Introduction
There’s no good, unbiased information on this page. More practical, less partisan advice such as phone numbers of manufacturers, how to choose a pen, where to buy them, etc., can be found here at the well-recommended alt.collecting.pens-pencils FAQ.
  Briefly explain why you get the pens you do.
I write with my pens. I fill them, write with them, take them apart, put them together, carry them in my pocket and in my bag. If I can’t use a pen it’s useless to me. I might carry any one of my pens on a given day depending on mood. Therefore I won’t be buying a mint Mandarin Yellow Duofold Senior for a grand. . . What good is buying a pen just to store it and sneak occasional peeks at it?
  But what about pens as an investment?
Ha. If you think you’re going to make your first million buying low and selling high, I’ve got a time share in the Everglades I’d like you to take a look at. . . Seriously folks, enjoy your pens. Life’s too short. If an expensive pen catches your eye, buy it because you’re going to use it and enjoy it, but don’t deceive yourself by thinking it’s an "investment" and will be worth more in ten years. It might indeed keep pace with in inflation, but mutual funds and CDs can probably do better in the long run. With pens, you’re investing in the seller’s future, not your own. I don’t buy mint pens; once in a while I splurge for one without brassing on the cap and clip—but for the most part, I buy working-class pens that I’m not afraid to take with me and clip on my pocket and (some of you may gasp now) let other people borrow on occasion. I’m a pen evangelist; I’ll leave those mint-in-box antiques for more delusional types.
  What’s cool in fountain pens?
Whatever trips your trigger. And you are allowed to like pens for technical reasons ("I love the elegance of the Snorkel filling mechanism") or for aesthetics ("Sheaffer’s Balance pens are what I consider the perfect shape") or completely random reasons ("If it’s red, I’ll bid on it!"). My tastes are eclectic; I’m attracted to silver. I also like dress-black pens with the barest gold or silver accoutrements.
  Which are better, modern or vintage fountain pens?
Modern pens are just as cool as vintage pens. They all have their place—although I prefer lever and piston fillers, and have grown to disdain the cartridge-fill mechanism, although it doesn’t prevent me from buying pens that have it.
  Are limited editions awesome, or idiotic?
At the 2000 Boston Pen Show, I overheard a dealer say to his neighbor: "Did you hear that guy in the [some forgettable garment] who was just here? He said he’s collected all the Montblanc limited editions. That’s not collecting, that’s dialing a 1-800 number!"
The speaker was a jerk.
I don’t own any limited edition pens, but I’m not against them philosophically. It’s understandable how vintage pen people poo-poo the limited-edition crowd because they think they spend way too much money on pens they can’t use. It is rather silly to spend as much money on a single new pen as would otherwise buy ten or fifteen working 1920s Duofolds. I also see how LE collectors find it rewarding to be one of only 1,000 or 100 people on the planet that owns a particular pen. I think both crowds should relax their stiff upper lips and party down—it’s a hobby, after all, and each group of collectors could stand to learn something from the other.
  Montblanc—overpriced junque, or the best pens ever made?
Definitely neither. Some people hate Montblanc pens, others swear by them. By all accounts, Montblanc has a marketing machine unlike any other pen company’s, and they hustle their pens to jewelry stores, Staples, and some other places a Parker fountain pen wouldn’t be caught dead. All I ask, Montblanc-bashers, is that you speak from experience when you spout off in the chat and news forums, because I’m sick of wading through exaggerated non-points en route to the legitimate commentary.
  I’m a lefty like you; what do I need to know
  before buying a fountain pen?
Basically nothing that right-handers don’t also need to know, except that you should always have a money-back guarantee when buying a pen—or the privilege of an extended test-drive to make sure the pen works with your style of penmanship. Oh yeah, no stub nibs—sorry, wrong angle.
  What inks do you use and not use?
J. Herbin forget-me-not blue; Waterman Florida blue; black Quink; Private Reserve Lake Placid Blue; Rotring quick converter-filling bottles when on the road (they work as slick as the ads claim) in purple and blue; and when I’m feeling particularly whimsical, Waterman South Sea Blue. I’ve got a bottle of Omas blue-black I cannot seem to finish off, it’s pretty good. Two inks I avoid are Parker Penman—just go to dejanews and see today’s list of pen users who testify how the stuff is murder on feeds. I also refuse to use any Montblanc ink anymore; that thin, runny excrement makes my left-handed writing look like a third-grader’s watercolor experiment. It probably works perfectly for other writers, but I will never waste my money on Montblanc ink again.
I also quote Frank Dubiel, a pen (and ink) authority writing in the alt.collecting.pens-pencils FAQ:
“The most important thing to keep in mind is that the ink should make you feel good when you use it. Remember: higher end fountain pens have nibs, feeds, and sections that are hand assembled and hand fitted. This means that they all differ. What works well in one person’s pen might not work well in yours. So, experiment and find an ink that fits your needs.”
  What about pencils?
I don’t collect them, actively at least. A few float in over the transom in the process of acquiring pens. As an editorial freelancer who often must write very tiny, fine corrections on manuscript proofs, however, I do have strong feelings about which one to use. At the end of the modern pens section, I speak my piece.
  Where do you store all those pens?
I have a wooden 24-pen case from Reed & Barton, basically a retrofitted jewelry box with a pull-out tray. It’s pretty nifty. I also use a 16-pen leatherette binder-type case from Fountain Pen Hospital when traveling with multiple pens. One- and two-pen leather cases are just great for the day-bag or briefcase; I got mine from Colorado Pen Company. My father-in-law’s Levenger Shopkeeper’s Pen Case is pretty cool, although my next buy could be one of those multiple-drawer jobs from CPC or some place like it.