There are many types and models of pens. According to the composition of the nib of the pen, it can be divided into three types: gold pen, iridium pen, and fountain pen.

1. Golden Pen

The nib is made of gold alloy, the nib is soft, elastic and comfortable. However, the price of gold pens is more expensive, the nib is soft, and it is difficult to master, so it is not suitable for beginners to use.

2. Iridium pen

The nib does not contain gold, and some nibs are gold-plated. The nib is hard, but it is of high quality and low price. It is a suitable tool for beginners to write.

The reason why gold nibs and iridium nibs are more durable than steel nibs is the small round particles on the nib. The small round particles are made of iridium-ruthenium alloy, which is very hard and wear-resistant. According to the experiment of Shanghai Jinxing Gold Pen Factory, if the gold nib and the steel nib are put on the oilstone at the same time, after one hour, the gold nib wears only 0.07mm, while the steel nib wears as much as 5mm.

Although the price varies greatly, the iridium particles on the nib are all alloys of special alloys "iridium, ruthenium". The reason why the smoothness is so different is because of the different grinding methods and fineness. So in a sense, gold pens and iridium pens are the same. But the materials and feel are different, which leads to a huge gap in price.

The ink contains a small amount of sulfuric acid, but this corrosive sulfuric acid will pose a serious threat to the pen. If the nib of the pen is made of ordinary steel, it cannot withstand the corrosion of sulfuric acid, and its life will not be long. What metal resists corrosion? The answer is gold, iridium and stainless steel. Gold is a corrosion-resistant metal, and people have thought of using it to make nibs, but pure gold is too soft to be used directly for nibs. The gold pens we usually talk about have alloy nibs. The nib of a better gold pen is marked with the words 14K, which means that it contains 58.8% gold, and the nib also contains metals such as silver and copper; the nib marked with 12K means that it contains 50% gold. In this way, not only the hardness is improved, but also the elasticity is particularly good. The silver-white small round particles on the gold nib are called iridium particles. It is an alloy, dominated by iridium, and other rare metals, which are particularly wear-resistant. Because when writing, it all depends on it to cross the paper, and it often has to "travel thousands of miles" in its life. The iridium nib is made of stainless steel, and fortunately, the small round grains on the iridium nib are exactly the same as those on the gold pen. Therefore, the use effect of the iridium pen is similar to that of the gold pen, but the price is much cheaper. Therefore, cheap and high-quality iridium pens are very popular. Ordinary dip and fountain pens, which do not have iridium inlaid on the nib, have a much shorter lifespan.

3. Pen

In a narrow sense, the pen is similar to the iridium pen, and the nib is made of stainless steel; the only difference is that the iridium pen is welded with iridium particles, and the pen tip does not contain iridium particles. Therefore, the service life of the pen is much shorter than that of the iridium and gold pens.