Choosing your first brush pen is one of the most important decisions in your lettering journey. Get it right, and you’ll build good habits from day one. Get it wrong, and you might give up before you ever see results. The Tombow Fudenosuke and the Pentel Fude Touch Sign Pen are the two pens most recommended for beginners — but they suit different learning styles.
We’ve taught brush lettering workshops using both pens and have gone through dozens of each. Here’s our detailed comparison to help you pick the right starting point.
Quick Answer: The Tombow Fudenosuke (Hard Tip) is the better choice for most beginners. Its firmer nib offers more control and forgiveness, making it easier to learn consistent strokes. The Pentel Fude Touch is the better choice if you want a more expressive, flexible brush experience from the start — but it has a steeper learning curve. Start with the Fudenosuke, then graduate to the Fude Touch.
At a Glance
| Feature | Tombow Fudenosuke Hard Tip | Pentel Fude Touch Sign Pen |
|---|---|---|
| Price | ~$3.50 per pen | ~$3 per pen |
| Tip Type | Elastomer (firm brush) | Flexible felt (soft brush) |
| Tip Flexibility | Low — controlled strokes | High — expressive variation |
| Ink Type | Dye-based, water-based | Dye-based, water-based |
| Waterproof | No | No |
| Colors | 10 colors + hard/soft tip options | 12 colors |
| Line Width | Thin: 0.5mm / Thick: 2mm | Thin: 0.3mm / Thick: 3.5mm |
| Body Style | Marker-style, firm body | Slim sign pen style |
| Best For | Beginners, small lettering, journaling | Intermediate, large lettering, expression |
| Rating | 4.6/5 | 4.3/5 |
| Winner Tombow Fudenosuke Hard Tip | Pentel Fude Touch Sign Pen | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | ~$3.50 | ~$3 |
| Rating | ||
| Best For | Beginners learning brush lettering, small-scale journal headers | Intermediate letterers seeking expressive strokes, larger lettering work |
| Tip Material | Elastomer (synthetic brush) | Flexible felt fiber |
| Ink Volume | Standard | Standard |
| Cap | Snap cap with indicator | Snap cap |
| Made In | Japan | Japan |
| Beginner Friendliness | 5/5 | 2/5 |
| Line Variation | 3/5 | 5/5 |
| Durability | 4/5 | 3/5 |
| Ink Quality | 4/5 | 4/5 |
| Control | 5/5 | 3/5 |
| Value | 4/5 | 4/5 |
| Pros |
|
|
| Cons |
|
|
| Check Price on Amazon | Check Price on Amazon |
*Prices shown are approximate at time of writing. Check retailer for current pricing.
For Absolute Beginners
Tombow Fudenosuke
The Fudenosuke’s hard tip is like training wheels for brush lettering. It limits how much the tip bends, which means your upstrokes and downstrokes will be more consistent even if your pressure control isn’t developed yet. This is crucial when you’re first learning — nothing kills motivation faster than strokes that look wildly different every time.
We recommend the hard tip version (black cap) for your first pen. The soft tip version (gray cap) sits between the Fudenosuke hard and the Pentel Fude Touch in flexibility.
Pentel Fude Touch
The Fude Touch’s flexible felt tip responds dramatically to pressure changes. Light pressure gives you a hairline thin stroke; heavy pressure gives you a thick, expressive mark. This sounds appealing, but for beginners, it means every slight hand tremor shows up in your strokes. Many of our workshop students who start with the Fude Touch get frustrated in the first session.
Winner: Tombow Fudenosuke. It’s significantly easier for beginners to produce consistent, attractive lettering from day one.
Line Quality & Expression
Where the Fudenosuke offers control, the Fude Touch offers expression. Once you’ve developed basic pressure control (usually 2-4 weeks of practice), the Fude Touch produces more dramatic, eye-catching lettering. The thin-to-thick ratio is much wider, and skilled users can achieve a look that closely mimics traditional brush calligraphy.
The Fudenosuke is better suited for small lettering — journal headers, planner entries, envelope addressing. For more tools to pair with your brush pen for journal work, see our bullet journal supplies guide. The Fude Touch excels at larger pieces — greeting cards, art prints, social media graphics.
Winner: Pentel Fude Touch for expression and drama. Tombow Fudenosuke for precision and small-scale work.
Durability & Longevity
The Fudenosuke’s elastomer tip holds its shape well over time. We typically get 150-200 journal headers from a single pen before the tip noticeably softens. The ink flow stays consistent until it runs out.
The Fude Touch’s felt tip begins to fray with heavy use, especially if you press hard (which beginners tend to do). Expect 100-150 uses before the tip loses its sharpness. The ink also tends to thin out toward the end of the pen’s life.
Winner: Tombow Fudenosuke. The elastomer tip lasts longer and maintains its performance more consistently.
Paper Compatibility
Both pens work best on smooth paper. Rough or textured paper will catch the tip fibers and accelerate wear — this is especially true for the Fude Touch’s delicate felt tip. For help choosing the right paper, see our best Japanese notebooks guide.
| Paper | Fudenosuke | Fude Touch |
|---|---|---|
| Rhodia (smooth) | Excellent — crisp strokes | Excellent — beautiful variation |
| Tomoe River | Excellent — no bleed | Very good — slight pooling |
| Kokuyo Campus | Very good | Very good |
| Cheap copier paper | Good — slight feathering | Fair — more feathering, tip catches |
| Watercolor paper | Fair — rough surface wears tip | Poor — tip frays quickly |
Winner: Tombow Fudenosuke. Its sturdier tip handles a wider range of paper types with less wear.
Our Verdict
For most people — especially those new to brush lettering — the Tombow Fudenosuke Hard Tip is the right choice. It lets you focus on learning letter forms and pressure control without fighting an overly flexible tool. It’s also the more durable and versatile pen.
The Pentel Fude Touch is an excellent second pen. Once you’ve built basic skills with the Fudenosuke (typically 3-4 weeks of regular practice), the Fude Touch will help you develop expression and create more dramatic work.
Our recommendation: Buy both. Start exclusively with the Fudenosuke for your first month, then introduce the Fude Touch once your basic strokes are consistent. Many letterers continue using both — the Fudenosuke for small journal work and the Fude Touch for larger, more expressive pieces. If you are a student building out your pen collection, our best stationery for students guide has more recommendations across all categories.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which brush pen do professional hand letterers use?
Most professionals use a variety of brush pens depending on the project. For fine work, many still reach for the Tombow Fudenosuke. For larger, expressive pieces, the Pentel Fude Touch or Tombow Dual Brush Pens are common choices. The Kuretake ZIG Clean Color Real Brush is also popular among professionals.
Can I use these pens for traditional Japanese calligraphy?
These pens are designed for modern brush lettering and casual writing, not traditional Japanese calligraphy (shodou). For traditional calligraphy practice, we recommend a proper fude (brush) and sumi ink, or at minimum, a Kuretake No. 8 or Pentel Pocket Brush Pen, which more closely mimic real brush behavior.
How do I maintain these brush pens?
Always recap immediately after use. Store horizontally or tip-down. Avoid pressing too hard — let the flexibility of the tip do the work. If a pen skips, try writing on a smooth surface for a few strokes to re-saturate the tip.
Is the Tombow Fudenosuke Soft Tip a good compromise?
Yes. The soft tip version (gray cap) offers more flexibility than the hard tip while remaining more controllable than the Pentel Fude Touch. It’s a solid middle-ground option if you want a single pen that balances control and expression.