Glossary: Fountain Pen Bits, Pieces, and Other Stuff
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Like any other specialized item, the fountain pen has amassed a lexicon of terms that are unique. And like other jargon languages, fountain pen jargon can be cryptic or confusing. This glossary presents brief definitions for many of the most common pen terms. It is not complete (an impossible goal); but it is a work in progress, and I welcome suggestions for terms to add.
(Revised May 24, 2006)
The glossary is organized alphabetically. For numbers, look under the spelled-out form; e.g., for 14K, look under fourteen.
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K
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karat (abbr. K)
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(also carat, abbr. C) A system for specifying the quality of gold alloys by stating how many parts of gold per 24 parts of the total metal content, measured by weight, are contained in a given alloy. 24-karat (24K) is pure gold, 12K is 50% gold by weight, and so on. 14K and 18K are the alloys most commonly used in pens.
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keyhole
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 One of many shapes used to enhance the appearance of the breather hole in a nib; used for the nibs of some early Parker eyedropper-filling pens but best known as a distinguishing mark of the nibs L. E. Waterman used for its Nº 5 and Nº 7 pens beginning in 1927. Shown here is the nib of a Nº 7. See also nib.
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KT
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An obsolescent abbreviation for karat, seen most commonly on vintage U.S.-made nibs.
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The information in this glossary is as accurate as possible, but you should not take it as absolutely authoritative.
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