While I write a lot about fountain pens, and even have 72 pen porn posts, I don’t feel I give enough credit and attention to nibs. They are, after all, the most important part of a pen. Without a nib, a fountain pen is just a stick of material — granted, possibly a very pretty stick of material.
That said, it’s long past time I dedicate a post to nibs and the beautiful designs they can carry.
Disclaimer: I take no responsibility for nib envy or impulse purchases resulting from viewing this post.
Per usual, you can click on the images to view them larger. I do my best to provide you with high-quality pen porn. 😉
I have to start with the nib that means the most to me. This nib features Bumbledore’s ears, nose, mouth, fangs, and whiskers. It is the nib on The Right Royal Pen, my tribute pen to Bumbledore by Marian Binder and Stanford Pen Studio. I cut and smoothed it to a cursive oblique.
My custom nibs
While on the topic of nibs I had customized to a specific design, I have to share these two that I ordered from Jonathon Brooks.
This is the nib I keep in my Pride and Prejudice pen — which I have named Ardently — by Hanna Farmer and Stanford Pen Studio. The peacock fits with the peacocks on the rest of the pen, and references the coveted peacock edition of the book.
And this is the nib I keep in my Little Women pen — named The March Sisters — also by Hanna Farmer and Stanford Pen Studio. Given that Jo March is a writer, a quill pen seemed like an appropriate choice.
Nibs customized by small makers
And here we have nibs customized by small makers.
This pretty nib belongs to a DC Metro Pen Crew exclusive pen — that’s our logo, designed by Jim — made by Jonathon Brooks of Carolina Pen Co.
I was lucky enough to get this inlaid hummingbird nib from Tim Cullen of Hooligan Pens.
Brian Weaver of Iron Feather Creative actually hand-engraves his logo onto the nibs he sends with his engraved pens. And, if you’re lucky, he’ll customize it even further to match the motif of your pen! The second nib belongs to my Mayan Art commission.
These two beauties are from Shibui North. The first belongs to my Pocket Fox Asa No Ha. The second, Jim picked up for me because, well, cats.
Nibs customized by large manufacturers
Small makers are the only ones who customize nibs. Whether for a specific pen, a collaboration, an anniversary, or a specific line, large manufacturers have some interesting customized nibs, too.
This is the Cypress 5th Anniversary nib, featuring a dragon because their anniversary was during the year of the dragon. I got this nib with my E06.
This cute little nib belongs to the Stardust Violet Kaweco x Sanrio collaboration for Hello Kitty’s 50th anniversary.
This nib was originally designed for the Montegrappa Tertio Millennio Adveniente, but some remaining nibs were replated to better suit the Extra 1930 Shiny Lines/Dove.
I can’t leave the Pilot Kakuno off of a nib appreciation post! I only have the one Kakuno, so I can’t share the other smiley faces, but they differ based on body color.
Some extra special appreciation goes to my favorite Platinum pen model, the #3776. In order, we have the nibs for the Azure Dragon collab with Wagner, the Clematis collab with Kobayashi, and the Mountain Mist collab with Luxury Brands of America.
And we have some more Platinum nibs. In order, again, are the nibs for the Platinum Izumo Takeami Torafu and the Little Shooting Star line — I promise, it’s not a special Preppy — and the President nib.
Here we have the nib for the Aries edition of the Sailor Pro Gear Slim Mini x Bungubox zodiac series.
Hello Kitty, again. This time it’s the collaboration with Sailor for her 40th anniversary.
These special nibs are the Sailor Pro Gear Sakura Nagare King of Pen (first) and regular. Because these are part of the consolation gift series, they feature the Prime Minister of Japan’s seal, rather than the standard Sailor design.
Nibs with large manufacturer logos
And, I’m bringing this to a close with some standard nibs from large manufacturers. Since all of these nibs have either the brand name or logo — and sometimes both — on them, I don’t feel the need to name each one. But, I hope you enjoy the pretty designs!
Which nib featured is your favorite? What is your favorite nib design ever? Let me know in the comments! I’d love to hear from you.
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