I'm not sure what kind of signal it sends to other people, though. I can't find myself to care about that when it comes to what pens and paper I use.
Personally I found that it encouraged me to write more.
The Lamy Safari is pretty Social Democratic. A few of my students actually buy them.
I prefer Uniball Signo 0.7mm myself, can be bought in most high street stationary shops in the UK.
Beautiful, man.
http://centerforplainlanguage.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/10...
I have been switching between writing right-handed arabic and english all my life with every kind of pen available, it has never been a problem. I never even noticed there's a difference.
Personally I have enjoyed my Pelikan... german made, huge ink reservoir and as far as these things go not excessively expensive.
Also as many others have pointed out, disposable pens let you get used to the fountain pen world first.
The point is that what works for one person doesn't necessarily work for another.
The cheap Pilot Varsity disposable ones are a fantastic starter FP, as they cost about $3, a tenth (or less) of the price of a Good Fountain Pen. Ink isn't changeable, but the leaking is minimal. (They aren't waterproof, though.)
The advantage is, if you decide you don't like it, you aren't stuck with it, and if you lose it or loan it out, no big deal. I also like that Staples tends to sell them in a pack of three colors.
I've also used the Bic one [1]. It's also OK, and is partially waterproof, but its cap drives me bonkers. It's been a long time since I used one, though, as the pads at current employer bleed a bit when I used my fountain pens. I liked writing on the sugarcane spiral bound pads from Staples because they were so smooth.
1: http://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/index.php/topic/2064...
Still can't get myself to move to pens though.
I also really like Zebra F-301 (and compatible) pens. Inexpensive enough to justify easily buying (and buying again when I lose them), good enough to be worth buying refills for. I keep at least a black one, and often blue, everywhere I am likely to need a pen (home desk, work desk, bag). And the F-301 Compact is often in my pocket when I don't have my bag with me.
And what is this "major signal" that it sends to others? That you're out of touch? That your pens cost more money? That you're pretentious?
Other things that send signals, include the way you dress (don't have to wear a tux everywhere you go, but wear clothes that fit, and have a sturdy look to them). Also it is helpful to work on your speaking skills, so that you speak with inflection and purpose. For example, listen to the difference between a radio host, and call in listeners.
To go a bit more meta, the question is, who are you? Who do you want to be? Who do you want people to perceive you as?
Using a fountain pen hits all the highlights to these questions.
Besides, it's just plain old COOL to be using a writing technology that is over 200 years old. The quality pens feel amazing, and encourage additional note taking for me.
Another advantage to paper notes: They arent searchable. Yup you heard me, NOT SEARCHABLE. Oh wait, you say, I want to search my notes... so I put everything in email. Then I get fired. And my boss owns my private notes. Oops.
And my hands start to ache if I use a ballpoint too long. Ever tried taking 5 hours of notes at a math conference with a crappy ballpoint? And live-texing is fine until you've got more pictures than text...
I think the parent you your post is a very valid criticism when paired with this sibling: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=6407094
* Maruman Mnemosyne Inspiration Notebook, 5mm Squared *
Read a review here, covering how the paper interacts with pens, with an example of using the notebook for wireframe mockups: http://penaddict.com/blog/2009/5/13/review-maruman-mnemosyne...
Amazon in USA charges way too much: http://www.amazon.com/Maruman-Mnemosyne-Inspiration-Grid-6-3...
There also JetPens, also way too much: http://www.jetpens.com/Maruman-Mnemosyne-Inspiration-Noteboo...
I find these at a local Jerry's Artarama. They carry Maruman paper pads for speciality art media, and don't mind stocking the graph pads as well. By having it a regular stock item, it ends up under $5 a pad.
The way I use note-taking on pen-and-paper is not so much to stay organized as it is to train my thinking. I tend to be a lateral thinker and taking notes is a way of capturing thoughts as they come to me so that I can refine them and learn to organize them. I have found that in the >5-6 years I've been following the practice that I tend to collect my thoughts in streams now compared to when I started when my thoughts were much more sporadic.
I'm not very systematic though...
http://www.muji.us/store/stationery/notebooks/recycled-paper...
The only thing to use a bound notebook for is a chronological journal.
When I was in school, subject-wise yes I used looseleaf paper. Man it's sad when you lose a sheet...
Also Jet Pens for a large selection of high-quality pens to write with.
But I really cant disagree with the use of moleskine more. It's paper quality has really gone downhill lately.
So I recommend http://www.leuchtturm1917.com/en - the features are the ones you want (similar to moleskine) and the paper quality is top notch.
Once you have switched to a quality paper, consider using a fountain pen. Aside from the style issues, the pen and writing quality is so awesome. The feel is out of this world, and sends a major signal to other people.