Best Italic Nib Fountain Pen
In this article, we take a look at one of our all-time favorites, the Aurora 88 Nettuno, as our best italic nib fountain pen choice.
If you want to try your hand at calligraphy and cursive then italic fountain pens are the way to go.
Getting a fountain pen with an italic nib is a great way to spruce up your writing. Sure, it takes a little more practice than your standard steel nib, but once you wrap your head around working with italic nibs, you’ll never go back.
We unpack exactly why we believe that this is the best italic fountain pen around. We took a look at its nib material, its line variation, as well as give a general overview as to why we like it so much.
6 Best Italic Nib Fountain Pen Review (Our Top Picks)
Pilot Metropolitan Fountain Pen
- Pilot's sleek Metropolitan Collection signature pens
- Finest quality at a mid-range price
- Medium nib
- Ships with 1 Pilot black ink cartridge and 1 Pilot Press Plate Converter
- Black barrel
The Pilot Metropolitan has a sleek, black body and cap made of brass. It has silver-colored accents and clips which gives the pen a simple yet stylish look. The pen has some nice weight to it and is quite sturdy. The grip section is slim, measuring 9.8 mm in diameter, which makes it comfortable to hold.
The cap is postable, which adds a comfortable weight to it for those with larger hands. One downside is the noticeable step from the body of the pen to the grip.
The Pilot Metropolitan is pretty inexpensive, which is a steal for a pen of its quality. It’s a great option for those looking for something that’s entry-level, or a pen they can carry around without having to worry about losing a family heirloom or something expensive.
It has a medium-sized steel italic nib. The writing is smooth and consistent, though there might be some slight scratchiness. Once the nib is broken in, the flow is great and it is able to handle consistent use without showing any signs of skipping.
Depending on where it is purchased from, the Pilot Metropolitan also comes with a neat little box and case for storage.
The Pilot Metropolitan uses a cartridge converter filling system, another aspect that makes this an ideal fountain pen for beginners.
Pros
- Can handle consistent writing
- Affordable
- Nicely weighted
- Sleek design
Cons
- Nib is slightly scratchy
- Susceptible to scratches
Aurora Ipsilon Fountain Pen
- Closure: Pressure || Length: 135 mm.
- Body Length: 120 mm. || posted Length: 149 mm.
- Width: 9 mm || warranty: 2 years
- Manufacturing country: Italia
This finely crafted pen is made in Italy. The Aurora Ipsilon has a bit of a slim build, with a texture that is smooth to the touch. It’s available in black, red and green. It has some back weight to it, which is increased by the postable cap. These features make this a pen that feels great in hand.
It has a snap-cap, which means the cap is able to sit firmly on either end of the pen. The cap has a ball-tipped, gold-plated clip that would fit a front pocket nicely
The 1.2 mm italic nib is made out of gold-plated stainless steel. The nib is quite fine and offers great line variation. This fountain pen is good for smaller handwriting, but wouldn’t do well when used for speedy writing. Writing at a steady and deliberate pace will see this pen acting at its best.
This pen is listed as the company’s most popular entry-level pen. It’s ideal for those who would want something that feels like a natural progression from a regular pen, something entry-level but still well-built.
The pen uses a proprietary cartridge/converter filling system, meaning it only uses brand-specific cartridges/converters.
Pros
- Has a snap-cap
- Perfect for entry-level users
- Smooth, non-slip surface
- Great ink flow
Cons
- Proprietary filling system
- Not suited for speedy writing
Pilot Prera Clear Body Fountain Pen
- Prera Blue/ Clear Body w/ Calligraphy Nib Medium Point Fountain Pen
- Fountain Pen Medium Point
What’s most noticeable about the Pilot Prera Clear has to be its see-through body. The cap, section and barrel are all made from clear acrylic, which gives the pen its name. It’s clear body is good for those who would want to keep track of their ink usage.
In terms of weight, this fountain pen is quite lightweight. Its lightness and shorter length would put less strain on the user’s hand when writing for longer periods of time.
Another notable aspect about its appearance would be its length, which is around 12 cm when capped and 10.8 cm uncapped. When the cap is posted, it can add some comfortable weight and length to the pen for those with larger hands.
The nib is a steel italic piece. All the nibs that are available with this pen, not only the italic nibs, are praised by collectors, artists, and calligraphers alike. And with good reason. The ink flows smoothly out of the nib to provide the user with an equally smooth writing experience.
