Fountain Pens for Beginners with Tiny Handwriting

When starting out in the fountain pen hobby, choosing the right nib is one of the key decisions one has to make. The general recommendation for fountain pen nibs is that if you have small handwriting, go for a finer nib (extra fine/fine) and if you have larger handwriting, go for a medium or broad nib.

Fountain pen nibs aren’t as standard as you might think – unlike gel pens where they can specify the diameter of the pen tip. The nib sizes vary depending on their manufacturer and where it was manufactured.

NOTE Japanese fine nibs vs. Western fine nibs

Another hot topic in the fountain pen world is the difference between nibs that are made in Japan versus those made in Europe. To generalize, Japanese fine nibs are often thinner than Western fine (sometimes extra fine) nibs. The Japanese grind their nibs finer simply because of the way their write Japanese characters.

• Japanese – Pilot, Platinum
• Western – Lamy, Conklin

Source: JetPens, Goulet Pens

Pilot Metropolitan <F>

One of the most popular start fountain pens is also one that is great for people with small handwriting. This is one example of the “Japanese fine” nibs. If you compare the fine nib of this pen to the extra fine nib of another popular starter pen (the Lamy Safari), you can easily tell the difference between the two – the Pilot Metropolitan has a thinner line.

Pilot Kakuno <F>

The Pilot Kakuno is the Pilot Metropolitan’s younger sibling. It shares a similar writing experience but has a design that’s targeted to appeal to a younger audience. The nibs are the same and you can actually swap the nibs if you need to.

Platinum Preppy / Prefounte / Plaisir <EF/F>

These three pens are bundled in one list because they have exactly the same writing performance but housed in a different body. The Platinum Preppy, also one of the most popular beginner fountain pens, might have one of the finest nibs around. The Preppy has an extra fine offering (0.2mm) – and might be the one I would recommend to those who are coming from the gel pen or rollerball world.

The Prefounte is one of the newest offerings of Platinum. It is basically a Preppy without the brand marking etched on the body of the pen so it looks less like a disposable fountain pen.

The Plaisir is the “premium” version of the Preppy. Same nib, same section but the cap and body of the pen is made of aluminum. This makes it the most durable of them all. The finest nib that comes with the Plaisir is a fine (around 0.3mm). However, since the Plaisir and Preppy are of the same family, you can easily swap the nibs between them.

TWSBI Eco <EF>

The TWSBI Eco, another highly recommended starter pen, is also great for those who have small handwriting. Although the nib isn’t Japanese, the extra fine nib writes a pretty thin line (compared to Lamy, for example). With an extra fine nib and huge ink capacity, the Eco is one of the best fountain pen for longer writing sessions.

TWSBI 580 <EF>

The TWSBI 580AL is similar to the Eco but made out of a different material. Typically, we wouldn’t recommend this to beginners because of the higher price point. However, you should know that the extra fine nib of the 580 seems to write finer lines compared the the EF on the Eco, based on personal experience.

Kaweco Sport <EF>

Want a small fountain pen to match your small font? Then you should give the Kaweco Sport a go. While Kaweco is a German brand, their nibs are quite fine (at least finer than the Lamy extra fine nibs).

Kaweco Perkeo <F>

The Kaweco Perkeo is also an excellent writer and looks a bit similar to the Kaweco Sport – except it isn’t a pocket fountain pen. It doesn’t go as thin as an extra fine but the fine nib on this pen could work well for someone with tiny handwriting.

Jinhao Shark <EF>

If you want to try a fountain pen that’s on a cheaper side with a fine nib, the Jinhao Shark would be one we recommend. The Jinhao Shark also comes in a variety of colors and you can easily buy a set of these for less than $20 on Amazon.