I'm looking to spend roughly $100 on a nice fountain pen. What brands, and what materials/features should I consider?
I have a small collection of fountain pens and I love writing with them. My personal favorite is the Sensa Meridian
This pen got me through tons of college note taking. It's super comfortable because of the uniquely flexible cushioned grip that molds to your hand. It looks classy, comes in a few colors if you look around, and retails for only $40 or so...
11 Answers
Check out ebay for the buy it now's on Fountain Pens. You will see Cross, Waterman and Parker all great companies. Be wary of a sellers feedback, but there are 100's of ebay sellers that specialize in authentic quality pens.
I don't write with a fountain pen, but I do love nice pens. I have a few Mont Blanc's and Watermans. A nice pen is an investment that should last forever, I have carried my Meisterstuck rollerball daily for 3 years.
Lanier (lanierpens.com) makes some great pens. Their classic line averages $60-75, and they have some under their baron line for $105.
If you really want to go all out, you can't beat a parker (parkerpens.com). You'll pay a premium but it is definitely worth it.
Since Rotring stopped making fountain pens, I've become partial to antique fountain pens. The quality of construction is better for the money and you can't beat the "air" of a vintage writing instrument. Try ebay or Pen Bid
Check out penhero.com. You can find there everything you need about fountainpens, information, pens and all pen bookmarks.
I am an amateur fountain pen connoisseur. Anything pen or stationary related peaks my interest. With this in mind, my favorite fountain pen in my collection is a Lamy Vista from the Safari line (ranging from $25-$40 depending on the model). It's german engineered, simple, reliable, and looks great. It was voted Best Pen under $100 in Stylus Magazine's 2007 review according to various sources. The best thing about the Lamy Safari collection is that they have numerous colors and finishes to fit your personal style.
I worked in the Pen Industry (yes, it exists) for 3 years and I will tell you that spending $100 on a pen is akin to spending $1000 for a bottle of water: you can spend a couple of dollars and get better than the average, but after that, you're just throwing away money.
If it's the style you want, get on ebay and buy a nice looking pen that looks like the expensive one you pick out. 9 times out of 10, they're made in the same factory and have all of the same components, just a different name on them or no name at all. They will have the same heft and quality you would get with an expensive pen.
If you want the feel of the ink, buy a refill from the brand you like, although, the knockoff probably already uses that too. Check the refill before you replace it.
The company I worked for made millions selling $100 pens for $3 to major corporations in America, I promise you, they are almost always the same and at the price you'll get them for, you'll be able to buy 10 for half the price of one with name on it.
Heck, some may even include the name!
Here's a great pen, and you don't even have to spend $100. It's the Bic Round Stic:http://store.pensrus.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=PRU-RS&Category_Code=BIC&Product_Count=1
You can get them for 24 cents a piece, and they'll even put your name on it!