Brass and stainless metal dip nibs are exceedingly popular among fountain pen and ink enthusiasts. Many love them for calligraphy, lettering, and artwork (their originally intended uses), while others use them for journaling and sampling their ink collection. While Kakimori makes the most well-known example of this type of product, Tom’s Studio has recently released what they call the “One-Dip Nib”, which is similar to the Kakimori-style dip nib but incorporates elements of traditional lettering and ruling pens by allowing you to adjust line width and ink flow using a thumbscrew/dial. (“One Dip” refers to the ability to fill a full A4 page with one dip of the nib, though this will of course depend on how you set the line width and what ink you use.)

Tom's Studio One-Dip Brass Nib off Pen — The Tom’s Studio One-Dip Nib will fit most standard “straight” nib holders that use a metal or rubber clutch mechanism.

We have a handful of these nibs available for purchase in both brass and stainless steel, and they are sold both as individual nibs and with a black acrylic straight nib holder. We are also fully stocked on other Tom’s Studio products, including the Lumos series of refillable fineliners, the Studio Pocket fountain pens, pre-ground specialty nibs (including the architect), and bottled fountain pen ink. While I may have some of these items with me at the San Francisco Pen Show, if any remain at the end of the week, I don’t have an official table at the show so please reach out to make any arrangements for show delivery.

The Gentleman Stationer is supported by purchases from the T.G.S. Curated Shop and pledges via the T.G.S. Patreon Program.

Tom's Studio Brass Dip Pen Writing Sample

Kakimori’s round metal dip nibs have been among the more difficult-to-obtain stationery items this past year. Following the hype that was the Drillog Kickstarter, interest in dip nibs that could be used to easily sample inks and do calligraphy exploded, and Kakimori has come up with one of the best everyday options, at least in my opinion. (It’s also a LOT less expensive than the Drillog.)

Just use the side of the brass nib to lay out a thick line (or fill in your Inkyconverters ink stamps)!

So what makes this dip nib so good? For starters, it’s versatile. By varying the angle of the dip pen, you can also vary the line thickness - something that’s difficult to do with your average inexpensive dip nib or cheap glass pen. For example, writing with the broad side of the Kakimori nib offers you the ability to easily swab ink samples into your notebook and add a line of handwriting, using the same pen. And if you want to swatch multiple inks quickly, all you’ll need to do is rinse the pen with water and wipe the nib off.

You can actually get a pretty fine line with the tip of the Kakimori.

You should note that this dip nib does not fit into every holder. I’m not sure what “size” it is, but none of the holders I had at my house worked, so I ordered this Sakura wood holder from Kakimori. It’s quite nice looking, and I look forward to getting some ink stains on the natural wood handle!

I’m close to declaring the Kakimori Brass Dip Nib to be the perfect ink sampling tool!

Takeaways and Where to Buy

If you’re looking for a dip nib for ink swatching, lettering, art, or just for general writing purposes, then you should definitely consider picking up the Kakimori Brass Nib. As of 2024, we carry the Kakimori metal nibs (in both brass and stainless steel) in our own shop. At $55, these nibs are not inexpensive, but they should last a long time.

The Gentleman Stationer is supported entirely by purchases from the T.G.S. Curated Shop and pledges via the T.G.S. Patreon Program.