Our handcrafted specialty nibs give you a very easy and economical way to explore line variation, ultrafine points, and other nibs not generally offered. I regrind standard nibs into italic, oblique italic, and stub italic points that yield beautiful line variation yet retain superb ease in the hand. For other specialized needs, we also have XXF (often called ACCOUNT or Posting nibs), XXXF (needlepoint), and more. Each nib is painstakingly hand finished, smoothed, and adjusted for proper flow, just the same as if you had sent your own pen for me to customize.

These complete interchangeable nib/feed assemblies are usually in stock for immediate delivery. We offer handcrafted nibs for your Pelikan M2nn, M4nn, or M6nn pen (including M620 City Series, M700 Toledo, and “1931” and “1935” limited editions), and for your Namiki (Pilot) Vanishing Point. (Vanishing Point units come complete with piston converters.)

All of our specialty Pelikan nibs, except for music and flexible nibs, come in either steel or gold versions, giving you a choice between the economy of steel and the long-lasting elegance of gold. Note: To keep prices as low as possible, we cannot accept returns for exchange on steel nibs. Gold nibs, so long as they are not damaged, are exchangeable, with a $5.00 charge (per nib) for cleaning, testing, and packaging for resale.

Note   To determine the width of an italic, oblique italic, or stub nib, I measure the line width produced by the nib, not the physical nib itself. Many manufacturers measure the nib instead, and their nibs are wider than the lines they make; for example, a 0.9-mm cursive italic nib is actually about 1.1 mm in width. A “commercial” 0.9-mm stub, for example, may produce a line only 0.7 mm in width. Right-click the image at the left (Macintosh users control-click) to download a stroke width chart in PDF format (for Adobe Reader). Click this button to download a free copy of Adobe Reader.

If you are not sure about which nib shapes may be appropriate for you, there is helpful information in Nibs I: The Basics and Nibs II: Beyond the Basics with Specialty Nibs. The ItaliFine™ and CONDOR™ are proprietary designs; the ItaliFine is described in Nibs: The ItaliFine: Inspired by the Fine Nibs of Yesterday, and the CONDOR is described in Nibs: The CONDOR, a Nib for Brushwork.

To choose a specialty nib of a size appropriate to your handwriting, measure the average height of your minuscules (lowercase, or “little,” letters). The width of an italic nib’s stroke should be approximately ¹/5 the height you measure, as shown in the image to the right. For example, if your minuscules average ³/16" (4.76 mm), a 0.9-mm italic is about the right size for you. This is not a firm rule, however, so you will have to judge for yourself what you think you will like.

If the nib’s no good, it doesn’t matter how fancy the rest of the pen is — it’s not a good pen.

Unless otherwise requested at the time of sale, I tune each new pen or nib at no extra charge before shipment. I fill the pen with Waterman Blue-Black ink and write with it on paper from the same fountain pen friendly pads we sell, adjusting as necessary to bring it up to the RichardsPens.com “factory” standard for smoothness and flow. The result is an adjusted nib, not a customized one.

Different inks or different papers can produce different results. Any special adjustment to accommodate your flow preference or a specific ink or paper comes under the heading of customization, and there will be an additional charge for that work.

[  Our return policy  ]

These handcrafted specialty nibs will fit all Pelikan M2nn, M4nn, or M6nn pen (including M620 City Series, M700 Toledo, and “1931” and “1935” limited editions). They also fit the vintage 400, 400N, and 400NN. If you don’t yet have a Pelikan, you can choose an M200 body here.

We offer your choice of gold-plated steel nibs, made for the M200, or 14K gold nibs, made for the M250. Each nib is painstakingly ground to the proper shape and then hand finished, smoothed, and adjusted for proper flow. These complete interchangeable nib/feed assemblies are usually in stock for immediate delivery. Prices do not include shipping and insurance. Note: These nibs do not fit M150 pens.

All of our specialty Pelikan nibs, except for music and flexible nibs, come in either steel or gold versions, giving you a choice between the economy of steel and the long-lasting elegance of gold. Note: To keep prices as low as possible, we cannot accept returns for exchange on steel nibs. Gold nibs are exchangeable, with a $5.00 charge (per nib) for cleaning, testing, and packaging for resale.

To purchase a specialty nib, click on the size you want from the charts below. We also stock standard (unmodified) round nibs for most Pelikan models.

If you do not already have a pen body for the nib you’re considering, we offer a complete selection of M200 pen bodies without nibs.

If you are considering a crisp italic, please note that these nibs are very crisp and are usually not suitable for everyday use.

