Fountain Pen Nib Widths vs. Schmidt Euro Rollerball Refill
Comparing 2 standards across 15 specifications. 15 key differences identified.
Fountain Pen Nib Widths are standardized tip grinding grades that determine ink line width, categorized from Extra Fine (EF) to Double Broad (BB) and Calligraphic Stubs (1.1 mm to 1.5 mm). Crucially, Japanese nibs (Pilot, Sailor, Platinum) write approximately one full step finer than Western nibs (Pelikan, Lamy, Kaweco) due to the dense stroke requirements of East Asian kanji characters.
The Euro-Format Rollerball Refill (standardized under DIN 16554 and defined by the Schmidt Safety Ceramic 888/5888 format) is the industry benchmark for luxury capped liquid-ink rollerball pens. Measuring 110.6 mm in length and 6.2 mm in barrel diameter with a ceramic ball tip, it is utilized across hundreds of fine writing brands.
Specification Comparison Table
15 Parameters| Parameter / Spec | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Extra Fine (EF)–Japanese
|
Approx. 0.20 to 0.28 mm line width (hairline precision) | — |
|
Extra Fine (EF)–Western
|
Approx. 0.35 to 0.40 mm line width (similar to Japanese Fine) | — |
|
Fine (F)–Japanese
|
Approx. 0.30 to 0.38 mm line width (standard everyday Japanese notebook writing) | — |
|
Fine (F)–Western
|
Approx. 0.50 to 0.60 mm line width (similar to Japanese Medium) | — |
|
Medium (M)–Japanese
|
Approx. 0.50 to 0.58 mm line width | — |
|
Medium (M)–Western
|
Approx. 0.70 to 0.80 mm line width (plentiful wet ink flow) | — |
|
Broad (B) & Stub (1.1 / 1.5 mm)
|
Broad: 0.9–1.0 mm | Stub: Flat rectangular tip with thick downstrokes and hairline cross-strokes | — |
|
Tipping Material
|
Sintered osmium/iridium/ruthenium platinum-group alloy sphere welded to gold or steel tines | — |
|
Overall Length
|
— | 110.6 ± 0.3 mm (4.35 in) |
|
Barrel Diameter
|
— | 6.2 ± 0.1 mm (0.244 in) |
|
Tip Collar Diameter
|
— | 2.5 mm extending 19.5 mm from shoulder |
|
Ball Material
|
— | Sintered ceramic ruby ball (0.5 mm Fine, 0.7 mm Medium, 1.0 mm Broad) |
|
Safety Ceramic Venting
|
— | Schmidt extended cap-off time technology prevents tip drying for up to 1 year uncapped |
|
Refill Barrel Variants
|
— | Schmidt 888 (plastic tube) / Schmidt 5888 (metal casing) |
|
Brand Compatibility
|
— | Pelikan, Faber-Castell, Visconti, Kaweco, Retro 51, ACME Studio, OMAS |