Everyone kept telling me how good the Sailor Fudes are, so I got ma’self one! I’ll give it a go today, have you got one? Any tips? Cheap refills? What paper is best, rough or smooth?
Any tips for other good drawing pens? I am a fan of a stick or a post office nib myself but always like to discover new pens and their quirks!
I like them more with smooth paper too. If you get a converter you are not attached to refills and you can put any color that you like. And for inks I would recommend the Sketch inks from Rohrer and Kilgner. They are waterproof and they won’t clog your pen.
I’ve heard the 55degree is better for drawing, but have tried both it and the 40 degree and find both a little mercurial in terms of flow (good days and bad) even with R&K ink and DeAtrimentis. Also they feel very “cheap” in the hand (lightweight and plasticy) which I guess they are.
All that said, when they do work I love their lines especially on smooth paper.
Lamy Joy w a converter is another great pen. Although I love any Lamy. Use them both in sketchbooks. Pentel brush pen is another great one. I buy multiple boxes of cartridges because i do hate running out. Two fav brands of sketchbooks are Super aquabee and Stillman and Birn Alphas.
Hadn't heard of this and now need to get one lol! I like the Pentel Brush Pen - I also have a Kuretake one which was much more expensive - and imho not as good at making marks. In terms of calligraphy it's always a Lamy Safari with the italic nibs ... paper wise - I much prefer smooth if using a brush or wide pen - someone mentioned the Parallel pens - they're great too!
I actually *just purchased a Pentel pocket brush pen yesterday and I’m already so happy with it. I also want to try the parallel pen! And a fude too 🤦🏼♀️ I love the idea of refillable ones, I’m now obsessed with the idea of having a muddy green ink one!!
I second the Pentel Pocket Brush Pen recommendation. You get SO much line variation, and the pens are refillable with black, gray, and sepia cartridges.
They sell refillable cartridges that you can fill with your favourite (fountain pen) inks. If your Fude gets clogged up you can just leave it overnight in a glass of water and rinse in the morning. This sometimes happens with the black cartridges.
I also love the Pentel Tradio, they come with a kind of felt tip pen nib, they are super scratchy which I love. Also refillable.
I'm still in love with my Little Fat Man. Lost him for a few days, bought another one, and then he popped back up and wasn't even clogged! I need to take him out on a date with my sketchbook soon.
I love the sailor, it’s one of my go-to for drawing outside in sketchbooks especially. I use a refillable ink cartridge with Atramentis ink which is waterproof so that I can work ontop and mix-n-match some more.
I have had 2 of them. There is one that is quite inexpensive ( $10) but the tip just doesn’t flow right and then there’s a better one about ($25) that I loved and recently lost. I often sit and dream about the good times we had. Maybe time or Black Friday will help me get over it. Also there is a none soluble ink Kaguara(sp?) that is necessary. Cartridges or bottles.
Get a converter from Amazon. Love the Carbon Black Ink. Dries fast and is permanent. I actually have two because they seem to use more ink than a regular pen like a Lamy. When u r into drawing with them u don't want to have to change to another pen.
Hi, yes agree with the smooth paper - it glides really nicely, photocopy paper good for me too. I really like the sailor ink, it's great. Interested to hear your thoughts! Enjoy
I’ve only recently got one - this just prompted me to get it out and have a go 🥰
Love the different thickness of lines you can make ...have got a converter but totally failed to fill it with ink 😅 so I’ve popped in one of the cartridges provided with the pen for now.
I use this pen and love it. I love it on smooth paper I found that some rough papers the ink does bleed a little which is good for adding different textures but not so good if you want a fine line.
Also chiming in - my Sailor Fude (the green one) is probably one of my favourite pens for drawing. Another favourite for me is my Kuretake brush pen my dad brought for me from Japan. I also have the blue sailor fude, but prefer to use the green one - bolder lines 😁. I have a friend who does a lot of live sketching for weddings and so, she likes to use the blue sailor fude. So I guess you have to try them out to find what you like best.
I like my Lamy Safari mostly for writing. And I use d’Atramentis ink in all of them.
I love my Sailor pens. I usually use the cartridges for the Sailor pens which come in a fab range of colours. The brand of ink cartridges I like is Sailor Shikiori. They are not waterproof but I like swishing about with water and seeing what extra effects I can create!
Wanted to chime in that you can also get a syringe to refill your cartridge! I ordered mine from Jetpens. I also see a lot of people recommending LAMY pens, I personally prefer TWISBI ECO, they hold a lot more ink, are generally better made and have a more consistent nib! I’ve had so many issues with the 3 LAMY pens I do own and none with my TWISBI eco! Could be worth a shot, they’re a nice starter pen 🥰
Oh I only just found this post! I got my first Sailor Fude a month ago. It came with the non waterproof cartridges which I love because I can play with the lines and water.. but I also wanted waterproof so I’ve treated myself to another one so I don't have to keep changing. I was wondering about which ink to buy so this has been really useful!
