--- title: "Tachikawa T-44 Nihonji Pen Nib: A Steady Mid-Weight Line" canonical: "https://stationerytimes.com/guides/tachikawa-t-44-nihonji-pen-nib/" description: "Tachikawa T-44 Nihonji pen nib explained: a mid-weight dip nib with an even line, no catching in any direction, Tachikawa's beginner pick, pack of 3 and price." category: "Accessories" type: "Dip pen nib" published: 2026-11-02 updated: 2026-11-02 author: "Ellis Penhale" publisher: "Stationery Times" sources: 6 products: - name: "Tachikawa Comic Pen T-44 Nihonji Pen, 3-pack (T44-3)" brand: "Tachikawa" brand_origin: "Japan" made_in: "Not stated" price_band: "$ (under $5 per item, typical US retail, October 2026)" manufacturer: "Tachikawa & Co., Ltd. (Iga, Mie, Japan)" model: "T-44 Nihonji Pen (T44-3 for 3)" url: "https://tachikawa-net.jp/pen/tachikawapen3_t44" --- # Tachikawa T-44 Nihonji Pen Nib: A Steady Mid-Weight Line > The Tachikawa T-44 Nihonji pen is a dip-pen nib that draws one medium line, neither thick nor thin, and cannot vary it. Tachikawa says it glides in every direction without catching and recommends it to dip-pen beginners. Only the 3-pack (T44-3) is still listed, in our $ band (under $5). - URL: https://stationerytimes.com/guides/tachikawa-t-44-nihonji-pen-nib/ - Category: Accessories - Author: Ellis Penhale - Published: 2026-11-02 - Updated: 2026-11-02 ![Tachikawa T-44 Nihonji pen nib with a narrow shank, a belly near a short slot and a slit to the point, and a circle showing the tip enlarged](https://stationerytimes.com/images/raster/tachikawa-t-44-nihonji-pen-nib-illustration-16x9.png?v=ebb49c47) *The Nihonji nib with its tip enlarged, drawn in proportion because Tachikawa gives no dimensions.* Original illustration made for this guide. © Stationery Times. Original drawing (SVG): . Drawings © 2026 Stationery Times, reusable with credit under CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). ## Product facts | Product | Brand | Brand origin | Made in | Material | Released | Price range (typical US retail, October 2026) | |---|---|---|---|---|---|---| | Tachikawa Comic Pen T-44 Nihonji Pen, 3-pack (T44-3) | Tachikawa (by Tachikawa & Co., Ltd. (Iga, Mie, Japan)) | Japan | Not stated | – | – | $: under $5 per item | - Made in (Tachikawa Comic Pen T-44 Nihonji Pen, 3-pack (T44-3)): Not stated. Tachikawa's product page for the T-44 does not say where the nib is made. Its company page lists a domestic factory in Mie and overseas sites in Taiwan and Shaoxing, China, without saying which makes which product, so we don't state an origin. Source: https://tachikawa-net.jp/pen/tachikawapen3_t44 - Good for: Drawing and sketching. Skip it if you want thick-to-thin lines from one nib: Tachikawa says the T-44 cannot vary its line, and its T-3 G nib is the one that swells. ## Key takeaways - Tachikawa says the T-44 draws a middle line, neither thick nor thin, and that it cannot be varied by pressure or angle. - The maker says it writes up, down, left and right without catching and recommends it for dip-pen beginners. - Tachikawa lists the 3-pack (T44-3) at ¥400 (about US$2.50) before tax; on November 2, 2026 the 10-pack and 100-box were marked discontinued. - Of Tachikawa's five manga nib shapes, ranked G, spoon, Nihonji, school, maru by line width, the Nihonji is the middle one. - Tachikawa lists manga characters, backgrounds and effect lines as the uses, and fits it to its T-40, T-36 and T-25 holders. ## What is the Tachikawa T-44 Nihonji pen? **It is a dip-pen nib that draws one even, medium-weight line.** Tachikawa & Co., Ltd., a Japanese maker of steel pen nibs since 1935, sells it in its "Comic Pen" range under the model number T-44. Tachikawa's page says that despite the name, it draws smoothly up, down, left and right without catching and has no habits that dip nibs usually have. We read the maker's pages on November 2, 2026. ## What are the specs? **Tachikawa gives the line character, uses, pack code and price, but no dimensions.** The drawings are in proportion, not to scale. | Spec | Value (Tachikawa) | |---|---| | Model | T-44 Nihonji pen | | Line | Middle weight, neither thick nor thin; no variation | | Uses | Manga characters, backgrounds, effect lines | | 3-pack (T44-3) | ¥400 (about US$2.50), before tax | | 10-pack and 100-box | Marked discontinued on November 2, 2026 | | Material, length, width | Not stated | | Made in | Not stated for the nib | ![A Nihonji nib at left drawing one even-width line that turns up, down and sideways](https://stationerytimes.com/images/tachikawa-t-44-nihonji-pen-nib-even-line.svg?v=8fa885fc) *One line of the same width turning in every direction, which is what Tachikawa describes. Drawn in proportion. Original illustration made for this guide. © Stationery Times.* ## Why does the Nihonji nib stay one width? **Tachikawa says it cannot make thick or thin lines.