Fountain Pen Nib Widths vs. Standard International Cartridge
Comparing 2 standards across 14 specifications. 14 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 Standard International Cartridge (also known as the European or Universal cartridge) is the dominant standardized fountain pen ink format, featuring a 2.4 mm nozzle opening sealed with a plastic sphere. Available in Short (38 mm / 0.85 ml) and Long (72 mm / 1.4 ml) sizes, it is used by dozens of European and American fountain pen manufacturers.
Specification Comparison Table
14 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 | — |
|
Short Cartridge Dimensions
|
— | 38.0 mm length × 7.0 mm diameter (approx. 0.80 to 0.85 ml ink capacity) |
|
Long Cartridge Dimensions
|
— | 72.0 mm length × 7.0 mm diameter (approx. 1.40 to 1.50 ml ink capacity) |
|
Bore / Nozzle Diameter
|
— | 2.4 ± 0.05 mm (friction-fits over the pen feed nipple) |
|
Internal Seal
|
— | Floating polystyrene bead / puncture disc pushed into cartridge body upon insertion |
|
Two-in-Barrel Tandem Storage
|
— | Most full-size pens store one active short cartridge plus one inverted spare short cartridge in the barrel |
|
Brand Compatibility
|
— | Kaweco, Pelikan, Montblanc, Faber-Castell, Visconti, Diplomat, Caran d'Ache, Jinhao, Waterman (long) |