Customer Reviews

Hello!

I just had to write up a quick review of this pen!

Having been trained in classic Japanese Calligraphy, I have always used a true brush in my work and drawing. This purchase was a departure for me but one that I am glad to say that has been much more than what I had expected.

I received my Akashiya Bamboo Barrel Brush Pen this afternoon 12.09.2008 and went about putting it through its paces. I must say that I have never used a pen that has the feel and balance that this does. The feel of the pen in ones hand is warm and personal, not cold and utilitarian as some pens can be. It reminds me of the Old BHCR Waterman fountain Pens that had a more organic feel about them.

The Akashiya Bamboo Barrel Brush Pen feels right at home in ones hand and the balance is about as perfect as it gets.

The Pen packaging is no nonsense and minimal as is expected. The construction of the pen in general is superb. The overall material is Bamboo as the name suggests and is well sealed by the application of lacquer. Looking under the Cap, shows a well sealed surface. There is also a type of metal reinforcement honeycomb that adds strength to the cap in whole. Further up inside the cap there is an air tight plastic cone that seals the brush tip/nib against outside air and helps prevent the brush from drying out while its being stored or not used.

The Cap slides down the Barrel with just enough tension to get a good seal but not so tight that it binds while being put on or taken off. Simple but well thought out.

Next was the inking process and ink check. The Akashiya Bamboo Barrel Brush Pen is supplied with 2 factory cartridges of very black ink. installation of the cartridge was flawless. The fit is snug as expected and has an excellant seal. I would not feel the least bit concerned about carring this in my pocket fully loaded. I spent several hours of almost continued use to really see how the brush tip/nib held up to different types of pressure. This is where I was the most surprised. The tip snapped back after several hours of use and the sensitivity of the brush is fantastic. It is quite agile and very responsive to your every motion and move.

I tested an several types of paper. Starting with traditional Kozo, then on to Hosho, followed by 90lb. Studio Fabriano cold pressed Watercolor paper, Vellum Bristol, 20lb. Copy/ink jet paper, 75lb general purpose sketch paper (mostly recycled content), Arches 300lb Hot press Watercolor sheet stock and finally Newsprint (again, mostly recycled content)

Ink coverage and penetration was consistent across all paper types. Dry times were of course different on each paper type and since I live on the North West California Coast the humidity level plays a very large role in the dry times. Differences being measured in 10 second departures between each paper type, so there was no real glaring difference where one paper type was still wet well after the others had dried.

I preformed a quick water test on each paper type and found that each sample was at least partially water resistant. The recycled and most porous exhibiting the greatest water resistance and little if any running on these paper types. The harder surfaced paper types ran the most but testing again, after allowing the sample to dry longer, I found even these to be about 85% water resistant. As already stated, the paper that had the most recycled content were almost 95/97% water fast. The test was a simple running water test at the kitchen sink as I wanted a quick test to determine a rough baseline for the factory ink. I will setup a true dip test as a followup for more accurate results in the next few days.

I normally prefer Platinum Carbon ink or the new Noodlers " Heart of Darkness" which is the blackest dye based ink I have ever seen and is formulated to preform its best on recycled material. All of this in consideration, I would feel totally comfortable using the supplied factory ink in lieu of my normal ink if needed. The blackness of the factory ink is very dense and surprised me as how dark it was, coming close to the Noodlers Heart of Darkness. about a 9 on a 1-10 scale.

In short, the Akashiya Bamboo Barrel Brush Pen is a surprising sleeper and preforms with a grace that's a pleasure. Not merely a tool in your hand but rather an extension of your hand. Highly recommended!

I purchased the black, but now, will get the other 2 colors to complete the collection.

shonen

I purchased this and a Kuretake sable hair at the same time. The kuretake wins hands down. This pen doesn't seem to retain the point as others have said and the ink it comes with is not a true black. It has a nice feel in your hand, but as far as function goes I prefer the kuretake sable hair no. 40. Now if they make a new head for this pen with real hair, I just might find a new love. It is better than a marker, but not the best. A nice pen to have in your collection for looks.

