NIKKO / NIKKO / Japanese Character Pen Nib (No. 555) Stamped with NIKKO PEN 555 MADE IN JAPAN. This listing is for 10 nibs. Unlike spoon pens and G-pens, these nibs are designed in Japan specifically for writing Japanese characters, making them less likely to snag, even for beginners. ◆ Japanese character pens are nibs developed in Japan for writing kanji and hiragana. They are slightly harder than G-pens. --------------------------------- These dip pen nibs are less prone to snagging and are easy to handle, with no quirks. They allow for soft, smooth, and flexible strokes. I think they are the perfect nibs for "dip pen beginners" who want to draw with the feel of a pencil or ballpoint pen. They are also a popular nib for manga. ---------------------- ◆ About the Pen Nib Manufacturer ◆ Lion Pen Nibs were manufactured by LION, the office equipment company, but are no longer in production. Production and sales of pen nibs ceased in 1996 (Heisei 8), over 20 years ago, and this brand of nibs will eventually disappear. Currently, the Japanese pen nib brands on the market are Tachikawa, Nikko, and Zebra. The Nikko brand was taken over by Tachikawa, so there are only two manufacturers: Tachikawa and Zebra. There are also stories that the older ones are better in performance. In the high-growth era, around 1985 (Showa 60), the number of dip pens manufactured was 1 million gross (1 gross is 144 pieces), an astronomical figure, but they were replaced by ballpoint pens in government offices and banks with the trend of the times. Regarding pen nibs: In the past, there were many pen nib manufacturers, and a large number of them were made, with many workers and skilled craftsmen. It seems that they still use the manufacturing machines of that time. The number of workers has decreased dramatically, and many of the skilled workers who were involved in mass production were highly skilled. I have also heard that the ones from that time are better. Also, I have heard that they write smoothly without snagging, but I will treat this as a reference. Also, chrome-colored pen nibs are less prone to deterioration and are said to still have the same performance as they did back then.