(View a Selection of Writing Samples)

Click the nib style names in the left column to pop up short description of the nibs. Neutral Italics

— Steel — So that we can keep prices as low as possible, steel nibs are not returnable. Cursive italic Crisp italic Stub italic (“stub”) 1.1 mm 1.1 mm 1.0 mm 0.9 mm 0.9 mm 0.8 mm 0.7 mm 0.7 mm 0.6 mm $45.00

— 14K Gold — Cursive italic Crisp italic Stub italic (“stub”) 1.1 mm 1.1 mm 1.0 mm 0.9 mm 0.9 mm 0.8 mm 0.7 mm 0.7 mm 0.6 mm $100.00 Music nib 1.1-mm extra-smooth, very wet stub with slight added flex $120.00

Oblique Italics IMPORTANT: Please read before ordering oblique nibs. The term “oblique” does not mean “line variation.” Italic nibs give line variation; oblique nibs accommodate the way some people rotate the pen. Obliques can be italic, or they can be plain round nibs. All of the obliques offered on this page are oblique italics! Note that 30° left-foot oblique italics are not suitable for most users; they are intended primarily for left-handed underwriters who do not find 15° right-foot oblique italics comfortable. For more information, please read Nibs I: The Basics.

— Steel — So that we can keep prices as low as possible, steel nibs are not returnable. Cursive left-foot oblique italic, 15° Crisp left-foot oblique italic, 15° Cursive right-foot oblique italic, 15° Crisp right-foot oblique italic, 15° 1.1 mm 1.1 mm 1.1 mm 1.1 mm 0.9 mm 0.9 mm 0.9 mm 0.9 mm 0.7 mm 0.7 mm 0.7 mm 0.7 mm $45.00 Cursive left-foot oblique italic, 30° Crisp left-foot oblique italic, 30° 1.1 mm 1.1 mm 0.9 mm 0.9 mm 0.7 mm 0.7 mm $50.00

— 14K Gold — Cursive left-foot oblique italic, 15° Crisp left-foot oblique italic, 15° Cursive right-foot oblique italic, 15° Crisp right-foot oblique italic, 15° 1.1 mm 1.1 mm 1.1 mm 1.1 mm 0.9 mm 0.9 mm 0.9 mm 0.9 mm 0.7 mm 0.7 mm 0.7 mm 0.7 mm $100.00 Cursive left-foot oblique italic, 30° Crisp left-foot oblique italic, 30° 1.1 mm 1.1 mm 0.9 mm 0.9 mm 0.7 mm 0.7 mm $105.00

Very Fine Round Nibs

— Steel — So that we can keep prices as low as possible, steel nibs are not returnable. Extra fine[1] Extra-extra fine (ACCOUNT) Needlepoint (0.008" stroke) — — — — — — XF XXF XXXF $55.00 Super Needlepoint (0.004" stroke) Special Order, 1 Week Delivery — — XXXXF $70.00

— 14K Gold — Extra fine[1] Extra-extra fine (ACCOUNT) Needlepoint (0.008" stroke) — — — — — — XF XXF XXXF $110.00 Super Needlepoint (0.004" stroke) Special Order, 1 Week Delivery — — XXXXF $125.00

Richard’s Special Shapes

— Steel — So that we can keep prices as low as possible, steel nibs are not returnable. ItaliFine™ (Read reference page) 0.9-mm cursive italic & Fine $65.00 CONDOR™ (Read reference page) Fine & “brush” $70.00 Arabic/Hebrew italic (Read glossary entry) 0.9 mm 0.7 mm — $55.00

— 14K Gold — ItaliFine™ (Read reference page) 0.9-mm cursive italic & Fine $120.00 CONDOR™ (Read reference page) Fine & “brush” $125.00 Arabic/Hebrew italic (Read glossary entry) 0.9 mm 0.7 mm — $110.00

For sizes or shapes not shown above, I can make you a custom nib. The price will be the sum of the standard nib’s price and the standard charge for customization to create the size or shape in question. To see how easy it is to order a custom nib, read the instructions in this pop-up.

Notes:

1. We include extra-fine nibs (XF) as a specialty grind because Pelikan’s standard extra-fine nibs (labeled EF) do not meet my quality standards; they are inconsistent in flow, smoothness, and stroke width. If you order an extra-fine nib for your Pelikan pen, I will regrind a standard fine nib to create a smooth, reliable extra-fine writing experience for you.

I create flexible nibs that can help you recreate the calligraphic elegance of the past. I fashion these nibs from the same gold nibs, made for the Pelikan M250, that I use for my specialty shapes (shown above), and I make them to resemble — and perform like — the flexible nibs of old. To the left, scanned actual size, is a brief ex tempore comment written by Deborah Basel with the flexible vintage-style XXF/XXXF duo-point nib shown to the right. Deborah, for whom I made this nib, is a professional calligrapher and a member of the Washington, D.C., Calligraphers Guild and the Baltimore Fountain Pen Club. To view a zoomed image of Deborah’s nib for more detail, click the magnifying glass to the right of the image.

You can go here to view a copperplate-styled exemplar, created by Antonios Zavaliangos, showing the nib‘s flexibility to great advantage.

To learn more about flexible nibs, read Nibs III: Flex vs. Italic. Caution: For information about what flex nib can — and cannot — do, read Nibs: Flex, a Disaster in the Making.

