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[SteveC]

Following discussions on here and it's predecessor forums, I've taken to experimenting with fountain pens again, after many years of not using them.  Our local Asda (part of WalMart) was selling them for 99p or thereabouts and I thought that was so cheap it would be stupid not to try one.  They're OK (I now have one at work and one at home).  My (totally appalling) writing is a little better with them than most other things.

So, we were in Bath on Saturday at a 'proper' stationers.  They had the Pilot Retractable FP on display.  Chained to the counter, but you could play with it.  What a superb piece of engineering.  Heavy - nice heft in the hand - so smooth to write with.  Someone had written 'this is unbelievable' on the pad they provided for you to try it out.  I even showed the wife.

Then I found the price!

At

[Brad Blackman]

I have a tendency to lose pens, so I haven't had a fancy pen since the Cross pen my dad gave me when I was 14 or 15. (I turn 31 next week.) While I don't like the waxy ballpoint Bic-style pens, I love me a Pilot V5. Been using them non-stop since I was about 16. They're great for writing *and* doodling.

[HollyUK]

Have you tried a Lamy Safari or a Lamy Al-Star?  Very reasonable - you can sometimes pick them up from ebay.  Also you can get them from a website called The Writing Desk (no affiliation just a happy customer). It comes with a cartridge, but you can buy a 'converter' that allows you to use bottled ink from the same website.  Also you can different types of nibs which you can install.  Full price these fountain pens vary from around

[Stephen Smith]

I love my Lamy Safari. It is my first "real" fountain pen, and I have been using it constantly.
See http://stephenpsmith.com/blog/2010/01/pen-pencil-and-paper/ for more.