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

By use case.

The right pen depends on what you're going to do with it. A great journaling pen and a great travel pen aren't always the same pen. Each use case below ranks the catalog by the composite score for that scenario — drawn from the per-pen use case grid on every scored review.

First pen

Forgiving writers, conventional shapes, low learning curve.

Vintage scientific plate of a Pilot Kakuno fountain pen, capped and uncapped, showing its hexagonal barrel and hooded nib Top pick 96 Pilot Kakuno Fountain Pen A Pilot Varsity disposable fountain pen with translucent barrel showing remaining ink and a semi-hooded steel nib Top pick 93 Pilot Disposable Fountain Pen Vintage scientific-plate study of a fountain pen resting on a handwritten letter, sepia on cream Top pick 86 Lamy Safari Fountain Pen Vintage scientific plate of a Pilot Metropolitan fountain pen showing the brass barrel and rhodium-plated steel nib Strong choice 84 Pilot Metropolitan Fountain Pen Review Vintage scientific plate of a Pilot Custom 74 fountain pen showing a resin body and 14k gold nib Decent 68 Pilot Custom 74 Fountain Pen Review A Lamy AL-Star fountain pen in graphite aluminum with cap removed, revealing the triangular grip section and steel nib Decent 68 Lamy AL-Star Fountain Pen Review

Office EDC

Durable, professional in hand, comfortable across long meetings.

Vintage scientific plate of a Pilot Metropolitan fountain pen showing the brass barrel and rhodium-plated steel nib Top pick 90 Pilot Metropolitan Fountain Pen Review Vintage scientific plate of a Pilot Custom 74 fountain pen showing a resin body and 14k gold nib Strong choice 84 Pilot Custom 74 Fountain Pen Review Vintage scientific-plate study of a fountain pen resting on a handwritten letter, sepia on cream Strong choice 82 Lamy Safari Fountain Pen A Lamy AL-Star fountain pen in graphite aluminum with cap removed, revealing the triangular grip section and steel nib Good fit 79 Lamy AL-Star Fountain Pen Review Vintage scientific plate of a Pilot Kakuno fountain pen, capped and uncapped, showing its hexagonal barrel and hooded nib Skip 48 Pilot Kakuno Fountain Pen A Pilot Varsity disposable fountain pen with translucent barrel showing remaining ink and a semi-hooded steel nib Skip 46 Pilot Disposable Fountain Pen

Journaling

Wet, smooth, paper-tolerant — for long-form writing sessions.

Vintage scientific plate of a Pilot Custom 74 fountain pen showing a resin body and 14k gold nib Top pick 91 Pilot Custom 74 Fountain Pen Review Vintage scientific plate of a Pilot Metropolitan fountain pen showing the brass barrel and rhodium-plated steel nib Top pick 88 Pilot Metropolitan Fountain Pen Review Vintage scientific plate of a Pilot Kakuno fountain pen, capped and uncapped, showing its hexagonal barrel and hooded nib Strong choice 84 Pilot Kakuno Fountain Pen A Lamy AL-Star fountain pen in graphite aluminum with cap removed, revealing the triangular grip section and steel nib Strong choice 83 Lamy AL-Star Fountain Pen Review Vintage scientific-plate study of a fountain pen resting on a handwritten letter, sepia on cream Good fit 80 Lamy Safari Fountain Pen A Pilot Varsity disposable fountain pen with translucent barrel showing remaining ink and a semi-hooded steel nib Decent 72 Pilot Disposable Fountain Pen

Travel

Robust under bag-rattle, dry-out resistant, TSA-friendly.

A Pilot Varsity disposable fountain pen with translucent barrel showing remaining ink and a semi-hooded steel nib Top pick 91 Pilot Disposable Fountain Pen Vintage scientific-plate study of a fountain pen resting on a handwritten letter, sepia on cream Strong choice 84 Lamy Safari Fountain Pen Vintage scientific plate of a Pilot Metropolitan fountain pen showing the brass barrel and rhodium-plated steel nib Good fit 78 Pilot Metropolitan Fountain Pen Review A Lamy AL-Star fountain pen in graphite aluminum with cap removed, revealing the triangular grip section and steel nib Acceptable 76 Lamy AL-Star Fountain Pen Review Vintage scientific plate of a Pilot Custom 74 fountain pen showing a resin body and 14k gold nib Decent 72 Pilot Custom 74 Fountain Pen Review Vintage scientific plate of a Pilot Kakuno fountain pen, capped and uncapped, showing its hexagonal barrel and hooded nib Acceptable 71 Pilot Kakuno Fountain Pen

Calligraphic flourishes

Line variation — stub nibs, flex, expressive width.

Vintage scientific-plate study of a fountain pen resting on a handwritten letter, sepia on cream Acceptable 76 Lamy Safari Fountain Pen A Lamy AL-Star fountain pen in graphite aluminum with cap removed, revealing the triangular grip section and steel nib Acceptable 72 Lamy AL-Star Fountain Pen Review Vintage scientific plate of a Pilot Metropolitan fountain pen showing the brass barrel and rhodium-plated steel nib Decent 64 Pilot Metropolitan Fountain Pen Review Vintage scientific plate of a Pilot Custom 74 fountain pen showing a resin body and 14k gold nib Skip 48 Pilot Custom 74 Fountain Pen Review A Pilot Varsity disposable fountain pen with translucent barrel showing remaining ink and a semi-hooded steel nib Skip 14 Pilot Disposable Fountain Pen Vintage scientific plate of a Pilot Kakuno fountain pen, capped and uncapped, showing its hexagonal barrel and hooded nib Skip 8 Pilot Kakuno Fountain Pen

Gift

Reads more expensive than it is, looks intentional out of the box.

Vintage scientific plate of a Pilot Custom 74 fountain pen showing a resin body and 14k gold nib Top pick 89 Pilot Custom 74 Fountain Pen Review Vintage scientific plate of a Pilot Metropolitan fountain pen showing the brass barrel and rhodium-plated steel nib Top pick 88 Pilot Metropolitan Fountain Pen Review A Lamy AL-Star fountain pen in graphite aluminum with cap removed, revealing the triangular grip section and steel nib Strong choice 86 Lamy AL-Star Fountain Pen Review Vintage scientific-plate study of a fountain pen resting on a handwritten letter, sepia on cream Decent 72 Lamy Safari Fountain Pen Vintage scientific plate of a Pilot Kakuno fountain pen, capped and uncapped, showing its hexagonal barrel and hooded nib Decent 62 Pilot Kakuno Fountain Pen A Pilot Varsity disposable fountain pen with translucent barrel showing remaining ink and a semi-hooded steel nib Decent 62 Pilot Disposable Fountain Pen