Fine vs Medium: Fountain Pen Nib Sizes Explained

Fountain pen nib sizes run from extra fine (EF) through fine (F) and medium (M) to broad (B), which works out to a line of roughly 0.3 mm up to 1 mm. Fine is the safe everyday pick for most people, while medium writes thicker and wetter, shows off more of the ink and suits larger handwriting. The catch: a Japanese fine writes thinner than a European fine, so the letter on the nib only tells you so much.

Here is the version we share with new folks.

What do EF, F, M and B mean on a fountain pen nib?

The letters describe the width of the line the nib draws. The basic grades are extra fine, fine, medium, broad and double broad (BB), and there is no international standard that fixes an exact size for each one. Every maker reads them a little differently.

As a rough guide, The Journal Shop gives these typical widths:

Treat those numbers as a starting point, not a promise. Paper, ink and your own hand move them around, which we cover below.

Fine vs medium nib: which should you pick?

If you are unsure, start with fine. Goulet Pens recommends fine for everyday writing, since it keeps much of the control of an extra fine with a noticeably smoother feel.

Medium is where a pen starts to feel juicy. Goulet describes mediums as thicker and wetter, which shows off ink properties better, and a good match if you write larger or have a heavier hand. If you love shading, sheen or a bold color, medium lets the ink do more of the talking.

Fine and medium lines are easier to see than to describe, so if you can, look at the two side by side on the same page before you decide.

EF vs F nib: is extra fine worth it?

Extra fine earns its place in a few situations. Goulet suggests it for compact handwriting, small rulings like a 5 mm dot grid, and very absorbent paper such as printer paper or legal pads, with the tradeoff that it asks for a lighter touch. Fine gives you much of the same control with a noticeably smoother feel.

Our rule of thumb: if your lowercase letters are tiny, or you write in pocket notebooks and planners, try EF. Otherwise fine is the easier daily companion.

Japanese vs European nib sizes: why a Japanese fine writes thinner

This is the part that trips people up. Pilot, Platinum and Sailor, the three main Japanese makers, tend to make their extra fine and fine nibs a full size finer than Western makers like LAMY and Pelikan. Goulet explains the reason: written Japanese characters need a very fine line. Mediums and broads line up more closely across brands.

A handy comparison from Richard Binder: a Japanese M is about the same size as a European F. The Journal Shop puts it another way, saying a Japanese fine writes roughly like a European extra fine, so they suggest going one size up when you buy Japanese.

Sailor adds a size many Western brands skip. Its medium fine (MF) aligns more with other brands' fine nibs, only slightly thinner and less wet.

To see this in real pens, compare two common starters. The LAMY safari is around $37 as of September 2026 on LAMY's US shop and comes in EF, F, M, B and a left handed nib. The Pilot Metropolitan is around $34 as of September 2026 at Goulet, where it comes in fine, medium and a 1.0 mm stub. Going by Binder's rule of thumb, the Pilot's medium should sit closer to the LAMY's fine than to its medium.

Stub and italic nibs explained

Stubs and italics are ground flat across the bottom instead of rounded to a ball. That gives you a line that is thicker on the downstroke and thinner on the cross stroke, a bit of calligraphy flavor in ordinary handwriting.

The difference between them is the edges. Richard Binder points out that line variation is controlled by how rounded the edges are, not by how thick the tip is. A crisp italic has sharp corners and crisp lines, but works well at only one precise angle. A cursive italic is rounded a little, so it has a larger sweet spot and lets you write faster. A stub has rounded corners, which makes it the smoothest and most forgiving of the three.

Fountain Pen Revolution suggests stubs for note taking, fast journaling and everyday writing, calls a 1.1 mm stub a smart first pick, and points sharp italics toward calligraphy, headings and formal printing. If your handwriting is small, Binder notes a 0.6 to 1.0 mm stub lets you write normally.

Easy ways to try one: the Metropolitan's 1.0 mm stub, or LAMY's 1.1, 1.5 and 1.9 mm calligraphy nibs, which swap onto a safari.

How paper and ink change line width

The same nib can write two different widths on two different pages.

