My path went crappy pens -> Pilot ballpoint -> Pilot gel -> Pilot Metropolitan fountain pen.
Not having to exert pressure makes such a difference to me that my handwriting immediately improved when I started using fountain pens. I've even had friends comment on it. "Wait, I can read your handwriting."
Sitting in a hammock beside the river, hacking on a Pyramid app, I have four fountain pens on my person - a Kaweco Lilliput, a Pilot Stargazer, a Pilot Falcon, and a Pilot Vanishing Point.
Fountain pens make the experience much different for me, and I actively dislike using someone else's pen now.
Interesting about your moving on to a fountain pen. Now I feel inspired to look up that local pen expert and go do some more experimenting!