[danShumway]

If you currently use a ballpoint pen, switching to a rollerball will be a huge jump in quality to your writing experience. However, if you already use rollerballs, and you're looking at this and thinking you'd like to try it out, but you haven't ever tried a fountain pen, I would heavily advise giving one a shot. If you know you need a rollerball, then a stick with a rollerball. But don't dismiss a fountain pen out-of-hand -- the cheaper brands will be the same price as the pens listed here, and will be a big jump in quality for a nontrivial number of readers.

In particular, I've used a Fine nib Twisbi Eco (~$30) for multiple years now as my main pen, and I consider it to be one of the better purchases I've ever made. It's cheap enough that I can throw it into a bag or my pocket alongside my keys without worrying too much about it getting scratched or stolen, but it still looks reasonably nice, writes beautifully, holds a ton of ink, and is just a joy to use. There are cheaper pens out there, but I really like having a piston-fill pen, and I think it's just a really good quality, versatile, fun line -- there are even a lot of different color options.

I can describe mechanically why a fountain pen feels good, but I can't really convey how it feels. The best thing I can say is that it takes something that's very mundane (writing) and it makes it feel a tiny bit more pleasurable and 'extravagant' (for lack of a better word). I write a lot, I fill notebooks with handwritten notes. With a fountain pen, it just feels good to write. My handwriting has improved a lot, particularly my cursive -- I suspect in part because I pay more attention to what I'm writing. It's easy to take care of, but it feels good to occasionally wash it out and switch to a new ink color. It feels nice to use permanent things.

I've seen a few people talking about avoiding fountain pen ink even in the rollerballs because they dissolve in water. On that note I will swear by Noodler's Black Waterproof ink. I've completely submerged and soaked pages that I wrote on with that ink, and not only does it not dissolve, it does not even smudge. It's really crazy. One of the really nice things about fountain pens is that there's such a wide variety of colors and styles and glitters, and it just adds to this feeling of making your handwriting feel more expressive and personal. It makes total sense to me that rollerball users would want to be able to use the same ink.

[iCarrot]

Nice to see another fountain pen enthusiast here. I love my Twisbi Eco too, in fact I love all demonstrator pens especially with the Iroshizuku ink. It's not unlike swirling wine.

But for beginners I would only recommend the Pilot Metropolitan, coming at ~$19 with fancy metal body and high quality Pilot nib. That pen is insane bang for your buck and will last years.

[wenc]

As someone who owns two Pilot Metros F and TWSBI Ecos M and F, I would say it really depends on several variables like how big your handwriting is, what kind of paper you write on etc.

The Pilot Metro is often recommended as a beginner pen, but I’m not sure if it ought to be. The F is a little scratchy even on Rhodia Premium paper.

In retrospect, I would have saved the $15 and paid $30 for a TWSBI Eco F. That said, there is a mental barrier to paying $30 for a pen, especially for beginners who are just testing out the waters. On the other hand, the Pilot Metro doesn’t really adequately represent the true pleasures of writing with a fountain pen—-it gives one glimpses but falls short of a full experience.

P.s. pen enthusiasts should check out the upcoming Chicago Pen Show. Yes, there’s a trade show for pens.

[iCarrot]

Well that is because the Japanese nibs are finer than the European counterparts, largely because of dense kanji characters. The rule of thumb is always go one size up for Japanese pen. I have a Metro M, it is smooth as butter.

I'm also eyeing the Twsbi Go line. If it write comparable to the Eco I'll purchase a bunch of them as gift (friends seem less intimidated by the unassuming pens)

[cyberferret]

+1 for the Pilot fountain pens for newbies to the fountain pen world. Great way to learn how to write properly with one without ruining expensive nibs.

Honestly, my writing fatigue has gone way down since I switched back to fountain pens years ago. The fact I don't have to press hard, and can control stroke width etc. with very light pressure changes has meant I can write longer (and neater) nowadays.

I still use my Pilot pens for everyday note taking etc. and for carrying around, as I don't mind if I lose one. I reserve my good pens for writing in my journals or ideas book when at home.

[ecspike]

My one gripe with the Metro and it's cousin the Kakuno is that ink seems to evaporate in them much faster than other pens. I know it's my fault for having too many inked but still.

I got the TWSBI Go first before the Eco, because of the push the plunger to fill with ink, I would put it high for beginners also at a $19 price point and holds a lot of ink.

[calyth2018]

Wouldn't the Noodler be a real PITA if it ever dries in the nib?

[danShumway]

My Twisbi has never dried out, so I'm not sure. I clean it maybe every 3-4 months with cold tap water, usually whenever I want to switch colors. My rough understanding is that Noodler's ink becomes permanent because of a reaction with the cellulose in the paper -- it shouldn't have the same reaction to metals or plastics. I'm not super-up-to-date with the mechanics, so don't quote me on that. But regardless, I've never had any difficulty getting residue out of the pen.

Certainly if you spill it on your clothes, there is probably nothing reasonable you can do to ever get rid of that stain. Presumably that's the desired effect from a waterproof ink anyway though -- you don't want it to be removable.