Rollerball vs. Ballpoint Pens: A comparison - Blog
Due to the inks used, ballpoints and rollerballs have different barrel styles. As a ballpoint pen's oil-based ink is less prone to drying, it does not require a cap, so these generally use a twist mechanism or a click mechanism to expose the writing tip. A rollerball pen, with its water-based ink, needs its tip kept out of the air and so will generally have a cap to enclose …