Plain ink
Glossary
The vocabulary threads assume you know — defined honestly, one paragraph each. Insiders nitpick the parentheticals; we get them right.
- NibThe metal writing tip of a fountain pen.
- TinesThe two prongs of the nib, split by the slit.
- TippingThe welded ball of hard alloy at the nib tip.
- FeedThe channel system that delivers ink to the nib.
- Breather holeThe round hole at the end of the nib slit.
- SectionThe grip — where your fingers hold the pen.
- ConverterA refillable mini-reservoir that replaces cartridges.
- CartridgeA disposable, pre-filled ink capsule.
- Piston fillerA built-in screw piston that fills the barrel itself.
- EyedropperThe barrel itself is the ink tank, filled by dropper.
- Vacuum fillerA plunger creates a vacuum that snaps ink into the barrel.
- Nib sizeThe line-width designation: EF, F, M, B, BB.
- StubA flat-edged nib: broad down-strokes, thin cross-strokes.
- Cursive italicA crisper stub — more contrast, more discipline.
- Architect grindThe stub’s mirror: thin down-strokes, broad cross-strokes.
- ObliqueA nib tip cut at an angle for rotated grips.
- Flex nibA nib whose tines spread under pressure for line variation.
- Semi-flexMild, springy line variation without full flex commitment.
- Wet noodleCollector slang for extremely soft vintage full-flex.
- SpringinessNib give and bounce that isn’t true flex.
- FeedbackThe tactile feel of nib on paper — not scratchiness.
- ToothFine-grit paper texture you can feel through the nib.
- Baby’s bottomOver-polished tipping that skips on the first stroke.
- Tine misalignmentOne tine higher than the other — the classic scratch.
- Nib creepInk migrating onto the top surface of the nib.
- RailroadingFlex failure: two parallel lines with no ink between.
- Hard startThe pen hesitates on the first stroke after a pause.
- SkippingDropped strokes mid-word while writing.
- FeatheringInk spidering along paper fibers into fuzzy edges.
- Bleed-throughInk soaking clean through to the back of the sheet.
- GhostingShow-through: a shadow of writing, no actual ink.
- SheenA metallic glint where ink pools and dries.
- ShadingLight-to-dark tonal variation within strokes.
- ShimmerSuspended metallic flecks in the ink itself.
- GSMGrams per square meter — paper weight, not quality.
- Iron-gall inkA historic ink that oxidizes darker as it dries.
- Pigment inkWaterproof particle-based ink for permanence.
- Dye inkThe standard, fully dissolved fountain-pen ink.
- Dry timeSeconds until a written line stops smearing.
- PostingParking the cap on the pen’s tail while writing.
- Japanese vs Western sizingJapanese nibs run about one size finer.
- Writing angleThe pen-to-paper angle where the tipping lands flat.