So you've decided to take the plunge and buy a pen, but where. There are lots of good places on the net, but I will list only a few highlights. These are folks who, like me, want your first foray into fountain pens to be a successful one. Before listing them, a big caveat is in order:

Despite some good prices being available from time to time - DO NOT BUY YOUR FIRST PEN FROM EBAY.

The reason is simple - throughout the guide I've stressed choosing reliable, hassle free pens, inks, and the like so that your experience is a good one. Well, avoiding eBay is consistent with this theme. In the event that something goes wrong, I want you to be sure that you have someone reliable to turn to. There's no guarantee of this when shopping at eBay.

Anyway, here's the list. (I should point out that I'm not compensated in any way by any of the folks on this list.)

Fountain Pen Hospital

Huge selection, good prices, well-respected service.

Swisher Pens

A much smaller operation than the FPH. Offers the Pelikan M200 at $60 last I checked. Very reliable and well-regarded.

Pendemonium

A fabulous collection of pen ephemera, inks, and vintage pens.

Levenger

These guys have a big selection and the most generous return policy in the business. I've returned things there more than a year after purchase with no hassles at all. The downside is that they're pricier than some others.

There are, however, good deals to be found in the pre-inked pens section of the site. At $60, the pre-inked Sonnet is a very nice deal.

Oscar Braun

This seller comes highly recommended by folks on the net. They don't have a web site and they don't do catalogs, but they pass the savings in their marketing budget along to the consumers in the form of low prices.  Here's an example from John Cullen: " I am looking now to buy a Namiki Impressions. Most places sell them at over two hundred dollars, maybe $175. Oscar Braun's price is $156.00 Great Pricing!"

Got an oPENion? Write me at jmorgan@gmail.com