It takes a lot of practice to use calligraphy and brush pens the right way. So here are the best Japanese calligraphy pens and brush pens for you to master your calligraphic strokes and create beautiful scripts!
Which is the best Japanese Calligraphy Pen?
Pentel Fude Brush Pen is the best Japanese calligraphy pen. It's affordable, easy to use, and has a flexible nylon tip that mimics the feel of a traditional brush. This allows for both thin and thick strokes, giving you control over your writing.
Best Japanese Calligraphy Pens and Brush Pens -- Quick Summary
| Best Japanese Calligraphy and Brush Pens | Best For |
| Akashiya Sai watercolor Brush Pens | Illustrations, Drawings |
| Kuretake Pocket Brush Pen | Beginners |
| Japan Bargain Ink Prefiled Calligraphy Pen | Asian Calligraphy |
| Sumi Brush Pen | Calligraphists |
| Magic Rewritable Calligraphy pen | Beginners |
| NUOLUX Sumi Calligraphy Brush Pen | Writing and painting |
| Lang Hao Japanese Calligraphy Pen Set | Mid-level Calligraphists |
| Pentel Fude Brush Pen | Beginners |
| Kuretake Bimoji Felt Tip Brush Pen With Special Grip | Manga |
Best Japanese Calligraphy Pens And Brush Pens
Akashiya Sai Watercolor Brush Pens
Best Japanese Calligraphy Brush Pen For Illustrations
Most of the Japanese brush pens are made using blank ink and are used for decorative writing, however, that does not mean you cannot use some colors.
This set from Akashiya is one of the best brush pens you can get; these pens are versatile and are great in terms of quality. It has a soft brush tip and is perfect for drawing manga, coloring, illustrations, comics, etc.
With a Japanese calligraphy brush pen, you should be able to draw or write a letter or sign your name. This multi-color brush pen set is perfect for these purposes; they let you draw, write, and sign, all flawlessly. The bristles are perfectly designed and have slim handles.
Kuretake Pocket Brush Pen
Best Japanese Calligraphy Brush Pen For Beginners
I love brush pens that I can carry with me in my pocket, which is why I love this beautiful pocket-size Japanese calligraphy brush pen by Kuretake. It is short, tiny, and can easily slip inside my pocket.
It has a fine tip, but you only need to add a tiny amount of pressure to make strokes up to 1.5 mm wide. The pen can be gift-wrapped when you order it. It is a great pen to give as a gift for somebody who loves artistic strokes.
Related: Prefer doodling instead? Here are best Japanese gel pens perfect for drawing, doodling, or simply writing!
JapanBargain Ink Prefiled Calligraphy Pen
Best Japanese Calligraphy Pen For Asian Calligraphy
The pen is made and meant for Japanese calligraphy writing. It already comes with black ink prefilled and is designed like your regular pens for easy use.
You can easily carry this pen around with you and practice those perfect calligraphy strokes wherever and whenever. The tip of the brush is layered to allow you to make strokes of different widths, just like you do in calligraphy.
Because it looks like a standard pen, it is easy to hold and so, is perfect for somebody who is just beginning his or her calligraphy journey. You can comfortably practice your strokes with this pen.Definitely one of the best calligraphy and brush pens!
Sumi Calligraphy Brush Pen
Best Japanese Calligraphy Brush Pen With Nylon Tip
This Sumi brush pen can replicate the strokes of a traditional Japanese brush. The brush has a nylon tip that is designed in such a way that it imitates the strokes of an authentic Japanese calligraphy brush to perfection.
The brush is portable; you can carry it around with you in your bag and begin your calligraphy practice wherever you are. The ink is also refillable. It comes with three refills so you do not have to worry about it getting over. You can use this as a calligraphy brush or as a typical fountain pen.
If you’ve already got a hang of calligraphy and are looking to take your skill to the next level, this is one of the best calligraphy and brush pens for you!
Related: Looking to gift someone? Check out the best Japanese gifts!
Magic Rewritable Calligraphy Pen
Best Japanese Calligraphy Pen For Beginners
True Buddhist calligraphy masters only get one shot to get the calligraphy right; there are no rooms for any mistake. But unlike them, you are allowed to cheat and start over, again and again. And for that purpose, nothing is better than this magic rewritable calligraphy pen.
It does not use ink. You just need water and the writing fabric that comes with the set. It is the perfect practicing set for beginners who are not yet confident about their calligraphy skills.
When you use water to write on the fabric, it looks just like ink but vanishes in a couple of minutes, giving you a plain palette to start over. The set comes with three brushes, rack for them, water dish, and the fabric.
Before you indulge in calligraphy brushes, this is a good place to start. If you’ve just started working on your calligraphy skill, this is one of the best Japanese calligraphy and brush pens you could get for yourself!
