Nikko 5

Nikko 5
Manufacturer	Nikko
Nib No.	5
Descr.
Tip
Markings	Exterior
Mark 1	NIKKO PEN K.K.
Mark 2	[logo] NIKKO
Mark 3	MADE IN JAPAN
Mark 4 lateral R	Nº 5
Nikko 5 - top view, with ruler

The Nikko Comic Nº 5 School Nib is manufactured in Japan. The nib in Chappy's collection is older--it shows a logo in Mark 2 that Nikko doesn't use any more, but the Nº 5 School nib is still produced today Amazon USAmazon IN - School Type; Small Flex, Fine tip; Pack of- 10 High-quality, chrome-plated Japanese nib; Perfect for drawing as well as lettering; Nibs are smooth but holds less ink Perfect for drawing, Copperplate and Modern Calligraphy style Fits in all standard pen holders and has a good balance between flexibility and control; creates slightly thicker hairlines Made is Japan; Recommended for Beginner’s

nib appears to be of Czech origin. I cannot find any information about it. However, I did find photos of a pair of wooden calligraphy nib holders, stamped with the name "Nikko" and "MADE IN CZECHOSLOVAKIA". This would suggest that Nikko is a Czech manufacturer involved with the production of calligraphy pens and nibs. That would make Nikko the manufacturer of this nib.

This is just an assumption. The nib markings seem to suggest a different story:

• Pražské Bankovní Pero translates to Prague Bank Pen. Although many manufacturers produced a nib called a "bank pen," the shape of this nib is nothing at all like other bank pens, which are consistently short, straight-sided and rigid (well-suited to maintaining bank ledgers). However this nib is shaped like a traditional spoon nib. More precisely, it is shaped like a pinched-spoon nib, especially with the side cuts coming in towards the center vent hole. This suggests that Prague Bank Pen is more like a manufacturer's name, rather than a descriptor.
• The „Nikko” marking is notably shown inside quotation marks--which is quite rare for a manufacturer's name. However, it would not be surprising to find that a manufacturer would use quotation marks if Nikko was simply the nib's name--similar to the way Esterbrook named its famous 442 nib the Jackson Stub.

Other markings are more straightforward:

• P.B.P. - is almost certainly the initials of Prague Bank Pen, regardless of whether that's the manufacturer or pen name.
• Č. 5 ZJ - Č is the abbreviation for Number, meaning that this is nib No. 5. I have guessed that ZJ are the Czech initials for the nib point, similar to EF for Extra Fine.

Versions

There is only one version of the Nikko 5 nib in the Chappy's Nibs collection. The nib pictured below is Nikko 5.

Photos

Click any image for a full-resolution photo: 1925 x 560. The image with the ruler is 2300 x 1196.

Nikko 5 - top view

Nikko 5 - side view, upper

Nikko 5 - side view, lower

External Links

• eBay listing - Nikko nib holders