If anyone were to ask me "Catie, what's your favorite pen or tool you use in calligraphy?", my immediate response is the Tombow Fudenosuke Brush Pen with Hard Tip. I use that sucker daily, from everything to custom quotes to doodling ideas on a notebook. But even though it's been my go-to brush pen for years, I've always had black as the one color option. UNTIL OCTOBER 2018.
I remember the moment I saw the news that Tombow, after many years of waiting and begging, had released the coveted Fudenosuke Brush Pens in 10 different colors!I specifically recall squealing and dropping my phone, and therefore scaring the whiskers off my cat in the process. (worth it) After anxiously waiting and refreshing the tracking page obsessively for days, I had them. And played with them for hours. And friend, they did NOT disappoint!
Compare: Tombow Dual Brush Pens
Besides the obvious difference in pen size, the Dual Brush Pens have over 96 colors, so hopefully, Tombow will have success with the Fudenosuke Colors and will expand the color options! One other thing to note is the stiffness of the tip. The Fudenosuke Colors feature the Hard Tip, whereas the Dual Brush Pens offer much more flexibility with a Soft Tip.
If you're just starting out with calligraphy, I highly recommend starting with a Soft Tip brush pen until you get used to the thin upstrokes and thick downstrokes. Once you've gained some experience and confidence, I would then upgrade to a Hard Tip like the Fudenosuke Colors. The Hard Tip allows you to achieve the thinnest upstroke (the kind that gives you goosebumps.... oh wait, is that just me?).
Compare: Pentel Fude Touch Brush Pen
The Pentel Fude Brush Pen is the closest comparison to the Tombow Fudenosuke Colors. The Pentel has more rich, jewel tone colors, while the Tombow sticks to brighter and lighter colors. So that comes down to preference. I'm personally so glad I have more of a choice with small lettering projects!
It should also be noted that the Pentel Fude Brush Pens have a Soft Tip, which is more flexible than the Fudenosuke Colors with the Hard Tip. Again, this comes down to preference!
But can they blend?
Tombow Brush Pens are known for their versatility and their ability to blend with different colors, so of course, I had to make sure the Fudenosuke Colors could do the same. And they didn't do too badly! It was difficult to get the darker color on the plastic just because of the smaller tip, but overall, I'm pleased with its blending capabilities!
In conclusion...
The Tombow Fudenosuke Colors get TWO THUMBS UP from me! Now to go play some more with my favorite new pens...
