The mechanical pencil counterpart to the Pilot G2 (the pen that several Dopers have recommended in this thread) has a tip that retracts completely inside the plastic barrel, so you might want to check that out if you really want to carry a mechanical pencil around in your pocket.
Despite all the Pilot V5 and V7 pens in the supply cabinet at work, I prefer to use my own Uniball Vision Elite. It’s a durable roller that is very smooth and isn’t scratchy.
I’m sure someone will come along to tell abut a marvelous roller ball pen that is available in Europe or Japan, which we can’t get in the US. Sigh.
I am a left-handed lover of pens, paper, and notebooks.
There is a new pen I am so pleased to point out to all of you reading this thread.
Behold The Pilot Varsity - a disposable fountain pen!
I buy them in boxes of twelve from Staples on-line. They’re teriffic. And you can buy them with purple ink!
Leave those gel pens behind. You don’t need them anymore.
Well, I guess I’m the guy standing by himself in the corner at this party, but I like felt tips.
Specifically, the Sakura Pigma Micron 03 in black ink. Waterproof, fadeproof, pigment ink that doesn’t bleed through the paper when I do the crossword.
Sadly, you’ve missed the whole point of a fountain pen. They aren’t supposed to be disposable. They are a writer’s best friend-till death do you part, and so forth. As the nib wears, it is influenced by your writing style. Comfortable fountain pens are in the same class with old shoes, flannel shirts, an aged pet, and fine wine. Time and association have made them what they are. Disposal is not an option.
I love Razor Points (actually, I prefer the Razor Point II… pretty much the same, but cooler looking)! Unfortunately, the art supply store where I used to get them closed down recently, so you can only get them online. I also like the Uniball Onyx, which seem to write more smoothly than all the trendy new Uniballs. You can onlly get those online too, I think. (Staples.com has both of them.)
Here’s another vote for the Bic Round Stic pens, which seems to be what GrizzRich is referring to here. They’re certainly not fancy pens, but they’re nice pens in that they work consistently and are comfortable enough to write with. For me, as a college student who today declined an offer to bet $5 on Monday Night Football solely because I couldn’t afford it, it doesn’t get much better than getting a lot of nice pens for not very much money. Although I actually never used to buy pens – up until 12th grade all of the pens I used were ones I found, lying around the house, at school, etc. etc. Free pens stopped appearing everywhere I went after that (long-overdue karma?) so I went down to the university bookstore and popped down less than a dollar for a bag of these pens, and even got a coupon for Reese’s Pieces (otherwise known as the best thing to happen to the candy aisle since THC) in the bag.
Danceswithcats - I have a Mont Blanc, don’t feel sad for me. That pen is older than some of my children, and special to me. The disposable fountain pens are for the car, my briefcase, airplanes, and taking notes on conference calls. Everywhere where I used to have a gel pel, now I have a Pilot Razor.
If you just want a box of good inexpensive pens. Something that if you lose it you’re not out a bunch of money and yet it’ll write like a $20 fountain pen. Get you a box of ONYX (Sanford) uni-ball- (black ink) They come 12 to a box for like $3 or $4 at Wal-Mart and I promise you they are excellent. I have had many people comment on their smoothness. I like the fine point but they come in various points. A box will last you all year at least…unless you’re bad about losing them. If you do, so what?
I’ve got some really nice fountain pens and pencils and etc… but what do I use everyday? A black Onyx by Sanford. 
I posted before I read the thread, but it seems like there are several folks who mentioned the Sanford uniball pens specifically, nuff said.
Alright, here goes:
First, I prefer black ink to any other color. Blue is a close second, green is third. Sanford’s “Sharpie” branded dual-tip marker is a great coarse line pen. I use Pilot’s “Precise” line of 0.7mm and 0.5mm pens for everyday writing, but I prefer the finer ones. For cross-hatching on line drawings, I love Staedtler’s 0.05mm fiber-tip pen. You can get some amazing variations inking a pencil drawing with that array of pens: outlines in fat Sharpie, shading with neurotically fine hatching, details with everything in between.
I have a brushed aluminum Parker fountain pen tha I got as a present when I graduate high school more than 20 years ago. I’ve replaced the nib a couple of times, and I’ve chased after a guy who walked out of my office with my pen, but I’ve still got it.
I’m feel about it like Henry Blake did about his pen (except I’ve never stuck mine in a cup of coffee).
The only pen I use is the Papermate Flexgrip ballpoint pen - Medium point in Black.
I’m a lefty as well & I’ve found many gel pens smear as I drag my hand across a line while writing.
I like that ballpoint ink won’t bleed even if the paper gets wet.
But based on the recs here I’ll think I’ll start trying some other pens.