Hey, I've been lurking in this site for a while and finally decided to take the plunge...

Years ago I avidly kept sketchbooks, and fell out of the habit for a long time. I had gone through some cheap-and-adequate Rotring disposable fountain pens (they were the best I could afford) before developing a taste for Japanese ultra-fine ball pens (Current daily writer: Uni-Ball Signo DX 0.38mm, in case you wondered). I also used various dip pens for years -- although I don't crave working with them again, they gave me plenty of experience with choosing inks and maintaining nibs, so I think I have a good sense of what I want and how to keep it working.

These days I'm starting to want to get back into a daily practice of drawing, and I want the pen I wish I had back in the day. Recently my partner prompted me into getting a Nemosine. It's surprisingly nice; better than I remember those Rotrings to be -- decent weight and grip, smooth for an EF tip, but the nib is stiff and the line is unvarying. Good for writing, not what I had in mind for drawing. I'd like some variety in line.

I'm feeling overwhelmed by the range of pens available these days, so let me think aloud on what I'd like...

  • An extra-fine nib. To use the nibs.com tip size table for context, something in the area of 0.30-.35mm area (since it looks like some companies' XXF are other companies F).
  • Flexible and varying line. The more flexibility and the greater variance, the better. I tend to have a light touch.
  • Flows relatively freely.
  • Primarily for sketching.
  • Average width and length for grip and body.
  • Cheaper is better. Strongly prefer under $50, but maybe up to $100 if you can make a really good case for it. I could raise the limit even higher, if your wizardly powers of persuasion can convince me it is the One True Pen that will do everything I could ever dream of and I would never desire another pen again.
  • A great-for-the-price candidate under $25 I would probably buy multiples of, to be able to use more than one ink at a time.
  • Age, color and composition of the body don't matter a lot. In general simpler appearances appeal more, but on the whole I would rather pay for function than appearance.