Dont get him a mont blanc if he's prone to dropping things. Before I lost all my mont blancs I broke most of then numerous times. The mont blanc botique stores will fix a smashed up pen for $25 (I think thats what it cost, I havent had one fixed in years), but after a few times it gets to be expensive. I spent more having my rollerball fixed than writing with it. My favorite one was my 75th anniversary special limitied edition ballpoint. Le grand sized, rose gold appointments, mother of pearl star, with a diamond set into the engraved ring. I didnt even break or scratch it once! I miss her...
Rotrings are nice but the really deisel ones can tire out your hand. My favorite was the quattro with the circualr barrel. I had a few of the hexigonal ones too, but those made better weapons then writing utensils.
Sensas are nice, relativly inexpensive, and practical if the grip works with how you write. I have a carbon fiber one and never use it because with the angle I write and and how high up from the tip the grip is placed it just doesnt work out well. I guess I write wierd though because none of my friends have had this problem.
Lamys, Crosses, Tombos, came and went. None really made an impression, except for cross pensils. For some reason I like thin lightweight pencils so the crosses work good for me. A regular cross might not be the best gift though if your looking for something really special.
Someone mentioned Jorg Hyseks. Those are really nice and I would have gotten one but at that point I had lost well over $1000 in pens and decided that It was just a senseless waste of money. Now I use whatever is lying arround or I find in school or someone gives me to borrow. And you know what? I dont think ive lost a single bic all year. Go figure
. Maybe I was just really careless in middle school and shouldnt have had any expensive pens to begin with.