Without a doubt, my favorite pen is the LAMY AL-Star. I could (and very well might) write paragraphs about this incredible fountain pen ? something which would be an absolute joy, thanks in large part to the lovely experience the LAMY offers ? but that?s not the pen I?m here to talk about today. That?s because, despite my fondness for the iconic AL-Star, it is not the pen I use most. It?s not even the fountain pen I use the most. No, that honor goes to the humble Pilot Varsity disposable fountain pen.

I would categorize the LAMY AL-Star (and its remarkably similar sibling, the Safari) as the Seiko of fountain pens. Like a Seiko, it is often cited as a great first fountain pen for people looking to try something outside the typical rollerballs and ballpoints we see everyday. Also like a Seiko, the LAMY is a gateway pen, one which often leads to other more expensive options. The LAMY could easily be the one pen with which you live your entire life. For a totally reasonable amount of money, anyone could be happy with a LAMY, just as anyone could be happy with a Seiko SPB Diver. The AL-Star?s got everything you need, and nothing you don?t. It?s well-made, well-designed, and comes in so many variations that it would be hard not to find one that suits your taste. Pen collectors I know who have pens many multiples (sometimes many, many) the value of the LAMY still frequently cite it as one of their favorites.

But if the LAMY is the Seiko of fountain pens, then the Pilot...