There's no need to spend $200 for a good fountain pen. There are some very good pens for under $30, for example. I always have a fountain pen in my pocket, one

There's no need to spend $200 for a good fountain pen. There are some very good pens for under $30, for example. I always have a fountain pen in my pocket, one in my desk at work, and one in my desk at home. And 3 or 4 others, empty and just waiting to be filled. I have the ink recommended in the article (well, not that exact colour, but 3 other colours in the same line) and the bottle is a joy to look at: engineering and art married perfectly. A good pen, with good ink that matches good paper: that is what make writing fun. When I'm doing mundane writing, I just start typing. But when I am looking for an interesting phrase to start a document, or to make a transition from one part to another, or to weave the threads into a conclusion at the end -- that always starts with ink in paper. Ink on paper is also where all my ideas start, with words, math, and diagrams. I do know how to use a ballpoint or a felt-tip or those gel thingeebobs. But they are all just seem like work. With a ballpoint, I have to actually press on the paper, like a caveman scratching on a wall. With a felt-tip I have to, well, discard it after a couple of uses because they always seem to dry out. I suppose a gel thingeebob comes closest to a felt pen, but can I have 5 bottles of different colours, ready to load up according to my mood? But enough about me. Another thing I've noticed with fountain pens is that students who learned with them can write well. I don't mean the characters they draw on the page -- I mean the way they organize their ideas. But I don't know if that's because of using a fountain pen or just being educated in a place that encourages the use of fountain pens. To anyone who wants to dabble -- get a 3-pack of Pilot varsity disposable pens for $17 (today's price online) and see if you like them. The ink will last a long time because they have a big repository (the whole insides, I think). There are others at a low price, but I can only vouch for the Pilot ones. (Their whole line is agreeable to my hand.)