LION Pen Nib Dome (Spoon Pen) The engraving reads: FUKUI IND CO E-F LION MADE IN JAPAN. These pen nibs are still popular among calligraphy enthusiasts. 20 unused nibs, free shipping. They were previously highly ranked in the recommended popular rankings for calligraphy dip pens. With spoon pens (kabura pens), it's difficult to create variations in line thickness like with a brush, but these pen nibs open and close smoothly, making it relatively easy to control line thickness. Also, depending on the angle of the pen, you can achieve greater variations in thickness. Recommended for both beginners and veterans. I also enjoy calligraphy, and among the hard-tipped pens like kabura pens and Japanese character pens, these have a slightly softer feel, making them suitable for those with lighter pen pressure. Therefore, they may 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 in production. The manufacturing and sale of pen nibs ceased 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 manufacturers: Tachikawa and Zebra. There are also stories that the older ones are better in performance. During the high-growth era, around 1985 (Showa 60), the production of dip pens was 1 million gross (1 gross is 144 pieces), a astronomical number, but they shifted to ballpoint pens with the trend of the times in government offices and banks. Regarding pen nibs: In the past, there were many pen nib manufacturers, and they were produced in large quantities, with many workers and skilled craftsmen. It seems that they still use the manufacturing machines from that time, and the number of workers has drastically decreased, but many of the skilled workers who manufactured during the mass production era were highly skilled. I've also heard that people say the ones from that time are better. Also, chrome-colored pen nibs show less deterioration and still maintain their original performance. I also enjoy calligraphy and change pen nibs depending on what I'm writing.