[zwieback]

In Germany in the 70s when I was in elementary school and forced to write with fountain pens there were two camps: Geha and Pelikan - you were one or the other and they had different ink cartridges.

Later on we upgraded to fancier pens like Lamy or Montblanc but honestly, the mass market kid pens worked better.

There were also strict rules about which colors we were allowed to use.

When we spent some time in a US school during my dad's sabbatical we were amazed that the kids used pencils - so convenient and erases better than the "Tintenkiller" we had to use.

[ashtonkem]

It’s funny how different brands have different perceptions over time and space. Today, as an American, upgrading from a Pelikan to a Lamy makes no sense to me; for me Lamy produces cheap intro pens (2K excepted), while Pelikan produces gold nibbed introduction luxury pens.

Montblanc remains luxurious, but I have a hard time imagining them being purchased by a child or student; I associate them with older executives who would proudly display it on their desk.

[zwaps]

In Germany of early 90s it was Lamy or Pelikan, Lamy having the long cartridges and Pelikan the small ones (if I remember right).

[aries1980]

It is hard to beat a Pelikan and they have some fancy range.

It is strange you didn't mention Rotring. They are quite affordable, nice design, good pens.

[zwieback]

I didn't use Rotring till college. For drafting I had a set of 4 pens with the thin cylindrical shaft in different diameters.