How to Fix a Ballpoint or Gel Pen That Skips, Blobs or Leaks

A Pilot G2 gel pen with a clear barrel and a uni Jetstream Edge ballpoint with a black body lying in two rows with their tips at the left — The two pens compared in this guide, a gel pen and a ballpoint, drawn by eye in proportion. Original illustration made for this guide. © Stationery Times.

Products compared

Product	Brand origin	Made in	Price range
Pilot G2 Premium Retractable Gel Pen (0.38 / 0.5 / 0.7 / 1.0 mm)Pilot	Japan	Japan^*	Price range: $under $5 per item
uni Jetstream Edge 0.28 mm ballpoint (SXN-1003-28), black bodyuni-ball	Japan	Japan^*	Price range: $$$5–20 per item

Notes on these facts

Pilot G2 Premium Retractable Gel Pen (0.38 / 0.5 / 0.7 / 1.0 mm): Made by Pilot Corporation (Japan); sold in the US by Pilot Corporation of America. Made in Japan: per US retailer spec sheets (Stop & Shop, OnTimeSupplies for item 31171). Some grocery listings for a 4-pack say "Japan, USA", so origin may vary by pack. Pilot's US site doesn't state it in the sources we found. Source. Price: example listing.
uni Jetstream Edge 0.28 mm ballpoint (SXN-1003-28), black body: Made by Mitsubishi Pencil Co., Ltd.. Made in Japan: The Amazon US listing for the Jetstream Edge (B082ZXNTRL) states Country of Origin: Japan. Mitsubishi Pencil's Japanese product page doesn't state the country of manufacture. Source. Price: example listing.
How we test and disclose samples: How we test stationery.
Price bands are typical US retail, checked October 2026.

Key takeaways

Tombow and Pilot both say writing with the tip above horizontal lets air in at the tip and breaks the ink flow, so tip the pen down.
Pilot and Mitsubishi Pencil both blame ink blobs on a flat writing angle (60 degrees or less) and light pressure; Mitsubishi Pencil adds slow strokes and says to roll the pen on long straight lines.
Tombow says a bent tip makes a doubled or patchy line and none of the maker pages we read describes a repair, so a damaged pen gets a new refill.
Tombow says ballpoint ink can harden two to three years after manufacture; Pilot says use oil-based ink within about 3 years and water-based gel ink within about 2.
Mitsubishi Pencil advises a knock pen on flights, because a capped pen at ground pressure can spray ink when the cap comes off in the 0.8-atmosphere cabin.

How do you fix a ballpoint or gel pen that skips, blobs or leaks?

Work out which fault you have, then change the angle, the paper or the refill that causes it. Tombow, Mitsubishi Pencil (uni) and Pilot (G2) agree on most causes. Our gel vs ballpoint vs rollerball guide explains why these inks behave differently.

If your pen has stopped writing altogether, start with our guide to reviving a dried-out pen, which covers dead refills. This guide is for a pen that still writes but misbehaves. You need plain scrap paper and a spare refill.

Fault	Most likely causes the makers name	Go to
Skips or goes faint	Tip above horizontal, slick or greasy paper, ink dried at the ball, bent tip, old ink	Skipping steps
Blobs or smears at the tip	Flat angle, light pressure, long straight strokes, slow writing	Blob steps
Ink comes out of the tip, tail or cap	Tip left out, heat, air pressure, a drop or hard knock	Leak steps

How do you stop a pen skipping or writing faintly?

Tip the pen down, use plain paper, then replace the refill if the tip is damaged or old.

Keep the pen’s tip pointing below horizontal. Tombow and Pilot both say that writing with the tip above horizontal lets air in at the tip and breaks the ink flow. Tombow notes that a sheet pinned to a wall, or a clipboard held in the hand, can tip the pen up unnoticed.

Tip down, never up. Original illustration made for this guide. © Stationery Times.
Switch to plain, clean paper. Tombow says the ball turns only through friction with the paper, so a slick or greasy surface makes it slide instead of turning. It names oily paper, very smooth paper, glass and plastic, where ink beads up. Mitsubishi Pencil adds coated paper, film and toner.

Glossy loses, plain wins. Original illustration made for this guide. © Stationery Times.
Scribble a few strokes on scrap paper. Tombow says a pen left unused lets its ink dry and thicken at the ball, which turns badly until it gets going, so the first strokes skip. Tombow gives no scribbling instruction; this is our routine. It also warns that an uncapped water-based ballpoint dries out in the tip.

Get the ball turning first. Original illustration made for this guide. © Stationery Times.
Check the tip for dents and dust. Tombow says a knock or drop can bend the metal holder around the ball, leaving a doubled or patchy line, or a skip in some writing directions, and names paper dust packed into the tip. No maker page we read describes a repair.

A bent or dusty tip will not recover. Original illustration made for this guide. © Stationery Times.
Fit a new refill if the tip is damaged or the ink is old. Tombow says ballpoint ink can thicken and harden two to three years after manufacture, and that the refill carries its manufacture date. Pilot says use oil-based ink within about 3 years and water-based gel ink within about 2. Our Pilot G2 guide lists that pen’s refills.

Swap the refill, keep the barrel. Original illustration made for this guide. © Stationery Times.

How do you stop a pen leaving blobs and smears?

Write more upright, press a little harder and keep moving. Both Pilot and Mitsubishi Pencil explain a blob the same way: ink the ball carries but does not put on the paper goes back into the tip, and what does not fit gathers at the edge of the holder. Mitsubishi Pencil says its tips recover surplus ink but not perfectly, so a little pooling is a known trait.

Write at 60 degrees or steeper. Pilot names a flat writing angle (60 degrees or less) as a main cause of ink pooling at the tip, and Mitsubishi Pencil says 60 degrees or more is ideal.

