But it’s not a downside. Where’s the fun if there was one brand of fountain pen and one type of nib?
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I know people with hundreds of pens, hundreds of inks. Goes beyond ‘fun’ in my opinion.
That’s how it turns into a business.
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Thanks everyone for the great feedback. I had no idea how complicated buying a pen could be! 
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If you’re really interested I’d recommend starting with an inexpensive disposable pen and seeing if the ink bleeds, feathers or spreads on the paper you want to use. It may very well, at which point you probably should use a different type of pen. (Post-It notes and cheap paper are the bane of fountain pens - but many nice notebooks have paper that doesn’t work well with fountain pen inks. The variety and sizes of specifically fp-friendly paper are endless, and sometimes pricey.) When I’m using fp-unfriendly paper I typically opt for a Uni-Ball or Pentel Energel rollerball pen for smoothness - gets the job done, pleasantly, with a minimum of fuss.
A 7-pack of disposable Pilot Varsity fountain pens in various colors (some good, some absurd) is just $12 on Amazon. A Platinum Preppy with ink cartridge, in a variety of colors (and the option to buy more cartridges or use your own ink by using a $6 converter) is under $9. I like the cheap Preppy, have several as backups or to give away, and I keep one on my desk loaded with Shaeffer Skrip Red ink for notes and mark-ups - it’s an old standard ink formulated in 1924 that teachers used long ago to grade school papers!. The Preppy lets you also choose nib sizes, from X-Fine to Medium.
The next step up is your $20-$35 pens (or trawling though ebay for cheap $4-$15 Chinese knockoffs from Jinhao and similar brands) from Platinum, Pilot, TWSBI and Kaweco. If you google for info on a real ‘starter’ fp the consensus is usually a Pilot Metropolitan or a Lamy Safari, in the $20-$30 range. (I hold my pens at an odd angle when I write, and the Safari’s triangular grip, which is extremely comfortable for most people, simply does not work for me.)
Again, if you’re curious, consider testing your paper (and your actual interest) with a cheap pen. And google for starter info, and definitely read up over at FountainPenNetwork - here’s an intro sticky post that links to beginner questions/threads including recommendations at various price points.
EDIT:
This is a good introductory article from a respected pen/paper shop.
https://www.jetpens.com/blog/the-best-beginner-fountain-pens/pt/862
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I started with a Montblanc Meisterstuck (still using it) But that is overkill. On the other hand, I don’t think going for really cheap pens is necessary. Before you reach actually good pens, you can get discouraged. I would advice to start with brands like Lamy or TWSBI. They are not expensive, but still good so even if someone will not continue with the “hobby”, he will have a really nice pen he can use for years to come.
But in any case it is a good idea to stop by a shop and try out some nibs, papers and inks. A lot of stuff depends on handwriting style.
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I often spent more time choosing a case than choosing the device itself
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I love Jet Pens!
This is The Best Pencil in the World™ (in my opinion). The Kuru Toga Roulette. It rotates the lead as you write to reduce lead breakage and provide consistent line width. Looks like they’ve expanded the line quite a bit too. Uni Kuru Toga Guide
My Parker Vector arrived today. It feels like an inexpensive pen - because it is. It writes really well though. Much better than the Monteverde I had before. There may have been a nib problem with the Monteverde, and me being a n00b, didn’t realize it.
Wow. Where has this been all of my life!? I could have used this for the entirety of my time in school.
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Where oh where was that pencil when I was in school? We all had to learn to rotate the pencil as you drew your lines, to keep a nice, consistent lineweight.
I suppose I should conclude with some version of “kids these days.”
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They’ve obviously been destroying your lawn too.
When I graduated undergrad, I had a party and gave these pencils to people that attended. Acquaintances got the Kuru Toga starter set, close friends and professors got the Roulette, The Best Eraser in the World™ (well, the best non-kneaded eraser), eraser refills for the pencil, and The Best Lead in the World™ (it has diamond particles fused into the lead). A few got The Best Pen and Pencil Case in the World™.
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My favorite fountain pen is the Sailor 1911 standard with a “medium fine” 14k nib. I use one with a prefilled cartridge and one using a Sailor ink. https://www.penchalet.com/fine_pens/fountain_pens/sailor_1911_standard_fountain_pen.html
Here’s a suggestion for @Bmosbacker- Start with Figboot’s top ten videos by price ranges here.
If anything seems interesting, look for a review of it on the same channel and or on SBREBrown’s channel:
If you need advice about taking a pen apart (pull or twist?) then check the latter’s disassembly videos for the pen. You could also check his GOAT (greatest of all time) videos, but they tend to be very special pens that may be hard to find.
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It stays posted (don’t know how firmly tho, use mine unposted), but only by friction, so probably it was shop worn.
Top choice - Lamy 2000
My personal favourite - Pilot 823
I’ve got more money than sense - Yard-o-Led - handmade and marvellous
Also - for fun - look on eBay for vintage pens. I have two wonderful Onoto writers from the 1930s, each cost about $50.
Well, I’m going to eat my former words, but being a scientist, I’m always open to being wrong.
My Pilot Vanishing Point is really sweet. I’m using it with take-sumi by Pilot, and am anxiously awaiting trying my kon-peki, also by Pilot.
Thanks everyone for changing my mind!
This has now put me on a quest to find nice paper that is Cornell ruled, and fountain pen friendly (my former Tops Focus notebooks bleed too much). I think Tul for their discbound notebook will do. If not, I have some Rhodia pads that are close to what I want.
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Rhodia is much loved. My only issue with Rhodia is that sometimes the type of book you want only has cream paper, which tilts blue ink to teal and purple ink towards brown. I much prefer white paper, which Rhodia does but not in every book type.
Then there’s the Tomoe River. It’s magical - super thin but ink just doesn’t bleed through it unless it’s a Sharpie. You could try a pocket notebook from Goulet pens in the 52 and 68gsm to see if you like it. If so there are some Tomoe River hardback and soft cover A5s from different suppliers.
But good old Black n’ Red is also fantastic, and not every fountain pen enthusiast seems to know this. You can actually get it in Staples.
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