The Pilot Prera Clear uses a cartridge/converter filling system. A common complaint when it comes to this pen is how the ink reservoir can only be filled up to about halfway. This could be detrimental to those who do lots of writing in one day.
Pros
- Great ink flow
- Writes smoothly
- Lightweight, good for long periods of writing
- Compact
Cons
- Plastic body, susceptible to scratches
- Ink reservoir doesn’t fill up completely
Lamy Safari Fountain Pen
- Charcoal Black ABS coloured plastic body
- Black coated steel nib; fine point
- Includes one Lamy T10 Blue Cartridge
- Accepts Z24 cartridge converter, sold separately.
The Lamy Safari has a somewhat unique shape for a fountain pen. Instead of being completely rounded with bends and curves along its length, only the pen’s sides are rounded, with the top and bottom having a flat surface.
The pen has an ink window which is not only useful for gauging how much ink you have left, it looks great aesthetically as well. The Lamy Safari’s unique look offers a fresh take on the standard fountain pen design.
The clip is another testament to its unique design. Instead of a single rod acting as the clip, it has a curved piece that is reminiscent of a paper clip. It would surely be an interesting match to a front pocket.
It has a 1.1 mm stainless steel calligraphy nib. The italic nib is able to create neat fine lines and broader lines at the user’s leisure, with little to no resistance other than the roughness that often goes hand-in-hand with these kinds of nibs.
Despite any slight roughness, the nib still manages to dispel a satisfactory amount of ink and is able to write well and without skipping.
The Lamy Safari uses a cartridge/converter filling system and comes with a cartridge already installed.
Pros
- Sleek, modern design
- Comfortable to grasp
- Ink window
- Optimal line variation
Cons
- Barrel made from weak material
- Slightly rough
Aurora 88 Nettuno Fountain Pen
While this fountain pen is on the smaller side, it’s got a good shape to it that makes it comfortable to hold. It’s bowed slightly in the middle – a classic cigar shape – and its lightweight body makes it easy to write with for extended sessions.
This pen has a standout colorful auroloide cap and barrel made from cellulose acetate. Its teal design matches nicely with the glossy black grip and cap finial.
The italic nib writes smoothly. It has a fairly large line width, measuring between 1.3mm and 1.5mm. Sadly, this is going to be impractical for anyone with small handwriting. It’s a bit of a noisy writer, especially at lower angles but the ink flow is great and the nib doesn’t need to be dragged across the page.
The golden italic nib is well-made and it’s all handled in-house. It’s made of steel and plated in 14k gold and rhodium. This gives it a fantastic bounce that’s ideal for italic writing.
The nib has a custom ebonite feed to pierce the ink as it leaves the feed. This helps to break the surface tension which reduces the chance of smudging or feathering.
The Aurora 88 uses a piston filling system, so you’ll have to use bottled ink to top it up. The rounded glossy black cap on the back of the barrel activates the piston mechanism to draw ink in and out.
Pros
- Looks great
- Writes well
- Comfortable to grasp
- Quality nib
Cons
- Limited edition and rare
- Not good for small handwriting
Parker Duofold Centennial Fountain Pen
- Emblem of the Parker tradition of quality craftsmanship since 1921
- Centennial Size fountain pen with larger barrel, cap, and nib
- Solid velvet black precious resin barrel with 23-carat gold-plated trims
- 18-carat solid gold bi-tonal rhodium-plated nib
- Fine nib; black ink
The Parker Duofold Is a fairly large fountain pen, though not overly so. Its body and grip section are made from smooth acrylic which lets it rest comfortably in hand. In contrast to the pens overall size, the section is somewhat on the smaller side. It has a nice solid feel to it and curves nicely to cater to the shape of your hand.
The cap finial has a detailed brand logo which adds a feel of value to the pen. The cap is a bit too large though, maybe due to the design of the finial.
When posted, the cap adds a bit of uncomfortable weight and length to the pen. Though this likely won’t be an issue to those with larger hands, it may even be an upside. The clip features the standard Parker arrows, with an arrowhead at the tip.
The italic nib is a sharp writer, and the variation between the slim and thick lines is great because of it. In regards to ink flow, the flow of ink through the feed is not very powerful which can cause skipping when writing too fast. Paced and deliberate writing is the way to go in order to keep writing smoothly and without issue.
The Parker Duofold Centennial uses a cartridge/converter filling system, with the converter being the default.
Pros
- Great line variation
- Comfortable to grip
- No scratchiness
- Aesthetic detailing
Cons
- Cap is too large
- Ink flow is on the weaker side
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