Modern:

Tibaldi (1990s)
Dunhill
Visconti
Sailor
Platinum
(although the latter Japanese are not really ... classy. Just good.)

Vintage:

De La Rue
De La Rue
De La Rue
De La Rue
and ... er ...
Swan.

1. Tibaldi (the 1990's version)
2. Mont Blanc
3. Omas
4. Pelikan
5. CS

In order, best at the top:

Sheaffer
Pelikan
Esterbrook
Wearever
Parker

Paddler

Pelikan
Parker
Sheaffer
CS
Waterman

All vintage:

Waterman
Esterbrook
Eversharp
Sheaffer
Parker

1&2 - Parker and Waterman

I love both their vintage and more recent efforts. Interesting pens, both made a major contribution to the world of fountain pens.

3 - Sheaffer - an (easy) argument could be made to rank this maker right up there with my first two, but in terms of my collecting interest, for whatever reason, it lags slightly behind.

4,5 - a toss up between Aurora (interesting designs) Sailor (very interesting nibs) and Pelikan

I could really say that there are the first 3 and then there are 'all the rest' and leav it at that.

I admit to having trouble comprehending how anyone could include Montblanc at the top of such a list. MB makes good pens (I own a few) and takes a lot of flak, but unless you look at the historical record and take into consideration their contribution from day one (which would validly place them in a top 5 list) their modern output just doesn't warrant it. I say that because I suspect that most people who put them on their list do so because of ther modern, not historical production, and that amounts to a few good pens and a lot of not very limited LEs. To each his own, of course. My 149 just made it back from der Vaterland mit new seals and I am writ8ing with a 144 today, so don't take this as one of the "MB owners are silly" posts we see too much of.