The conductivity of a variety of atomic force microscopy tips was investigated by measuring both current‐voltage characteristics and force profile data for the tip in contact with graphite. This allows the conductivity to be studied as a function of tip‐sample distance. It was found that etched gold wires or levers coated with a conducting diamond film were the best tips to use for experimentation on hard (SiO2) surfaces. Metal‐coated levers, particularly gold, were found to wear rapidly such that the very end of the tip became insulating. ©1995 American Institute of Physics.