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Cartier, $835
Hand-carved wood mimics crocodile; the bold ink quality is just as impressive. This roller ball
writes as well as any fountain pen (635 Fifth Ave.,
at 52nd St.; 212-753-0111).
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Dunhill, $450
Sterling-silver and acrylic-resin body is sophisticated, unlike the blobs of ink
that periodically spill from the tip, leaving smudges
(711 Fifth Ave., nr. 56th St.; 212-753-9292).
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Rebecca Moss, $200
You won’t lose the cap: It screws to the bottom.
Ink is superfine and sleek, and neon yellow is
cheery, if not very corporate (510 Madison Ave.,
nr. 53rd St.; 212-832-7671).
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Hermès, $190
Save this skinny sterling-silver number for signatures. It’s painfully awkward to grip, and fingers constantly slide down the delicate body
(691 Madison Ave., at 62nd St.; 212-751-3181).
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Tiffany & Co., $85
The twist-up design is ultrafeminine, but thin and inconsistent ink means this lacquered sterling-silver pen writes worse than a Paper Mate (727 Fifth Ave., at 57th St.; 212-755-8000).
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Conklin, $65
Heavy and bulky, it’s not for shirt pockets, but it’s easy to handle. You have to press hard in order
to get a strong ink quality. At Takashimaya New York (693 Fifth Ave., nr. 54th St.; 212-350-0100).
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William Morris, $5.95
Small enough to fit into planners, and gold-and-black-leaf motif makes it look more expensive
than it is. Writes smoothly, too. (At the Metropolitan Museum of Art Stores; 212-570-3894.)
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MoMA Design Space Store, $5
Cool cardboard-tube look, though the push button will encourage compulsive clickers. Ink is flimsy,
and there’s an odd rattling sound when writing
(81 Spring St., at Crosby St.; 800-447-6662).
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(Photo: Davies and Starr) |
Paper Mate, $1.79 for a pack of ten
Unlike most of the pens here, you won’t need
a dealer for refills. A little scratchy to write with,
but it’s easy to handle and the ink is consistent.
(At Duane Reade stores; duanereade.com.)