I can create semiflex or full-flex nibs with virtually any of the specialty shapes we offer. We do not offer a superflexible “wet noodle” because experience has shown that there is a hairsbreadth difference between making a very flexible nib and making a nib that flexes once, but — as quoth the Raven — nevermore.

If you do not see the nib you’re looking for in the table below, please send email to discuss the purchase of a flex nib that is suited to your requirements.

Standard Flexible Nibs for Pelikan Pens

— 14K Gold — Pelikan M250 nib, M: full flex added $145.00 Pelikan M250 nib, M: semiflex added $145.00 Pelikan M250 nib, F: full flex added $145.00 Pelikan M250 nib, F: semiflex added $145.00 Pelikan M250 nib, reground to XF, full flex added $190.00 Pelikan M250 nib, reground to XF/XXF duo-point, full flex added $200.00 Pelikan M250 nib, reground to XXF, full flex added $190.00 Pelikan M250 nib, reground to XXF/XXXF duo-point, full flex added $200.00 Pelikan M250 nib, reground to XXXF, full flex added (artist’s nib) $190.00

One of the really cool features of the Vanishing Point is the ease with which you can change its nib: Just unscrew the pen’s barrel and remove the nib unit as you would to refill it, slip in a different nib unit, and screw the pen back together. Vanishing Point nib units, with 18K gold nibs, come complete with piston converters^[1], and they are very economical — in fact, they cost just about the same as steel nib units for many other pens. “Roll your own” with one of these handcrafted specialty nibs; they fit all Namiki and Pilot Vanishing Point pens (top and middle photos below) as well as the new slim décimo (bottom photo below) and Fermo. Note: These nib units do not fit older Pilot Capless pens.

Each nib is painstakingly ground to the proper shape and then hand finished, smoothed, and adjusted for proper flow. These complete interchangeable nib unit assemblies are usually in stock for immediate delivery. Prices do not include shipping and insurance.

Note   If your pen is a faceted Namiki Vanishing Point with a squeeze converter (like the burgundy pen above), you should use the pen’s squeeze converter with your new nib. Piston converters do not fit properly in these older pens. The converter is the right length, but its metal collar stops against the brass collar inside the barrel’s back end. This interference prevents the nib unit from retracting completely, and the pen will dry out when not in use.

To purchase a nib, click on the size you want from the charts below. We also stock standard (unmodified) round nibs for the Vanishing Point.

If you do not already have a pen body for the nib you’re considering, we offer a complete selection of Vanishing Point pen bodies without nibs.

If you are considering a crisp italic, please note that these nibs are very crisp and are usually not suitable for everyday use.

(View a Selection of Writing Samples)

Click the nib style names in the left column to pop up short description of the nibs. Neutral Italics

— 18K Gold — Cursive italic Crisp italic Stub italic (“stub”) — — — 0.9 mm 0.9 mm 0.8 mm 0.7 mm 0.7 mm 0.6 mm $60.00

Oblique Italics IMPORTANT: Please read before ordering oblique nibs. The term “oblique” does not mean “line variation.” Italic nibs give line variation; oblique nibs accommodate the way some people rotate the pen. Obliques can be italic, or they can be plain round nibs. All of the obliques offered on this page are oblique italics! Note that 30° left-foot oblique italics are not suitable for most users; they are intended primarily for left-handed underwriters who do not find 15° right-foot oblique italics comfortable. For more information, please read Nibs I: The Basics.

— 18K Gold — Cursive left-foot oblique italic, 15° Crisp left-foot oblique italic, 15° Cursive right-foot oblique italic, 15° Crisp right-foot oblique italic, 15° — — — — 0.9 mm 0.9 mm 0.9 mm 0.9 mm 0.7 mm 0.7 mm 0.7 mm 0.7 mm $60.00 Cursive left-foot oblique italic, 30° Crisp left-foot oblique italic, 30° — — 0.9 mm 0.9 mm 0.7 mm 0.7 mm $65.00

Very Fine Round Nibs

— 18K Gold — Extra-extra fine (ACCOUNT) Needlepoint (0.008" stroke) — — — — XXF XXXF $70.00 Super Needlepoint (0.004" stroke) Special Order, 1 Week Delivery — — XXXXF $85.00

Richard’s Special Shapes

— 18K Gold — ItaliFine™ (Read reference page) 0.9-mm cursive italic & Fine $80.00 Arabic/Hebrew italic (Read glossary entry) 0.9 mm 0.7 mm — $70.00

For sizes or shapes not shown above, I can make you a custom nib. The price will be the sum of the standard nib’s price and the standard charge for customization to create the size or shape in question. To see how easy it is to order a custom nib, read the instructions in this pop-up.

Notes:

1. When I test these nibs, I seat their converters completely before filling, to ensure that the nibs will flow properly in actual use. To remove the converter from a nib unit, pull firmly while twisting clockwise. (Twisting counterclockwise can unscrew the metal part of the converter from the plastic barrel.)

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