For the affordable gold nibs, "Lamy 2000" is generally the biggest competitor to Pilot Capless / Vanishing point. Same price, very similar nib quality, different esthetics / use case.
For the cheap, the aliexpress classics "Jinhao x750" is another gateway drug. It's under $10 and gives an almost infinite ability for tinkering further down the line when the fountain pen bug bites (#6 size nibs that are easy to find / replace and standard cartridge / converter size for easy ink availability).
For the affordable gold nibs, "Lamy 2000" is generally the biggest competitor to Pilot Capless / Vanishing point. Same price, very similar nib quality, different esthetics / use case.
For the cheap, the aliexpress classics "Jinhao x750" is another gateway drug. It's under $10 and gives an almost infinite ability for tinkering further down the line when the fountain pen bug bites (#6 size nibs that are easy to find / replace and standard cartridge / converter size for easy ink availability).