LION Pen Nib Dome (Spoon Pen) The engraving reads: FUKUI IND CO E-F LION MADE IN JAPAN. This pen nib is still popular among penmanship enthusiasts. 10 unused pieces, free shipping. It was highly ranked in the past in the recommended popular rankings for dip pens for penmanship. With spoon pens (crow quill pens), it's difficult to create variations in line thickness like with a brush, but this pen nib opens and closes smoothly, making it relatively easy to control line thickness. Also, depending on the angle of the pen, you can achieve greater variations in thickness. This pen nib is recommended for both beginners and veterans. I also enjoy penmanship, and among the hard-tipped pens like crow quill pens and Japanese character pens, this one feels somewhat softer, making it suitable for those with lighter pen pressure. Therefore, it might wear out faster for those who apply more pressure. ◆About the Pen Nib Manufacturer◆ LION pen nibs were manufactured by LION, the office equipment company, but they are no longer produced. They stopped manufacturing and selling pen nibs over 20 years ago, in 1996 (Heisei 8), and it's a pen nib brand that will eventually disappear. Currently, the Japanese pen nib brands on the market 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 stories that the older ones are better. Around 1985, during the period of rapid economic growth, the number of dip pens manufactured was 1 million gross (1 gross is 144 pieces), a staggering number, but they shifted to ballpoint pens in government offices and banks along with the trends of the times. Regarding 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, and the number of workers has drastically decreased. Many of the skilled workers who manufactured during the mass production era were highly skilled. I've also heard that the ones from that time are better. Also, chrome-colored pen nibs show less deterioration and still maintain their original performance. I also enjoy penmanship and change pen nibs depending on what I'm writing.