During a year abroad in France, I discovered The Fountain Pen and soon fell in love with the elegance of European aristocracy faster than I could say Robespierre. With every word I wrote, it seemed as though I was bidding adieu to America's filthy "any pen can write" democracy and saying bonjour to a new world of epistolary hierarchy.

After a few months back in the US, I returned to my chewed-up BICS and Rollerballs. And thank goodness. Who wants to be that girl-who-just-got-back-from-Europe-and-has-to-let-everyone-know.

But fifteen years later, I've been around the block, and I've rediscovered the fountain pen with unapologetic fervor. Go ahead, accuse me of being an unpatriotic snob. Frankly my dears, I don't give a damn.

And now, with Christoph in my life, Mr. Product Guru himself, we are quite simply a household overflowing with fountain pens! This magnificent man has bought and tested just about every single pen at JetPens.com. And here he outlines a few of his favorites:

You can't go wrong with Lamy or Montblanc. Both are classic and dependable, though they belong to very different tiers. But you'll soon find yourself becoming interested in expanding your collection. So here are some pens to whet the palette:

FIRST TIER:

Nakaya Fountain Pens. $600-$15,000 These Japanese, handmade, beautiful barrels are little pieces of art in your hand, and if you're lucky to own one, they write like a dream. Do yourself a favor and just take a tour of their catalog RIGHT NOW. Seriously, don't read any further. Just go. Hellooooo, why haven't you gone already?

SECOND TIER:

Sailor Pens.  For the money, this is one of the best pens you'll write with. They're smooth and consistent, and the nibs are soft and buttery like liquid gold. A beautiful pen. Also Japanese.

THIRD TIER:

Jinhao x450. This is the biggest surprise of all. With this pen, you get an instrument that writes like a $150 pen for less than $10. They're made in China, but don't let that deter you. They are beautifully weighted and are, hands down, the best bang for your buck. Buy them now before the world realizes how much they're really worth.

Also in this third tier, consider the Platinum Preppy. For $3.30, you can pick up a comfortable and forgiving little sparkplug of a pen. It's somewhat sharp and scratchy at first, but it opens up with use and becomes a trusty and casual companion.

Ok, now let's all step away from our computers and go scribble some missives by hand like good little aristocrats. Noses up, pens down!