Okay. I give up. Let's do this suggestion thing again.

[inkyletters]

After much throwing of pens and wasted ink and re-dipping pens during class to get them started I've decided it's time to admit that while it may be hard for me to swallow but a $15-20 pen will always write better than an ebay $3 from China. I adore my pilot metros (I have two) but for comfort prefer to leave them unposted. I've been looking at the following pens:
1. Sailor HighAce
2. Platinum Plasir
3. Pilot Kukano
4. Kaweco ICE
5. Pelikan Pelikano
6. Noodler's nib creeper
7. Noodler's Ahab
8. Noodler's Konrad
Alternatively, I say "'D*** it all to hell" and buy a pack of preppies or varsities and just refill them with my ink of choice. So, I'd like some of you to weigh in. For some context:
1. I have tiny child hands and therefore prefer smaller pens. Like a Jinhao x750 feels very large and unwieldly when posted.
2. I also like lighter pens, preferably at least partially plastic or on the lighter side like the metro
3. I keep several pens inked at once (5-8) to color code my class notes, therefore the pen needs to start again easily if left for a couple days.
4. I prefer finer nibs since my handwriting is small-ish, but I've been meaning to try flex and I have a weakness for calligraphy italics, no matter the impracticality.
5. These pens will live in a pen roll in my school bag. They need to be able to take some abuse. I already have a desk pen in the form of an heirloom shaeffer balance that stays in it's case inked in Dark Matter but I need some hearty pens.
6. Yes I know I'm demanding alot from my pen but I believe Fountain pens are up to the challenge.

Of that list of 8 what do you suggest? Alternatively, do you have other suggestions?

[tandaina]

I'd probably stay away from the Noodler's pens if you don't want to fiddle, while some work great some of htem need quite a bit of fiddling.

The Pelikan is likely to be bullet proof and will certainly be light and easy to use. I'd probably start there, but I'm a Pelikan fan.

[Bogon07]

3. Pilot Kukano - neat looking pen available in a range of colours & F/M nibs.
Light. No clip but being hexagonal won't roll off a desk easily either. You've already Pilot Metros so you can use the same cartridges or converters -it come with a cartridge.
http://static1.jetpens.com/images/a/000/060/60049.jpg

[mtnbiker62]

I've used both the Sailor HighAce and the Platinum Plaisir. I liked both of those pens, and I think they meet your criteria (well, they have very little flex). They both write a very fine line. Its hard to recommend the Plaisir over the Preppies, though. It's the same nib, just a slightly "classier" body on the Plaisir, and the ability to use a converter. The HighAce is a very small, very light pen, no doubt about it.

[Laura N]

The Sailor. It has a fine nib, it works well with a converter unlike some, and it's so inexpensive it's a good pen to take to school without worrying.

My second choice would be the Varsity.

[sharmon202]

I thought Sailor High Ace had too sharp a point, felt like no ball on the tip.
Plaisir will not dry out, original nib too wide for me, I also need a light pen, sharp line, I take a lot of notes also. Get a finer line lay down and this would be my fav.
Ice is good if you get the nib/line you want. I have to switch out to find the line I want with these nibs. Do not know about drying out. Kaweco nibs are the most inconsistent in my experience.
Kakuno is my favorite of your list. Nice sharp line, never had it dry out. I use converter.
I do not like Noodler's, tried two, but they take too much pressure write. One of the reasons I got into fp's is because I am a very light handed writer but want a narrow dark line.
Good luck, let us know what you find out when you decide and give it a test drive.

[sharmon202]

The Sailor. It has a fine nib, it works well with a converter unlike some, and it's so inexpensive it's a good pen to take to school without worrying.

My second choice would be the Varsity.

Second thoughts, Sailor and Platinum converters can be as much or more than the pen.....really pen companies. Like giving you the blood sugar tester to make supreme profit on test strips, also proprietary. Not that Pilot is that much less. Also proprietary cartridges.
At least Kaweco will take international carts.

[Neo]

Or you can get a Jetpens Chibi or a Pilot Petit 3? At $3 each you can fill up a few spares.

[inkyletters]

How are they with starting after being left for a couple days?

[fountainpenkid]

A user-grade Sheaffer Snorkel might be a good choice--although they are long, the sections are very thin, and the weight is pretty low and well balanced. They are really reliable and sturdy if properly restored, and refilling is a hassle-less charm. I often have one in my pocket every day at school, and have yet to have any problem with starting up after a weeks' rest or more. They also are very hard to break (especially the metal capped ones), and I have yet to get even one speck of ink on my hands while writing with them. Remember, however, that I refer only to properly restored examples. Check out eBay or Fountain Pen Recycler--you can find them for well under $50 in fully working condition on those sites.

[Wile E Coyote]

Lamy Safari...forgot I had it inked for over a month and it started writing like it was just filled.

[Neo]

How are they with starting after being left for a couple days?

I have had no complaints on a Monday morning, they are stored lying down so that might have helped.

