the need changes, change it out. For long term storage, take the pen apart, clean it (the ink cartridge would have a cap for just such a purpose) and store it. Now, we just have to get someone to make it inexpensively enough to be viable.

Gunman - that's a great idea.....and I do wish that Platinum would take the Preppy line and really expand it....for instance a "business class" version...which would be classier and more refined in appearance....and more colours, converters easier to get ahold of, and changeable nibs with various sizes. It's a great pen, but could be even better, definitely.

Michael,

I'm glad that you like my idea. I guess that I had not given any thought to an executive or business class of pen. That one could be made of metal or an opaque plastic or resin and come in darker colors with different trim. It would probably carry a slightly higher price tag as well. For both pens it could also include a line of fountain pen nibs, even calligraphy nibs! The possibilities are almost endless! If done right it would out shine all other liquid ink pens. Now, just who is going to step up to the plate and make it for us? :roll:

Aw man, this is an awesome question... so far (to me) the hi-tec-c coleto's seem to run out the most quickly. My frame of reference comes from my only using one black pen at a time (I do this so I can 'use up' pens and start on new ones... I don't like the feeling of half-used pens all over the place..!) In college, I do a lot of writing, taking notes, etc. on a regular basis and so far the coleto has lasted me the shortest length of time, approx. 2 weeks, I think.

Yah, that's my feeling. I love everything about the Coleto; it's very smooth, reliable, retractable, and I can use two colors in one pen. Perfect, perfect, perfect.

EXCEPT, the ink reserve is very small, and so I run through a cartridge in about a week or so. Since they're $2 each, that's around $100 a year on pens -- which is a lot more than I'd like to spend.

Just wish it had a larger ink reserve!!!

Yes, the ink in the coleto refills leave much to be desired, but the pen is just so overall good, that I still buy it. However if I know I'll be writing for long period of time, I'll switch to a pen with a larger/longer-lasting ink cartridge such as the Signo DX or the Bic Shimmer.
Ball point pens seem to last longer than gel/liquid ink pens, but that's just in my personal observations.