A Complete Guide to German “Kugelschreiber mit Gravur” (ballpoint pen with engraving)

Is there really any difference? Would you choose one of them over the other? Or are they almost interchangeable

If you are like me, when your parents said that you could purchase something as a kid, you decided to get a new pencil or eraser instead.

You need to feel comfortable when you put pen on paper. There are many preferences. Let’s discuss these pens so you can compare them and decide which one may be better for you.

Rollerball vs Ballpoint Pen Lefties

The hand you hold the pen can make a difference in which pen you choose. If you write with your left hand, your hand slides over what you just wrote.

Rollerball pens are more difficult to use because the gel ink can take longer to dry so it’s likely to smear. Ballpoints, unless you are someone who writes with your hands lifted, don’t touch any pages while you write, are the best choice for lefties.

What is a Rollerball Pen Anyway?

 A rollerball pen simply means a Hörner Kugelschreiber mit Gravur that uses the same writing system as a ballpoint pen, but it has water-based liquid and gel ink.

Many people believe that rollerball gel ink pens are of higher quality then ballpoint pens. This is because the gel ink (water-based liquid ink) is almost as good as fountain pens but costs less. This is not to say that rollerball gel pens can be better than ballpoint, but it is an opinion matter.

How does a Rollerball Pen function?

 While it may look similar to a rollerball pen, its inner workings & ease of use is closer to a ballpoint pen.

The reservoir in rollerball gel ink pen has a water-based liquid and/or gel ink. It ends with a ball and socket. As you hold the pen upright for writing, the liquid ink (or gel ink) moves down onto a ball that rolls on the paper.

How to Refill a Roller ball Pen

 Roller ball pens are available in both disposable and reusable forms. The refillable ones come with caps, and those without them are usually disposable. You can also find ink refills to rollerball gel pens.

You should note that a roll-ball pen uses threefold more ink than a ballpoint or ballpoint pen. The ink cartridge and refills for rollerball pens will need replacing more often.

What is a Ballpoint Pen? 

Ballpoint pens are inexpensive, basic pens. You will see them in promotional items and giveaways almost as often as you would see a pencil returned-gift-bagged for a birthday.

These pens have an oil-based viscous, viscous ink that tends dry as soon you write. But it doesn’t dry up quickly in its ink cartridge.

How does a Ballpoint Pen work?

 Have you ever been curious about how a ballpoint pen works while writing with it?

It is the exact same action as a rollerball pens (or to put it another way, the rollerball uses the exact same mechanisms as a pen that was in use earlier).

The ballpoint pen comes with the same ball in a socket on the end. The ink that falls from the pen’s reservoir gets covered as the pen is held up. The ink is able to slide onto the paper by rolling the ball.

By Mary