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There are two types of roller ball pens: those that use a liquid ink and those that use a gel containing ink. A roller ball has two advantages over a ball point: first, less pressure needs to be applied to the pen to have it write cleanly. This permits holding the pen with less stress on the hand. Second, the ink is brighter. Gel roller ball pens use a jelly-like ink: the ink sets just after it is applied to the paper and is no longer being "rolled" around. Gel inks do not sink into the paper as much as liquid ink. Also, gels carry color better that liquid ink, so gel based pens are available in a brighter and wider range of colors than liquid ink pens.

Disadvantages

There are two disadvantages inherent to roller ball pens: first, the ink is more liable to smudge than a ball-point pen's ink because the ink dries more slowly, and second, the ink may seep through the paper. Thicker paper must be used with a roller ball pen than with a ball point, because the oil based ink does not penetrate deeply into the paper. The problem with gel inks is that they do not flow as readily as a liquid ink. This increases the likelihood of intermittent inking, where the flow of ink will randomly cease.

I like rollerballs, because I can write more gracefully with them.

Aha. Okay. So, um... well, I still don't know what to get. Crap.

I hate fountain pens, because I hold my pen strangely, and I somehow end up with an ink stained ring finger.

How's Little Jandek?

Doing just fine. Here's some photos from around our post-Thanksgiving camping trip.

I get inkstains no matter what sort of pen I use. I love fountain pens. I was so excited that I could get converters for my cartridge pens. Now I can use any sort of ink I want in them!

I like the good Christmas music

Right now, I'm listening to Mediaeval Baebes ("Mistletoe and Wine"), with Chanticleer's "Sing We Christmas" to follow. In the car, I have more upbeat tunes, such as Brian Setzer Orchestra (love their version of "The Nutcracker Suite"), and traditional carols from The Roches (my favorite Christmas album).

I just ordered my annual Christmas album purchase from Amazon yesterday. This year's choice is Four Shadow's "Flake" album (I saw a good writeup on an a capella website--I've never heard of the group, but the review sounded excellent).

somehow end up with an ink stained ring finger.

Hey, you probably hold it like I do! Teachers tried for years to correct me. Never took.

I prefer anything that requires less pressure because of the freaky way I hold my writing implement. I adored my fountain pens. They were ideal, especially if they had a bit of heft. They are probably all dried up and gummed up now, since I don't take a kajillion pages of notes any longer.

Emily, I would say rollerball pens are considered fancier than ballpoint. Think of them as a mid-point between a fountain and a ballpoint, I guess.

Think of them as a mid-point between a fountain and a ballpoint, I guess.

I always think of them as much closer to the ballpoint, though. Not that that predicts anything about your brother, Emily. What's your price range for what you want to buy him?