I love fountain pens, but I simply don't buy that the ballpoint "killed cursive".
Sure, if you want to do calligraphy, a fountain pen or chisel point wet tip is required for the thick/thin strokes. But for standard cursive, a ball point does just fine. No problemo.
Oh, and I taught myself calligraphy back in the 70's, and can still do a passable job if required. But now if I want to send a calligraphic text, I look for the right font. LOL.