Different things for different purposes. Fountain pens are sometimes viewed as a fashion statement or a statement of prestige and They can be used for special occasions, such as the signing of an important contract, etc. On the other side Ballpoint pens are considered mainstream, everyday pens and widely used by the people to meet their usual writing needs because of their economical price and convenience in their usability.
There are different types of pens are present in the world we live in. These are classified into different types based on their functionality, materials used, purpose, user adaptability, etc. The differences between Ballpoint pens and Fountain pens(Ink Pens) is the most debated topic because of the various reasons. some of the differences are covered in the below given table.
BALLPOINT PEN
The ink of the ballpoint pen is oil based. Water resistance can be more or less taken for granted with standard blue and black inks of ballpoint pens.
FOUNTAIN PEN
The ink of the fountain pen is water-based. Generally, fountain pens are not water resistant but waterproof and tamper-proof security ink now available for fountain pens
COMPARISON TABLE
| BALLPOINT | FOUNTAIN |
|---|---|
| The ink of the ballpoint pen is oil based. | The ink of the fountain pen is water-based. |
| Nature of Ink | |
| The oil-based ink of ballpoint pen could be washed away with solvents but less fade-able when compared to ink pens. | The water-based ink is more difficult to be washed away and can be faded over time which is found in fountain pens. |
| Writing Quality | |
| Ballpoint pen writes less smoothly when compared to fountain pens. | Fountain pen writes smoothly. |
| Variety of Surfaces | |
| Ball point pens won't dry out and write over a wider variety of surfaces like plastic, wood, etc. | Fountain pen may not write on various surfaces as ballpoint pens write. |
| Ink Usage | |
| Ballpoints use less ink and can write long | Fountain pens use up ink pretty fast. |
| Ink Stains | |
| The ink of ballpoint is greasy and is difficult to remove from clothing if it leaks | Fountain pens must be carefully capped when carried, as ink can still leak easily |
| Leakage | |
| Ballpoint pens are convenient and less prone to leakage. | Fountain pens are more calligraphic and are more prone to leakage. Anyway, Modern fountain pens of decent quality, don't leak. |
| Maintenance | |
| Ballpoint pens need no maintenance. | Fountain pens generally need to be cleaned on a monthly basis. |
| Ink Refill | |
| When ballpoint pens run out of ink, the entire pen unit is put in the trash. | When fountain pen runs out of ink you only need a refill adapter and a bottle of ink to refill it. |
