Many people assume fountain pens are inconvenient, archaic writing instruments. You may be wondering, “What makes them so great?” We’ve listed our top four benefits of using a fountain pen for you to consider before purchasing one.

The Platinum Preppy may look like a cheap fountain pen, but it provides a smooth and consistent writing experience.

If any fountain pen proves that you don’t need to spend a lot of money to get a great one, it’s the Preppy. While it may look like a cheap fountain pen, the Preppy packs a real punch where it counts—the nib. Like Pilot, Platinum produces their nibs in-house, which lets them create remarkably smooth and consistent nibs at shockingly affordable prices. A Preppy nib would feel right at home in a much fancier, more expensive pen body. If you want to invest a little more in the construction of your pen, the Platinum Plaisir pairs a sturdy, lightweight aluminum body with the same smooth nib found on the Preppy.

The Preppy uses Platinum’s proprietary ink cartridges, including the popular waterproof Carbon Black cartridges. The Preppy can also use any bottled fountain pen ink with the help of a converter (sold separately) or an eyedropper conversion.

And if you end up deciding that fountain pens aren’t for you, there’s nothing to worry about. With a felt replacement tip, you can easily convert your Preppy into a marker or highlighter!

The bold LAMY Safari is made of durable ABS plastic.

An iconic product of the '80s, the Safari was the king of beginner fountain pens until the Pilot Metropolitan came along. It’s still an overwhelmingly popular choice, though, and it’s easy to see why. Made of high-quality ABS plastic—the same stuff LEGO bricks are made of—Safaris are virtually indestructible and can stand up to the hard knocks of everyday life. Their design still looks futuristic forty years down the road, and they’re super collectible thanks to their wide and constantly evolving selection of body colors. And not only do they come in a full range of nib sizes, their nibs can be swapped out on the fly! Check out our comprehensive guide to learn more about the Safari.

Besides having to compete with the Metropolitan, the Safari only has a few downsides. Its bold styling isn’t for everyone, and its uniquely shaped grip section can be a pain for anyone who doesn’t hold their pen with a traditional tripod grip. LAMY nibs also tend to be a bit broad, even by Western standards, so those who prefer very fine nibs may be better off looking elsewhere.

Aside from the Safari, LAMY has their own beginner friendly pen ideal for children and adults young at heart. The ABC Fountain Pen is available with a left-handed or A nib, which has a similar line width to a medium nib and is tailored for beginner fountain pen users. The ABC also comes with stickers so you can label it with your name and initials.

The Kaweco Sport is both a portable pocket pen and a full-size daily writer.

The original pocket fountain pen with a history dating back over 100 years, the Sport is the perfect choice for anyone who wants a pen that can do double duty as a portable pocket pen and a full-size daily writer. The Sport’s secret lies in its unique proportions. Featuring a long cap and a short barrel, the Sport is a compact 4.25” long when capped yet nearly 5.5” long with the cap posted on the back of the pen. It features high-quality steel nibs sourced from German nib maker Peter Bock AG. Replacement Kaweco nibs can be swapped in and out at your discretion.

The Sport comes in a wide range of colors and materials, but the plastic Sport pens—the Classic, Frosted, and Skyline—are by far the most affordable. Other models are made from materials like aluminum, brass, steel, and even carbon fiber. They’re incredibly striking, but they’re also too expensive to recommend as beginner fountain pens. Kaweco also releases limited edition Collection Sport pens which are more expensive than existing Sport pens but come in unique colors. You can read more about the permanent Sport product lines in our comprehensive guide.

The TWSBI ECO boasts a high-capacity piston filling mechanism which is typically not found in beginner fountain pens.

If you’re willing to spend a little bit more money to get a lot more pen, consider the TWSBI ECO. The ECO is TWSBI’s most popular fountain pen, sporting a high-capacity piston filling mechanism—a luxury typically reserved for pens with three-figure price tags. Thanks to this mechanism, the ECO can use bottled ink without a converter and holds about three times as much ink as a typical converter-filled pen. The ECO also has a stylish transparent body design that shows off its inner workings and lets you admire the ink sloshing around inside the pen. The ECO offers a full range of nib sizes from Extra Fine to Broad, plus a Stub 1.1 mm nib that gives your writing a calligraphic flair.

The ECO’s only downside is that because of its built-in piston mechanism, it can only use bottled ink, not cartridges. If you prefer using a converter or cartridge, we recommend trying the TWSBI SWIPE. It comes with three filling systems to choose from: cartridge, traditional piston converter, and spring-loaded piston converter. No matter which you choose, each filling system can hold almost as much ink as the ECO. Alternatively, the TWSBI GO boasts not only high ink capacity but convenience by using a spring-loaded piston. To fill the pen, simply submerge the nib in ink and press down on the plunger.