Brush pens are a really popular tool for bullet journals because they can create beautiful hand-lettering, but not all brush pens are created equally. There are tons of brands and options available, but today I’m going to go over the most popular options. The best way to see the difference in these brush pens is to see how they all write on the same page. I linked my video down below where you can see them all in action.
The Pens
- Tombow Dual Brush
- Zebra Mildliner Brush Pens
- Tombow Fudenosuke
- Pentel Touch Sign Brush Pen
- Kuretake Zig Brushables
- Kuretake Clean Color Real Brush
Tombow Dual Brush
These are the all-star of the bullet journal community. These are probably the most popular bruhs pen, and for good reason, They come in 90+ colors, dual ended, and super versatile. You can create beautiful lettering with these, and because they’re water-based they can also be used as watercolors. They’re better for slightly larger lettering, but still great to use in your bullet journal.
Zebra Mildliner Brush Pens
Everybody’s favorite highlighter now comes in a brush pen! And they’re great. These have easily become one of my favorite brush pens. They’re a slightly smaller brush than the Tombow so they’re a bit easier to control, but they only come in fifteen colors. Read my full review here.
Kuretake Zig Brushables
These are expensive and they’re probably the hardest to find. But if you think about the fact that it’s essentially 2 brush pens in one, it’s not a bad deal. These are very similar in size to the Tombows, but they’re a little easier to use. These are definitely worth the price.
Kuretake Fudebiyori Brush Pen
These were the first ever brush pens I bought. I must’ve bought them over 2 years ago and I still have the same set. I don’t use them very often, but that’s mostly because of the colors. These are a great brush pen for beginners. They’re fairly inexpensive and they’re a nice medium sized brush to get used to brush pens.
Kuretake Fudebiyori Metallic Brush Pen
Even those these are the same brush pen, they clearly write very differently. They produce a much thicker stroke than the non-metallic variety. I did a full review on them explaining why they’re not my favorite, but some of the colors are very pretty so I still use them.
Kuretake Clean Color Real Brush
These brush pens really aren’t meant for calligraphy or handlettering, and I didn’t realize this when I bought them. These are REAL brush pens and are perfect for watercolor and coloring in your bullet journal. They come in some really pretty colors and are high quality, but just don’t expect to use them for handlettering.
Tombow Fudenosuke
These brush pens come in a hard tip and a soft tip. They both are great for small lettering. The hard tip is easier to use, but the soft tip can make thicker lines.
Pentel Touch Sign Pen
This brush pen is very similar to the Tombow Fudenosuke Soft Tip. It produces a slightly larger stroke, and requires a bit more control to produce smooth lines, but they’re really great pens. They’re perfect to use for headers in your bullet journal spreads.
