Teoh, thank you once again for another informative review. Sometimes, as I search through reviews, I neglect to immediately notice the channel of the video I open. When you come up on my screen, I'm like, "It's Teoh! I KNOW that this review will be great!" Thank you, my friend. You are very much appreciated!
Indeed, a very affordable writing implement. I own a Jinhao with a Fude nib, but it's not nearly as sketch-friendly as this Duke. It appears to be very versatile - judging from the illustration you have so kindly proffered. The other main advantage being the supplied converter, & whilst not a screw type, serves the purposes of placing ink to paper, adequately. Thank you very much :)
Teoh Yi, watching this sketch unfold was such a pleasure! And in such a homely subject. I just received this same fude today (10 days from Shanghai) I'm a musician and use sketches to think and get distance on problems. So thanks for the thoughts, Joel
I got mine about a month ago based on your review. I agree the section can be slippery. I haven't gotten around to trying to modify that area, but it's fine. It's slippery, but after writing with it for a while, I'm used to it. It's a really nice writer. My nib is a fude, but has a different design. It's not 22K like yours. But, mine did come with a second standard type nib, as well. I haven't used that one yet. I would say the pen is smaller than it appears in your video. But, I post mine (which it does very well), and it fits perfectly and has a nice balance. I paid $9 or $10 for mine on eBay. Definitely worth it. Thanks, Teoh!
I bought this pen a couple months ago and I noticed the feed on my pen looks very different from yours. I'm glad I got it, though. Preforms exactly like yours.
Hi, I have the black and the green Sailor Fude fountain pens, same except for nib angle I believe (don't remember their names at the moment). Their nibs are both similar to this Duke fountain pen. I use them for drawing, sort of like having a metal brush... I like the strokes this Duke makes but don't want to unnecessarily duplicate my pens for the cost. It looks like the strokes from this pen may be some smaller which I would like. Is there any benefit to having this pen since I have the others? Thanks
I've not used fountain pens much to draw with but I would like to. Which is your favorite or which do you recommend most often? And what is the best ink to use so the drawings can be watercolored? My apologies if you've covered this already, I haven't seen all your videos yet. Your reviews and you're sketching are very good, thanks Teoh!
+The Mind of Watercolor I would usually recommend Lamy Safari because it's an affordable fountain pen. That pen uses the standard nibs such as EF, Fine, M so the lines are going to be of uniform thickness. Recently Twsbi released the Twsbi ECO which is also quite affordable and that one looks tempting to me. You want line variation, the Duke 209 with fude nib (bent) is good. It's very affordable on eBay. Downside is the slippery body. If you get the Duke 209 with either Lamy or Twsbi Eco, it should be under $50. Lamy does not come with the ink converter so that adds a bit more to the price. I use Noodler's Bulletproof ink. It's waterproof, but slow to dry. Other waterproof fountain pen inks are Platinum Carbon and Sailor Kiwa Guro. You can search for reviews online for them.
+Teoh Yi Chie How long does it take for each of the three inks you mentioned to dry? At $10 the Duke 209 sounds like nice fountain pen aside from the slippery grip. Thanks for your review of it too. :-D
I'm getting one of these for Christmas and am very much looking forward to using it. I'm going to try with De Atramentis Document ink cartridges (on inserted the other stored to keep it in place). I love the way you draw people. Was this one from imagination or a reference photo? It would be good to see a video or two from you on drawing people.
Thank you very much for your review. The lines seem like they are drawn from the brush. I wonder if it can be used on 32 gsm. Gampi rice paper. I am a nube with limited budget, so I ordered it after I have watched your review. I love your sketches by the way.
Thanks of the review. I just bought this pen based on your review. It is exactly as you described and allows for a super relaxed style of sketching. Keep up the good work!
Great review - thank you. I have the sailor fude pen, but this one looks like it goes from thin to thick progressively so I think I'll give it a try. I like the sailor, but it's difficult to get a medium stoke from it - it goes to a thick stroke quickly. Quick question about how long the Noodler's ink lasts -can you get a full sketchbook's usage from it? Several sketchbooks?
Got the pen several months ago but haven't used it much because the convertor that came with the pen is a screw and vacuum principle and does not hold much ink to use the curved nib for any length of time. Any suggestions on a different system?
I picked up this pen based on your recommendation, but was surprised to see in the manual it says not to use carbon ink. I usually use platinum carbon ink.
