Two Cost-Effective Workhorse Pens: The Pilot Metropolitan Rollerball and Ballpoint

The Pilot Metropolitan fountain pen receives a lot of (well-deserved) attention, both as an excellent lower-cost option for those looking for their first fountain pen and as a reliable daily driver for those needing a pen they can carry around stress-free. Also known as the “MR” in some markets, what many don’t know is that the Metropolitan lineup also features excellent “rollerball” and ballpoint options. I use the term “rollerball” loosely because the pen ships with a Pilot .7mm G2 gel cartridge. so technically it should be called a “gel roller” but we won’t nitpick. Both pens are exceptionally good workhorse pens for the price point, and have a fairly regular place in my rotation since they live in my backpack pen slots alongside my Zento Flow and more.

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Comfortable All-Day Writers That Don’t Break the Bank

The Pilot G2 used to be my favorite gel pen option, and I still return to it regularly even if I’ve come to prefer the Synergy Tip that Pilot uses in the revamped Juice line. The fact that the Metro rollerball takes the G2 refill is a huge selling point for me. If you’re looking for a good gel pen that just works, a .7mm G2 is my own “when-I-just-need-to-write-and-not-focus-on-anything-else” pen. Many people assume that I write with fountain pens all the time, but when I need to minimize distraction or find myself stuck in a journaling rut, I nearly always reach for a favorite rollerball or gel pen because it’s one less thing to think about. I’ve been journaling with the Metropolitan Rollerball lately, and it’s done wonders to jumpstart my daily writing habit. (More on this in our upcoming On the Paper Trail episode.)

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Despite most of the pen being constructed of metal (lacquered brass with a plastic section), I find the Metropolitan pens well-balanced. The rollerball and fountain pen feel much the same in-hand, and post well with a cap that sits securely on the end of the barrel and closes with a firm snap. The ballpoint pen has a classic twist format where you turn the barrel to extend the refill - everyone should be familiar with this one.

The Metropolitan ballpoint ships with the .7mm Dr. Grip ballpoint refill, marketed in Japan as the “Cocoon”. Those familiar with the Pilot S20 ballpoint will recognize this refill as it’s the same cartridge that ships with the S20 in .5mm size. I swapped out the .7mm for the .5mm since I prefer the finer line. The cartridge contains low-viscosity Pilot Acroball ink, which alternates with the Uni Jetstream as my favorite ballpoint option.

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There aren’t many downsides to either of these pens. The only potential drawback to the capped versions of the Metropolitan (the fountain pen and rollerball) is the step down from the barrel to the grip section, which some find sharp. This issue completely depends on how you hold your pen - It doesn’t present a serious issue for me, though I notice it more on the fountain pen and less on the rollerball because I tend to hold the latter closer to the tip. The ballpoint doesn’t present any such issue since the entire barrel is smooth.

Takeaways and Where to Buy

I regularly recommend the entire Metropolitan line to customers in the store, and stand by this reliable option even if it’s not particularly trendy. I use the rollerball the most frequently of any of the Metro options, including as my “airplane pen” when I don’t want to break out a fountain pen mid-flight. The ballpoint has also seen a lot of travel-related usage, as the Cocoon cartridge is one of my everyday favorites.

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The Pilot Metropolitan Rollerball and Ballpoint compared against the Uni Zento Flow (top) and Pilot S20 Ballpoint (bottom).

We stock Pilot Metropolitan fountain pens, rollerballs, and ballpoints in our own shop, priced at $34 for the fountain pen and $31.75 for the rollerball and ballpoint. We also carry the Cocoon Refills for the ballpoint, and while we don’t currently stock G2 cartridges, they are extremely easy to find and we will likely bring them in at some point in the near future.

The Gentleman Stationer is supported by purchases from the T.G.S. Curated Shop and pledges via the T.G.S. Patreon Program. You can also come check out these and the rest of the Pilot lineup at our physical stationery store in Nashville, Tennessee.

Refillable Rollerball and "Inkball" Pens: Do They Work?

One product category that we are seeing more and more is the refillable rollerball (sometimes referred to as the "inkball") pen. These first went mainstream several years ago with an inexpensive version released by ink maker Herbin, followed by TRAVELER'S Company releasing a version of their Brass Fountain Pen with a refillable rollerball tip. Recently, another pen garnering a lot of attention is Kakimori's "Frost" pen, which is available in both a fountain pen and rollerball format. We've had a lot of questions recently about the rollerball/inkball functionality, so I thought I'd take the opportunity and do a bit of an overview of how these work and how they perform.

