The 10 Best Calligraphy Nibs of 2020

The most important determining factor in how your calligraphy turns out — aside from your skill — is what type of nib you use. Only use the best calligraphy nibs to create beautiful writing.

We have reviewed the best calligraphy nibs below and provided helpful information in choosing the right one. We are no stranger to using fountain pens. They are helpful in creating aesthetic labels in our planners. Let’s dive in now to help you quickly choose the right calligraphy nibs for your style.

10 Best Calligraphy Nibs on the Market:

1. Zebra Comic G Model Chrome Nibs

Although “comic” is in the name of this nib, professional calligraphers have praised it. We think the Zebra Comic G Model Chrome Nibs are some of the best calligraphy nibs for beginners who are ready to try a different nib.

This dip pen nib does an excellent job of creating thick to thin lines. It may take practice to get the hang of it, especially for those who are new to using fountain pens.

What Consumers Are Saying

Consumers say these nibs work well for calligraphy, including copperplate calligraphy. They describe them as easy to use and good value for money. The set of 10 same-size nibs will last a long time.

2. Nikko N-Gpen Nib 3-Piece Set

These Nikko calligraphy nibs are excellent for pointed calligraphy. They are also beginner friendly.

We love the crisp, strong lines these nibs are capable of creating. You’ll have no problem creating lines of varying thickness either.

What Consumers Are Saying

Consumers who are new to calligraphy praised these nibs for being easy to use, being resilient while they learn, and producing beautiful lines. These nibs don’t dig into the paper on upstrokes, skip or bounce.

3. Brause Steno Nib 3

The Brause Steno Nib 3 is considered one of the best nibs for writing shorthand, but it’s also great for modern calligraphy. Consider this nib if you need to create very thin lines. It holds a lot of ink and applies smoothly to paper.

These nibs are also easy for beginners to get the hang of. Three same-size nibs come in each package.

What Consumers Are Saying

The Brause Steno Nibs are nicknamed blue pumpkin nibs for their color. Consumers who use these nibs for calligraphy say they write smoothly and create beautiful hairlines and downstrokes.

4. Brause EF 66 Nib

The Brause EF 66 Nib, also known as the Arrow Nib, features an extra fine point and high flexibility. It’s one of the best copperplate pen nibs.

You can create gorgeous thin upstrokes and thick downstrokes with this nib. It works well for any pointed pen calligraphy.

What Consumers Are Saying

Intermediate calligraphers have found the Brause EF 66 Nib easy to use. They love the smooth writing experience and quality performance of this nib. Customers confirm the Arrow Nib is great for pointed pen calligraphy.

5. Speedball EF 512 and EF 513 Calligraphy Pen Nibs

The bowl points on these calligraphy pen nibs make them excel at ruling and lettering italic and Roman calligraphy. Two similar but different nibs are in the set.

The nibs are firm, durable and suitable for beginners. They draw up a lot of ink and write smoothly.

What Consumers Are Saying

Consumers like that these nibs last long and produce quality italic and Roman calligraphy. Beginners say that they’re firm enough to prevent problems with ink dropping on the paper.

6. Tachikawa Comic G Nib 3-Pack

G nibs are a Japanese-style nib with cuts in the shoulder. They are designed to write finer lines than one expects from their size. These nibs are also capable of writing thick strokes.

Among calligraphers, the Tachikawa G Nib is often considered one of the easiest and smoothest G nibs to write with. Beginners and heavy-handed writers will want to choose this brand for G nib calligraphy.

What Consumers Are Saying

Consumers love the ultra thin and bold thick strokes they can write with these nibs. They also like that the nibs write smoothly without making loud scratching sounds.

7. Zebra Comic G Titanium Nibs 10-Piece Set

The Zebra Comic G Nib creates some of the thinnest lines among G nibs. It’s more flexible than the Nikko G Nib.

Compared to other G nibs, the Zebra Comic G Nib is scratchier. However, it’s durable and delivers quality strokes for those who know how to use it.

What Consumers Are Saying

The Zebra Comic G Titanium Nibs are well loved among customers. They say it’s not only good for beginners but performs at a level more experienced calligraphers demand. The nibs are also durable and last long.

8. Tachikawa Comic Pen Nib Set

Are you looking for a set of different types of calligraphy nibs? The Tachikawa Comic Pen Nib Set comes with five different nibs to give you a lot of variety. You can figure out what style of nib you like if you’re new to calligraphy.

