I love my fude ones. I have two Sailor fude pens which I adore. I also have a few cheap ones from Temu which I load with various coloured inks and take with me urban sketching. If I lose one of those, it doesn't hurt the pocketbook. I can also give one or two away to other sketchers.
@@mkompan I was out with a group of sketchers one day. I was using one of my cheap fude pens. Another artist told me she had always wanted to try one but... the look on her face when I pulled out a spare, handed it to her and said, "here, have this one It's loaded with Platinum Carbon Black. Have fun. If you like it...keep it". She loved it.
This is the best video ever about fude fountain pens, thank you so much! I learned a lot about the drawing techniques and how to hold this kind of pens. Very very useful. The categories of the review are also amazing and well structured. Have a great day!!
Thank you. The 209 is a fantastic pen, with great flow and a smooth fude nib that's easy to control. However like the 600, it suffers from a slippery metal section.
I picked up one of the cheap green Sailors a few years ago and was immediately smitten. Was doing some drawings of interesting trees and plants and depicting texture such as bark leaves fibers etc is just kind of effortless. Now you've got me thinking about portraits. And of course buying more pens (doesn't take much!) I also picked up a Duke of some kind but it just didn't work right. The 600 is very intriguing though I may give it another go. And I personally think the shape and design of it is wonderful.
Love fude nibs! They're so ridiculously fun to play around with. I actually have the Sailor Hocoro Fude coming in the mail today and I'm really excited for it! My first fude was the Q1! The problem for me was it's too short and the cap doesn't stay when posted. I put Herbin Stormy Gray in it and it was beautiful. Love the weight my Hong Dian has though.
Hi Marc. Jim again from Madrid, Spain (a New Yorker expat living abroad). It's been a while since I've posted due to some health issues but I do watch your channel regularly. Just wanted to say that it's an excellent video. I use my FUDE fountain pens daily for drawing, as well as for line and wash with watercolors. They are a great tool for artists and the line variations is superb! I also like the Moonman Q1 you showed. I didn't have it in my radar but it looks pretty interesting for drawing. So thank you very much for sharing. The techniques you share with us are also very interesting. I also use different fountain pens with either saluted inks as well as non soluble and soluble inks, depending on what I am using them for at the time, and they work extremely well (in my case I prefer them over a brush pen- I also have some - because of the better control I have with the fountain pens). Thank you again for teaching us and cheers from Sunny Spain!
Hi Jim. Good hear from you again from sunny Madrid! I’m happy to hear that fude nibs are becoming increasingly popular among artists, since there was so resistance to them initially among artists. I remember some of my friends not even wanting to try them. We’re debating whether to go to Spain this summer. Flights are astronomically expensive this year, and my daughter will be turning two (and requiring her own seat.) If not, I’ll console myself with the comforting thought that someone in Spain is watching my videos.
I have a beautiful blue Duke Fude 600 that has been sitting idle for a while. You have inspired me to fill it up again! It really is so versatile, but I haven't explored it much. Thanks for the vid!
Thanks for the insight into how to hold the Moonman Q1 with the Fude Nib. I’ve watched many reviews for the Moonman Q1 and you are the only one to point out advantages of its stubby size for easier manipulation of its angle for its various line effects.
You're welcome! I think what makes my channel somewhat unique is that it sits on the intersection of fountain pen geekery and drawing. Having used pastel sticks and other stubby materials, I know there is more than way to hold a drawing implement, something many fountain people aren't aware of.
Once again a terrific video, thank you for posting this Marc. Btw, which fude pen are you using at 2:21? It has a silver colour barrel. It also looks like a really good fude pen. Thanks!
You’re welcome, Sharon! If you mean the silver pen I used toward the end of the video, that was a Duke 209, a nice, inexpensive pen that I recommended in my previous video.
I just bought the Majohn C1, and it's a fun pen just like you say in the review. Thanks so much for introducing me to it! I don't know if you mention this elsewhere but this Majohn C1 fude nib fits perfectly in my Noodler's Ahab with just a simple swop of the nibs! It's a little bit looser fit than the Ahab's flex nib but it hasn't leaked or burped yet (fingers crossed.) Plus the fine nib which the Majohn C1 also comes bundled with, is a nice, well behaving nib as well, with a little bit softness.