Steeper puts more ball on the paper. Original illustration made for this guide. © Stationery Times.
Press a little firmer. Both Pilot and Mitsubishi Pencil list light pressure as a cause. Mitsubishi Pencil adds that on thin paper over a hard desk the ball touches less paper, so more ink returns to the tip.

Let the ball sink in a little. Original illustration made for this guide. © Stationery Times.
Turn the pen slightly on long straight lines. Mitsubishi Pencil says a straight stroke turns the ball one way only, so the returning ink gathers on one side, and rolling the barrel a little as you draw the line reduces it.

Roll the barrel as you rule. Original illustration made for this guide. © Stationery Times.
Write at a steady pace. Mitsubishi Pencil says slow writing draws out more ink than needed, by the capillary pull that lets a tissue soak up more water than it touches. Pilot adds that rubbing a pooled blob is what smears it.

Do not crawl. Original illustration made for this guide. © Stationery Times.

If blobs persist, suspect a damaged tip. Mitsubishi Pencil says a bent tip, or a flat angle that wears the holder, can thicken the line or let ink out, and that a multi-colour pen’s refills sit off-centre, so the lowest one meets the paper flatter. Fit a fresh refill.

How do you stop a pen leaking?

Find where the ink comes from, keep the tip in and away from heat, and replace the refill after a knock. The makers do not give a repair for a leaking refill, only ways to stop it happening.

Find out whether the ink comes from the tip or the tail. Tombow separates the two. Ink at the tip points to a damaged tip. Ink at the tail points to air that got in at the tip, after writing with the pen tilted up.

Tip or tail? Original illustration made for this guide. © Stationery Times.
Retract the tip or cap the pen after every use. Mitsubishi Pencil says to put the tip back inside after use: switch a knock pen off, and press a cap-type pen’s cap until it clicks. It warns that a pen left tip-out in a pot, or a knock pen pressed by accident in a bag, lets the tip touch lint or fabric, which draws ink out.

Tip in, cap on. Original illustration made for this guide. © Stationery Times.
Keep the pen out of heat. Mitsubishi Pencil says heat can warp the barrel and leak ink and speeds ink ageing, and names a car dashboard and the side of a stove. Pilot also warns against hot places, and Tombow against heat and damp.

Not on the dashboard. Original illustration made for this guide. © Stationery Times.
Take a knock-type pen on a plane. Mitsubishi Pencil recommends knock pens for flights: the cabin is at about 0.8 atmospheres, a capped pen stays at 1.0, and taking the cap off can spray ink from direct-ink ballpoints and felt-tips. Tombow says its Monoball II and pens using its BK-L5P refill are built like a fountain pen and can leak after repeated moves to warmth or low pressure.

Knock pens cope better. Original illustration made for this guide. © Stationery Times.
Replace the refill after a hard knock. Mitsubishi Pencil says a drop can bend the tip, and a hard shock can puncture the gel follower, the jelly plug behind the ink, so ink runs out of the back if the pen is left tilted up. Pilot also lists shocks. Fit a fresh refill.

Dropped hard? Fit new. Original illustration made for this guide. © Stationery Times.

Where do the makers differ?

Mostly in what they name, not in what they advise. On air pressure, Tombow names its Monoball II and the BK-L5P refill, Mitsubishi Pencil says direct-ink ballpoints, and Pilot’s pages we read do not discuss it. On ink age, Tombow says two to three years for ballpoints generally, while Pilot splits oil-based (about 3) from water-based gel (about 2). On storage, Tombow alone adds that cold thickens ink; Mitsubishi Pencil and Pilot name heat. We did not use Pentel or Zebra support pages, so their advice may add detail.

Frequently asked questions

Why does a new ballpoint pen skip?

Tombow says skipping happens while the ball turns badly, for example after the pen has sat unused and its ink has dried at the tip. The other causes the makers list are a slick or oily writing surface, a bent tip and dust packed into the tip.

Why does my gel pen leave blobs at the end of a line?

Pilot and Mitsubishi Pencil explain it the same way: ink that the ball carried but did not put on the paper returns to the tip, and what does not fit gathers at the edge of the holder. Both say a flat angle and light pressure make it worse, and Mitsubishi Pencil adds slow writing.

Is it normal for a pen to leave a little ink at the tip?

Mitsubishi Pencil says its inks and tip gaps are designed to take back surplus ink, but it adds that the recovery is not perfect, so some pooling is a known trait rather than a fault. Pilot describes the same mechanism as structural.

Can a pen leak because of a change in air pressure?

Yes, on some types. Mitsubishi Pencil says direct-ink ballpoints can spray ink when the air inside expands, in a cabin at about 0.8 atmospheres or after a sudden warm-up. Tombow says the same of its Monoball II and the BK-L5P refill, which are built like a fountain pen.

Why does my pen skip more in the cold?

Tombow says ink gets stickier at low temperatures, so writing feels heavy and the line pale.

Does a multi-colour pen leak or wear differently?

Mitsubishi Pencil says the refills in a multi-colour or multi-function pen sit off the barrel's centre, so the tip slants and the refill closest to the paper meets it at a flatter angle. That can wear the holder, thicken the line or leak, so it advises writing more upright with them.

Can you wash gel or ballpoint ink out of clothes?

Mitsubishi Pencil says its gel and water-based inks are made to last, so getting them out of clothes or furniture is very hard and even a cleaner often only fades them. If you try, it suggests wetting the spot with warm water, kneading in mild alkaline detergent or soap by hand and testing a hidden patch first.

Should I take the refill out and clean it?

None of the maker pages we read describes cleaning a ballpoint or gel refill. Mitsubishi Pencil and Pilot both say a refill that has stopped cannot be revived, so fit a new one.

Sources (18)

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