I used the sailor fude with a graphite grey waterproof ink (Rohrer and klinger) for medium tones on my inktober drawings this year, with touches of pigment black ink. It was really fun. I love the wonky thick lines you can get with it. Smooth or hot press paper has better performance with it, it will skip and lose the line on cold press and texture paper.
I have a Desiderata Pen - not cheap - but a lovely hand crafted item from this man...(www.desideratapens.com) I wanted a fountain pen that I could use in my sketchbook on the hoof that would mimic the wobbly look and feel of a dip pen, which it does superbly! Its flexible nib is lovely, though I admit I have had some issues with it flowing nicely (but that's probably my fault for not taking proper care of it) and I actually rarely carry it about incase it leaks! Still a lovely pen though!
Ooh, and forgot to say - if you want really really thin lines, you can use it the wrong way around. Just love the variation in line thickness these fude pens give.
I use Noodler’s waterproof ink, *love* this stuff! https://noodlersink.com/ I leave it in my Lamy for months and moths without using it, and I can usually just give the nib a bit of a rinse and off it goes again. It is waterproof so I can use watercolours on top of it
But I love the unexpected lines with the fude nibs and although I have a Lamy and a TWISBI ECO pen I do find their lines slightly boring and uneventful 😂
I have both the Sailor Fude de Mannon ( the green one and the slightly more expensive Sailor Profit de Mannen (the dark blue one) I always use the Sailor waterproof ink cartridges or Platinum carbon pigment ink in a bottle with a converter. I use them a lot so they never seem to get blocked. I hate using the cartridges (because of the plastic) but the converter doesn’t hold as much ink and I feel like it’s always running out. I use it on all kinds of paper - each one has its own characteristics with the line. I often use 300g hot pressed watercolour paper.
Another permanent ink that is a new favorite for me is Colorverse Permanant Photo Black. Rather than black it is a nice grey, is waterproof and is softer and more subtle than black. Looks a bit like pencil led. Watercolor doesn’t make it run.
have you tried a Pilot Parallel Pen? I got one earlier in the year and loved it and then its gone unused for a while but instead of buying the refills you can just refill the whole barel with any non-acrylic ink, and apprently you can hack the ends of them for different shapes but I havent tried that yet! Probably a January project! https://www.theartsideshop.co.uk/ourshop/prod_7508072-Pilot-Parallel-Calligraphy-Pen-15-24-38-60mm-4-Pens-Set.html
I like them more with smooth paper too. If you get a converter you are not attached to refills and you can put any color that you like. And for inks I would recommend the Sketch inks from Rohrer and Kilgner. They are waterproof and they won’t clog your pen.
I’ve heard the 55degree is better for drawing, but have tried both it and the 40 degree and find both a little mercurial in terms of flow (good days and bad) even with R&K ink and DeAtrimentis. Also they feel very “cheap” in the hand (lightweight and plasticy) which I guess they are.
All that said, when they do work I love their lines especially on smooth paper.
Lamy Joy w a converter is another great pen. Although I love any Lamy. Use them both in sketchbooks. Pentel brush pen is another great one. I buy multiple boxes of cartridges because i do hate running out. Two fav brands of sketchbooks are Super aquabee and Stillman and Birn Alphas.
I've been eyeing this up for ages!! My fave drawing pens are Papermate Flairs and a fine nibbed Rotring Art fountain pen.
Hadn't heard of this and now need to get one lol! I like the Pentel Brush Pen - I also have a Kuretake one which was much more expensive - and imho not as good at making marks. In terms of calligraphy it's always a Lamy Safari with the italic nibs ... paper wise - I much prefer smooth if using a brush or wide pen - someone mentioned the Parallel pens - they're great too!
I actually *just purchased a Pentel pocket brush pen yesterday and I’m already so happy with it. I also want to try the parallel pen! And a fude too 🤦🏼♀️ I love the idea of refillable ones, I’m now obsessed with the idea of having a muddy green ink one!!
I second the Pentel Pocket Brush Pen recommendation. You get SO much line variation, and the pens are refillable with black, gray, and sepia cartridges.
They sell refillable cartridges that you can fill with your favourite (fountain pen) inks. If your Fude gets clogged up you can just leave it overnight in a glass of water and rinse in the morning. This sometimes happens with the black cartridges.
I also love the Pentel Tradio, they come with a kind of felt tip pen nib, they are super scratchy which I love. Also refillable.
https://cultpens.com/products/pentel-tradio-stylo-fountain-pen-black-trj50
I'm still in love with my Little Fat Man. Lost him for a few days, bought another one, and then he popped back up and wasn't even clogged! I need to take him out on a date with my sketchbook soon.
https://www.amazon.com/Fountain-Transparent-Eyedropper-Filling-Capacity/dp/B094VYV2YD
I love the sailor, it’s one of my go-to for drawing outside in sketchbooks especially. I use a refillable ink cartridge with Atramentis ink which is waterproof so that I can work ontop and mix-n-match some more.
Oh, not heard of these but I was thinking of a Lamy fountain pen with a convertor for any ink as seen lots of creative types using them.
