My “Fancy” Non-Fountain Pens

Over on Patreon, I talked a bit about shopping my own collection this year rather than buying MORE pens. So, I’ve been digging around in my cupboards and drawers and finding some gems.

I found a whole box of “fancy” non-fountain pens. I’ve been collecting refillable ballpoint, rollerball and gel pens mostly made out of metal for YEARS. These are pens designed to be upscale alternatives to disposable and plastic pens. I had to ask myself, “Why am I not using these?”

So, I went through what I had and see why I haven’t been using them. I tested all of them, made sure they had refills and I even put them on a scale to see which was the heaviest.

As a lefty with a light touch, I’ve always struggled with traditional ballpoint pens. I don’t like how hard I need to press to get ballpoint ink on the page and, since I am often pushing, rather than pulling, they can choke and no ink comes out at all. Most of my “fancy” non-fountain pens have had their original refills replaced, modified or hacked to accept finer and more gel-based refills.

The whole array of pens include:

Zebra Sarasa Grand Gel Pen: The only metal pen that I have that  includes unique colors of gel ink. Mine is the Brown Gray with a brown matte exterior and a dark brown ink color. I love all the color options available for the Sarasa Grand Gel Pens so I will probably acquire more of these over time.

Filofax pen: This pen was originally shipped with a planner as an extra and had an erasable ballpoint refill but I swapped it out with a gel refill (Ohto Flash Dry Gel PG-105NP). If I had kept the erasable refill in the pen, the soft rubber at the tip can be used as an eraser when the tip is retracted. It’s just a simple, slender black pen. Essentially, its the little black dress of pens.

Parker Jotter (Susan Wirth embossed): Swapped out the standard ballpoint refill with the Ohto Flash Dry Gel too. The model I have was given out as a memorial to Susan Wirth but similar metal or plastic models are available. It takes the classic Parker-style refill and there are lots of options for this type of pen. And its an aesthetic classic!

Cross Century II Matte Blue: I had my Cross Century II engraved with “The Well-Appointed Desk” many years ago. I really liked the look of the old classic Cross pens but I get burned by their very proprietary refills and how limited those refill options are. This model does allow for a Porous Point refill in fine which is once of my favorite style pen anyway but I wished more colors were available beyond blue and black. (Deep shame… I thought I lost this pen at some point so I bought a second one. It’s on my studio table but also has the Porous Point refill but in black.)

Zebra Sharbo-X: I am missing one refill in this multipen as it hold three tools. I have a D1 ballpoint refill and an 0.5mm pencil in this pen. I probably haven’t used it much because it needs another refill to be fully functional. It is similar width and weight as many of these other “fancy” pens but features the multipen option which I love so I’m glad to rediscover it.

Baron Fig Squire Classic (silver): I happen to have the original release of the Baron Fig Squire. Initially, I didn’t use it alot because I am one of the few humans on the planet that does not like the Schmidt P8126 Capless rollerball refills so I needed to swap it out. I discovered the 3D printed adapters from Tofty that would allow me to swap in a Pilot Hi-Tech C Coleto 0.3 refills. Game changer for me!

Baron Fig x Erasable Squire (Limited Edition): This is the same pen as above but looks like a pencil thanks to the gang at Erasable. I even used the same Tofy adapter and Coleto refill. Both of the Baron Fig Squires really are lovely pens and I feel bad for neglecting them for so long.

Baron Fig Squire Click Retractable: The Squire Click is a little slimmer than the standard twist model Squire which I find a little more comfortable. I put a Ohto Flash Dry refill in this pen and think it’s going to get a lot of use in the next few months.

Caran d’Ache 849 (Brut Rose): This is such a classic, beautiful pen. But the standard Parker-style “Goliath” refill does nothing for me. I found an “off brand” gel refill I’ve had for sometime called Premec which is a gel refill in a Parker-style body. I haven’t been able to find anymore of the Premec refills and this is my last one so I will probably swap it for a Tofy adapter and a D1 refill. It’s a classic retractable pen and if you have a favorite Parker-style refill, it will fit in this pen. There are so many color options and special editions of this pen that if you don’t have one in your collection yet, it’s only a matter of time.

