There are pens that go really broad, some, really fine, but most users tend to go somewhere in the middle for a smoother writing experience.

However, when it comes to EF nibs, I personally think it’s an intentional choice, as they have specific goals in mind.

It makes you go really...really slow.

To start off, the tuning of EF nibs require an extra level of care to the tipping material and the ink flow. Too dry and the pen is pretty much unusable, too wet and it will not create the hairline finesse that users look for from these nibs. Because of that, users need to understand how their instruments perform and go with their pace instead of making the instrument follow you.

There is a certain rhythm to each pen and it’s the writer’s task to adjust accordingly. At first this might seem like a lot of work for a pen, but once you get the pace down, the writing instrument will become an extension of yourself and it will let your thought flow on the pace effortlessly.

EF nibs are really honest nibs, they show the flaws in your handwriting.

Extra fine lines give users less room for errors with the way they form the letter shape and each stroke does make or break the writing experience, but in a way that’s a really good thing. The thicker lines created from medium or broad nibs do cover up the misshaping of the letters from time to time, and it’s a reason why calligraphers tend to use finer nibs for their practice.

The nib will “tell” you whenever you misaligned the tines on the page with a minor scratch or skip when you accidentally roll your nib along the way, or it will bite down on the paper whenever you use too much pressure, thus it’s a good way to listen to the instrument and adjust accordingly to achieve the best writing you could possibly achieve with the use of EF nibs.

After the writing session, when you look back at the writing you’ve created, the flaws in your handwriting will show clearly and it will be a good revision exercise to look back at previous results to work on the next time you pick up a pen.

They work well with inexpensive paper, but they work wonders with fine writing surfaces.

Due to the limited amount of ink flow, these EF nibs can work well with inexpensive paper as they don’t bleed through the other side or feather as much as a wetter writer would. It’s a good idea to carry these on a regular basis to the workplace if you have nothing but photocopy paper to write with or notebooks that are not intended for the fountain pen users.

However, when these pens combine with finer paper such as rhodia or in the writing sample here Tomoe River, the fine line of the instrument really shines through. It would not bite and grab on to the page as often and the color of the ink of your choice could pop even just with a little hairline. There is a satisfying feeling when I look back at my own writing, with little nuances from the little sparks of sheening that you can’t see from afar, and especially these cameras can never do them justice.

Do you prefer finer or broader nibs for everyday writing or long writing sessions?

What’s your thought on EF nibs?