Terms such as "fine" and "medium" have never been strictly or uniformly defined, with each manufacturer using its own sizing standard.  Most nib units were not marked as to grade prior to the 1960s (though there were exceptions going back to the dip pen era).  Where such marks are present, they will be noted in our catalog description -- though in some instances our own nib grading scale (which is based on actual test writing, rather than just measuring the tip) may not be in complete agreement.  As a general rule of thumb, we take a line width of .5-.7mm to define the border between fine and medium.  We will sometimes use split grades, such as "medium fine" or "medium broad", to more accurately describe borderline cases. 

needlepoint

extra-fine

fine

medium

broad

extra-broad

semiflex (similar to most modern flexibles, firm but not rigid, pressure provides little line variation)

flex (significant line width variation with light to moderate pressure; almost no modern "flex" nibs are this flexible)

superflex (large line width variation with very light pressure)

firm (rigid, no flex to speak of; "manifold" is a synonym denoting intended use with carbon paper)

italic (chisel-cut, giving thin cross-strokes and thicker downstrokes )

stub (chisel-cut like an italic, but more rounded for general use)

oblique (like an italic or stub, but cut at an angle, sloping back to the left when viewed from above)

reverse oblique (as above, but sloping back to the right when viewed from above)

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