this is an addicting habit that can be expensive. Abandon all hope, logic will not serve you once you past thru the gates.
Now that the obligatory warning is over here are some opinions.
1. You MUST decided if you like heavy or light weight pens. IMHO this is relatively constant thing. I always prefer heavier pens though I can use a lightweight one for brief periods of time.
2. You MUST decide if you prefer a smaller or a larger diameter pens. Also very important when you are writing that 1,000 page novel. Really does not matter as much for sigs.
IMHO these are the two most important decisions you will make because they will guide you down the dark path of pendom. There are many other issues that to me are secondary.
3. Does the filling system matter. Are you a snob and refuse to use a cartridge/converter pen. "Real pens suck ink from a bottle" is a comment sometimes heard. I am over this. I will match my three Orpheos up against anything else in my inventory.
4. Material. Resin, "precious resin", celluloid, metal, lacquer coated metal, ebonite, maki-e?
5. Modern or vintage.
6. Nibs. Big/little. Stiff/flexy/spring. Width EF to BBB with cursive/italic variants thrown in. Remember that a fine from Nakimi is different that a Visconti fine.
7. Do you like metal nib sections.
I typically recommend starting out with a mid-sized Pelikan, say a 600 series with a medium nib. These are light weight pens. They are not sexy but are as dependable as the day is long. IMHO, the noob does not need to start out with a tempermental modern Italian like an Omas. It is too easy to get discouraged when a $1,000 pen is not perfect out of the box, and believe me it does happen.
I have around 100 modern pens that are users. I love Italian pens, especially Viscontis. I also have Omas pens but sold most of those because they were too light weight for me to use for long periods of time. The new Omas pens, the large Paragons and Bolonga are more to my liking. Of the ones you have listed the large Dupont Orpheos are top shelve. I have three, black lacquer with gold trim, palladium and sterling silver in a barley corn design. They are big and heavy with wonderful nibs.
Shoot me an email and maybe I can give you some other ideas backchannel. These are just my thoughts, I am ready for them to be shot down.
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