NUOLUX Sumi Calligraphy Brush Set
Authentic Japanese Calligraphy Brush Set
Here’s another one of the best Japanese calligraphy and brush pens you should give a try. The calligraphy brush set from NUOLUX looks authentic. It also uses wolf hair for the brushes, just how it is supposed to be.
The brushes have super long handles, just the way they are with authentic brushes. These pens are used both for writing and painting. You will need to get ink and paper to begin with.
Now, this is where you can go truly authentic by buying an ink stone and grinding bowl or you can simply get a jug of ink.
Lang Hao Japanese Calligraphy Pen Set
Best Japanese Calligraphy Pen For Calligraphists
This calligraphy set works as a great gifting option; a lover of calligraphy will love this beautiful set that comes in a gorgeous box. The brushes are made with real wolf hair, just how traditional Japanese calligraphy pens are supposed to be made.
The deal about using wolf hair is that it prevents the ink from dripping and is super absorbent. It basically saves your ink from being wasted. The pens are versatile, with each brush head designed to produce a different brush stroke.
This is one of the best Japanese calligraphy and brush pens to give as a gift to a calligraphist!
Pentel Fude Brush Pen
Best Japanese Calligraphy Fude Brush For Beginners
This is yet another Japanese brush pen that you can carry around with you. You can use this pen all the time, anywhere you want. The tip of the pen is fine, so it barely looks like a brush.
This, however, has a benefit. You do not have to reserve the pen specifically for calligraphy; you can use it for everyday purposes too.
The body of the pen is designed like typical ball point pens, which makes it comfortable to hold and write with. This is great for beginners who are just beginning the journey and cannot handle thin, long handles yet. This is another one of the best Japanese calligraphy and brush pens for beginners!
Kuretake Bimoji Felt Tip Brush Pen with Special Grip
Best Japanese Calligraphy Brush With Felt Tip
The Bimoji brush pen is specifically made for Manga-style Japanese calligraphy writing. The brush head of the pen is medium-thick, which allows you to make solid strokes.
The tip is made of felt, but the strokes created by it make it seem like you are using genuine animal hair to make your brush strokes. It’s definitely one of the most affordable and best calligraphy and brush pens I’ve used.
The pen contains water-based ink, which causes a downside as you cannot refill it after it gets over. But the ink is also helpful in making the calligraphy strokes look genuine and authentic.
What is Japanese calligraphy called?
Japanese calligraphy is known as "Shodo" in Japanese. The term "Shodo" consists of two kanji characters: "Sho" (書) meaning "to write" or "writing" and "Do" (道) meaning "the way" or "path."
Therefore, Shodo can be translated as "the way of writing" or "the path of calligraphy." It is a traditional art form that involves the skilled and artistic writing of Japanese characters using a brush and ink on paper or other suitable surfaces.
How to choose calligraphy and brush pens?
- The Nibs
Mastering the art of calligraphy takes years of practice but choosing the best calligraphy pens is quite the challenge too. The first factor you should carefully pay attention to is the type of nibs. There are two main nibs in calligraphy pens such as Flex nibs and Italic nibs.
The Flex nibs have a round shape and consist of two tines. The tines split while writing or designing and the more they split the wider the lines would be.
If you prefer wider lines then make sure to apply pressure while writing as the tines would separate and the final result would be a clear calligraphy design.
Meanwhile, Italic nibs are firm and have a blunt edge tip. Most calligraphers use Italic nibs for writing Italic and Gothic styles. If you’re interested in Gothic calligraphy then make sure to get a calligraphy pen that has an Italic nib.
- Types of calligraphy pens
The main types of calligraphy pens are traditional calligraphy pens and cartridge-filled pens. Traditional calligraphy pens are very expensive and might not be suitable for beginners as they make the letters look wider. If you are a beginner then cartridge-filled pens are the right choice for you.
They are convenient to practice with and also produce clear-cut letters. After reaching the professional stage you can opt to use a traditional calligraphy pen.
- Brush Pens/ Felt Pens
Brush Pens are mostly used by professionals in calligraphy. The reason why most calligraphers choose to write with brush pens is due to its flexibility.
They are easy to write with and swift without any hassle. When choosing a brush pen pay heed to the hair. Most brush pens are made out of synthetic or animal hair.
However, brushes that contain animal hair are smooth and they let you write, draw or design flawlessly.
Certainly felt pens are also ideal for calligraphy writing and they are very user-friendly. They are quite affordable than calligraphy brushes and aren’t prone to any leakages.
Ready to draw out those perfect letters?
These were some of the best Japanese calligraphy and brush pens that you can get to start your journey of calligraphy writing. I hope you found something that suits your needs. Happy Zen time to you!
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