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What Are Your Favorite Pens By Filling Mechanism...

For each type of Fountain pen you own, what is your favorite pen? Mine are:

Fill Mechanism / Favorite / Honorable Mention
Cartridge
/ Waterman Edson / Montegrappa 1912
Lever / Delta Coliseum / Sheaffer Balanced
Crescent / Visconti Copernicus / Vintage Conklin
Vacuum / Parker Vacuumatic / Visconti Manhattan
Piston / Tibaldi Transparente / Omas Marconi
Other /Sheaffer PFM III (snorkel) / Mabie Todd Blue Lizard (twist fill)
 

AimlessWanderer

Remember to forget me!
Only ONE of my pens is NOT a cartridge converter: Wing Sung 3008. I have no interest in levers, vacuums, and other gizmos. I'm also wary of flexible sacs and "eyedropper" filling.

Of those pens I leave converters in, the Parker IM Premium is top, followed by Parker 45 Flighter.

That leaves four pens used with standard international cartridges. Ohto Tasche is my favourite to carry around, if however, I was to be desk bound, the favourite would be my Helix Oxford.
 

tankerjohn

A little poofier than I prefer
Okay, I'll play:

Fill Mechanism / Favorite / Honorable Mention
Cartridge
/ Platinum 3776 / Pilot Custom 912*
Lever / Waterman Commando / Esterbrook J
Piston / Lamy 2000 / Pelikan M200*
Snorkel / Sheaffer Snorkel

*this order for filling, not necessarily for writing
 
I have bought some pens just to get ones with a particular filling mechanism. For example, I have a Parker 61, which is a capillary filler, and some vintage (as distinguished from modern reproduction) Conklin Crescent fillers. Although the Conklins are also good writers.

But for pens I actually use with any regularity at all, let's see.

Cartridge/Converter: Pilot Custom Heritage 91/Montblanc Noblesse/Parker 180
Piston: Pilot Custom Heritage 92/Pelikan M205 (with an M400 nib)/Lamy 2000
Lever Filler: Mabie Todd Swan 3180/Eversharp Skyline/Waterman's 12 PSF
Eyedropper with no cartridge converter option: Opus 88 Koloro by default.
TD filler: Sheaffer imperial/Sheaffer Admiral/...
Other: Parker Vacumatic/Parker aerometric 51/Conklin Crescent
 
My current favorite piston filler is a vintage Aurora 88K. It puts down a firm, fine line. Currently filled with Pelikan Royal Blue (I bought a liter). My backup is an Aurora 88P, although it's not currently filled (my Cleo Skribent is). Something tells me that Italians were unloading they're vintage pens during the pandemic - I mashed to buy both Auroras for reasonable prices, although the shipping time was a bit long.

For cartridge/converter pens, is hard to beat the Parker 45. Kind of a soft nib. My Parker 65 takes second place.

Lever pens. Probably the Eversharp Skyline. Wonderful nib, kind of soft.

Other filling mechanism covers a lot of territory. My Opus 88 Koloro (red) -- Japanese-style eye dropper -- has been filled with Noodler's Red Black for many months. I also love my Parker 61 (capillary filler) - such a nice nib. I'll also include my Parker Slimfold since it's an aerometric (and so, technically, not a converter). Another soft nib. I just wish the feed would keep up, particularly when I'm drawing lines.

Notably, perhaps, is that the Parker 51 didn't make my list. Somehow, Parker 21s suit me better, although given the choice, I'd take an Aurora 88P or 88K. Also missing: the Lamy 2000 - the nib just doesn't do it for me. I prefer the Lamy 27 (vintage piston filler).
 
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