This is a well thought-out and informative list, thanks. I'd like to present an alternative approach. 1. My list would also start with the Varsity - decide if you even want to write with a wet pen, without having to deal with filling it. 2. Get a really cheap & reliable cartridge pen, the Pilot Petit1. Then STOP and consider - do you need anything more than this little tool? Maybe not. You don't have to be a collector if perhaps you have something better to do with your money. Right your heart out with the Petit1 and skip steps 3-5. 3. Get a syringe (cheaper than a converter) and some ink samples (cheaper than bottles). Refill the Petit1 cartridge with a color you love. Find out if you want to fall down the rabbit hole of thousands of fountain pen inks to choose from. Remember, black and blue really are the best for writing. Most fountain pen afficionados will tell you that they already have more ink than they can use in the rest of their lives (like me). You don't NEED anything besides black or blue. 4. Buy a thin pen and a thick pen for not much money: Muji and Jinhao x159. Figure out which suits you best. 5. Splurge on a nicer, pen, with a broad nib or even a stub, as all so far are fine or medium. So you can pick your preferred nib size, and also start to think about price levels. I personally like the Faber-Castell Hexo, with the best steel nib (my) money can buy. Then compare it to the Petit1 - is it REALLY worth THIRTEEN Petit1's? If you find a way to answer yes, then congratulations and welcome to collecting! Go wild! If not, well you've already got three pens, which is two more than you need to write, so quit staring at pens in the stores, quit watching videos, and go get writing.

I think the Eco is also a great way to introduce someone to servicing/cleaning pens with the included wrench and grease. I'm still using my grease today. Had similar takeaways from the Eco aswell. But too many people love TWSBI to discount them to a new user. Chinese pens (I'll call out Asvine, Moonman, Hongdian, PenBBS) are getting to a point (in quality and accessibility) where I would feel comfortable recommending them to a newbie as maybe an alternative to the Eco. The 74 and the Lamy 2000 are getting up there in price...I hope we can see some more interesting offerings between $100-200 (probably not with gold nibs...😢). Thanks for the cool videos this year!

Excellent video-I’m going to send this to friends interested in getting into fountain pens. Your list is perfect.

Great choices and an informative video. I respectfully disagree about the Pilot 78G; I purchased one and was so delighted, that I bought another in the event something happened to my first.

Interesting take on starting out with pens

Good choices! Interesting perspective on starting with the Varsity. I didn't think about that but I agree it makes sense! I personally would take the Pilot Explorer vs. the Kakuno but agree on the great steel nib. Thanks for another great video

9:37 Great videos, glad I found your channel! Not everyone can start the hobby at the top of the food chain so your videos are helping me learn some things that will hopefully be useful as I seek out new pens. I got my Prera this evening and it’s great! Didn’t like the Sport options that were available to me on Amazon. Thanks for the recommendations!

My only fountain pen for over 30 years was a gifted Montblanc 146. This Christmas, a $25 gifted Kaweco Sport ignited my love for fountain pens. Since it seemed too light to me I bought a more comfortable TWSBI Mini with a 1.1 mm stub nib. I loved that nib so much that I bought a 1.1 mm stub for my Kaweco. Now even though my TWSBI Mini is a better quality pen, my Kaweco Sport with 1.1 mm nib is my favorite writer!

This is a great list! My first fountain pen was the Muji metal fountain pen. I got a Kaweco Liliput next, then the Eco and I got a Prera in there too somewhere. It was all over when I got the greatness that is the Eco and Prera. 🤣

The Pilot Varsity was not my first pen. (My first was a Parker Vector.) But the Pilot Varsity opened my mind to the possibilities of different colors of ink. And I'm glad to see you recognize the Kakuno rather than the Metropolitan. I agree that the Kakuno is a much better pen. I think it does a credit to the company that Pilot appears so much on your list. I'll admit I no longer use my Pilot Custom 74, but I use the Pilot with the same nib: the Pilot Custom Heritage 92. It's more expensive, though. But I actually love the Lamy 2000! Cool list!

Nice list. I’d consider the penbbs 456 over the eco in its spot.

The idea of a disposable fountain pen like the Varsity is almost offensive.

I grabbed the Petit1 (200 yen! 200!) and oh man this thing is way too good for what it is.

You seem to be starting over with the knowledge/experience you have now…so, I would skip the beginner pens and go right to the Pilot 823, Platinum 3776, Aurora Optima, and the like! As it was, even though I had fountain pen experience from childhood, I did start 10 years ago with TWSBI Mini, Lamy Safari, etc. Love Pilots. Also Opus 88’s pocket Fantasias-best travel pen because of a lot of ink for it’s size and flying-friendly filling style.

The only thing that could’ve made this video better is if you had written down the name of the pen using the pen that you were writing down. That way we can see how they all write differently💜

Where is Lamy Safari?

What’s wrong with the 78G?

I don't like those baseline varsity types. dreadful. Kakuno all the way. I have to say Pilot fits my small hands better than most of the popular types. I love the long grip and the build quality. They are light but solid. I like the Kaweco sport for the fun factor.

Gold nibs are not worth the money. I say this as someone sufficiently advanced in accumulating fountain pens that I actually buy ONLY gold nibs nowadays. But then, I am an IDIOT. Do as I say, not as I do. A nice Faber-Castell with their fantastic steel nib is all the pen anybody needs. There, I said it. Somehow I got it in my head that I was worth gold nibs. Before you make the same mistake, get it into your head that gold nibs are not worth the money.