You think that’s a problem‽ 😅

I’d say #1 or #3, I’m leaning more towards #3

They’re well worth trying! I actually prefer the A2, which is kind of their version of the old faceted Decimo. It’s made of plastic instead of metal, and as such it’s lighter and slightly thinner.

Yes, they are. You can only get these in an EF nib, but it’s a good writer.

Jinhao are great for new & experienced users alike. I’d highly recommend the 82, 100, & X159 models. Platinum Preppy’s are also excellent budget pens that write far better than a lot of pens in the sub £100 range. The Plasir and Prefounte are basically the same pen but with fancier aesthetics if the Preppy doesn’t do it for you. Other pens worth looking at are the Pilot Kakuno & Metropolitan, Kaweco Sport & Perkeo, Faber-Castell Grip, and the Lamy Safari.

Are there any guidelines for the dimensions of the banner?

These are the oranges I’ve had experience with:

Diamine Blaze Orange (my first & probably favourite) is likely too strong, it leans towards orangered, and Pennonia Róka Koma is almost identical to it. Diamine Pumpkin Shimmer is maybe a touch paler with a gold shimmer. Diamine Deep Dark Orange is a more subdued dark orange & is a fantastic ink. Diamine Peach Punch (Inkvent '21) is an orangey-peach. Diamine Wonderland (Inkvent '21) is a bright yellow-orange. And lastly, Diamine Flame (Inkvent '22) is a good mid orange, and it smells of matches! I haven’t had any signs of nib crud from these inks, but YMMV.

As @UnfortunateTwist@beehaw.org mentioned, the Mountain of Ink blog is the best place to go to get a good idea of how different inks look and perform.

I like the 601 so much I bought 2 of them, but with the Sheaffer Triumph-style nib instead of the hooded 51-style nib. The first was a teal plastic body that I absolutely love. It’s so well made that it’s extremely hard to see where the join between the body and the blind cap are, they blend together perfectly. Then I came across the Flighter version (601a) with the gold trim. It’s now one of my most used pens.

Diamine Kong Girls, an ink exclusive to Kong Girls in Hong Kong. It’s a lovely purple with an electric blue shimmer, and it never fails to make me happy.