Beautiful informative video and your voice is so soothing! ❤ I'm a noob at using fude pens. I love and have been into calligraphy and fountain pens but just starting on my goache and watercolour adventures. 😊 I recently read and thoroughly enjoyed Boston-based urban artist Mike Daikubara's book called "Sketch Now, Think Later" where he sings praises for his Sailor fude pen which I am embarrassed to say that I have never come across before which of course I immediately got and just blissfully discovering! I'm using Noodler's ink in Lexington Gray (Bulletproof) because I'm using it with gouache paint. I'm wondering if there is a way to dilute waterproof ink that will not negatively affect the ink's properties. Thank you for this video and for making me appreciate the fude pen more! ❤❤❤
You're very welcome, and thank you for the kind words. I've found that Noodler's Grey can be diluted significantly without diminishing its waterproof properties, perhaps because the pigment itself binds to the cellulose fibers of the paper. I've had success diluting it as much as three parts water to one part ink. However if you dilute it too much you start coming up against issues of flow, since ink needs to have certain agents in it to reduce water tension. This can be solved by buying an ink diluting agent (or just adding a drop of glycerin). Try playing with different dilutions and see for yourself.
Looking forward to trying out your suggestions. I'm currently watching your "How sketch a landscape using pen and ink" video. Your teaching method is very detailed and the process quite calming. Thank you! ❤ @mkompan
Blackforest was in my list for a looooong time, I finally pulled the trigger for both EF and Fude nibs. There was a pretty damn good deal for Duke 619 roller and fountain pen set in past months, I'm highly regretful for not purchasing it. I hope that deal will be available again. Duke series come with different variations and nibs as others mentioned 😉. Thanks for the awesome video Marc!
Many thanks for this excellent tutorial. I now have a brilliant use/excuse for my large collection of fude pens and my many different greys in De Atrementis and Rohrer and Klingner Sketch Inks. I really appreciate your constant and helpful exploration of techniques and materials. Is there any chance of your promised book recommendations in the near future ? I would be really interested in your views. Thanks again.
You’re very welcome! A book/resource recommendation video is on the list of videos to do. I have a small window of free time coming up, so hopefully I’ll be able to get it done.
Hi Marc, I hope this message finds you well. I'm a big fan of your UA-cam videos (and so is the fountain pen addict in me!) I am going to buy a stainless steel jowo nib with a fude regrind from FPNibs for my Opus88 eyedropper. Do you think a fude nib would benefit from being paired with an ebonite feed or would the FPNibs feed "flow hack" be sufficient? Thanks Marc. I look forward to hearing from you. Best regards, John
Hi John. I paired my fude nibs from FPnibs with plastic feeds with the "high flow" hack, and they work great. I don't think the ebonite feed is necessary. Glad you're enjoying my channel (and sorry for feeding your addiction).
@mkompan thanks very much for your advice, I really appreciate it 🙂 Your videos feed my addiction in a good way because they promote the utility of fountain pens, not just collecting for the sake of collecting 😁
I dont know dude.... like I feel if we had to pick the "ONE" pen it would technically need to be a Fude because of its options haha. I really like your first drawing because of the thumb and forfinger grip, your drawing is loose and looks great. Also I like how you appropriately just dive in- no mistakes no mercy! haha man I love ink! Anyways, great art, great opinions, also ink wash FOR SURE, I always carry a wash of 1/5 Noodlers Heart of Darkness! :)
I agree that the fude is the most versatile pen out there, but I love drawing with flex nibs so much that if I had to pick between the two, I’d go with flex. And thanks for the compliments. I work mostly with tight rendering but it’s so much fun to let loose and do something fast and sloppy. :)
My pleasure! I’m neither left handed nor know left-handed artists that use fudes, but here’s my hunch: the fude can be held and used in so many different ways that left handed will certainly also find them usable.
@@mkompanalright thank you for the quick and honest reply! I just bought the Hongdian, maybe I’ll leave an update if I don’t forget. Greetings and blessings from Germany☺️
Hi Marc, first of all thank you for your videos, they are very instructive and interesting. Do you know Mannen's Sailor calligraphy Fude? If so, what do you think compared to these three? thanks again and cheers! sorry for the translation
You’re very welcome, Antoni! I do know, and have the Fude De Mannen pens. The bend on them is very sharp, making the line variation more difficult to control. There’s also the issue of the feed making contact with the paper at low angles. I would say these three fude pens are better in every way.
Thank you for another great video. You report that the Hongdian will not write in reverse. I own two Hongdian Black Forest with fude nibs which write very well when reversed. Perhaps yours needs a lttle tinkering with?
