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).

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).

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).

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).

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).

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).

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.)

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).

(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.)

Related:

• Archive: “Market Research”
• Articles by Aja Mangum
• Table of Contents: Feb 7, 2005 issue of New York | Subscribe!