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I've always been the sort of person who goes for things like the Lamy Safari, Noodler's pens, and heck, even two Platinum Preppies are in my daily use pouch. I can only really afford to get one cheap pen like that per year since I'm a college student living on a low income. But I will be graduating in the next few months, and my family said they'd give me a generous gift of $400 or so. I am very thankful, obviously, and I want to use it wisely. One thing I think I'd really like to get is a wonderful fountain pen. One that I will cherish for the rest of my life. The problem is, how do I choose? There are no pen boutiques near me where I can test them out. I don't even know where to start. Should I get a custom Edison pen? Or many Visconti pens generally have good reviews, should I go with them? Mont Blanc? Vintage or modern? Etc. Basically I have no idea how to make this choice. A lot of pens have glowing reviews, so I can't really just rely on that. And even though I've tried a lot of the cheaper pens, I don't really have a clear vision of what I like. Both thin and thick pens work for me. I like fine nibs and broads ones. Flashy and plain black barrels are both fine for me. I've used heavy pens and light pens and enjoyed them both. Etc. All I know is that I want a nice looking, smooth writing pen. So yeah, any advice on how to choose a great pen?