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The Kakimori Frost pen ships with a twist converter, while the TRAVELER’S Company brass pen is advertised as cartridge only. However, it will take the Kaweco Mini Converter if you absolutely insist on using bottled ink.

How they work: This one's pretty easy. These refillable rollerballs all use a fountain pen-style nib unit that accepts standard international ink cartridges and Schmidt-style converters. You fill the pen as you would any standard cartridge/converter fountain pen, using fountain pen ink. (While not every manufacturer announces the maker of the rollerball nib/tip unit, Kakimori has specified that it is Schmidt, so if you see "made in Germany" you can probably assume that's who it is.)

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Predictably, early iterations of these products weren't as reliable as the versions now available. Performance has improved - particularly the consistency of the ink flow - and I've found the pens themselves easier to clean. But why would you opt for one of these "inkball" refillable rollerballs as opposed to a fountain pen? Here are a few considerations:

• Office Use. Despite their growing popularity, fountain pens continue to draw a lot of attention in the workplace. If you prefer to remain inconspicuous while still being able to write with your fountain pen ink, these pens are a good alternative.

• Permanent or Pigmented Inks. Kakimori makes an extensive line of pigment inks, which are both lightfast and water-resistant. While I've not had a bad experience using Kakimori inks in standard fountain pens, those who are concerned about cleaning and clogging might feel better using a Kakimori-branded pen or a non-fountain pen altogether. I currently have a Frost rollerball loaded with the special ink I mixed in Tokyo at the Kakimori store, and I have had no issues.

• Consistent Line Width. While fountain pens are known for line variation depending on the angle of your handwriting and the grind of the nib, ballpoints and rollerballs typically produce a single consistent line width while writing. Note that the one variable here is ink and paper. Since these "inkball" pens use fountain pen ink, the wetness of the ink and absorbency of the paper you are using can cause a wider line than the stated .5mm tip size.

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A writing sample of the .5mm rollerballs, on Rhodia Premium paper. Note the consistent line width across both brands, with two very different inks.

A Few Downside Considerations

• Cleaning and Clogging. I would be more conscientious about cleaning these rollerball tips than a standard fountain pen nib, since any sort of roller tip does have extra moving parts (the metal ball) that can get gummed up. The good news is that refillable rollerballs using the Schmidt nib unit clean identically to standard fountain pen nib units, though sometimes you have to flush them a few more times to remove stubborn clogs and residual ink. I typically take a bulb syringe and flush these pens in the same way you would flush a fountain pen. Ultrasonic cleaners can also be helpful.

• Leakage. Especially wet, free-flowing fountain pen inks may leak out the front of the nib and/or cause the pen to "blob" on the page while writing. I've only had this happen with a couple of inks, one of which was the ultra-lubricated Tom's Studio Fineliner-specific Midnight Blue ink that probably wasn't intended to be used with this pen in the first place. Most standard inks work perfectly fine.

In the event the tip does become irreparably clogged or damaged - which I personally have yet to experience in either of the models shown here - these nib units are replaceable. Both TRAVELER'S Company and Kakimori use a standard rollerball unit manufactured in Germany by Schmidt, and sell replacements to fit their respective pens. You are also not locked into one writing "mode." Note that these rollerball units are threaded identically to each brand’s fountain pen nib units, so you can use them interchangeably in your Kakimori Frost Pens and TRAVELER'S Brass Fountain Pen. (I do not believe these nib units are interchangeable between brands, since they use slightly different housings.)

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Both pens are compact, but I would only call the TRAVELER’S Brass Pen a true “pocket pen”.

Takeaways and Where to Buy

I've enjoyed using the "inkball" option fairly regularly, and overall I'm pleased with how these pens perform. While I might not reach for them as my primary writing option (I still prefer the softer feel of fountain pens and refillable fineliners), those looking for a reliable second option for using their fountain pen ink should give these a try. I am consistently impressed with how clean a line this current generation of refillable rollerballs can write.

The two pens featured in this post are the Kakimori Frost and the TRAVELER'S Company Brass Ballpoint, and are priced at $54 and $75, respectively. Additional nibs can be purchase for around $16. As noted above, both pens are compatible with their brand's fountain pen nibs, so there's no need to purchase a second pen - just the nib - unless you'd like to have both inked up at once.

