Wednesday, January 7, 2009

Ball Point Pen Question

Ian's latest post resparked a question I have had: does anyone know of an archival or illustrator's ball point pen? I read about such a thing in a not so new book and have not found the one that was mentioned. Does anyone use one?

I have used Nexus art pens but I really disliked them because the skipped constantly.

17 comments:

Ian russell said...

Ammon, could you not buy a refillable pen and use archival ink in it? I don't know how readily you can get archival ink but I would think ''law stationers'' would stock it - the only time I've come across it is when I've had to sign my daughters' birth certificates.

Jess said...

Woah, interesting... I've never come across such a thing myself.

I searched dickblick.com, figuring if anyone would have it they would, and I couldn't find any...

Mary Stebbins Taitt said...

Does anyone know how bad say a papermate stick pen is an an archival way? Does it have acids that will eat the paper? Will it fade terribly?

This used to be a big issue for me when I wrote my poetry in journals by hand, and I was always testing pens for water solubility and light fastness.

I just found an old journal of mine that had been in a flood--it was from 1982 and the poems were totally legible in spite of the fact that they were written probably with a Bic stick or something comparable and the paper was half rotted--not from the pen but from the water--it was underwater for a while. I dried it and boxed it up with a ton of other stuff that got flooded and am still sorting through it.

What will happen to that lovely drawing over time? Anyone know?

Mary Stebbins Taitt said...

I mean Ian's Ruben picture, what will happen to it over time?

I love that picture.

Mike Kline said...

So what I am hearing is Paper Mate pens are not like Timex watches and the art will die a slow death?

Ian russell said...

as long as it outlasts me!

seriously, I think it's got a half-life of 100 years, it's so toxic - I think the resist makes it less than black. it scans black though - a trick of the light.

hey, if it disappears Andrea can use the page again. ;o)

Mary Stebbins Taitt said...

LOL! What a riot. I love a good sense of humor!

Ammon said...

Ian, I do have a couple of Rotring Art Pens that I refill with the same ink that I use in my rapidographs. However, I can't get a gray line out of them from variation in the pressure. I think that is what I am going for. I really enjoy sketching with pens because they are forging but I like the look that is possible with a ballpoint.

I did find out that the Papermate G2 is acid free and waterproof but that ink is super thick.

I wish Timex made pens.

Anyway, thanks everyone for your help.

Mike Kline said...

Yeah, but if Timex made a pen, what would the slogan be"

It takes a licking and keeps on ticking becomes it makes an inking and keeps on... stinking?

Ammon said...

Ink does stink. Especially out of an airbrush I have just discovered. (I scored one for free from a professor who was cleaning out of the school studios). Fun but still no ball point.

willbrovelli said...

Archival ballpoint refills must be ISO 12757-2.
I work in ballpoint pen primarily.
I have used illustrator brand ballpoint pens in the past which is an India ink base but I had a problem with skipping.

Here is a list of archival ink ballpoint pen refills:

*Schneider. Express 785 ISO 1257-2h 178601-sti-(upc:) medium black.

*Schneider. Express 775 ISO 1257-2h 07761-sti-(upc:) medium black.

*Parker. Pelikan Perfect 237 DIN ISO 12757-2 (Black) med

*Zeno Ball point pen. DIN ISO 12757-2

www.williambrovelli.com (to see work)

Hope this was helpful!

Mary Stebbins Taitt said...

WOW! Thanks a lot for this helpful information, Will! I will check it out ASAP! I like ballpoint.

Mary Stebbins Taitt said...

I printed this out, but where would you recommend buying them? Are they readily available?

Mary Stebbins Taitt said...

I looked at your work and explored your website. Very interesting, would like a closer look.

Jerry Stith said...

