Why are fountain pen nibs made of metal?
If fountain pen nibs were made of hard plastics or other materials, they might crack or split during use. If they were made of a material that is too soft, they would either wear out very quickly or be too easily mashed down and destroyed. So, metal is used to make the nib of a fountain pen. Keep in mind that you’re dragging something on the surface of a piece of paper. Even though ink contains lubricants, it’s not like a ball bearing inside a case which is lubricated by the properties of the ink itself (ball point, or roller ball). So, the nib itself must be just a little bit flexible – to take account for bumps in the paper and defects in the surface of the table. Fountain pen nibs are primarily made of either steel or either 14k or 18k gold. But, don’t worry: the steel used in modern fountain pens is mostly immune to corrosion: ink is, after all, water based, so pen manufacturers make nibs that will last through years of normal use.
