Fountain Pens:
Lamy AL-Star
I own the Bronze and Cosmic colors and have become some of my favorite pens! It does have a triangle grip section. That may not be for everyone, but it can help you adjust your grip on the pen if you’d like to change that. Initially, I didn’t like the grip section, but it’s grown on me.
Purchase links: Goulet Pens, Jenni Bick, JetPens, Yoseka Stationery
Lamy has come out with some awesome holiday gift sets for the AL-Star and some other pens in their collection. They’re a great deal! I’m tempted to get one for myself… but my wallet tells me that I shouldn’t.
Purchase links: Goldspot, Goulet Pens
Pilot Kakuno
Arguably, one of my favorite beginner fountain pens. It’s reasonably priced and a very smooth writer.
Purchase links: Amazon, Goulet Pens, JetPens, Yoseka Stationery
TWSBI ECO Smoke Rose Gold
TWSBI ECOs can only be used with bottled ink, but the ink capacity is one of the biggest selling points for this pen. If you write a lot, a TWSBI ECO is a wonderful choice!
Purchase links: Goulet Pens, JetPens, Yoseka Stationery
Glass Dip Pen
The glass dip pen I own is from an affordable brand off of Amazon. I don’t think it’s the greatest glass dip pen available but is great for the price in my opinion. It’s perfect for testing inks and small writing sessions.
Purchase link: Amazon
Fountain Pen Inks:
Fountain Pen Ink Samples
I love fountain pen ink samples! They’re a great way to get a feel for inks before committing to a full botle.
Purchase links: Anderson Pens, Goulet Pens
Diamine Inks
I’ve only tried a couple of Diamine inks. (My current favorite is Aurora Borealis.) But they’re a well-established brand with a fairly reasonable price point. I really want to try more colors from them.
Purchase links: Amazon, Goulet Pens, JetPens