Paper. Absorbent paper pulls ink into its fibers. Goulet shows basic notebook paper giving excess feathering and a larger line, while Clairefontaine gives a noticeably smaller line with the same pen and ink. One home experiment with a single EF pen measured lines about 10% narrower on a smooth Oxford notebook than on copy paper.

Ink. Ink flow matters too. As Galen Leather puts it, a very wet EF can approach the look of a drier fine, and a dry medium may not look much broader than a wet fine.

You. Everyone writes a little differently, and angle, pressure and writing speed all affect the line, which is why fair comparisons use the same ink, paper and writer.

So if your fine suddenly looks like a medium, check the paper and the ink before you blame the nib.

How to choose a nib size by handwriting and use

• Small handwriting or tight rulings: fine is a practical starting point, with EF for especially compact writing. On a Japanese pen, fine is often plenty.
• Notes and meetings: fine, which combines good control with relatively fast drying. A stub also works if you like a little flair.
• Journaling: fine for dense daily pages; medium if you want ink shading and sheen to show.
• Signatures: a stub, for natural line variation without any formal calligraphy technique.
• Large handwriting or a heavy hand: medium or broad. Broads feel smoothest but put down a wet line that can bleed through absorbent paper.
• Writing with your left hand: a finer nib, a faster drying ink, or both, which The Journal Shop suggests to cut down on smudging.

Try nibs before you buy in San Diego

Nothing beats writing a few lines yourself. Goulet's Nib Nook shows writing samples from every nib on every pen they offer, done with the same ink, paper and writer, which is a great place to start online.

In person is even better. We meet the 3rd Saturday of every month in San Diego, so bring a pen or two and compare nibs across the table. The longer running San Diego Pen Club (@sandiegopenclub) is another friendly place to try pens, and their events page lists meetups on the second and fourth Saturdays.

For meetup updates, visit sdpenclub.com or follow @sdpenclub.

Common questions

Should a beginner choose a fine or medium fountain pen nib?

Fine is the safest first choice for most people. It gives good control and dries relatively fast. Choose medium if your handwriting is large, you have a heavier hand, or you want ink shading and sheen to show.

Is a Japanese medium nib the same as a European fine?

Roughly, yes. Japanese makers like Pilot, Platinum and Sailor tend to make their extra fine and fine nibs about a full size finer than Western makers, so a Japanese medium writes close to a European fine. If you like a European fine, try a Japanese medium.

What fountain pen nib is best for signatures?

A stub is a popular pick. It is ground flat across the bottom with rounded corners, so it draws thicker downstrokes and thinner cross strokes and gives your ordinary signature natural line variation without any formal calligraphy technique. Fountain Pen Revolution calls a 1.1 mm stub a smart first pick, and the Pilot Metropolitan comes with a 1.0 mm stub option.

Why does my fountain pen write wider on some paper?

Absorbent paper pulls ink into its fibers, which spreads the line and can cause feathering. Smoother, less absorbent paper keeps the line thinner and crisper. Wetter inks and your own pressure and angle can also make the same nib write wider.

Sources

We opened every page below while checking this post in September 2026. Prices and stock change, so check with the shop before you buy.

1. The Journal Shop, How to choose a fountain pen nib (thejournalshop.com)
2. Richard Binder, Nib basics (richardspens.com)
3. Richard Binder, Nibs beyond the basics (richardspens.com)
4. Goulet Pens blog, Japanese vs Western fountain pen nibs (gouletpens.com)
5. Goulet Pens blog, Fountain pen nibs explained (gouletpens.com)
6. Goulet Pens blog, Sailor nib overview (gouletpens.com)
7. LAMY US shop, LAMY safari fountain pen (lamy.com)
8. Goulet Pens, Pilot Metropolitan fountain pen, Black Plain (gouletpens.com)
9. Goldspot magazine, LAMY safari nib size comparison (goldspot.com)
10. Fountain Pen Revolution blog, Common nib grinds explained (fprevolutionusa.com)
11. Goulet Pens blog, Why paper matters (gouletpens.com)
12. Ink of Park, one EF pen measured on copy paper and notebook paper (inkofpark.com)
13. Galen Leather blog, Fountain pen nib sizes guide (galenleather.com)
14. Goulet Pens, Nib Nook (gouletpens.com)
15. San Diego Pen Club, Events (sandiegopenclub.wixsite.com)