[blagie]

<-- This post is accurate, but I'd phrase it more strongly. Not all the listed pens in the original post are even "good." The Montblanc is mostly jewellery. It doesn't write as well as pens a fraction of the price, and you're mostly paying for the logo. I dismissed the post seeing it in the list. The Pilot Metropolitan this post mentions cost less than 1/10th the price, and writes a lot better.

I'll mention: Another way to go are $1-$5 fountain pens from China. You can get about a dozen for the cost of a single Pilot, or about a hundred for the cost of the Montblanc. The quality is mixed, but if you buy a few, you'll get a couple really good ones, a couple typical ones, and maybe a broken one. My better ones are every bit as good as the Pilot.

The nice thing is that at that price, if you lose one, it's not a tragedy.

And at that price point, you can also get a bent nib, a flexy nib, a wide nib, etc. just for fun.

If nothing else, it's a great way to start experimenting and seeing what you like before you buy a more expensive pen to see what you want.

[ahonhn]

I've been using a Platinum Plaisir as my daily driver for 5 years now. ( < $20) It uses the same nib as the ultracheap Platinum Preppy ( < $5 ) (of which I also have far more than I need).