Only for abrasive filaments: those filled with carbon fibre, glass fibre, metal powder or glow pigment, which wear brass nozzles quickly. For plain PLA, PETG and TPU a brass nozzle is fine. The filament maker usually states when a hardened nozzle is required.
Nozzle material only matters when the filament is harder than brass, and for most beginners it is not.
Filaments that wear nozzles
Carbon fibre and glass fibre blends. Metal-filled filaments. Glow-in-the-dark filaments, whose pigment is abrasive. Some wood and marble fills to a lesser extent. The filament maker’s label or data sheet usually names the nozzle it requires.
Nozzle materials
Brass conducts heat well and is inexpensive, but abrasive fillers enlarge its orifice. Hardened steel resists wear and conducts heat less well. Tipped nozzles, with a hard insert in a conductive body, combine the two properties at a higher price.
Fit comes first
A hardened nozzle must still match the hotend family, thread and length. Quick-change systems sell hardened versions of their own nozzles.
Signs of a worn nozzle
Thin or inconsistent lines, dimensional changes and stringing after a spool of abrasive filament. A worn brass nozzle is replaced rather than cleaned.
A sensible approach
Keep brass for everyday filaments and fit a hardened nozzle before the first abrasive spool. Changing nozzles is done hot, following the printer maker’s procedure.
Questions makers ask before buying
Does a hardened nozzle change print settings?
Hardened steel conducts heat less well than brass, so some users raise the nozzle temperature slightly. The nozzle maker’s guidance and a temperature test show what a particular setup needs.
How do I know a brass nozzle is worn?
Under-extrusion that other fixes do not solve, a widened or oval orifice and a changed line width are common signs after printing abrasive material.
Last reviewed 15 September 2026