You’re very welcome! Thanks for sharing your experience. Nibs can come with all kinds of faults, of course, even in super expensive pens, but since this pen works perfectly well, other than in reverse, I don’t think I’m going to thinker with it. It already puts down a super thin line, no need for something even thinner.
Thank you for a very informative tutorial. Important question: Can these pens be completely disassembled - down to the nib - for deep cleaning when using waterproof inks (ie Platinum Carbon, DeAtramentis, etc)?
Yes. I have many many different fude pens. And they all disassemble well. I have even swapped Fude nibs into other pens with great success. The Black Forest nibs are a bit different when disassembled but they are easy to clean.
You’re welcome Tony. As Richard correctly mentioned, the Hongdian can be disassembled, but the nib and feed are fairly tight in the housing unit and sometimes require a rubber grip to pull out. The Moonman Q1 can be taken apart very easily. The Duke 600 nib and feed do not seem to pull out, however.
@@mkompan - I believe Jonathan Weinberg said in his video that his nib and feeds come out of his Duke 600 for cleaning. You might want to check with Jonathan to see if there's someway to remove your nib and feeds. I have a black Duke 600 that the nib and feeds are easily removed and replaced for cleaning. The two white Duke 600's I have tried have nib and feeds that do not remove... and getting all the ink out of the feed, nib, and superfeed while they are still pressed together in the housing is a challenge with uncertain results. I had loaded a with Duke 600 with Noodler's Brown (such a fav!), and then wanted to change the ink. So I soaked the nib, feeds and housing in a jar of water for 10 mins before attempting the first water flushes. 15 mins after removing the nib/feed/housing from the soak, I was still flushing and pressing Noodler's Brown out of the feed with a white paper towel. So my jury is still out on the Duke 600. So much to love about it - until it comes to cleaning it due to inconsistent nib & feed removal. Love the Majohn Q1.... It also takes any size 6 Jinhao nibs - Extra Fine, Medium, Fudes. My Q1 Fude arrived with a size 6 Jinhao fude nib and a size 6 Medium Majohn nib in the box. The Majohn size 6 nibs also work in the Jinhao X750's. Everything sets up easily and removes easily. Sweet. The Q1's are definitely staying in my collection.
@@immortalbeing196 - My Q1 that arrived December 2024 came with a size 6 Jinhao Fude nib installed, and an alternate size 6 Moonman medium (straight) nib in the box. I am learning that all JinHao size 6 nibs fit in the Majohn Q1 feed and housing.
Great video Marc, I really appreciate your insight into these subjects. I put a fude nib (from a hero 501, I like that the bend is a curve creating more dynamic lines, when compared to my sharper bent sailor) into my Boston safety pen, you've inspired me to draw with it more! Will check out your friends channel too 👍
Thanks! I hadn’t considered putting a fude into a Boston Safety (mostly because I didn’t know what nib would fit into it). Good to know the Hero 501 nib will work! And thanks for looking at my friend’s channel! He’s doing great work and deserves more subscribers.
Thanks for the tutorial. Could You please share the name of a glass-like pen with wavy pattern on its body. Appreciate in adance and keep shooting such videos )
I've given up trying to convert a Jinhao to hold a Manga nib and not rust away - about to order my first fude pens but I see that most have a hard bend and not a curve like one of those you really liked here. Do you advise bent or curved nibs please? Also - love the idea of putting dilute ink in for washes. Never thought of that before!
I’ve stopped trying this manga nib trick as well. It’s often a very tight fit, and these nibs need to be removed and dried after every use, or they rust and get permanently jammed in the housing. The curved fudes are better, giving you more control over line thickness.
I got a black forrest ( but in the yellow color) it's my first fountain pen ive used and I really like it alot. The versatility is nice because it can use cartridge or bottle ink. It seem also to be built pretty tough thats a good thing for me, I have a tendency to drop things out of my pocket and run them over with my jeep. I can see why you have a love of fountain pens. Much love ❤️ 🙏
I'm currently expecting a Monnman Q1 to arrive, perfect timing! Is the fude nib from yours a specific brand or any will do? I saw in another place that the Q1 uses a #6 nib so you can place a flex one aswell (another reason why I got one) also I love the chubby design.
That is good timing. :) I bought mine with a fude nib already installed (it also came with an extra regular #6 nib. With that odd grip this pen is very comfortable, but I just couldn’t get used to it with a regular grip.
