(Photo: Nicholas Eveleigh)

The Best Bet
Designed to look like a fighter plane without wings, the Parker 51 fountain pen was considered pricey when it came on the market in 1941 at $12.50. Now, because so many are still in circulation (more than 12 million were sold before production was stopped in 1959), it’s one of the most affordable, reliable vintage pens you can buy. Only the tip of the nib is exposed, giving the pen the stable feel of a ballpoint, which makes it an excellent “starter” pen for recent grads, or the perfect everyday instrument for deal-makers. Because you can’t sign a contract with a BlackBerry. (Sets start at $125 at Berliner Pen, 928 Broadway, nr. 21st St., Ste. 203; 212-614-3020.)