When it comes to a writing instrument as sophisticated as a fountain pen, the question of quality has as much to do with engineering as design. That applies in particular to the nib: the quality of this key component decides to a large extent the pleasure that the pen will give in use.
The combination of 18-carat gold with rhodium and an iridium tip ensures a successful harmony of durability and soft touch, rigidity and elasticity, which in the final analysis is what makes a good fountain pen such a joy to write with. Manufacturing such a nib is an elaborate process involving over a hundred steps, most of them carried out by hand. Each nib is ‘run in’ by hand in the last step.