1.   "Pennini, Che Passione!"  ("Nibs, What a Passion!")
2.   "Varieta', Forma e Funzioni"  ("Types Shapes, and Functions")
3.   "Il Pennino al Femminile"  ("Her Nibs: Almost Two Centuries of Nibs Made for and by Women")
4.  "I Pennini Ufficiali" ("Governments, Railroads, and Banks:  Nibs Made for Government Bodies")
5.   "Caccia All'errore" ("Error Spotting: Misprints, Grammatical Errors, and Linguistic Oddities")
6.   "Rose, Cigni e Teste Coronate"  ("Roses, Swans, and Crowned Heads: Nibs Depicting Notable Persons, Animals, Flowers, and Other Figures")
7.   "Le Varianti Della Lancia"  ("Variations on the Lancia Nib")
 

     Nib collectors collect for many reasons.  One of them is the interesting history of these little items.  Metal pens began replacing quills as early as the 700's, but the advent of the Industrial Revolution  introduced steel pens that were durable and inexpensive, factors which contributed to their wide use and, therefore, an increase in literacy among the masses.  The technique and business sense of British makers such as Gillott, Mason, Perry, and the Mitchells started things off in Birmingham in the 1820's.  By 1866 there were twelve factories there, and production had started in France, Germany, and the United States as well.
     Many styles and types of nibs were produced, but many were different only in what was stamped or embossed into them by  different makers.  Many were patented for such specific uses as various calligraphic styles, arab writing, creating music staffs, poster lettering, and left-handed people.
     Disadvantages included low resistance to the corrosiveness of ink acids and rust and the need to redip frequently, the latter of which spawned the subsequent birth of the longer-writing but more expensive fountain pen.
      Ball points and felt tips made the steel nib all but obsolete by the 1950's and 60's, although some are still being produced for technical use and calligraphy.  No one seemed to realize that these early disposables would one day be collectible.  Even few antique dealers bother to keep them, so collectors must resort to scratching in old drawers and other primary sources.  However, with billions manufactured, many must still survive; yet the huge number of varieties produced makes a "complete collection" almost an impossiblity.
     Even those with thousands of nibs in their collections can still find "new" ones.