** In its words the line is neither fat nor fine, and, unlike the G nib, pressure and angle don't change it. The maker explains that "strong and weak" lines come from the angle of the nib and how hard you press, and this nib simply doesn't offer them. That makes the nib predictable. It is also why it is not the nib for drawing that swells and thins: for that, look at the [Tachikawa T-3 G nib](https://stationerytimes.com/guides/tachikawa-t-3-g-pen-nib/). ## Where does it sit among Tachikawa's nibs? **It is the middle one of five.** Tachikawa orders its shapes from thickest to thinnest as G, spoon, Nihonji, school and maru. The T-44 sits between the spoon and the school pen. The school pen is also an even-line nib, with a thinner line, but on November 2, 2026 every T-5 school pen pack was marked discontinued on Tachikawa's site. The maru nibs, the 99 and the softer 77, are the finest and can vary, at ¥480 (about US$3.00) for a pack of two. ## Who is the Tachikawa T-44 for? **It suits dip-pen beginners and anyone inking even outlines, backgrounds and effect lines.** - **Drawing and sketching:** Tachikawa lists manga characters, backgrounds and effect lines as the uses for the T-44, with one steady mid-weight line. Skip it if you want thick-to-thin lines from one nib: Tachikawa says the T-44 cannot vary its line, and its T-3 G nib is the one that swells. ## Which holder fits? **Tachikawa's free pen holders, T-40, T-36 and T-25.** Its holder page lists the Nihonji nib among the nibs these take, together with the maru, G, spoon and school shapes, from both Tachikawa and Nikko. On November 2, 2026 it listed the T-40 at ¥950 (about US$6.00), the T-36 at ¥780 (about US$4.90) and the T-25 at ¥650 (about US$4.10), before tax. Our guide to the [T-40 free pen holder](https://stationerytimes.com/guides/tachikawa-t-40-free-pen-holder/) covers the cap, grip and wood. For other starter options, see [best dip pens for beginners](https://stationerytimes.com/guides/best-dip-pens-for-beginners/). ## How should you care for it? **Wipe off the ink, rinse in water, dry it fully and seal it with the rust-proof paper.** That is Tachikawa's routine: swish the nib through water rather than stirring it hard, wipe it with a dry cloth, then store it in a low-humidity place with the brown paper it came with. Tachikawa warns that water left on the nib causes rust. ## Where is it made, and what does it cost? **Tachikawa doesn't say where this nib is made.** Its company page lists a Mie factory in Japan and sites in Taiwan and Shaoxing, China, so we leave the origin as not stated. The 3-pack was ¥400 (about US$2.50) before tax on November 2, 2026, near ¥133 (about US$0.84) a nib, in our $ band (under $5). ## Frequently asked questions ### Is the Nihonji nib flexible? No. Tachikawa says you cannot get thick or thin lines from it: it draws one middle line whatever the angle or pressure. ### Why does Tachikawa recommend it to beginners? The maker says it lacks the quirks typical of dip nibs: it doesn't catch when you draw up, down or sideways, and it is easy to handle. You still need ink and a holder. ### What does Nihonji mean? The name is written with the Japanese characters for Japanese script. Tachikawa gives no origin for it; its page says only that, despite the name, the nib draws smoothly in every direction. ### How is it different from the school pen? Tachikawa says both give an even line, the school pen a thinner one used for backgrounds, effect lines and panel borders. On November 2, 2026 Tachikawa had marked every T-5 school pen pack discontinued. ### Which holders fit the T-44? Tachikawa's T-40, T-36 and T-25 free pen holders list the Nihonji nib among the nibs they take. It gives no nib shank size. ### Can I buy it in larger packs? Not from Tachikawa's list on November 2, 2026: the 10-pack (T44-10) and the 100-box (T44-100) were marked discontinued, leaving the 3-pack (T44-3). ### Does the Nihonji nib suit lettering? Tachikawa lists manga characters, backgrounds and effect lines and says nothing about lettering, so we haven't verified that use. ### How much does the 3-pack cost? ¥400 (about US$2.50) before tax by Tachikawa's list on November 2, 2026, or about ¥133 (about US$0.84) per nib, in our $ band (under $5). ## Sources - [Tachikawa (Japanese): Comic Pen T-44 Nihonji Pen, 3-pack (maker description, uses, pack codes, price and discontinued packs; read November 2, 2026)](https://tachikawa-net.jp/pen/tachikawapen3_t44) - [Tachikawa (Japanese): comic pen nib range (all shapes with the maker's descriptions; read November 2, 2026)](https://tachikawa-net.jp/pens/nib_tachikawa-comic) - [Tachikawa (Japanese): features by brand and nib type (five shapes by line width; read November 2, 2026)](https://tachikawa-net.jp/pen/feature) - [Tachikawa (Japanese): T-5 school pen, 3-pack (discontinued; read November 2, 2026)](https://tachikawa-net.jp/pen/tachikawapen3_t5) - [Tachikawa (Japanese): pen holders (T-40, T-36, T-25 compatibility; read November 2, 2026)](https://tachikawa-net.jp/pens/pen_holder) - [Tachikawa (Japanese): company information (founded 1935, Mie factory, overseas sites; read November 2, 2026)](https://tachikawa-net.jp/company)