NIKKO / NIKKO / Japanese Character Pen Nib (No. 555) The engraving reads: 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 have no quirks, making them easy to handle. 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 they 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 pens), an astronomical figure, but the trend shifted to ballpoint pens in government offices and banks. Regarding pen nibs: In the past, many pen nibs were manufactured, and there were many workers, including skilled craftsmen. It seems that they still use the manufacturing machines from that time. The number of workers has drastically decreased from the mass production era, and many of the skilled workers who were employed at that time 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 nibs are less prone to deterioration and are said to still have the same performance as they did back then.