I make pens, so I have a wide range, usually around 100, pens to choose from.

I love my celluloid pens, like one of the Vacs or the Striped Duofolds. The faint scent of camphor rises to my nostrils when I take it out of my pocket and I’m immersed in the experience of writing with a work of art that is older than me.

I also have a Platinum Preppy and a few other inexpensive pens that I leave at my desk. I don’t leave my good pens at work.

Once in a while, I’ll use a roller ball or gel pen, but seldom a ballpen. Can’t stand them. :-)

For a “stick it in the pocket and don’t worry about it” pen I’ve settled on the Zebra F-701. Writes well and is virtually indestructible.

The Big Red is also a great “trump the guy with the Mont Blanc” pen for meetings!

By and large, I regard Parker 51s as the best “user” pens. They write well and reliably, can be had without breaking the bank, and, in spite of being about fifty years old, do not look entirely un-contemporary. They leave enough ink to look good on the page, but not too much to get too wet. Really, these are among the last pens made when fountain pens were the rule rather than the exception, and so functionality was king. I carry one at least once a week. The Parker 61, which I regard as a derivative, writes well but requires more TLC. The Parker 21, another 51-derived pen, usually writes well, but is a good bit more fragile.

I think the Namiki Vanishing Point is another good pen to tote around to write. Really, it is a great-writing fountain pen, not a bad price for a new gold-nibbed pen. Oh–and it happens to be retractable–it’s not like they skimped on the pen in the interest of some gimmick. And the “gimmick” is quite functional.

I think the Lamy 2000 probably has one of the best nibs of pens you can get on the market today. The modern Duofolds are good, as well. Both are pricier than the other ones I mentioned.

For non-founts, I like Retro 51 Tornados. They feel good in the hand, are a good size, and take a variety of fairly standard refills. They run about $25. They are nice enough to be a nice pen, while still fun enough not to be stuffy. I own two, and my wife and I have given about ten as gifts for a variety of purposes (bar mitzvas, graduations, etc.).

david boise ID

My favorite fountain pen for writing, whether for planning, or long diary/journal entries is the Schneider Base pen. I got 3 of these! And of course, my Lamy Vista and Safari. All these pens are very, very comfortable to use. When I cannot carry a fountain pen, I go back to my trusty Pilot G2 set, but I got a 6-color set now. :) Cheers!

–a Levenger tortoise shell True Writer rollerball (the one rollerball I consistently use). This is my everyday, on the go jotty pen. I have some Moleskines and other feathery, bleed-thru paper that I’m trying to finish up with and this works. This was a Christmas present.

–a black Namiki Vanishing Point, fine tip. This is one of their older models w/o the silver trimmings. It is entirely black matte. I sometimes use this instead of the Levenger Pen. It works OK on the Moleskines that I’m trying to finish up. This was one I collected in the late 90s.

–a Namiki Falcon, fine tip. This is mainly my journaling pen. Problem is I don’t spend much time these days journaling. I use this with my Rhodia pads at my desk and with a Clairefontaine journal I bought earlier this summer. I’m also planning on putting it to use with a Rhodia Webbie, once I get it. This is my newest pen. I bought it this past summer.

I do also have a few Mont Blancs, a Parker, a Schaeffer, a Rotring, and one or two others. These are currently boxed, but will get put back into rotation at some point.