The mechanical resonance behavior of near-field optical microscope probes is examined with a simple experiment on a flat pyrex sample. While our tapered-fiber probe is locked on the second resonance for servo control, the vibration characteristics around the first resonance are investigated. We find that the overwhelming cause of decreased vibration amplitude as the tip approaches the sample is an increase in damping presumably due to a fluidlike layer on the sample. A small additional effect is also observed that could be due to force derivatives. ©1997 American Institute of Physics.