The Gentleman Stationer is an authorized retailer of both Kakimori and TRAVELER'S Company products. You can view these both in our physical Nashville Shop or our online store.

New Arrivals: Colorverse Restocked, Along with Platinum Pens and Inks!

We’ve received a fresh shipment of Colorverse Ink, meaning that nearly all of the Colorvent “Top 3” Inks are back, including the 2024 and 2025 three-bottle sets as well as quirky favorites like Erebus Crater and Polar Night! We also have more of the 2025 Red Horse Collection, as well as all of the colors in the “Joy in the Ordinary” series.

Every year we update our “Best Pens” list, which includes recommendations from across a wide range of product categories.

We also have more Platinum Plaisir and Prefounte fountain pens, both of which are mentioned on our “Best Pens” list for beginners as well as those simply looking for a reliable everyday writer that you don’t have to worry about when knocking around town, the office, or your world travels! Finally, fans of permanent, dark black inks can also celebrate because Platinum Carbon Black and Chou Kouro have both returned.

Come see these and more this week in our Nashville shop! We are open normal hours (1-6pm Thursday and Friday and 10am-5pm on Saturday), meaning that yes we are open for the 4th of July weekend. Many of you have reached out to let us know you are coming to town so we will be there and ready to welcome you!

Pilot Frixion Revisited: Do I Have a Use for An Erasable Gel Pen?

Pilot’s line of erasable “Frixion” pens has expanded since its initial release in 2006, to the point where it can almost be considered a flagship product line. It hasn’t always been smooth-sailing, however. I recall trying the Frixion early on and disliking the writing experience immensely. The ink skipped and the colors looked washed out. While the erasability factor was convenient for the many different reasons discussed below, the writing experience itself left much to be desired. Fortunately, Pilot has improved the Frixion in recent years, reworking both the ink formulation and the tips of the pens themselves. I find the current version of the Frixion to be quite good, and in most cases almost as good in terms of smoothness and saturation as a standard gel pen.

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My Frixion Ball 3 Multipen is regularly used as a planner pen, shown here with my Roterfaden A5.

Why Might You Need An Erasable Pen?

Based on my own experiences as a user and conversations with customers and other community members who use Frixions, there are a handful of core use cases for erasable pens:

• Planners and Calendars. The most common benefit of the Frixion that I hear about is the ability to change dates, appointments, and tasks in a planner and/or calendar. In fact, I understand that one of the big contributors to the Hobonichi paper controversy from a couple years ago is that their “new” Tomoe River replacement paper was not extensively tested for fountain pens due to Japanese users overwhelmingly favoring the Pilot Frixion and other gel pens for use in planners.

• Math-Intensive Applications and Professions. Engineers, accountants, and students regularly come into our store inquiring about the Frixion due to the advantages of erasability when revising calculations and proofs. I use my own Frixion multi pen for a lot of my business accounting work.

• Left-handed Writers Who Have a Hard Time Using Pencils. I know many lefties who dislike pencils due to the fact that their hand tends to smear the graphite. The Frixion offers erasability without the same disadvantage.

Before you take the plunge and dive into the Frixion line, however, you should consider how these pens actually work. The Frixion ink isn’t “erased” in the traditional sense - it’s formulated to disappear/become invisible when heat is generated by rubbing the Frixion “eraser” on paper. Many people don’t realize that the ink can reappear when the paper is exposed to temperatures below freezing. For this reason, if you live in a very cold climate, have a use case where your notebooks/journals/planners are otherwise exposed to freezing temperatures, or need absolute archivability, the Frixion may not be the best choice for you.

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In addition to improving the ink formulation and writing tips, Pilot has also released Frixion highlighters, fineliners and markers. Of these additional categories, the Frixion highlighters work the best, and actually come in handy if, like me, you tend to be an over-eager annotator and highlighter who wishes they were more selective in their note taking. Frixion highlighters use the same thermal technology as the gel pens - you “erase” the highlighting with the heat-generating eraser on the end of the pen.

The Craft Design Technology Frixion Ball 3 in Dark Green, shown alongside the CDT Highlighters.