Cross Classic Century: As mentioned with the Cross Century II, the Classic Century uses a very limited range of refills — mostly classic wide ballpoints. So, the model I use has the 0.5mm mechanical pencil instead of a ballpoint. I love how slender these are and how classy they look.

BigiDesign Ti Arto EDC: This pen was a Kickstarter project and BigiDesign has since made many other designs but this pen is still unique. The version I have does not have the telescoping end so I cannot make my pen any shorter. I can however, thanks to the clamp style mechanism (like the teeth that hold a drill bit in an electric drill), use any of 100s of different refills. I love that I can choose one of my favorite refills, Sakura Ballsign 0.4mm, but it is the heaviest pen in this group weighing in at 32gms. All the others came in around 15-20gms. It’s also a much more utilitarian design than the mid-century mod chic of a Cross Classic Century, Caran d’Ache 849 or a Parker Jotter.

There are even more in my collection but these either did not have refills or suffered from crappy refills:

Fisher Space Pen: This is another classic design. When I found one in lime green, I knew I had t have it. I absolutely loathe the pressurized ballpoint refill that Fisher sells as a companion to this pen so I have a Tofty adapter that will hold a D1 refill. I just need to purchase a case of D1 gel refills and I will have this little beauty back in rotation.

Parker Jotter #2 (teal and plastic barrel): Just like the one shown above, this is a classic but I ran out of good refills so it currently has a sub-par KAKO gel refill designed to fit a Parker-style pen. I bought a box of these refills and they are not good.  Or at least very inconsistent. So, another Parker-style gel refill will be added to my shopping cart.

Ballograf Epoca: This is a European classic like a Parker Jotter. The original ballpoint refill was too wide from me and i have not replaced it yet. The refill looks similar to a Parker-style but is flat on the end so I may need to modify a Parker-style refill in order to work with this barrel. I think this would be a great as a “car pen” with a Parker-style Jetstream refill would be the best option for this pen.

Zebra Retractable Telescoping: Conceptually I like this pen but the one I have is broken. I should throw it away since the housing is janky but I have a hard time throwing away pens. It would not be expensive to replace this and is a great tuckaway design for a bag pocket, in a project bag, or in the cupholder in your car.

Kaweco Dia (?) ballpoint: I received this pen as a gift with my name engraved on the cap. It looks like a Dia II but there are slight differences. That said, I’ve never really used this pen. Its a little bulky for me and uses a standard Parker-style refill. So, its a little ho-hum for me which is why it languishes in a drawer. It is a kind gift and my name is on the side of it so no one else is really going to want it.

Cross Chrome Capped: I am not sure which model this pen is. It is a slim, embossed, capped pen. It looks classic, vintage and fancy. It suffers from the same issue that the other Cross pens do — shitty refill options. I am on the hunt for options that might allow for a fine gel, emulsion ballpoint or similar to fit in this little beauty.

Cross Classic Century: I was on a Cross Century kick for awhile and came across little beauties like this plaid design. It’s another Cross pen that needs more refill options.

Ohto Horizon: I wanted to love this pen. Modern, soft hex, extra fine ballpoint and just differnt but the refill is awful for me. I can barely get it to write and even swapped out with a new refill just in case it was a refill issue. Nope. They are awful. So this pen will continue to live in a drawer.

After testing, refilling and playing with all of these pens, I realized that I missed the more luxurious experience of writing with a “fancy” non-fountain pen. I think several of these are going to move into my daily rotation. I am surprised to rediscover the Baron Fig Squires and the BigiDesign Ti Arto as well as my dainty classics: Caran d’Ache 849, Parker Jotter and Cross Classic Century. I want to get the Fisher Space Pen back into working order and the Zebra Sharbo X its additional refill so it is a genuine contender.

In the end, I have discovered a whole world of pens I’d been neglecting. Since most are filled with a black ink refill, I think including one with any notebook I have going would be a great way to get more use out of these. I can keep one with my Commonplace journal, one with my go-everywhere pocket notebook and one by the bed with my notepad. I might drop one in my monthly pen pouch instead of carrying an old plastic pen. It’s time to class up the joint a little, don’t ya think?

Do you have any “fancy” non-fountain pens? Have I inspired you to dig them out of a drawer and put them back into rotation?

If you’re having trouble finding refills, remember to use our refill guide and JetPens “recommended refills/parts” is always a great option to cross-reference refills.

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