Use the right pen when getting baseballs autographed

[cgilmo]

This image (blatantly stolen from a facebook group)shows a comparison of several different pens over time.

The Bic Pro Plus
Staedtler lumocolor
JetStream
Bic Crystal

It seems that on leather baseballs that the Jet Stream holds up the best.

Jet Streams can be found here (shameless ebay ad)
http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_sacat=0&_nkw=jetstream+pen&_blrs=spell_check

 

[u2me57]

Hard to tell but it looks like The Bic Pro Plus held up fairly well too.

 

[moxacaine]

id be ok with any except the Staedtler lumocolor

 

[mrmopar]

Or, don't let your balls hang out in the sun.

 

[Philliesphan1973]

That's good info to know , thanks for posting .

 

[cgilmo]

Or, don't let your balls hang out in the sun.

Over time even indoor light can have the same effect.

 

[swish54_99]

I only use bic crystal pens and have had only 1 even remotely start to fade. Used them on close to a couple hundred balls over the last 10 years. Whatever you do, don't use any sort of sharpie type marker.

 

[goobmcnasty]

Or, don't let your balls hang out in the sun.

I'll elect for the silent lay-up. You Chris-Pauled the assist nicely. Anyone could've Blake Griffin'ed it in.

 

[cgilmo]

I'll elect for the silent lay-up. You Chris-Pauled the assist nicely. Anyone could've Blake Griffin'ed it in.

I didn't even catch it.

my bad

 

[predatorkj]

I use the same kind of bic ball point pen and I've started to notice the autos on random ones are fading. Like, I've got an Astros team ball where one auto is sort of faded and others aren't despite all being signed with the same pen. And some other sweet spotted balls are fading while others look pristine. I'm leaning toward ball quality. Been trying to figure this little conundrum out. It's really making me lean more towards only doing cards or photos. Got way too many man hours tied up into this to have these things fading on me.

 

[predatorkj]

Btw...all mine are done on OMLB's and all are kept in the same place in a cool but dry environment with no light. There really is no real reason I can figure that they would be fading.

 

[swish54_99]

Getting a Rawlings Official Major League Ball is key. Like you said, some things are just random, but using a ROMLB will greatly cut down your chances of it bleeding. It could be the ol greasy fingers of so many people touching it. Sunscreen on someone's hands, or if you/they just ate something greasy will affect the balls too.

 

[Greg Cleveland]

^^^This.

When I go to events like Twinsfest, there are lots of vendors selling the other (cheaper) types of "Official" baseballs made by Rawlings. To a parent, buying multiple balls at $5 a crack is much more manageable than $15-$20/ball. The type of leather isn't the same. Some are more like a vinyl, and ball point will bleed or fade on them. Some Sharpie autos can last on OMLB, but since the leather is more porous, the ink bleeds more. Always ballpoint on OMLB. Always.

 

[predatorkj]

No, mine are the official major league balls. The $20 jobs that come in the cube with the commissioner's sig on it.

I was initially thinking grease/oil but I find it hard to believe only because those balls yellow or brown up really bad if you get your fingers on them. I've got a Blake Beavan that looks like he ate fried chicken before he signed it, it's so yellowed. I only grab by the laces but I can't help what the athlete does when they sign.

 

[rsmath]

i wonder how the pilot g2 would hold up. being gel, it might bleed like a sharpie but then again any piece of paper I've written on with a g2 looks bolder than a bic crystal pen for those papers that have been around a couple of years or have been exposed to sunlight on my desk for a long time.

 

[Pine Tar]

Or, don't let your balls hang out in the sun.

That's good info to know , thanks for posting .

ha hahhaa

 

[predatorkj]

i wonder how the pilot g2 would hold up. being gel, it might bleed like a sharpie but then again any piece of paper I've written on with a g2 looks bolder than a bic crystal pen for those papers that have been around a couple of years or have been exposed to sunlight on my desk for a long time.

I do have an Andy Petite that was signed in gel pen(not my doing) and it has bled despite being kept in dark and cool environment. It's kinda hard to guess really. Just have to try it and see. Bad thing is, you do it with a decent player, you may be kicking yourself later.

And btw, I've actually got a ball or two signed in sharpie and believe it or not, some of them fade a little(again, not my doing as these were given to me) but then they stopped and are holding strong. But I'd still stay away. This is a problem I had with white panel footballs which look beautiful for a couple of months after they are signed and then slowly start to fade. I've put a lot of time into trying to find the best things to get signed with the best possible pen/marker. Oddly enough, paint pen is no problem on just about anything but it doesn't necessarily dry like I'd like it to. Got a few footballs and mini helmets signed with them and you have to be very careful to keep your hands away from the signed spots, even now, years later.

I've also heard those black baseballs with the gold or silver stitching tend to fade over time. That's why for baseball, if it's not cards, I tend to stay with Official major league balls or pictures.

 

[sierra79]

Just out of curiosity, has anyone used thin black acrylic paint markers on baseballs? I know there may be an issue controlling the flow of the paint, but Acrylic will not fade like inks and watercolors. I would be interested to see how that holds up. Also, what about micron pens...I know they do well on paper, but any ideas on leather?