Kakimori Metal Nib — Copper Dip Pen Nib for Expressive Line Work & Ink Swatching (Made in Japan)

The Nib Built to Show Its Age

Kakimori's metal nib range started with two options — brass for a soft, painterly feel, and stainless steel for something crisper and lower-maintenance. The Copper Nib, added to the lineup in 2025, was built to sit deliberately at the soft end of that spectrum: pure, uncoated copper, the most reactive and expressive of the three metals, chosen specifically for how visibly and quickly it changes with use. Designed by Yuto Yamazaki of the Kuramae-based studio Alloy and manufactured by Alloy Inc. in Japan, it shares the same conical, capillary-grooved body as the rest of the range, but copper's particular softness makes it the nib most likely to become a genuinely personal object over time.

What Makes the Copper Nib Different

Copper oxidises on contact with air, and Kakimori leans into that rather than coating it away. A new Copper Nib often arrives with a faint reddish tint or small spotting already visible — an expected first stage of a colour shift that continues with use, moving gradually from a warm rose-gold tone toward a deep, rich brown as the metal ages. Because copper is softer than brass or steel, the tip itself changes shape with regular use too: it rounds further with wear, which tends to produce bolder, smoother lines the longer the nib is used. Held upright, it writes a controlled, medium-width line; tilted toward the page, it opens into broad, brush-like strokes up to roughly a centimetre wide, making it as suited to loose sketching and ink swatching as to everyday handwriting.

Design & Craftsmanship

The nib measures 30mm in length with a 6mm body diameter and weighs approximately 4g, sized to sit in any of Kakimori's nib holders, including the Sakura Wood and White Sakura Wood holders, or in most standard universal-fit dip pen holders. As with the rest of the metal nib family, the point is rounded and hand-polished for a smooth, controlled contact with the page — a finish that took, by Kakimori's own account, many prototypes to refine before landing on the current shape.

Compatibility & Care

The Copper Nib is nib only; a holder is sold separately, and it fits Kakimori's Sakura Wood, White Sakura Wood, Aizome, Urushi, and Aluminum holders as well as most standard universal-fit dip pen holders. As with the other metal nibs, ink flow can feel slightly slow at first due to a light protective coating from manufacturing, which clears after a few rinses and some use.

Copper asks for a gentler hand than brass or steel: rinse the nib regularly in water during use to keep ink from drying in the grooves, but avoid scrubbing or cleaning inside the grooves themselves, since this can affect how the nib performs. Use gentle, even pressure and avoid strong impacts, which can distort the precision-shaped tip. Left to develop naturally, the copper will continue oxidising and rounding with each use — this is the intended behaviour of the nib, not a defect, and is part of what makes a well-used Copper Nib visually distinct from a new one. Maximum recommended writing angle is 45 degrees; remove the nib from its holder with a gentle twisting pull rather than a straight tug.

Part of a Larger Nib Family

The Copper Nib is the newest and softest member of Kakimori's metal nib lineup, alongside the Brass Nib, the Stainless Steel Nib, the Glass Nib, and a fountain-pen-style Pen Nib — all built to the same universal specifications and interchangeable across Kakimori's holders. Where stainless steel favours consistency and brass sits in the middle, copper is the choice for anyone who wants a tool that visibly ages alongside them, changing colour and line character the more it's used.

About Kakimori

Kakimori is a stationery brand and shop rooted in Kuramae, Tokyo, tracing back to a family stationery business founded in 1961. Reopened in 2010 by third-generation owner Takuma Hirose as a shop dedicated entirely to the pleasure of handwriting, Kakimori has, since launching its original dip pen line in 2021, built a small and carefully considered catalogue of nibs, nib holders, custom inks, and order-made notebooks — tools meant, in the brand's own words, to inspire a lifetime of use.

Product Specifications

Available at Shosai — Ottawa–Gatineau

Shosai (shosai.ca) is a fine stationery boutique serving the Ottawa–Gatineau National Capital Region. We carry a curated selection of Kakimori nibs and nib holders alongside premium fountain pen inks and papers from Japan, Korea, and Taiwan.

• 📍 In-store pickup: Gatineau, QC — J9J 0K6
• 🛵 Local delivery: Available in the Ottawa–Gatineau area
• 🚚 Ships Canada-wide and to the US
• 🇫🇷 Bilingual service — English and French

Whether you're drawn to its expressive line variation or simply want a writing tool that visibly ages with you, the Kakimori Copper Nib rewards patience — and gets more interesting the longer you use it.