die Angst, dass etwas, das du liebst, verschwinden wird

That’s not quite the catchy tag-line we were after. We were hoping the translation machine (die Übersetzungsmaschine) would cough up a beautiful German compound word for “the fear that something you love will vanish.” Or even better, “the terror that the only pen you can use will cease production.”

That’s been our lingering fear, our source of angst, ever since we discovered the Uniball .5mm Micro fine rollerball pen. Not that there’s a rational source for our concern: since its introduction in 1980, the rollerball has been a continuous best seller. But it’s not as easy to find as it used to be. One national chain no longer stocks the blue ink version, “crucial blue,” as the shade is known around here. Entscheidend blau if you prefer.

So when we set out to buy as many of these indispensable pens as we could, our intent was purely selfish. We wanted to stock up for say maybe the next two decades. Then we discovered that it was possible to customize the barrel of our beloved Uniball. How could we resist?

About Rollerball Pens

Rollerballs are the closest writing experience to using a fountain pen. People love them for their smooth, crisp lines. Rollerballs work like a ballpoint, with a small suspended ball that rolls the ink across the page. Since they use water-based ink, the ball mechanism is better lubricated than it is by oil-based inks, giving a seamless feel when writing.