@collin oooh, so many great options! My 2 personal favorites would be the LAMY Al-Star and the TWSBI Diamond 580. I'm sure others will offer up other great options, but that's my proverbial $0.02.

@jessekelber I think I’m going to go with a TWSBI.

@collin they're awesome pens, especially for the money. One caveat, being piston fill, your newbie will have to refill from a bottle, no cartridges to ease the transition.

@jessekelber this was also a concern I had. Hm.

@collin Maybe start them with a Swipe? They can take anything.

@collin Anything Lamy is a great starter pen except for the Safari, which I really dislike. Probably my favorite brand of all is Diplomat. Their Aero pens are so, so good, but a bit above your target price ($180). They do make a pen that falls under $100 at the store where I buy my pens, but they seem to be out of stock.

@gdp @collin @jessekelber Fabre Castell Loom. Cheaper but solid pen. Snap/slip cap, cartridge/converter, and available in fun or “business” colors.

@collin I know they're divisive, mostly because of the grip, but I really like Lamy Safaris. Another high-impact, attractive, easy-to-use and inexpensive pen is the Kaweco Perkeo. I have had a lot of QA issues with Kaweco Sports, which are also fun for beginners, but never with Perkeos. 🖋️

@jessekelber @collin I'll second the Diamond 580, though if they're completely new, the ECO T may be a useful choice as the grip design helps to nudge a better grip for beginners. It's also a little less expensive (if they have fear of breaking or losing their nice new pen), and gives them space to dream upwards without breaking their own bank when you've turned them into a lifelong collector.

@collin I would give them a few different colored disposable Pilot Varsity pens. (See if they even like using a fountain pen at all.)

AND I would give them a fantastic fountain pen friendly notebook to go with the pens. Fountain pens need good paper for the full experience.

I hate fiddling with stuff and would have abandoned an initial fountain pen with a converter; but Pilot Varsity pens were easy, and they were my gateway to a fountain pen collection that is now fairly fiddly (eyedropper pens, converters, etc).

@JeanStylo I second the Kaweco AL Sports. Easily pocketed. Quick to use. Indestructible. Loads of ink cartridge colors.

@JeanStylo If I didn't have so many pens lying around I'd definitely give the Varsity a shot.

@JeanStylo Yes! I still use them, because they just work.