That last "dry brush" face you are shown drawing I find particularly appealing. There's a technique I could use my leftover cold press on. My fudes and zooms are currently sitting in the drawer, deferred by higher priority pursuits. Have you commented on the zoom nib? Sailor zooms (I believe they invented it) are of course overpriced, but I recently got a Good Blue L130 with zoom for less than half the money in what is still a very nice all-metal pen.
I've just bought a Fude pen, and thus - have of course subscribed to your channel. I'm already finding the pen adds a range of effects and techniques I was struggling with (I also use dip pens, with Indian ink). Is there ONE ink that you would recommend above all others, I wonder?
Thanks for subscribing! A good waterproof black such as Noodler’s. Black is essential, but I’m particularly fond of the way Lexington Grey works with fude pens. It’s a lovely, highly transparent waterproof grey that layers wonderfully, and allows for subtle value shifts while retaining the ability to go very dark.
Marc - is there a trick or technique to getting the feed, nib, and superfeed out of the Duke 600 housing for cleaning? I purchased a white Duke 600 from Amazon and loved it - until I tried to clean it and the nib and feeds wouldn't come out. I ordered a black pen, and the nib and feeds in that pen came out just and went back into the housing with ease. So I reported the problem with the original white pen to Amazon and arranged for a return/replacement. The white replacement pen just arrived, and I can't remove the nib and feeds from the second white pen... so out of 3 pens, I can remove the nib and feeds from 1 of the pens for cleaning (that is the black one, so do the nib and feeds only come out of the black ones and not the white ones?). Is there a technique to use to get the nib and feeds out of these pens? The ergonomics in this pen are great for me, and I really want to use them - and part of using them is being able to clean them and use lots of fun inks in them without worrying about clogging and contamination.
I couldn't pull the feed and nib out of the 600, which does limit limit its usefulness, since you really shouldn't put waterproof ink into it. That said, so long as you use inks that clean easily, and due regular flushing maintenance, you should be fine switching inks often, even if you can't take everything apart.
Thanks for the inspiring information! Is the Duke 600 going by another name? I can't find it anywhere. One pen that looks similar to it is simply listed under "Asian Calligraphy Pen."
You’re welcome! It is sometimes listed only as “Asian Calligraphy Pen.” It has a very distinct shape (and nib), so it can’t be confused with something else.
Thanks for this excellent tutorial. I have been a fude enthusiast for a while and I learned a few new things. I have a Jinhao Century 100 fude that was about $20 and came with a a converter-awesome pen! I’ll definitely be trying the dilute gray technique, but in the past when I’ve diluted ink, even with RO water, I end up with clumps of pigment in colored water. Any tips? Also, I have a question. Recently, I stumbled on an exhibit of the work of Monir Farmanfarmian, which included drawings she did of plants with something called a “French pen”. I would have guessed brush and ink, just by looking at them, but I can’t find any information on what a French pen is. Google just turns up French brands of fountain pens, which I don’t think is what she used. Any ideas?
You’re very welcome Valerie. I’ve never had the dilution induced clumping that you’ve experienced, but it must be ink specific. Lexington Grey dilutes very well, without separation. Though I’ve never tried it, a number of companies sell a special dilution liquid. No, I’ve never heard of a French pen, but looking at Farmanfarmian’s terrific drawings, they might have been done with a traditional reed calligraphy pen used for Arabic and Farsi script.
@@mkompan thanks. Do you dilute the Lexington with just tap water? It makes sense that she would have used that type of pen, but I’m mystified as to what is French about it.
I have the Duke 600. I like the styling and the build quality is quite impressive for the price. When I dip the pen in ink the nib is smooth and I love the angle and curve for sketching. But, when inked up with the converter the ink doesn’t flow well. It skips like crazy. I’ve flushed it, forced ink into the feed with the converter, and left it nib down overnight; nothing helps. I’m using Noodlers Black. Maybe I got a dud? It’s so close to a great sketching pen 🙁
Sorry to hear this pen isn’t working for you. I’ve heard nothing but good things about it, so perhaps you did indeed get a dud, especially since it sounds like you know your pen maintenance. Noodler’s black has at times caused me problems with flow. Perhaps try the pen with a different ink?
@@mkompan Thank you for responding. I am trying de Atrementis Document Black now and it seems much better. I’ll sketch with it for awhile and see how it goes. Thanks again!
The nib and feed on this pen don’t seem to pull out, but the good news is that you can buy a version with a regular nib unit. I can’t determine the size (or if it’s a standard, swappable nib) without pulling it out, but it looks to be a #5.
