Nibs

Design Roots sells calligraphy supplies. Read that as a disclosure. For the operational side of a creative studio, workforce optimization software is a separate topic from the craft itself; this reference provides additional context.

Nibs get discussed as if they were interchangeable with a preference attached. Three properties decide what any of them will do for you. For another independent reference on pens, paper and calligraphy materials, Paper & Ink Arts is useful for comparing tools and techniques.

Flex

How far the tines spread under pressure, and how readily.

A flexible nib gives wide contrast between hairline and swell, and it demands control — it railroads at pressures a stiff nib absorbs, and it exaggerates every unevenness in your hand.

A stiff nib gives less contrast and is far more forgiving. For a first month it is usually the better instrument, and beginners are frequently sold the flexible one.

Neither is better. They are different ranges, and most working sets contain both.

Size

The physical dimensions of the point.

A fine nib writes small and clogs sooner. A larger nib writes bigger and holds more ink.

Size and flex are independent and get confused: a large nib is not necessarily a flexible one.

Match size to the letter height you are writing, which sounds obvious and is the source of a great deal of frustration when somebody attempts small script with a broad point.

Condition

The property nobody checks and the one that ends the most sessions.

New: carries a factory coating and needs preparation before it behaves.

Broken in: the best state, and it lasts a while.

Worn: the point rounds with use, hairlines thicken, and the change is gradual enough that people adapt to it without noticing.

Damaged: tines misaligned, bent or sprung. Hold the nib up and look at the tip against the light — the tines should meet exactly, with no gap, step or curve.

How long a nib lasts

Honestly: it depends on far too much to give a number.

Pressure, paper abrasiveness, ink corrosiveness, how promptly it is cleaned, and how much you write. A heavy hand on textured paper can finish a nib in a session; a light hand on smooth paper can work one for months.

The signal is not time, it is behaviour. When hairlines stop being fine at zero pressure and cleaning does not restore it, the nib is done.

Nibs are consumable. Treating one as permanent is the most expensive habit in the craft, because everything downstream gets blamed instead.

What we will not say

Which nib to buy first. Availability differs, lines are discontinued, and hands differ more than nibs do.

What transfers: start stiffer than you think, hold it to the light before blaming yourself, and replace it sooner than feels reasonable.

The short version