If you are passionate about pens, then you should know that pens are more than just writing tools that you use and discard when they are no longer functional; they can be great instruments that help you work and get your creative juices flowing. That said, many people don’t want to spend hundreds of dollars on pens if they don’t have to. That is where pen refills come in.
Disposables versus pen refills
Some people argue that it is nearly impossible to find refills for pens these days, implying that pen manufacturers only make disposables, which is not the case. Any pen collector knows that refills are readily available for these supposed “disposable’ pens. Some pen makers are even easy to find with attractive bulk packages, like Elkos Pens.
Obviously, disposable pens are the easiest type of pen to use and maintain, and also the cheapest, because you simply replace them when you’re done. They can be very good quality and ideal for those who value ease and convenience, but tend to lose pens a lot. However, they can be costly in the long run, especially if you use them heavily, since replacing a full pen is generally more costly than replacing a refill.Refillable pens, on the other hand, are not only more environmentally sound, but also more attractive, because the barrels are made to last through multiple refills. Refillable pens are also cheaper to run compared to disposables, plus the maintenance process is fairly simple.
How to refill a gel pen
There are different ways to refill different pens. Some require you to replace the nib and refill unit in one (the entire center of the pen is the refill), while others allow you to replace the nib units separately (messy) – so you don’t have to replace a perfectly good nib, plus you don’t throw away usable ink if the nib wears out first.
For the latter process, you have to be careful to prevent air bubbles and any disturbances to the gel. Different inks also need to be matched to a pen, but if working with the same brand, this should not be a problem.
Why you should consider pen refills?
Disposable pens have an obvious appeal: you don’t have to worry about losing them because of their low replacement cost. Indeed, these pens are freely given way as advertising for hotels, businesses, meetings, and conferences. But like many other disposable items, there are implications that may not necessarily be reflected in the cost of acquisition. In the US, more than 1.6 billion pens are discarded, and only a small fraction get recycled or donated. So, most of them contribute to the growing landfills.
So, using a refillable pen that you can keep with you for years seems like a great alternative. Pen makers now have refillable ballpoint, gel, fountain, and roller ball pens are prices that are competitive with disposable versions, so you can certainly get something that appeals to you.
Elkos Pens are one of the leading manufacturers of refillable pens in the world. To check out our collections of pen refills, visit our website at: www.elkospens.com
