There Are Pandas, and Then There Are Pandas.
And this isn't either of them! The Pandas we're talking about here, are watches, not bears. And what got me thinking about them (again) was a link posted this morning by @cm.rook who pointed a few of us to the very attractive (and not terribly priced) Yema "Rallygraph" Panda which, in it's most traditional arrangement, looks like the one on the left, but can also be had in the version on the right: The model on the left is a true Panda, while the model on the right is called a reverse Panda. The reason for that distinction is clear--Panda bears, only come in the first arrangement. Now at this point, everyone should be thinking about the most well-know Panda, The Rolex Panda, which is actually a Daytona, and among Rolex Daytonas, the most famous of which is the Paul Newman Daytona, which was famous first, because it was Paul's, and second because it sold at auction for $17.8 million (US Dollars). The story of that auction is well-known so I'll only...
Nov 8, 2019
What kinds of nibs do you prefer?: fine/extra fine nibs are my preference, because I write small, and the loops in my letters close up if I use a medium.
Are there particular models and brands you like?: Since I don't have a pen store nearby to try pens before buying, I stick with pens under $100 ("Don't gamble what you can't afford to lose"). I rely heavily on reviews. I only have 3 brands/models of fountain pens. All get used regularly. I like them all. I used to have 3 others, from big-box craft stores, and hated them. They were ultimately discarded. If I could put the fine nib from the Pilot Metropolitan or Lamy Safari on the Kaweco Sport AL or brass, all of my pens would be metal Kaweco bodies with another brand of nib. I don't care for the Lamy All Star body or Pilot Metropolitan body, though they're OK.
Fountain pens I'd like to try: Traveler's brass fountain pen. TWSBI Eco. Jinhao x750 (to try a variety of nibs). Preppy markers and highlighters (not technically the same thing, but bottled-ink refillable).
I use fountain pens instead of ballpoint/gel/felt for several reasons, including comfort (less pressure, so less fatigue), simplicity of refill, and ink options.