Who Will Tend the Nibs?

Written By Kurashi no Bungu - くらしの文具

On September 30, 2026, Nobuhiko Moriyama announced that Fullhalter will be closing its doors after 33 years.

It got me thinking about the future of the craft. Without Fullhalter, that leaves us with four nib technicians/repairman in Japan who—as far as I’m aware of—provide this service commercially:

Most of them have been at it for decades. At the same time, there’s been a wave of new nib technicians offering their services, particularly over the past few years.

Fountain pen repairman Katsumi Kawakubo troubleshooting a dry Pelikan 400NN.

With the demand for nib services only increasing, this should hardly come as a surprise. Many veteran nib technicians have either retired or reduced their output, and this type of generational handoff is necessary to preserve the craft. A good number of these new technicians are on the younger end of the spectrum. Some of them even carry the pedigree of their predecessors.

That being said, it’s worth discussing the necessary threshold to offer such services. There’s no such thing as a nibmeister certification or standardized training course. When someone calls themselves a nib technician or nibmeister (the terms are interchangeable), we have to take them at their word; it’s a system built entirely on trust. And unfortunately, that trust does not always pay off.

Then how do we determine if a nibmeister can be trusted?

From my own observation, a portfolio of past work always helps. Testimonials and a social media page that demonstrates experience are good indicators, while the prices they charge are not. Attitude is another important indicator: do they approach your requests with curiosity? Do they observe before they act? Do they seem interested in understanding the pen and the person writing with it?

The Nib Shaper’s Yukio Nagahara in the process of grinding a Naginata Togi nib.

There are young nib workers out there who have distinguished themselves. Perhaps not coincidentally, they have operated for years before reaching that point.

Taku-san is a technician who has been making waves with his stacked nibs. He is affiliated with Omas, and can often be found at their table during pen shows.

I can personally attest to the work of Gena Salorino of Custom Nib Studio, and I’ve only heard good things about Matthew Chen of Matthew’s Nib Works. Mx. Salorino was the apprentice of the veteran John Mottishaw, while Mr. Chen was mentored by both Yukio Nagahara and Mike Masuyama. Both of them make the trip annually to the Tokyo International Pen Show.

Taku-san, Mx. Salorino, Mr. Chen are joined by a growing number of colleagues. Unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on where you live), most of them primarily operate in the United States.

As of now, the number of nib technicians I find trustworthy are few and far between. However, that number is growing.

—Furuta No. 50 Giant, Pilot Kon-Peki

Kurashi no Bungu - くらしの文具
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