NIKKO G-Pen Nib The engraving reads: NIKKOPENKK MADE IN JAPAN. These are Zebra brand products, one of the two major nib brands. 10 unused nibs are included, with free shipping. This is a popular nib, also featured in the "4 Recommended and Popular Pen Nibs for Penmanship" ranking. The G-pen allows for expressive variations in line thickness, suitable for Japanese characters, as well as English and symbols. I've heard that penmanship teachers use them to write Reisho (Clerical script) and Tensho (Seal script) works. It's a nib that makes it easy to vary line thickness and can produce the thickest lines among nibs. Some practice is needed to control the line thickness as desired. It's also suitable for manga characters and effect lines. Line thickness (thick lines for strong pressure, thin lines for light pressure) can be controlled by adjusting the nib angle and pressure. ◆About the Nib Manufacturer◆ Lion Pen Nibs were manufactured by LION, a manufacturer of office equipment, but they are no longer produced. The manufacturing and sale of nibs ceased in 1996 (Heisei 8), and it's a brand of nibs that will eventually disappear. Currently, the Japanese 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 discussions about the superior performance of older nibs. During the period of rapid economic growth around 1985 (Showa 60), the production of dip pens reached an astronomical figure of 1 million gross (1 gross = 144 pieces), but they were replaced by ballpoint pens in government offices and banks with the trend of the times. Regarding nibs: In the past, many nibs were manufactured, and there were many workers, including skilled craftsmen. It seems that they still use the manufacturing machines from that time, and the number of workers has drastically decreased. Many of the workers who were involved in mass production during that time had high skills. I've heard that some people say the older ones are better, but please take it 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. I also enjoy penmanship and change nibs depending on what I'm writing. Nikko-made nibs are one of my favorite nibs.