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I got my Lamy 2000 for about $100 on eBay iso you can sometimes find a deal on what is my favorite, same for both of my Pilot Vanishing Points. Alternatively, the Platinum Curidas goes for about $50.
The market for no-screw pens above a certain price point gets pretty slim from what I know. I imagine it's because many, if not most, pens are made from resin at a certain level.
Good luck!
Seconding the Lamy 2000, been using it for a couple of years now. Great pen, writes excellent.
Thanks
Some follow up questions: Do you do most of your writing at a desk or on the go? Preference for something that looks like a fountain pen or something more "stealthy" to not attract a lot of attention? Does it need to be in the $100 range or are you open to somewhat cheaper suggestions? Have a preference for the body style, filling mechanism, etc?
Most of the time I write at a desk. I want something that looks like a fountain pen, simple not too pricey, nor showy. I have a lamy safari, but I'm not looking for something exactly like that. And the $ 100 dollars range, i can go a little bit over, or even a bit under it. And I've got no preference for any kind of filling mechanism.
It's only going to take cartridges, so IDK if that's "a lot" of ink, but how about a Platinum Curidas? Not everyone's favorite but the new gift set looks nice if you want a matte pen instead of a demonstrator.
I use mine for sketching, as I use platinum black cartridges (that I refill) and the light weight and width is nice for long sessions (I have big hands).
The real stumper to your inquiry is the lack of screw cap. For whatever reason lots of pens in that pricepoint are screwcaps. You could try a couple of cheaper slip cap options like a Platinum Prefounte, or Pilot Prera.
I write a lot and for my job I need a pen I can open and start writing right away. That's why I prefer the screwless cap. With a a screw cap you have to screw the cap back every time otherwise it will dry out very fast.
Lamy Studio (either LX or Brushed Steel finish).
https://www.gentlemanstationer.com/blog/2019/11/15/workhorse-pens-the-lamy-studio
Snap cap. Takes standard Lamy nibs (although the Lx version has a nicer stealth black PVD finish) so you can swap out nib sizes if you feel your needs change. Plus, when you want to upgrade you can get a gold nib for it.
Steel is $67 at Cult Pens https://cultpens.com/en-us/products/lamy-studio-fountain-pen-brushed-steel Lx is $102 https://cultpens.com/en-us/products/lamy-studio-lx-fountain-pen-all-black
I recommend either of these models out of the Studio range as they have a rubberized section. People have complained the chromed section on the other models can be slippery. If another model excites you though you can buy replacement sections with the rubber coating https://vanness1938.com/products/lamy-rubberized-grip-section-for-lamy-studio.
Otherwise, do consider the Faber-Castel E-Motion https://www.gentlemanstationer.com/blog/2018/4/24/workhorse-pens-faber-castell-e-motion-pure-black.
It is a heavy, although well balanced, pen which may not suit very long writing sessions and it is a screw cap, but if I recall from mine it is less than 1 turn to unscrew and almost as convenient as a snap cap, plus FC steel nibs are as nice if not nicer than many gold nibs out there. I have the pure black whcih you can get on Amazon for just over $100. $147 at Cult pens https://cultpens.com/en-us/products/faber-castell-e-motion-fountain-pen-pure-black?variant=43643035910387.
Both of these use cartridges or converters so they don't have the capacity of a piston filler but if you refill cartridges you can get plenty of pages from a fill.
The Lamy 2000 is a great choice as others have said. A slimmer, less heavy option might be the Parker Sonnet. Make sure you get a genuine one from a reputable dealer as knockoffs are everywhere.
I miss when they sold fountain pens at Target
Lamy 2000 is a great pen that people either love or hate. So you will get many recommendations for it. Try it out first. I hate it, but respect people who like it. Try out a Ranga #3 pen with a Franklin Christoph nib.
What about an opus 88? Massive ink capacity, shutoff valve so pretty much never leaks, pretty sure they’re quite durable, standard JoWo nib Edit: whoops didn’t see you didn’t want screw cap - I use a pilot e95s daily which is fantastic but may not have the ink capacity you want