One fountain pen recomendation that i think works better than the moonman is a wancher puchico with a n5 jinhao fude nib.Its kinda trikie to pull the original nib,i recomend wigling it gently with pacience,i could not pull out the feed tho,so putting back a nib its also kinda hard,but the end result its fantastic I love your content,saludos desde españa
This looks like an excellent alternative to the Moonman. Saludos desde Espana! De hecho estoy in Madrid con mi esposa española, visitando a su familia.
@@mkompan que bien! Yo soy de La Rioja, pasalo muy bien en tus vacaciones maestro! Thanks to your recomendations i did buy an asvine 126 and its now my favourite pen
Thanks for this. I also like to use my Sailor Fude with a water brush to lay down washes. Find the fude's ability to put out a tiny or a huge amount of ink lets me control the saturation that goes into the layer of water. But what we're really missing is an English languge tutorial on how to actually use these things for what they're meant for eg. Asian calligraphy :( (Which I actually do, and I also think, is great practice for mark-making for art generally.)
I combined a Jinhao fude nibe with a Noodler's Ahab with decent success. Noodler's Black Swan in Australian Roses looks good for the variability in contrast it is capable of with a few layers or speed.
I bought that Duke 2 years back. I must of gotten a bad one. Because my experience with it was nothing like yours. the flow was incredibly bad. even a slow speeds..it would skip. I tried to fix it. but gave up after trying multiple things.
Sorry to hear that. The nib and feed don’t pull out of these (as far as I know) so if something goes wrong, it will be hard to diagnose and fix. I guess that’s the main issue with these less expensive pens: they’re inconsistent. Sometimes they come working great, and sometimes not so much.
Nothing to add, I'm just commenting for the algorithm, this channel needs more subs. Great video as always
Thanks! I appreciate the support.
I love my fude ones. I have two Sailor fude pens which I adore. I also have a few cheap ones from Temu which I load with various coloured inks and take with me urban sketching. If I lose one of those, it doesn't hurt the pocketbook. I can also give one or two away to other sketchers.
That’s one of the great things about fudes: even the very cheap ones can work great. And I love getting other artists to try them.
@@mkompan I was out with a group of sketchers one day. I was using one of my cheap fude pens. Another artist told me she had always wanted to try one but... the look on her face when I pulled out a spare, handed it to her and said, "here, have this one It's loaded with Platinum Carbon Black. Have fun. If you like it...keep it". She loved it.
This is the best video ever about fude fountain pens, thank you so much! I learned a lot about the drawing techniques and how to hold this kind of pens. Very very useful. The categories of the review are also amazing and well structured. Have a great day!!
Thanks so much! I'm glad you found my video helpful.
Very nice review and marvelous drawings!! May I know @19:57 were you using a chrome Duke 209? How do you like that pen?
Thank you. The 209 is a fantastic pen, with great flow and a smooth fude nib that's easy to control. However like the 600, it suffers from a slippery metal section.
Watching many of your videos. Very Helpful & enjoyable, many thanks, New subscriber :)!!
Thank you for subscribing!
I picked up one of the cheap green Sailors a few years ago and was immediately smitten. Was doing some drawings of interesting trees and plants and depicting texture such as bark leaves fibers etc is just kind of effortless. Now you've got me thinking about portraits. And of course buying more pens (doesn't take much!) I also picked up a Duke of some kind but it just didn't work right. The 600 is very intriguing though I may give it another go. And I personally think the shape and design of it is wonderful.
The Duke 600 is very much worth getting. Since this review I’ve been using it regularly and it’s still a favorite.
Very interesting - I think I will try a Fude Pen. I am always in awe when watching you draw. Thank you!
@@RenateWaas you’re welcome!
Valuable information as usual! Much appreciated. Now I’ve got to get my hands on the Duke 600!
Thanks! That's a fantastic pen, you won't be disappointed.
Love fude nibs! They're so ridiculously fun to play around with. I actually have the Sailor Hocoro Fude coming in the mail today and I'm really excited for it! My first fude was the Q1! The problem for me was it's too short and the cap doesn't stay when posted. I put Herbin Stormy Gray in it and it was beautiful. Love the weight my Hong Dian has though.
Thanks for your note! I’ve never heard of the Sailor Hocoro. They look really neat (and perhaps I’ll get one).
@@mkompan I got it a few hours ago and I absolutely love it so far! Plus, I can use my shimmer inks without worrying about a clog now!