Hi Teoh, I had the carbon ink on this pen for a few months and didn't use it. I rinsed it a whole night in water and cleaned it. Still the ink flow is not smooth. Is there a way to remove the nib unit or we just have to clean with disassembling. Any tips to restore the flow?
In this video Teoh, I am not sure how you loaded the pen? A plunger type converter? Do did you press down while it was submerged in the ink? Online it looks like it is a twist type converter. Thanks
What cartridges you use with this pen? I got the Jinhao ones which were suggested by them but it gets loose after a while and ink leaks. Yes, i did press enough to hear the pop…
Cool idea to buy the pen and alter it, customizing it to personal taste. Seems to work quite well, with the ink keeping up with the nib. A friend showed me a different pen by Duke with similar nib but that pen was more a novelty than a user.
Hello Teoh, I am just getting into fountain pens mostly after watching your videos and some others. I aim to use my pens for drawing and with watercolor wash. I have a Duke 209 with fude nib and a Platinum Preppy medium nib. I don't use them every day and maybe that is the problem but after I don't use them for a while I have a difficult time getting the ink to flow. Is that just the way it is with fountain pens or is there something else? Right now I have the Noodlers waterproof black ink in the Duke and the ink cartridge that came with the Preppy (though I have a converter to use once that ink is used up). Thanks for your videos, they are very inspiring and informative! Nancy
I prefer the jinhao I have with the fude nib. This pen feels much less expressive, its probably better for Street art if you want to carry something a bit less bulky. But it doesn't compare well to the jinhao dude nib in my opinion. However you seem to use it well.
If I can afford a slightly higher priced Duke Fude nib, is there a good reason to buy the Confucius Duke 551 or another pen in the Duke line, or are the nibs all the same?
I just got a Duke 209 and am puzzled that the converter has a little spring (similar though shorter than those in some ballpoints), loose in the ink reservoir. It looks like a mistake, but I am leery of trying to open the converter to remove it. Possibly it functions as do the little balls in some cartridges, to aid the flow? Did other owners of this pen notice a spring? Very weird!
I put pigmented ink in mine and left it too long, now Im having trouble cleaning it out. Can the nib be taken apart to clean it? I don't want to break it.
Hey! Thank you for your review(s). I just unpacked my Duke 209. It seems that the converter is not removable, right? I ask myself: How can I clean it should I once need to? Do you maybe have any tipps on that? 🙂Thank you so much!
@@teohyc Aaah, now it has worked, thank you! You're right, it's removable, I just did not dare to really pull, I didn't want to already break it 🙂 Thank you for your quick help!
Interesting video! I'm wondering why it is so difficult for the ink to come out smoothly? Is that the problem of this Duke 209 pen or all of the pens in this sketching type? (sr for my poor English..)
I don't know if you use them but I would love to see your take on brush pens like the pentel one. I think kuretake do lots of types too. It would be good to see what you think of them and what is the best
Alas! I can not produce thin line with this pen. My sailor fude nib worked better with thinner lines. I bought this pen after watching your video. Pls help me! Are there different nib sizes for this pen??
Such a great video! Thank you for making and sharing it. How does it function if you use it upside down? I've seen you do that with other nibs for fine lines and this looks like it might end up being my first fountain pen regardless but I had to ask.
You have to draw really slowly when it's upside down as ink flow is not good. To get thin lines, it's better to draw with the pen vertically rather than upside down.
@@teohyc you've got such great content and great replies! Thank you very much! Speaking of flow, I read that these dry up very quickly. So much so that it becomes a clog and has to be cleaned with even a small amount of inactivity. Has this or leaking been a problem? I ask because I really want to buy a fude nib fountain pen and this was looking like the answer.
@@newbietubie It does dry and the first stroke will usually produce no line. But once the line gets going, ink flow is alright. It doesn't leak. Anyway, it's a really cheap pen (on eBay) so it's worth exploring.
It might be. You apparently need to get size 5 nibs, which seem rarer than the size 6 you get for say a JinHao x750, but you can get them if you hunt around. Not sure if size 5.5 will fit - annoying cos I'd love to add a flex nib to this.
Teoh, thank you once again for another informative review. Sometimes, as I search through reviews, I neglect to immediately notice the channel of the video I open. When you come up on my screen, I'm like, "It's Teoh! I KNOW that this review will be great!" Thank you, my friend. You are very much appreciated!
