Difference Between Japanese and Western Nibs

Fountain pen newbies have their hands full figuring out the right size, filling mechanism, and ink for their new writing instruments. Once they’ve got the flow of writing with a fountain pen, the next step is to understand nibs. The difference between Japanese and Western nibs is significant depending on the user’s writing style and the language being written.

What’s a Nib?

The nib is the end of the fountain pen. It draws ink from the pen’s reservoir and delivers it through capillary action to the tip that contacts the paper. Nibs have a slit in them with two “tines” on either side. The ink flows down the slit, and there is a “breather hole” in the nib that allows air to get back into the reservoir to maintain pressure to keep the ink flowing. The proper method for disassembling the pen to clean the nib is an important lesson fountain pen beginners should learn.

The shape of the tip of a nib affects the writing style. Most nib tips are round to create uniform lines and maintain consistency in the writing style. Other nibs are flat. These create lines of different thicknesses, depending on whether the writer is creating a vertical or horizontal line stroke. These flat-tipped nibs are useful for calligraphy, older systems of writing that require strokes of differing widths, or just to add some personality to penmanship.

Japanese vs. Western Nibs

Fountain pen makers have never developed a standardized system of sizing. Rather, the individual needs of customers dictated the type of nibs developed over the years. Japanese characters require very thin lines, and, as a result, Japanese pen makers created nibs with fine tips. Japanese “fine” tips are typically around a full size thinner than the corresponding Western size. Those experimenting with different nibs should understand that to approximate the same stroke width as a Western nib, they should go up a size (from “extra fine” to “fine,” or “fine” to “medium”).

Another difference between Japanese and Western nibs is the softness or flexibility of the nib. Japanese nibs tend to be more flexible, allowing a greater variance of pressure on the pen tip to create the necessary strokes and lines for Japanese characters (Japanese calligraphy often uses brushes). Western nibs tend to be stiffer and offer less opportunity for error because of variances in writing pressure.