[ainterne]

Lamy Safari...forgot I had it inked for over a month and it started writing like it was just filled.

I second that... I gave my wife one and she loves it, says she can use it like ballpoint if she has to rush to get it out of her bag to write something quickly, From your list the Noodles does not seem a good choice given your criteria. I don't know enough to help on the others.

[Silverbreeze]

Emma, I think you may want to stay away from the Ahab it will be too large for your hands, it's very light just thick.

[Silverbreeze]

How are they with starting after being left for a couple days?

That's more the ink then the pen in my experience.

Oh check your PMs btw

[inkyletters]

Emma, I think you may want to stay away from the Ahab it will be too large for your hands, it's very light just thick.

Ah. The tiny hand syndrome strikes again. It is for this reason most my jinhaos have been retired, as well as my hero-fari. Oddly enough, the jin-faris seem to be more slender than the hero ones as I can tolerate those for much longer.

[Lady Onogaro]

Emma,

The Sailor and the Kakuno are great little pens. They are very light and the nibs are dandy. I recommend both of those for you.

[Lady Onogaro]

I also agree with Neo that the Chibi and the Pilot Petit 1 are great pens. I keep a Pilot Petit 1 attached to my Midori Passport.

[nachum]

You can also try the Kaweco Ice. I use it as an eyedropper pen. I keep one in my pocket... small, never leaks, writes like a charm.

[alc3261]

3. Pilot Kukano - neat looking pen available in a range of colours & F/M nibs.
Light. No clip but being hexagonal won't roll off a desk easily either. You've already Pilot Metros so you can use the same cartridges or converters -it come with a cartridge.
http://static1.jetpens.com/images/a/000/060/60049.jpg

+10

[Kaputnik]

From that original list, the only pens I've had experience with are the Noodler's Ahab and the Kaweco Ice Sport (sort of).

Granting that some people have had no trouble at all with the Ahab, and that others have gotten them working reliably after a certain amount of fiddling, I never got one reliable pen out of the two that I own. Even when I got one to write very nicely, after sitting just overnight it was a pain to get it started again.

I have a Kaweco Classic Sport, which I believe is physically identical to the Ice model, except for not being a demonstrator. Based on that, I'd say that it's a great little pen, if you don't mind using short cartridges or eyedroppering it. The Kaweco mini converter takes in too little ink to be worth it; refilling a cartridge with a syringe would be better. The Ice Sport, being a demonstrator, would be a natural for eyedropper filling.

You might be able to find a 1990s style Sheaffer School pen for not too much. Here is mine before I took it out of the blister pack. New old stock, obviously, and it cost me about $15, plus another $10-$11 for a Sheaffer converter.
http://i614.photobucket.com/albums/tt221/mapn/Pens/Sheaffer1.jpg (http://s614.photobucket.com/user/mapn/media/Pens/Sheaffer1.jpg.html)

Or you can find Waterman Kulturs, discontinued in the early 2000s, for reasonable prices, but they might be a little large for small hands.

[inkyletters]

Every school pen I've found is much more expensive than that. I've been hunting for it and a Kultur for awhile since school pens are for children-teens and therefore might be smaller, and therefore might be an acceptable size.

[Sailor Kenshin]

After much throwing of pens and wasted ink and re-dipping pens during class to get them started I've decided it's time to admit that while it may be hard for me to swallow but a $15-20 pen will always write better than an ebay $3 from China. I adore my pilot metros (I have two) but for comfort prefer to leave them unposted. I've been looking at the following pens:
1. Sailor HighAce
2. Platinum Plasir
3. Pilot Kukano
4. Kaweco ICE
5. Pelikan Pelikano
6. Noodler's nib creeper
7. Noodler's Ahab
8. Noodler's Konrad
Alternatively, I say "'D*** it all to hell" and buy a pack of preppies or varsities and just refill them with my ink of choice. So, I'd like some of you to weigh in. For some context:
1. I have tiny child hands and therefore prefer smaller pens. Like a Jinhao x750 feels very large and unwieldly when posted.
2. I also like lighter pens, preferably at least partially plastic or on the lighter side like the metro
3. I keep several pens inked at once (5-8) to color code my class notes, therefore the pen needs to start again easily if left for a couple days.
4. I prefer finer nibs since my handwriting is small-ish, but I've been meaning to try flex and I have a weakness for calligraphy italics, no matter the impracticality.
5. These pens will live in a pen roll in my school bag. They need to be able to take some abuse. I already have a desk pen in the form of an heirloom shaeffer balance that stays in it's case inked in Dark Matter but I need some hearty pens.
6. Yes I know I'm demanding alot from my pen but I believe Fountain pens are up to the challenge.

Of that list of 8 what do you suggest? Alternatively, do you have other suggestions?

I love Preppies. Right now I have a jar with a bunch of them, most refilled many times, and I can leave them for months and have them start right up.

They have the advantage of coming in two nib sizes, being see-through, and inexpensive.