Indeed, a very affordable writing implement. I own a Jinhao with a Fude nib, but it's not nearly as sketch-friendly as this Duke. It appears to be very versatile - judging from the illustration you have so kindly proffered. The other main advantage being the supplied converter, & whilst not a screw type, serves the purposes of placing ink to paper, adequately. Thank you very much :)
Teoh Yi, watching this sketch unfold was such a pleasure! And in such a homely subject. I just received this same fude today (10 days from Shanghai) I'm a musician and use sketches to think and get distance on problems. So thanks for the thoughts, Joel
+Joel Ryan Thanks 😁
I got mine about a month ago based on your review. I agree the section can be slippery. I haven't gotten around to trying to modify that area, but it's fine. It's slippery, but after writing with it for a while, I'm used to it. It's a really nice writer. My nib is a fude, but has a different design. It's not 22K like yours. But, mine did come with a second standard type nib, as well. I haven't used that one yet. I would say the pen is smaller than it appears in your video. But, I post mine (which it does very well), and it fits perfectly and has a nice balance. I paid $9 or $10 for mine on eBay. Definitely worth it. Thanks, Teoh!
Glad to hear that you're enjoying the pen. 😁
I bought this pen a couple months ago and I noticed the feed on my pen looks very different from yours. I'm glad I got it, though. Preforms exactly like yours.
Hi, I have the black and the green Sailor Fude fountain pens, same except for nib angle I believe (don't remember their names at the moment). Their nibs are both similar to this Duke fountain pen. I use them for drawing, sort of like having a metal brush...
I like the strokes this Duke makes but don't want to unnecessarily duplicate my pens for the cost. It looks like the strokes from this pen may be some smaller which I would like.
Is there any benefit to having this pen since I have the others? Thanks
It's 2019 and I just got one off eBay for $4 US.
I've not used fountain pens much to draw with but I would like to. Which is your favorite or which do you recommend most often? And what is the best ink to use so the drawings can be watercolored? My apologies if you've covered this already, I haven't seen all your videos yet. Your reviews and you're sketching are very good, thanks Teoh!
+The Mind of Watercolor I would usually recommend Lamy Safari because it's an affordable fountain pen. That pen uses the standard nibs such as EF, Fine, M so the lines are going to be of uniform thickness. Recently Twsbi released the Twsbi ECO which is also quite affordable and that one looks tempting to me.
You want line variation, the Duke 209 with fude nib (bent) is good. It's very affordable on eBay. Downside is the slippery body.
If you get the Duke 209 with either Lamy or Twsbi Eco, it should be under $50. Lamy does not come with the ink converter so that adds a bit more to the price.
I use Noodler's Bulletproof ink. It's waterproof, but slow to dry. Other waterproof fountain pen inks are Platinum Carbon and Sailor Kiwa Guro. You can search for reviews online for them.
+Teoh Yi Chie Fantastic! Thanks for taking the time for such a detailed response.
+Teoh Yi Chie How long does it take for each of the three inks you mentioned to dry? At $10 the Duke 209 sounds like nice fountain pen aside from the slippery grip. Thanks for your review of it too. :-D
I'm getting one of these for Christmas and am very much looking forward to using it. I'm going to try with De Atramentis Document ink cartridges (on inserted the other stored to keep it in place). I love the way you draw people. Was this one from imagination or a reference photo? It would be good to see a video or two from you on drawing people.
Thank you very much for your review. The lines seem like they are drawn from the brush. I wonder if it can be used on 32 gsm. Gampi rice paper. I am a nube with limited budget, so I ordered it after I have watched your review. I love your sketches by the way.
This should work on 32gsm paper. No reason why it won't work
@@teohyc You are right. I received it today. I tested it on gampi 32 gsm paper with Sketchink. The pen works great. I love the variation of the lines.
Thanks of the review. I just bought this pen based on your review. It is exactly as you described and allows for a super relaxed style of sketching. Keep up the good work!
Thanks :-)
Great review - thank you. I have the sailor fude pen, but this one looks like it goes from thin to thick progressively so I think I'll give it a try. I like the sailor, but it's difficult to get a medium stoke from it - it goes to a thick stroke quickly. Quick question about how long the Noodler's ink lasts -can you get a full sketchbook's usage from it? Several sketchbooks?
Noodlers ink come in 90ml bottles. It should last a few sketchbooks. Only the Bulletproof version is waterproof.
+Teoh Yi Chie Great -thanks for the advice.
