Pilot Fude-Makase Color Brush Pen - Extra Fine - Orange Review

Over the past few years, it has become clear to me that there is almost no firm brush pen I won’t buy, even though the flexibility of a brush doesn’t really suit my ham-fisted hard-pressing writing style. When JetPens got the Pilot Fude-Makase Extra-Fine Brush Pen back in stock (as of this writing, they might be out again - they sell out fast!) I snapped up one in orange and one in pink to test them out.

I’ve only picked up a few softer broader brushes in my day, as I know full well those won’t suit my style. If that’s what you’re after, this definitely isn’t your pen of choice. It is much thinner and firmer than, say, one of Pilot’s Pocket Brush pens. The size and flexibility are somewhat similar to the Kuratake CocoIro Super Fine refills, but I’ve had always had problems with those pens having only two settings: too firm or too mushy. So, I was hoping that the Pilot Extra Fine would make for a good every day writer.

I suspect if you have a much lighter writing touch, you’ll love this pen. The brush doesn’t yield much, but you can definitely control line width easy while writing. I think I just write both too fast and too firm, so it ends up either just looking like boring old bullet-point marker strokes or I press too hard and end up mushing the brush rather than letting it glide across the paper.

Honestly, at the price point (around $3 if you can find them in stock), it is a pen that is worth taking a chance on, even if your writing style isn’t really brush pen-friendly. It comes in a wide variety of colors and, even if it doesn’t make your handwriting look stellar, makes for a nice pop of brightness when writing.

Ohto Minimo Ballpoint Pen Review

Take any idea of what you think is a tiny pen and throw it out the window. The Ohto Minimo Ballpoint trumps them all, even claiming it is the world's thinnest ballpoint. After using it I have no disagreement with that statement.

This is the first mini pen I have used where I couldn't use my normal tripod-style grip (index finger and thumb on front, backed by my middle finger). It has been close with other pens like the Zebra T3 but I could always get there. With the Ohto Minimo I could only grip it between my thumb and index finger to write with. This was a problem at first but I adjusted quickly and got decent writing performance.

With a pen this small comfort isn't necessarily the priority - vanishing into any notebook, pocket, or purse is. In fact, Ohto packaged this pen with its own credit card sized holder so you can keep tabs on it. That's a hint folks.

The Minimo is too small for me to get any regular use out of. My choices in the mini pen arena are downright gargantuan comparitively, but I'll stick with the Monteverde Poquito or the Pentel Slicci Techo for my mini needs.

(JetPens is an advertiser on The Pen Addict and I received this product at no charge.)

Sakura Pigma Calligrapher Review

I feel positively evangelical about this pen, which I think is unknown and underrated. At under $3 per pen when you buy a pack of 6, they're cheap enough to stash everywhere. I keep them at the office, in the car, in the kitchen, because at that price point I can afford to misplace them as often as I do.

I've been able to buy these locally as single pens (I live in Minneapolis) but I've only found the 6-pack online via Amazon. There are colors I'm less fond of than others - I find I almost never need to write in purple - but even the less loved colors get used as for quick jottings around the house.

The pen I'm using here is a 1mm. You'll see you can get some line variation, though not a ton. For me, it's just enough variation to make my writing look a little nicer while not being such a prominent italic tip that I feel like I need to slow down to write with it. The pens also come in 2mm and 3mm sizes. I've used the 2mm, but I just find it a little too thick for daily writing.

If you're looking for a cheap way to see if you'd like to write regularly with an italic point, this is probably your best bet. The chisel tip doesn't get soft and spread out like many, many other markers I've owned, and the colors look vibrant on every type of paper I've thrown at it.

The Sakura Pigma Calligrapher is available in packs of 6 at Amazon.