[Digory]

The entry level Pilot, Parker and Lamy pens are pretty reliable, for between $20-50. I started with a Parker Jotter medium nib years ago, and it remains one of my favorite writers.

(ed: I’ve had magnificent $3 chinese pens, awful $3 chinese pens, and some that can be improved with fiddling. Most Americans prefer broader, more “buttery” writing, which can be hard to get from the average Chinese nib. For most beginners, then, I’d say get a basic medium nib pen from an American/European/Japanese brand.)