Lion, G-Pen Goose Hard Chrome The engraving reads: FUKUI IND CO G JIS LION MADE IN JAPAN. This is a product of Lion, one of the three major pen nib brands. I believe it's an extremely rare and valuable item, difficult to obtain nowadays. ◆ 10 unused nibs, free shipping G-pens are very popular for illustrations, but these nibs are almost impossible to find. About G-pens: They allow for expressive variations in line thickness, suitable for Japanese characters, as well as English and symbols. I've heard that penmanship teachers use them for writing Reisho (Clerical script) and Tensho (Seal script) works. They are the easiest nibs to use for varying line thickness and can produce the thickest lines among pen nibs. It takes some practice to control the line thickness as desired. They are also suitable for manga characters and effect lines. Line thickness (thick lines for strong pressure, thin lines for light pressure) can be controlled by adjusting the pen nib angle and pressure. ◆ About the Pen Nib Manufacturer ◆ Lion pen nibs were manufactured by LION, the office equipment company, but they are no longer in production. They stopped manufacturing and selling pen nibs in 1996 (Heisei 8), over 20 years ago, and the brand's nibs are gradually disappearing. Currently, the Japanese pen nib brands available are Tachikawa, Nikko, and Zebra. The Nikko brand was taken over by Tachikawa, so there are only two manufacturing companies: Tachikawa and Zebra. There are also claims that older nibs have better performance. During the period of rapid economic growth around 1985 (Showa 60), the production of dip pens reached 1 million gross (1 gross = 144 nibs), an astronomical figure. However, the trend shifted towards ballpoint pens in government offices and banks as well. About pen nibs: In the past, many pen nibs were manufactured, and there were many workers, including skilled craftsmen. It seems that they still use the manufacturing machines from that time. The number of workers has drastically decreased, and many of the skilled workers who manufactured during the mass production era are no longer around. I've heard that people say the older ones are better, but please take it as a reference. Also, chrome-colored nibs are less prone to deterioration and are said to still have the same performance as they did back then. I also enjoy penmanship and change nibs depending on what I'm writing.