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Glossary

Nib

The metal writing tip of a fountain pen.

The nib is the shaped metal point that puts ink on paper — the part of the pen that actually writes. Ink travels from the feed down a central slit and releases where the tip meets the page.

Nibs vary by material (steel or gold), size (EF through BB and beyond), and grind. When people say a pen is smooth, scratchy, wet, or dry, they are almost always describing the nib, not the pen body.

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