Versus

Japanese vs Western Nib Sizes

Why a Pilot medium writes like a Lamy fine — and how to order the right line the first time.

Option A

Japanese sizing

Think Japanese (Pilot, Sailor, Platinum) when you want fine lines that stay crisp — small handwriting, cheap paper, dense annotation.

Option B

Western sizing

Think Western (Lamy, Pelikan, TWSBI, Kaweco) when you want wetter, broader lines that show off ink — big handwriting, good paper, signatures.

The decision table

	Japanese sizing	Western sizing
EF	~0.3 mm — needlepoint territory	~0.4–0.5 mm ≈ Japanese F
F	~0.4 mm ≈ Western EF	~0.6 mm ≈ Japanese M
M	~0.5–0.6 mm ≈ Western F	~0.75 mm
B	~0.7 mm ≈ Western M+	~1.0 mm
Why	Kanji demands fine, precise strokes	Latin cursive rewards width and wetness
Cheat	Order one size UP from your Western habit	Order one size DOWN moving to Japanese

The bottom line

The letters are conventions, not measurements — ink, paper, and wetness move every number. But the one-size offset is the most reliable rule of thumb in pen buying.

Read the full Japanese vs Western Nib Sizes breakdown →