Updated weekly. The methodical review of fountain pens
Nib & Ink
How we score Guides

Brands.

Every pen brand we cover, the pens scored from each, and the editorial direction for that house. The catalog grows brand by brand — when we publish the first review for a new manufacturer, their section appears here.

Pilot

Japan. The factory-tuning benchmark in steel nibs at every price point.

4 specimens scored
Vintage scientific plate of a Pilot Custom 74 fountain pen showing a resin body and 14k gold nib $160 86 Pilot Custom 74 Fountain Pen Review Vintage scientific plate of a Pilot Metropolitan fountain pen showing the brass barrel and rhodium-plated steel nib $22 85 Pilot Metropolitan Fountain Pen Review Vintage scientific plate of a Pilot Kakuno fountain pen, capped and uncapped, showing its hexagonal barrel and hooded nib $14 82 Pilot Kakuno Fountain Pen A Pilot Varsity disposable fountain pen with translucent barrel showing remaining ink and a semi-hooded steel nib $4 76 Pilot Disposable Fountain Pen

Lamy

Germany. Design-first writers with the most distinctive grip section in the catalog.

2 specimens scored
A Lamy AL-Star fountain pen in graphite aluminum with cap removed, revealing the triangular grip section and steel nib $40 82 Lamy AL-Star Fountain Pen Review Vintage scientific-plate study of a fountain pen resting on a handwritten letter, sepia on cream $30 80 Lamy Safari Fountain Pen

Working through next: Pelikan, TWSBI, Kaweco, Platinum. Each gets its own section here once we publish its first scored review.

12 reviews cover multiple brands — roundup posts like "Best Budget Fountain Pens" don't sit under a single brand. Those are indexed on the homepage and under Guides instead.