Takeaways and Where to Buy

The Pilot Frixion isn’t for everyone, but for those of us with a need for the convenience of erasable ink, it’s now a solid product that I use regularly on a case-specific basis. My personal favorite version of the Frixion gel pens is the Frixion Ball 3 multi pen, which we stock in the Craft Design Technology Dark Green variant. It’s design is similar to other Pilot Multi Pens like the Wood 4+1 and the Dr. Grip line. This pen comes with black, blue, and red Frixion refills in a .5mm tip size.

We also carry certain colors of the Frixion Highlighter (which I use fairly frequently), and the recently released Frixion Waai retractable pens which introduced unique colors, including some pastels. Of the Waai pens, the “Bronze” and “Cherry” inks are the ones I find the most unique, and stand alone as cool gel colors regardless of the Frixion aspect.

You can come see these and more in person at our Nashville shop (including testers)! Our showroom is open 1-6pm Thursday and Friday, and from 10am-6pm on Saturday.

New Pen Day! Setting Up the Tom's Studio Ori Refillable Highlighter (And Cleaning Out the Lumos)

Tom’s Studio recently announced their latest product - an “infinitely refillable” version of a product that isn’t supposed to be refillable: the highlighter. Dubbed the “Ori,” this new pen works on the same principle as the Lumos and Wren refillable fineliners. Each Ori highlighter pen features a double-ended design with two replaceable cotton reservoirs and marker-style tips. To fill the pen, you dip the end of the reservoir into the ink and watch as the ink saturates the filling system and the tip. Each bottle of Tom’s Studio highlighter ink also includes a small eyedropper, and Tom’s Studio suggests that you apply a drop or two to the tip of the marker to ensure adequate saturation and ink flow.

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It never gets old watching these things fill up.

I’m really happy to see a product like this reach market. Way back in the early 2010s, what prompted me to start exploring better stationery was the waste inherent in disposable pens, and especially plastic highlighters. Working in a research-intensive profession, I would churn through highlighters at a somewhat astonishing pace, though my current burn rate has slowed somewhat due to a focus on finer tipped products like the Zebra Mildliners, which use less ink.

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While it might look like a bit of a project at first, setting up the Ori (and the Lumos and Wren) is fairly simple even if you get inky fingers!

Tom’s Studio currently makes six different fluorescent highlighter inks that you can use with the Ori: Yellow, Orange, Blue, Green, Pink, and Purple. These are available individually in 5ml dropper bottles, or as a set of 6. Each individual Ori comes packaged with the two colors that match the pen’s anodization, and if you spring for the set of three pens, you’ll get all six inks plus a set of the bullet and brush tips. As of today, all products are available in our own shop.

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The three-pen set comes nicely packaged, with inks and all the tips.

If you only want one pen, you can also buy the set of six inks separately.

Inevitable Question: Can I Use the Ori Inks in My Tom’s Studio Lumos Pens?

Yes and No. Per Tom’s Studio, the Green and Purple Fluorescent inks are dye-based, and can therefore be used in the Lumos pens with the fibre or brush tips (i.e., the marker-style tips). The other four inks are pigment based, and should only be used in the Ori Highlighters because they will clog the Lumos. However, all six inks can also be used with dip pens.

These colors are all super saturated and appear as bright as your standard disposable highlighter. Even on the cheapest paper, I’ve had minimal bleedthrough.

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The chisel tip on the Lumos (left) is much finer than the Ori’s tip, though it’s not angled and will need to be held vertically.

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The brush tip on the Lumos can also be used as a highlighter. For both the brush tip and the chisel tip, I’ve chosen not to use the brass tip protector because it covers too much of the marker.

Another note: given how brightly colored these fluorescent highlighter inks are, and the fact that most of them use pigment, I do not expect that it will be easy to rinse out the reservoirs and tips and change colors. Fortunately, both replacement tips and reservoirs are fairly inexpensive, and even with the Tom’s Studio Lumos and Wren refillable fineliners, I’m finding it easier to simply use a new reservoir or tip rather than spend the time required to rinse these things clean enough to change colors. These reservoirs can be flushed a few times before they will no longer hold ink, but it requires a LOT of work. As you can see below, with certain brightly colored inks, you will likely never get the reservoir completely clear of ink residue.

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Despite a lot of washing, these are about as clean as you will get a used reservoir. The top two are probably fine to change colors. The bottom one should only be used with a similarly-colored ink.

The TGS Curated Shop is an authorized retailer of Tom’s Studio products, including pens and inks. We also sell replacement nibs, marker tips, and reservoirs. In addition to our online store, you can see all of these products in our Nashville shop.