Are you uncertain about fountain pens? Do you have bigger hands than I do, but still want an inexpensive fountain pen? The Pilot Varsity (Jet Pens, Goulet Pens, Amazon) is a disposable fountain pen that comes pre-filled with ink (7 colors) and is a great pen.

I like this pen. I don’t like it quite as much as the Petite due to my freakishly small hands, but it is reliable, writes well, does a pretty nice thin line, comes in great colors… there’s not much not to like about it.

I’ve had two problems with these in the past. If they leak, it makes a big mess and if you forget about them in a drawer they tend to dry out (over like… months, not super quick). Neither are really huge problems, but I seem to have a bad habit of leaving these in drawers for some reason, so I tend not to buy them often. Also, they are not refillable. When they are empty or dry out, that’s all she wrote.

The Good

• inexpensive
• lightweight
• comes in good colors of ink
• smooth grip
• pre-filled
• reliable

The Bad

• single-use
• can dry out

Overall grade: A-

Super great starter fountain pen to see if you even like fountain pens. You can toss it in a bag and not worry about it. It’s not flashy, but it’s reliable and disposable.