If you like to doodle and have never tried a brush pen, you are in for a treat. The incredible gliding smoothness, the way the stroke responds to your movement - it s such a satisfying way of drawing. I find just laying down a few strokes on a fresh white sheet of paper is a great relaxation at the end of a stressful day. I'm no great artist but you don't have to be. This pen feels great in the hand. The tip lays quite clean lines so it does limit you a little on the styles of lines you can draw (no blotchy or watery ones, I don't think). Still, it's a lovely pen.

The one weird thing is that unlike North American pens the cartridge is not pushed on and held by the barrel. You push the cartridge on the tip part and the barrel never touches the cartridge. Interesting and puzzled me a bit at first :) But no worries, it does hold securely.

While I'm not sure about anticipating my moves, this is a very fine brush pen! It is a lot broader and thicker than the Kuretake/Pentel Pocket Brush ones though. This is good for a really nice, wet ink flow, but it does make thinner hairlines a little more difficult.

As other reviewers have mentioned, it has a great feel and balance. It doesn't post, so make sure not to lose that cap! It is quite a large pen - much more so than the other pens I've mentioned. This definitely isn't a pocket pen, and lives in the studio.

Overall, it's a great brush pen for bigger work. Recommended.

this pen is awesome and the best ever

THIS IS THE BEST PEN I EVER HAD
SO SMOOTH AND ANTICIPATES WITH YOUR EVERY MOVE
so good

This is a beautiful pen! The bamboo shell is warm and comfortable. The brush is surprisingly flexible and expressive (I do some inking with a Windsor Newton Series 7) for a synthetic brush. I did about two hours of inking practice with this pen and it held up and allowed me the control I needed. I used the Platinum Fountain Pen Converter with Noodler's No Feather black ink and it works like a charm. I had bought the Kuretake pen, but I have to say like this one better. The longer length lets me get looser, but the tip allows me precise control. It's not my Series 7, but it's portable and expressive enough for sketching in ink anywhere I go. Get this pen!!

Elegant. Nicely weighted/balanced. Smooth writing brush tip. Greatly surpasses the quality of other brush pens I've owned!

I'm an illustrator and wanted a companion brush pen to haul around and sketch with. While the pen has a great feel, the point does not hold as crisp as my much uglier, cheaper pentels, and not quite as satifying a snap. It also does not have as opaque an ink. However, high marks for beauty on this pen which almost makes up for it. The bamboo body is very well crafted and feels great to draw or write with. The plastic components on the closure made me raise an eyebrow at first but after pretty heavy use the cap still has a great, confidence inducing fit. Feels like unsheathing a sword when you pull the cap off.

I have to echo the other reviewer. This pen is the most comparable to a 7-series that I've found. The ink is dense, and one smooth paper the lines don't streak and get that 'dry brush' look that the Kuretake/Pentels get.

This is definitely a good substitute for a watercolour brush, and with care I can achieve much the same results. The more I use this, the more I realise that this is definitely the best brush pen on the market. I'm back to buy some more spares!

Now if it was able to be posted and had a clip it would be perfect!

I'm a comic artist, and I've been using this brushpen in lieu of an actual brush for months. Very convenient to carry around in my inking pouch, and it fits the hand better than other brushpens I've purchased in the past. The brush has a great amount of give, allowing for some really expressive lines, and the brushpen is fantastic for both serious inking and noodling about in a sketchbook. My only complaint is that I can't refill the cartridges with my choice of ink, I've found that any ink besides the ink in the Akashiya cartridges clogs the natural bristles of the brush. This is a problem as the Akashiya ink is slightly greyer than the other inks I use, and requires a little extra tweaking in Photoshop. Other than that, a great product.

This is a fantastic brush pen, with bristles that are soft and very responsive. The brush is broad and long enough for large, thick characters, yet the tip is sharp enough to handle very fine lines (although doing so requires careful control, as the previous reviewer discovered, because the brush moves so fluidly). This is a true joy to write with, and it's beautiful as well. I love this pen!