I have had 2 of them. There is one that is quite inexpensive ( $10) but the tip just doesn’t flow right and then there’s a better one about ($25) that I loved and recently lost. I often sit and dream about the good times we had. Maybe time or Black Friday will help me get over it. Also there is a none soluble ink Kaguara(sp?) that is necessary. Cartridges or bottles.
Get a converter from Amazon. Love the Carbon Black Ink. Dries fast and is permanent. I actually have two because they seem to use more ink than a regular pen like a Lamy. When u r into drawing with them u don't want to have to change to another pen.
I use speedball and dip it in waterproof ink of the same brand
Speedball Calligraphy Pen Set - 1 Penholder w/ 4 Nibs, 2 Pen Tips https://a.co/d/bLzexYN
Hi, yes agree with the smooth paper - it glides really nicely, photocopy paper good for me too. I really like the sailor ink, it's great. Interested to hear your thoughts! Enjoy
I’ve only recently got one - this just prompted me to get it out and have a go 🥰
Love the different thickness of lines you can make ...have got a converter but totally failed to fill it with ink 😅 so I’ve popped in one of the cartridges provided with the pen for now.
Following for hints and tips ☺️
I use this pen and love it. I love it on smooth paper I found that some rough papers the ink does bleed a little which is good for adding different textures but not so good if you want a fine line.
I love my sailor on smooth paper. You don’t get the lovely scratchiness of a dip pen, but it’s great for different effects.
Absolutely smooth paper for me! But maybe you’ll like a scatchy line where it skips?
Also chiming in - my Sailor Fude (the green one) is probably one of my favourite pens for drawing. Another favourite for me is my Kuretake brush pen my dad brought for me from Japan. I also have the blue sailor fude, but prefer to use the green one - bolder lines 😁. I have a friend who does a lot of live sketching for weddings and so, she likes to use the blue sailor fude. So I guess you have to try them out to find what you like best.
I like my Lamy Safari mostly for writing. And I use d’Atramentis ink in all of them.
I love my Sailor pens. I usually use the cartridges for the Sailor pens which come in a fab range of colours. The brand of ink cartridges I like is Sailor Shikiori. They are not waterproof but I like swishing about with water and seeing what extra effects I can create!
Wanted to chime in that you can also get a syringe to refill your cartridge! I ordered mine from Jetpens. I also see a lot of people recommending LAMY pens, I personally prefer TWISBI ECO, they hold a lot more ink, are generally better made and have a more consistent nib! I’ve had so many issues with the 3 LAMY pens I do own and none with my TWISBI eco! Could be worth a shot, they’re a nice starter pen 🥰
Oh I only just found this post! I got my first Sailor Fude a month ago. It came with the non waterproof cartridges which I love because I can play with the lines and water.. but I also wanted waterproof so I’ve treated myself to another one so I don't have to keep changing. I was wondering about which ink to buy so this has been really useful!
I used the sailor fude with a graphite grey waterproof ink (Rohrer and klinger) for medium tones on my inktober drawings this year, with touches of pigment black ink. It was really fun. I love the wonky thick lines you can get with it. Smooth or hot press paper has better performance with it, it will skip and lose the line on cold press and texture paper.
I have a Desiderata Pen - not cheap - but a lovely hand crafted item from this man...(www.desideratapens.com) I wanted a fountain pen that I could use in my sketchbook on the hoof that would mimic the wobbly look and feel of a dip pen, which it does superbly! Its flexible nib is lovely, though I admit I have had some issues with it flowing nicely (but that's probably my fault for not taking proper care of it) and I actually rarely carry it about incase it leaks! Still a lovely pen though!
I love a Lamy safari. And a platinum preppy. I use rohrer and Klingner sketch ink in them
LOVE my Sailor fude! Get a converter and then you can put waterproof ink in it -I like to use Carbon black ink!
Ooh, and forgot to say - if you want really really thin lines, you can use it the wrong way around. Just love the variation in line thickness these fude pens give.
I use Noodler’s waterproof ink, *love* this stuff! https://noodlersink.com/ I leave it in my Lamy for months and moths without using it, and I can usually just give the nib a bit of a rinse and off it goes again. It is waterproof so I can use watercolours on top of it
But I love the unexpected lines with the fude nibs and although I have a Lamy and a TWISBI ECO pen I do find their lines slightly boring and uneventful 😂
And I love using the pilot parallel pens. I have several widths.
I have both the Sailor Fude de Mannon ( the green one and the slightly more expensive Sailor Profit de Mannen (the dark blue one) I always use the Sailor waterproof ink cartridges or Platinum carbon pigment ink in a bottle with a converter. I use them a lot so they never seem to get blocked. I hate using the cartridges (because of the plastic) but the converter doesn’t hold as much ink and I feel like it’s always running out. I use it on all kinds of paper - each one has its own characteristics with the line. I often use 300g hot pressed watercolour paper.
Update:: the better Sailor pen is Sailor Fountain Pen - 1911 Calligraphy $32. Might be cheaper somewhere but I love this pen.
Another permanent ink that is a new favorite for me is Colorverse Permanant Photo Black. Rather than black it is a nice grey, is waterproof and is softer and more subtle than black. Looks a bit like pencil led. Watercolor doesn’t make it run.