Got the pen several months ago but haven't used it much because the convertor that came with the pen is a screw and vacuum principle and does not hold much ink to use the curved nib for any length of time. Any suggestions on a different system?
I picked up this pen based on your recommendation, but was surprised to see in the manual it says not to use carbon ink. I usually use platinum carbon ink.
Teoh I am drooling over the kind of stroke that the pen is making. I really like the character of the stroke.
Get this pen. It's very affordable and worth the money
i got this one, today!! can't wait to get sketching with it. great review, as always.
Does the black variant fix the slippery issue? Or is it also made from the same material?
Hi Teoh! I love your videos. Which pen would you say is better: this one or the Sailor fude de Mannen (the blue one, 40 degrees)?
This is better. The Sailor bent nib is an sharp angle bend
@@teohyc thank you very much!
Hi Teoh, I had the carbon ink on this pen for a few months and didn't use it. I rinsed it a whole night in water and cleaned it. Still the ink flow is not smooth. Is there a way to remove the nib unit or we just have to clean with disassembling. Any tips to restore the flow?
I'm not sure if you can remove the nib. You can try twisting the nib clockwise and anti-clockwise to see if you can loosen the nib and feed.
You make this pen look fun! And you make drawing look so much easier than it is ha ha ;)
In this video Teoh, I am not sure how you loaded the pen? A plunger type converter? Do did you press down while it was submerged in the ink? Online it looks like it is a twist type converter. Thanks
They may come with different types of converter. To refill, just submerge the nib below the surface of the ink, and pull the ink up.
What cartridges you use with this pen? I got the Jinhao ones which were suggested by them but it gets loose after a while and ink leaks. Yes, i did press enough to hear the pop…
Cool idea to buy the pen and alter it, customizing it to personal taste. Seems to work quite well, with the ink keeping up with the nib. A friend showed me a different pen by Duke with similar nib but that pen was more a novelty than a user.
+James Jacocks Duke produces other fude nib pens as well. Is it the Duke Confucius pen? ua-cam.com/video/GAii3lFAIu8/v-deo.html
Sir, it is. That pen was too heavy but the nib was quite functional.
Have you had this pen for a long time? If so, has it held up well?
+April Mathis More than a year. So far so good.
Thanks for posting this. Enjoyed watching you draw. Well thought out.
I have one of these in my purse because it is smaller and great for “emergency”! Writes well.
Thanks man, it helped me understand the pen better
Great review! I enjoy your drawings, too! thanks a lot!!
Hello Teoh, I am just getting into fountain pens mostly after watching your videos and some others. I aim to use my pens for drawing and with watercolor wash. I have a Duke 209 with fude nib and a Platinum Preppy medium nib. I don't use them every day and maybe that is the problem but after I don't use them for a while I have a difficult time getting the ink to flow. Is that just the way it is with fountain pens or is there something else? Right now I have the Noodlers waterproof black ink in the Duke and the ink cartridge that came with the Preppy (though I have a converter to use once that ink is used up). Thanks for your videos, they are very inspiring and informative! Nancy
+N Diehl The ink should not dry so fast when the cap is put on properly. Just wash and fill with ink again.
Thank you Teoh.
I prefer the jinhao I have with the fude nib. This pen feels much less expressive, its probably better for Street art if you want to carry something a bit less bulky. But it doesn't compare well to the jinhao dude nib in my opinion. However you seem to use it well.
If I can afford a slightly higher priced Duke Fude nib, is there a good reason to buy the Confucius Duke 551 or another pen in the Duke line, or are the nibs all the same?
551 ink flow isn’t that good. So it’s better to get a normal fude nib pen
Ordered one and I love it. I've heard some people use washi tape on slippy metal grip sections. May be worth a try
Good idea
I just got a Duke 209 and am puzzled that the converter has a little spring (similar though shorter than those in some ballpoints), loose in the ink reservoir. It looks like a mistake, but I am leery of trying to open the converter to remove it. Possibly it functions as do the little balls in some cartridges, to aid the flow? Did other owners of this pen notice a spring? Very weird!
That's to move the ink and air bubble around in the convertor. Don't remove it. It's better to have it, than not to have it.
The amazon listing said that the spring is intentional and there to keep ink from "Freezing".
I put pigmented ink in mine and left it too long, now Im having trouble cleaning it out. Can the nib be taken apart to clean it? I don't want to break it.
