Although calligraphy has been popular for years now, there has been a recent spike in the popularity of Chinese calligraphy with many people taking to using Chinese calligraphy as a way to relax and be creative as a part of their core hobbies. As you would expect, with more and more people taking it up, we have noticed more and more people reaching out and asking for advice on the best pen for Chinese calligraphy in the hope that they will be able to improve the visuals of their work.
Due to this, we have decided to publish this article going over what we feel is the best pen on the market for Chinese calligraphy in the hope that we will be able to help as many of our readers as possible pick the perfect pen for their needs. Please keep in mind though that different people do have slightly different preferences for their pens but our recommended pen of choice is the most popular and has an excellent reputation amongst the community.
Although technically, using some bamboo reed pens is going to be the best option as it allows you to custom grind the nibs to get exactly what you want out of the pens, it can be a pain and for most people, will only offer a small improvement. That is why the Tombow Fudenosuke Brush Pen is our recommended pen of choice for Chinese calligraphy.
The Best Pen For Chinese Calligraphy On The Market!
Not only is the Tombow Fudenosuke Brush Pen our recommendation for Chinese calligraphy but judging by the reputation that the pen has amongst the community, it would seem the majority of people who are involved in any type of calligraphy, Chinese or otherwise tend to agree that they are the best option. Tombow really have done an excellent job of putting their Fudenosuke pens together making the perfect pen for all of your calligraphy needs.
The Nib Of The Pens
The nibs of the pens are perfect for calligraphy and there are a number of different tips and sizes available to help ensure that you are getting exactly what you require. Although the soft brush tips do tend to be the more popular option, the hard felt tips have a firm customer base who are big fans of them and they perform very well for Chinese calligraphy too.
If you prefer a more rigid pen then the hard felt tip nib is probably the option for you where as anyone who prefers a more flexible tip will be better suited to the brush tip. If you are brand new to using the Fudenosuke range then you are able to get a Two pen bundle with both nib types included that workouts cheaper than purchasing both pens individually.
Taking the route allows you to try out both nib options for the Fudenosuke range to see what one you prefer for your own Chinese calligraphy style. Depending on exactly what you are planning to do and your goals for your art work, you may actually find a place for both nib types in your stationary collection as they do have a slightly different end result in the calligraphy they create.
The Fudenosuke pens are not wet writers either with their nibs being closer to a standard nib than a wet nib. This means that you should have no issues with feathering, bleeding or ghosting when using the pens on thinner paper while still having excellent ink flow. This also makes the pens ideal for any of our readers who are left-handed as dry and standard nibs tend to smear or smudge less.
The Pens Barrel
Although the Fudenosuke pens do have a low price tag, their barrel has a solid build to it ensuring that it is as tough and lightweight as possible relative to its price point in the market. This helps to prevent your hands from cramping up during your calligraphy sessions while also ensuring that you have maximum control of the pen to guide its nib as you wish for the perfect stroke.
The feed of the pen at the base of the barrel also acts as the main grip and although some people do prefer a rubberized grip using on the barrel of their pens, many people don’t. On top of this, a rubberized grip unit that actually performs well and does not have any issues with changing the weight of the pen is rare at this price point in the market too.
Writing Samples
The video below offers some writing samples from the Tombow Fudenosuke Brush Pen showing you exactly what you can expect from the pen and how well it can perform for Chinese calligraphy. As you can see, the strokes from the pen are flawless and offer some excellent, crisp calligraphy characters too.
Conclusion
That brings our article going over why the Tombow Fudenosuke Brush Pen is the best pen on the market for Chinese calligraphy. Although a few competing brands have tried to de-throne the Fudenosuke pens, all have failed while the reputation of the Fudenosuke range just gets better and their sales increase with each passing month.
As we mentioned back at the start of the article, you can definitely argue that bamboo reed pens are a better option for Chinese calligraphy but like we said, custom grinding the nibs usually takes far too much work for the majority of our readers to make it worth it. This is why the Fudenosuke just continue to go from strength to strength with there being no sign in their sales slowing down.
