Having nice pens makes me want to use them more, and writing more has helped me organize my thoughts better, especially when writing code. I'd highly recommend it to everyone.
Only downside is no cartridges (not that I find this a downside)
I have a Lamy 2000, Pilot Vanishing Point and some other highly recommended pen (can't remember the name, it was a few years ago) and they are all scratchy as hell. Absolutely not as nice as even a cheap ball point...
My vintage 146 M nib is incredibly smooth on some heavy papers with Iroshizuku Konpeki ink. So smooth I was tempted to look into details. It turns out Konpeki ink has tons of lubricants. Even different ink colors from the same manufacturer make a difference. And some alternatives make the setup not smooth at all, quite scratchy indeed.
Try changing inks and paper. Worst case, you might need to send your nibs for adjustment if you want different behavior. If they are small, particularly the VP, you may not be able to get a really smooth experience.
Ink and paper do make a difference; coated papers make things glide but the ink may run. Some papers soak too much ink making globs. Some inks tend to dry out in the nib or flow poorly.
So, I've had bad experience with each of the above, but I also have now set my expectations to a better level. And sometimes you do get surprised (I got a Pelikan Stola III somewhere in Europe for around $40 and it was really nice; some info at this random site: https://www.penchalet.com/fine_pens/fountain_pens/pelikan_st...).
So, yeah, low end stuff varies. But worth experimenting because when you find a good one, it makes writing fun again.
>their steel nibs
It has a gold nib...
I have a Lamy Safari F, which is super smooth and glides. My Pilot Metropolitan also has F, but not only is it thinner/smaller but it is not as smooth. I won't call it scratchy but it could be construed as such.
Also, paper matters. Fountain pens generally prefer a smoother paper, especially one that doesn't absorb much ink.
You will also need to see how you are holding the pen and the angle the nib strikes the paper. You may want to search online for some advises on that since that can make a world of difference.
Edit: Almost forgot, the more you write the better a fountain pen gets since the nib adjusts to your writing habit. I had an old Waterman when I was in high-school, which I don't have anymore, and so far no pen has come close to it in smoothness.
I also like the pocket-pen format. I seldom lose a pen since it lives with my keys and wallet. That pen, plus a thin crosshatch notebook I keep in my back pocket means I can take notes much faster than on my smartphone. Then I photograph my notes. Google Lens is getting scary-good at recognizing my idiosyncratic writing.
If you're sure you're holding them correctly, so the problem is not the posture, try to buy either pens with a guarantee from the manufacturer (so you can get it fixed), or a pen in a shop that will let you try it first. Not all nibs are manufactured equal...
A good pen should glide much better than a gel ballpoint.
If you look into fountain pen communities you'll find the VP in particular is popular because of its quality at an approachable price point. It's the equal of many more expensive pens in my collection -- and nobody would confuse any of them with the experience of using a disposable ball-fed pen.
In general, there's three reasons why a fountain pen would be scratchy: it's got a very fine point (European EF or Asian F or EF), it's a broad stub or italic with a sharp corner that requires changes to your writing style, or there's something wrong with it.
The short answer is that there's probably something wrong with them. If you want to make the effort, YouTube has some instructional videos on improving them; you'll need some very fine abrasives such as very fine micromesh. I recommend SBREBrown.
Not to mention that carrying around piles of splotchy papers and notebooks and having perpetually ink-stained hands really helps to sell the "eccentric professor" aesthetic I have going. Which is key to making my lack of charisma seem charming and idiosyncratic rather than lame and boring.
I've recently started using fountain pens again, after a... long break (secondary school, I think).
The way they glide on the paper and the pleasure of holding such a beautiful (well, arguably, but I love both how nibs look and how they work) device made me improve my handwriting, and I started to take more notes just to use the pens.
I highly recommend the experience, if you're not familiar with them. Some good modern ones are also pretty cheap.
Like with vinyl records, there is a certain satisfaction in taking care of the pen, cleaning it when switching to ink or a different color, and so on; and it's a mechanical object that helps me detach from the digital world. Unlike vinyl, it is actually a practical thing to use everyday :)