Fine, medium, broad — picked by your actual writing size and paper.
Smart eBay searches we'd start with ourselves. We earn a small commission on qualifying sales through these links, and 90% of it goes to charity (you can pick which); the price you pay is the same whether you use them or go direct to eBay. Full disclosure.
Pilot MetropolitanThe Metropolitan is the honest starter recommendation — consistent nib, reliable converter feed, sub-$25. Fine or medium nib first.
Bottled ink (Diamine/Iroshizuku)Diamine inks are the value option; Pilot Iroshizuku is the step up. Avoid cheap unbranded inks — they gum nibs.
Leuchtturm A5 (dot grid)A5 dot grid is the format most fountain pen users land on. Leuchtturm paper handles most inks without bleed-through.
Piston converterA standard converter turns a cartridge pen into a bottled-ink pen. Pilot and LAMY converters are brand-specific; verify fit before buying.
Pen flush + bulb syringeMonthly flushing with clean water (or Rapido-Eze pen flush) prevents dry ink from ruining a nib. A bulb syringe makes the job faster.
Suggest a niche, calculator, or article. We read every submission — the operator picks one a week to turn into a real page.