The answer will probably be "it depends". On smoothness, fountain pens have the edge in that mechanically, a fountain pen is just a very smooth ball of metal th

The answer will probably be "it depends". On smoothness, fountain pens have the edge in that mechanically, a fountain pen is just a very smooth ball of metal that's being constantly lubricated by a controlled leak of ink through capilary action. With some decent enginnering and manufacturing (caveat : both of these cost money), this will be hard to beat when it comes to pure friction. When it comes to practicality... Let's say one does not buy a fountain pen to be practical ;-) These things are fairly maintenance heavy and prone to accidents. There's a reason they have been superseded by several other pen types these days. Fountain pen is a tool from a different era. One that excels at putting ink on paper in a very comfortable / stylish / craftsman manner...