I don't know if this can be dismantled. Maybe you can get fountain pen cleaning liquid to try first.
@@teohyc Thanks. I will try getting some cleaning liquid, as the old pigment ink is polluting all other inks i put in the pen/converter.
This is so interesting! Thanks!!
What about putting some electrical tape neatly around it for better grip?
+Bartholo Clumpdink I'm thinking of buying cheap pens with rubber grips and use the grips from those pens.
You are very talented and thanks for the share!
+Cyril Jayant Thanks 😊
Sorry if you answered this in here already, I didn't catch it... can you use any old ink cartridge with this pen?
It can be used with ink convertors. As for brand I am not too sure. Look for ink convertors for Duke or Hero fountain pens
@@teohyc Thanks so much Teoh! I've watched a lot of your videos in the last few days, they've helped so much.
Hey!
Thank you for your review(s). I just unpacked my Duke 209. It seems that the converter is not removable, right? I ask myself: How can I clean it should I once need to? Do you maybe have any tipps on that? 🙂Thank you so much!
The converter should be removable. It's probably too tight. Try twisting it clockwise anti-clockwise.
@@teohyc Aaah, now it has worked, thank you! You're right, it's removable, I just did not dare to really pull, I didn't want to already break it 🙂 Thank you for your quick help!
Interesting video! I'm wondering why it is so difficult for the ink to come out smoothly? Is that the problem of this Duke 209 pen or all of the pens in this sketching type? (sr for my poor English..)
If you draw too fast, then the ink will not come out that fast. Normal drawing speed is okay.
thank you so much!
I don't know if you use them but I would love to see your take on brush pens like the pentel one. I think kuretake do lots of types too. It would be good to see what you think of them and what is the best
+Bartholo Clumpdink Thanks. I'll try them and hopefully make a video in the future.
Alas! I can not produce thin line with this pen. My sailor fude nib worked better with thinner lines. I bought this pen after watching your video. Pls help me! Are there different nib sizes for this pen??
You have to hold the pen more vertically for thinner lines, or turn to the opposite side of nib to drawing really thin lines
Thanks a lot for taking time for me! Shall practice this! 🙏
Such a great video! Thank you for making and sharing it.
How does it function if you use it upside down? I've seen you do that with other nibs for fine lines and this looks like it might end up being my first fountain pen regardless but I had to ask.
You have to draw really slowly when it's upside down as ink flow is not good. To get thin lines, it's better to draw with the pen vertically rather than upside down.
@@teohyc you've got such great content and great replies! Thank you very much!
Speaking of flow, I read that these dry up very quickly. So much so that it becomes a clog and has to be cleaned with even a small amount of inactivity. Has this or leaking been a problem? I ask because I really want to buy a fude nib fountain pen and this was looking like the answer.
@@newbietubie It does dry and the first stroke will usually produce no line. But once the line gets going, ink flow is alright. It doesn't leak. Anyway, it's a really cheap pen (on eBay) so it's worth exploring.
@@teohyc it really is so economical that if it doesn't work it'll still be fun to try. Thank you so much!!!!
Hi 🙋🏻♀️ do you think is better this pen or the sailor one ? Thanks
This is better because it’s very affordable
@@teohyc But price aside, which is the better pen in terms of functionality?
@@hammill444 Depends on which Sailor pen you're referring to. For price, this Duke pen is excellent value for money
Bought one the other day. It's in Beijing at the moment....lol. The pen has traveled more than I have...lol
Can you get cartridges for this pen? Which ones? Thanks!
Disposable cartridges? Not sure about which brand can fit. This already comes with an ink convertor
@@teohyc I was thinking more of refillable. Sometimes easier to use a syringe when ink is low in bottle rather than using the converter
I think this pen could be a good one for me.:)
You drew a picture of Irish mad lad
Brendan Behan.... 😎
price adress pakistani rupes
Is it possible to change the nibs?
I don't think so. This pen, on eBay, sometimes sells with two nibs.
It might be. You apparently need to get size 5 nibs, which seem rarer than the size 6 you get for say a JinHao x750, but you can get them if you hunt around. Not sure if size 5.5 will fit - annoying cos I'd love to add a flex nib to this.
He can draw a person in like 2 minutes while I'm here struggling to draw a stick figure in a minute.
+Thisnamestillsucks You just need to learn how to drawn from observation first. It's not difficult to learn.
Pakistan where found
Madhallah very beautiful
You ruined my pen🙁