Today, I’m excited to share my thoughts on the Zig Fudebiyori Brush Pens. I recently got the 24-color set, along with the metallic versions, and I was eager to see how they compare to some of my go-to brush pens.

Before jumping into the swatching process, I took a moment to compare the brush tip sizes to other pens I own. The Zig Fudebiyori brush tips fall into the medium-to-large category, slightly bigger than my favorite Pentel Brush Sign Pens but smaller than a Tombow Dual Brush Pen. Since I usually work with smaller brush tips, I was curious to see how these would feel in action.

Writing Experience

At first glance, I wasn’t sure how comfortable these pens would be for my usual style of lettering. But I reminded myself to keep an open mind! Once I started swatching, I was surprised by how easy the upstrokes felt. The brush tip wasn’t as flexible as I expected, with only the top portion bending significantly. While I could get a slightly larger stroke, I noticed that applying too much pressure sometimes led to skipping.

An interesting discovery was that the flex varied between colors. For example, the red pen was noticeably stiffer than the others, while the bright yellow felt much softer. I’ve noticed this kind of variation in other brush pen brands, and I’m still not entirely sure why it happens. If you’ve experienced this too, let me know!

Ink Quality and Color Vibrancy

One thing I absolutely love about the Zig Fudebiyori pens is their vibrant ink. The colors are rich and saturated, making them great for bold lettering and illustrations. However, some colors—like a fluorescent yellow—were a little too light for my taste. It might work well for highlights or accents, but not as a standalone lettering color.

Some pens also showed early signs of fraying, particularly the Persian green and cobalt blue. This could be due to differences in manufacturing or the pressure I applied while writing. Either way, it’s something to keep in mind if you want your pens to last longer.

When it comes to color variety, this brush pen set does not disappoint. The 24-color set offers a beautifully curated selection, ensuring a versatile palette for artists and calligraphers alike. While I am unsure of the exact colors included in the smaller set, I believe the full range extends to 48 colors. This impressive selection provides ample opportunity for blending, layering, and experimenting with different artistic styles.

Ease of Use and Adaptability

A variety of marker colors of the Zig Fudebiyori Brush Pens

Transitioning from my usual smaller brush pens to these medium-sized ones was surprisingly smooth. I didn’t feel like I had to drastically change my lettering style, which is a big plus. If you’re comfortable with smaller brush pens, you’ll likely adjust to these quickly. However, writing at very small sizes can be challenging with the Zig Fudebiyori pens.

I also noticed that some pens provided smoother, more controlled upstrokes, while others felt softer and harder to control. The gray color, for example, had a perfect medium flex, making it one of my favorites.

One of the key characteristics of a brush pen is the way its tip bounces back after being pressed. The level of resilience varies depending on the softness or firmness of the nib. Softer tips tend to behave like memory foam—the more pressure applied in one direction, the more they tend to retain that shape. This can make it necessary to frequently rotate the pen to maintain an even stroke. Medium flexible tips, on the other hand, have a better bounce-back quality, reducing the need for constant adjustment. Hard tips barely bend at all, making them a reliable choice for maintaining a sharp, pointy tip throughout extended use.

Brush Tip Comparisons

To better understand where this set stands in comparison to other popular brush pens, I conducted a side-by-side test with the Pentel Brush Sign Pen, the Zig Fudebiyori, the Pentel Sign Pen Twin, the Sharpie Brush Pen, and the Tombow Dual Brush Pen.

Pentel Brush Sign Pen: A tried-and-true favorite with a solid balance between flexibility and control.
Fudebiyori: Slightly different in tip feel; writing larger felt somewhat comfortable, but resulted in inconsistencies in stroke thickness.
Pentel Sign Pen Twin: More flexible, requiring a larger writing style.
Sharpie Brush Pen: A bold ink flow but with some risk of bleeding through paper.
Tombow Dual Brush Pen: Highly flexible, but can be too soft for precise calligraphy.

From my tests, I found that the Zig Fudebiyori, while having a similar-sized brush tip to the Pentel Twin, felt significantly different due to variations in flexibility. The Pentel remains a beginner-friendly choice, while the Tombow is more suited for larger calligraphy styles.

Zig Fudebiyori Metallic Brush Pen Set Review

I was particularly excited to test the metallic brush pen set, which includes eight colors. However, my experience was mixed. The brush tips are very soft, similar to the Tombow Dual Brush Pen, making precision more difficult. The ink flow was juicy and rich, but not all colors performed equally well.

Silver: The standout of the set. It retained a nice tip shape and produced a beautiful metallic sheen, making it ideal for accents and highlights.
Gold and Copper: Disappointingly dull compared to the silver. I expected more shimmer, but they lacked the luster I was hoping for.
Black: Least impressive of all. Instead of a true black, it dried as a dark gray without any noticeable metallic shine.
Jewel Tones (Blue, Green, Violet, and Red): Some shimmer was visible, especially on the blue and green, but the red and violet lacked the depth and vibrancy I associate with metallics. I was hoping for rich jewel tones like ruby and amethyst, but these colors fell flat.

Final Thoughts on the Zig Fudebiyori

Overall, while the main brush pen set offers a fantastic range of colors and a flexible medium-sized tip, the metallic set was underwhelming aside from the silver. If you’re looking for a reliable brush pen for calligraphy or illustration, the standard color set is a solid choice, particularly for beginners and those who prefer a medium-flexibility nib. The metallic set, however, may not be worth the investment unless you specifically need silver accents in your artwork.

Would I use these pens regularly? The standard color set, absolutely. The silver metallic pen, occasionally for highlights. But the rest of the metallics? Likely not. If you’re searching for a brush pen with a good balance of flexibility and control, I’d still recommend the Pentel Brush Sign Pen as the go-to option for beginners and experienced artists alike.

Thank you for joining me in this review! I hope this breakdown helps you in choosing the right brush pens for your artistic journey. Let me know your thoughts if you’ve tried these sets—I’d love to hear about your experience!