The set includes the Tachikawa G nib, Saji nib, Maru nib, Nipponji nib and school nib. Flexibility varies among the nibs with some of them being fairly stiff. All of them hold ink well to avoid frequent dipping.

What Consumers Are Saying

Many customers have successfully used these nibs for intricate work and love the quality of the ink laydown. If you need to write small, then they are good nibs to use. Beginners who tried these nibs also had a positive experience. One criticism some consumers have is the nibs are too scratchy for their preference.

9. Jinhao 5-Piece Bent Nib Set

Bent nibs adjust line thickness based on the angle you hold the pen. They are commonly used for writing Chinese characters, but western calligraphers also enjoy using bent nibs like the Jinhao 5-Piece Bent Nib Set.

With the nibs in this set you can write from EF to 4B. Ink picks up well and applies smoothly to paper.

What Consumers Are Saying

Many customers enjoy the smooth ink laydown and vast options in line thickness while writing with these nibs. They say the nibs hold a lot of ink as well.

10. Speedball 512 EF Bowl Point Artist Nib

These Speedball drawing nibs do an excellent job of ruling and lettering in addition to drawing. Line thickness slightly increases with pressure for controlled, easy writing. As bowl pointed nibs, they are best for italic and Roman calligraphy.

What Consumers Are Saying

Customers love how easy it is to write elegantly with these bowl point artist nibs. Some consumers say they aren’t the best for copperplate and Spencerian calligraphy but perform well for other types of calligraphy.

Factors to Consider When Buying Calligraphy Nibs

At first, you may feel lost not knowing which nibs to buy for calligraphy. It seems there are many different types of calligraphy nibs to choose from.

Learning how to buy the right calligraphy nibs is easy. Through a little experimentation, you’ll find which ones suit your personal style the most. If you started in calligraphy, you need paper for this.

Flexibility and Shape

Flexibility and nib size are two of the most important factors to consider when buying calligraphy nips. You shouldn’t buy firm nibs because they don’t offer a lot of variation in line thickness. Firm nibs are designed for everyday writing.

If you want to do any type of calligraphy with drastic differences in line thickness, look for a highly flexible nib. Keep in mind that the more flexible a nib is, the greater the learning curve. They tend to be very sensitive to pressure, which can result in ink dropping onto the paper.

You’ll also want to avoid nibs that have a round nib shape because this nib shape produces uniform lines. Italic nib shapes are those which create thin to thick lines.

Size

Nib size determines how thick the writing is, similar to the way ballpoint and rollerball pens produce thicker lines with larger point sizes. In the world of nibs, your size options are EF, F, M and B. This stands for extra fine, fine, medium and bold.

You may also find nib size expressed numerically, such as 0.5 mm (EF), 0.6 mm (F), 0.75 mm (M) and 0.9 mm (B). Additional common options in calligraphy nib sizes are 1.1 mm and 1.5 mm for very broad lines.

These are the western sizes. Japanese nibs run smaller than western nibs because Japanese script requires greater detail and precision. An EF Japanese nib is 0.3 mm. F Japanese nibs are 0.45 mm, and M Japanese nibs are 0.6 mm.

Material

Most calligraphy nibs are made of either gold or stainless steel but plated in another metal. Always check the product specifications rather than assuming based on its color. Gold nibs can be plated in chrome, and steel nibs can be colored gold. Genuine gold nibs usually have the gold content imprinted on them, such as 14K or 18K.

Material doesn’t matter much when choosing a calligraphy nib. However, gold does have springier properties, so it can provide more cushioning from scratchiness that results from tipping imperfections.

Making the Decision

We chose the Zebra Comic G Model Chrome Nibs as the best calligraphy nibs because they create quality thin to thick lines and are used by professionals. If you’re looking for the most durable calligraphy nibs, consider the Zebra Comic G Titanium Nibs 10-Piece Set.

The choice you make in which nibs to buy depends mostly on what type of calligraphy you’re doing. Choose a bowl pointed nib like Speedball EF 512 and EF 513 Calligraphy Pen Nibs for italic and Roman calligraphy. Chinese calligraphy would work well with a bent nib, such as the Jinhao 5-Piece Bent Nib Set. Our top pick tends to be great for most types of calligraphy.