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Best Pen for Autograph on Baseball?
canjond
Posts: 422 ✭✭✭
What ballpoint pen do folks use for signatures on a baseball? I have a few official Manfred balls that were signed in the last 18 months (all at various times, and the balls came from various batches - not a single dozen from the same batch) with a BIC blue Round Stick Medium ballpoint, and I've noticed that all are starting to show various parts where the signature is bleeding (some in the middle of the signature, some towards the end, including the final stroke). All of the pens used were prepped first, although I did not erase the balls or otherwise prep them before signing (I've heard some folks do that).
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As far as I know that is the best one (I have also used Papermate BP pens).
Are you sure it is bleeding and not breaks due to the grain of the leather? If it is bleeding I can only guess that there was too much "oil" in the ink. It might be the batch of pens more than the balls.
I have my share of signed baseballs but leather is a terrible substance to write on and in general ballpoint pens are a bad choice for a pen, but in the case of leather baseballs it works out that they are the best (only real) choice.
You obviously understand the variations in balls that can occur. I pick up the good ones (ROMLB) at Walmart at season-end clearance time - a couple years ago I got some for about $6 each. I let them sit for a few years and see if anything funky happens to them before I use one for an important signature.
Retractable Sharpie markers, the pen ink dries quickly upon application, so it doesn’t smudge easily after marking on a surface. Sharpie has been a household name for permanent markers for decades, and this is one of their bestsellers.
I have to disagree with the Sharpie. The ink is not the problem so much as the leather.
Sharpie (retractable or otherwise) is good for many items, especially glossy surfaces, but on leather it can spread and you might end up with a yellowish halo around the signature. Also, a Sharpie is thicker, especially on material that is absorbent.
If you look at the big memorabilia retailers who contract with players the baseballs are always signed in blue ballpoint pen. I have been to signings at card shows and the player would pick up the blue ballpoint pen when handed a baseball.
Just look at what the experts and big memorabilia outfits use.
Sakura permanent marker is great, the ink stays permanent once dried, resistant to the elements, suitable for outdoor uses. I think it is the best pen for baseball autographs.
The problem is, even if the ink is stable or "permanent", the leather is still an unstable substance.
The regular rules or considerations don't apply to leather.
The only best ballpoint pen for autograph on baseball is PILOT metallic permanent paint markers. No one in this collectors forum never ever discuss about this great one. I have found this website online, only they written the details: Here are reviews of the markers
I did what I normally would not do, and I clicked on the above link. It was a review of pens, heavy on the Sharpies and similar pens.
Based on the poor grammar on the site and the spelling of certain words, it is clear that it is not US- based. Therefore, I would not expect the authors to know anything about baseballs.
While Sharpie-type pens are great for photos, helmets, bats, etc., and somewhat acceptable for paper in some cases, they are not ideal or even advisable for baseballs.
Baseballs have a lot going on that precludes the successful or reliable use of most pens. Baseball leather is not particularly stable, with the tanning chemicals, the adhesive, and the dye. Experience shows that blue ball point pens (BIC or Papermate) are best.
A "PILOT metallic permanent paint marker" is not a ballpoint pen.
Paint pen on a baseball?
Can you show us your baseballs signed with these types of pens?
Recently I used Shuttle's 30-pack black permanent markers, its quality is also very good. It's much cheaper with Sharpie but good quality, black, and even ink.
Why do we have new posters repeatedly linking you that garbage website?! That site gets kickbacks by referring people to Amazon (it says so at the bottom of the page). It is only pushing more expensive options.
There is lots of general information on various pens whichdoes not apply to leather. The reasons have already been stated in the posts above.
Leather is not like any other material you might get signed. The oils and fats in the leather will migrate the Sharpie or similar ink over time.
Once again, just open eyes and see what the major memorabilia companies use.
OK, I've figured out the scam going on here....
The three posters with very low post counts (maybe the same person?) are all just here to promote websites. In the case big the poster with 8 posts, all 8 posts have been redirects to the same site which promotes pens for profit.