BallPoint Archival Inks: DIN ISO (Security Inks) 12757-2

*Papermate Stick 2020 Fine Red P27325

DIN standard ink for high standards of performance

*Papermate Stick 2020 Fine Grn P27345

DIN standard ink for high standards of performance

*Papermate Stick 2020 Med Grn P27645

DIN standard ink for high standards of performance

*Papermate 2020 Blue 1.0 tip Stick

DIN standard ink for high standards of performanceStick Ball Pen Medium Red

forgery-proof paste conforming to ISO 12757-2, line width M

*Stick Ball Pen Fine Blue

forgery-proof paste conforming to ISO 12757-2

*Stick Ball Pen Medium Black

forgery-proof paste conforming to ISO 12757-2

*Stick Ball Pen Fine Black

forgery-proof paste conforming to ISO 12757-2

*Stick 2000 Pen Medium Blue

DIN standard ink for high standards of performance

*Stick Ball Pen Fine Red

forgery-proof paste conforming to ISO 12757-2 Staedtler Mars Multiple Casings or body designs, 430 Stick Medium,

Line width F, M, indelible ink conforming to ISO 12757-2 Schneider SIMPLY FUNCTIONAL

*Giant refill EXPRESS 225 with wear resistant stainless steel tip

*Refill EXPRESS 75 with wear resistant stainless steel tip

interchangeable refill, waterproof ink ISO12757.2 A2

*Schneider: Express 740 ballpoint refill X20 Giant Refills ISO 12757-2H

*Stride Inc Schneider ® Express 775 Permanent ink is ISO 12757-2H.

Medium point is 0.6mm. Fine point is 0.4mm.

*Stride Inc Schneider ® Express 775 Permanent ink is ISO 12757-2H.

*07751 - STI - (UPC:) Schneider Express 775 Ballpoint Refills - Fine (BLACK)

*07752 - STI - (UPC:) Schneider Express 775 Ballpoint Refills - Fine (RED)

*07753 - STI - (UPC:) Schneider Express 775 Ballpoint Refills - Fine (BLUE)

*07761 - STI - (UPC:) Schneider Express 775 Ballpoint Refills Medium (BLACK)

*07762 - STI - (UPC:) Schneider Express 775 Ballpoint Refills Medium (RED)

*07763 - STI - (UPC:) Schneider Express 775 Ballpoint Refills Medium (BLUE)

*07764 - STI - (UPC:) Schneider Express 775 Ballpoint Refills Medium (GREEN)

*Stride Inc Schneider ® Express 785 Permanent ink is ISO 12757-2H.

*178601 - STI - (UPC:) Schneider Express 785 Ballpoint Refills - Medium (BLACK)

*178603 - STI - (UPC:) Schneider Express 785 Ballpoint Refills - Medium (BLUE)

*Stride Inc Schneider ® Express 735 Medium point line width is 0.6mm. Fine point line width is 0.4mm. Ink is ISO 12757-2G2 waterproof.

*07351 - STI - (UPC:) Schneider Express 735 Ballpoint Refills - Fine (BLACK)

*07352 - STI - (UPC:) Schneider Express 735 Ballpoint Refills - Fine (RED)

*07353 - STI - (UPC:) Schneider Express 735 Ballpoint Refills - Fine (BLUE)

*07361 - STI - (UPC:) Schneider Express 735 Ballpoint Refills - Medium (BLACK)

*07362 - STI - (UPC:) Schneider Express 735 Ballpoint Refills - Medium (RED)

*07363 - STI - (UPC:) Schneider Express 735 Ballpoint Refills - Medium (BLUE)

*07364 - STI - (UPC:) Schneider Express 735 Ballpoint Refills - Medium (GREEN) Stdtler Retractable BallPen Tub10 42125S Retractable ballpoint pen

blue forgery-proof paste conf. to ISO 12757-2 ZENO Ball Point Pen

permanent black ink conforming to DIN ISO 12757-2

Solid tip with HAUSER Ceramic Ball writing strokes SF (0.6mm)
writing capacity: 0.9g / 1,000M Parker Pen

*Parker makes archival quality refills conform to the ISO standard ISO12757-2 Pelikan Perfect 237
colours: blue, red black With the permanent ink conforming to DIN ISO 12757-2.
Widths: F = fine (0.8 mm Ø), M = medium (1 mm Ø), B = broad (1.2 mm Ø)
Solid tip of stainless steel, tungsten carbide ball

Jerry Stith said...

http://jerrystith.multiply.com/ this URL will direct you to my main ballpoint pen art site.
This link http://ballpointpenart-stith.blogspot.com/ will send you to my blog. I have 3,480 ballpoint drawings by 220 artists, 78 video’s, 150 articles plus people from around the world visiting those sites.
Cheers, Jerry Stith

Mary Stebbins Taitt said...

ts of good and helpful info here, and the site is very interesting.