Pen review: Sailor Fude Nagomi Brush Pen

on July 14, 2015
Posted In: blog

Since I used a different pen to write the body of the mini-review, I changed it to blue after scanning to distinguish it from the brush pen samples.

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Sailor Fude Nagomi Brush Pen
Although the Kuretake pens are probably the best ones in my arsenal, I’ve also enjoyed a lot of the Sailor pens I’ve tried. This double-sided Sailor Fude Nagomi Brush Pen is US$3.55 from JetPens. Most of the single-sided Sailor Fude Nagomi pens are $2.65. They come in Extra Fine, Fine, and Medium; and the “Honzukuri Hair” models are $6.25. According to the description, “the term ‘Honzukuri’ means that the pen was carefully made with the highest quality materials.” When I put together enough for a new order, I’d like to test the difference between the ordinary and Honzukuri tips.

After writing this review I spent an afternoon drawing sketch cards with this pen and a set of Copic markers. I still find the medium tip a little too broad for how I’d like to draw the comic, but overall I enjoyed working with the two tips. This pen is going into my “daily carry” pen roll.

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Pen review: Kuretake No. 7 Brush Pen

on July 13, 2015
Posted In: blog

The Kuretake No. 7 Brush Pen was recommended as a less-expensive (US$7.00) alternative to the Kuretake No. 13, which comes in at four times the price; the esteemed sable-hair No. 40 (which costs…a whole lot more); and the illustrious sable-hair-probably-gently-plucked-from-the-underbellies-of-unicorns No. 50 (don’t ask…but just read those good reviews on JetPens). It uses ink cartridges and can be refilled with the abyssally black Platinum Carbon ink. The ink that comes with the pen is NOT waterproof (though one review says “it does become waterproof over the course of a few weeks”—I’ll have to come back to the sketchbook page and test that myself).

I’ve had this particular pen for over a year (maybe two?), and it’s been at the bottom of drawers, tossed around in a pen case, generally abused and unused, and it’s come through it all like the champion it is. It writes as if new out of the package.

This sort of treatment isn’t recommended by the manufacturer, of course, who suggest that the No. 8, 13, 40, and 50 pens be used at least once a month (I didn’t see that warning on the lowly No. 7). All these pens are intended for, and I’m told excel at, writing Japanese calligraphy, but that should make any of them a good choice for drawing.

The Kuretake No. 7 Brush Pen comes with two ink cartridge refills. You might want to swap them for a waterproof or a faster-drying ink—I ended up with smudges on the test page below even when I thought I was being careful—but the original ink has some lovely qualities.

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Kuretake No. 7 Brush Pen

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Pen review: Tombow Fudenosuke Brush Pen (Hard)

on July 12, 2015
Posted In: blog

Remember fisherman Felix?

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Tombow Fudenosuke Brush Pen - Hard
I’ve substituted this pen occasionally for the 03 Micron when drawing the comic.

I’ll have to dig around through the pen cases to see if I have the soft-tip and dual (grey/black) versions. I went through a brush-pen feeding frenzy a year or so ago, so I’m guessing I do have at least the soft-tip version. That seems like the sort of completist thing I’d do.

The Tombow Fudenosuke Brush Pen (Hard) is available for US$2.50 pen from JetPens.

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