Hi Marc. Jim again from Madrid, Spain (a New Yorker expat living abroad).
It's been a while since I've posted due to some health issues but I do watch your channel regularly.
Just wanted to say that it's an excellent video. I use my FUDE fountain pens daily for drawing, as well as for line and wash with watercolors. They are a great tool for artists and the line variations is superb!
I also like the Moonman Q1 you showed. I didn't have it in my radar but it looks pretty interesting for drawing. So thank you very much for sharing.
The techniques you share with us are also very interesting. I also use different fountain pens with either saluted inks as well as non soluble and soluble inks, depending on what I am using them for at the time, and they work extremely well (in my case I prefer them over a brush pen- I also have some - because of the better control I have with the fountain pens).
Thank you again for teaching us and cheers from Sunny Spain!
Hi Jim. Good hear from you again from sunny Madrid! I’m happy to hear that fude nibs are becoming increasingly popular among artists, since there was so resistance to them initially among artists. I remember some of my friends not even wanting to try them.
We’re debating whether to go to Spain this summer. Flights are astronomically expensive this year, and my daughter will be turning two (and requiring her own seat.) If not, I’ll console myself with the comforting thought that someone in Spain is watching my videos.
great tips!! especially dilute the ink. Thanks
You’re welcome!
You’re welcome!
I have a beautiful blue Duke Fude 600 that has been sitting idle for a while. You have inspired me to fill it up again! It really is so versatile, but I haven't explored it much. Thanks for the vid!
You’re welcome. I’m
glad I’ve inspired you to pick up
that Duke 600 again. It’s such a wonderful pen.
Such an excellent tutorial! Thank you so very much. 🙏🖖
My pleasure!
Excellent tutorial! I’ve been on the fence about getting a fude nib pen. Now I want to get several for different dilutions of ink. Thank you!
Thank you Debra! The fude nib was a revelation when I first tried it and I’m happy to have influenced you to try it.
Really helpful and informative. Thanks so much x
My pleasure!
Thanks for the insight into how to hold the Moonman Q1 with the Fude Nib. I’ve watched many reviews for the Moonman Q1 and you are the only one to point out advantages of its stubby size for easier manipulation of its angle for its various line effects.
You're welcome! I think what makes my channel somewhat unique is that it sits on the intersection of fountain pen geekery and drawing. Having used pastel sticks and other stubby materials, I know there is more than way to hold a drawing implement, something many fountain people aren't aware of.
Very interesting introduction 👍
Thank you!
The Duke comes with regular nibs as well.
I had one for more than 10 years - one of my favourites as well!
Great to know! Thank you.
Once again a terrific video, thank you for posting this Marc. Btw, which fude pen are you using at 2:21? It has a silver colour barrel. It also looks like a really good fude pen. Thanks!
You’re welcome, Sharon! If you mean the silver pen I used toward the end of the video, that was a Duke 209, a nice, inexpensive pen that I recommended in my previous video.
I just bought the Majohn C1, and it's a fun pen just like you say in the review. Thanks so much for introducing me to it! I don't know if you mention this elsewhere but this Majohn C1 fude nib fits perfectly in my Noodler's Ahab with just a simple swop of the nibs! It's a little bit looser fit than the Ahab's flex nib but it hasn't leaked or burped yet (fingers crossed.) Plus the fine nib which the Majohn C1 also comes bundled with, is a nice, well behaving nib as well, with a little bit softness.
You’re welcome! The Ahab does work very well with fude nibs, since it has such a generous flow.
Beautiful informative video and your voice is so soothing! ❤ I'm a noob at using fude pens. I love and have been into calligraphy and fountain pens but just starting on my goache and watercolour adventures. 😊 I recently read and thoroughly enjoyed Boston-based urban artist Mike Daikubara's book called "Sketch Now, Think Later" where he sings praises for his Sailor fude pen which I am embarrassed to say that I have never come across before which of course I immediately got and just blissfully discovering! I'm using Noodler's ink in Lexington Gray (Bulletproof) because I'm using it with gouache paint. I'm wondering if there is a way to dilute waterproof ink that will not negatively affect the ink's properties. Thank you for this video and for making me appreciate the fude pen more! ❤❤❤
You're very welcome, and thank you for the kind words. I've found that Noodler's Grey can be diluted significantly without diminishing its waterproof properties, perhaps because the pigment itself binds to the cellulose fibers of the paper. I've had success diluting it as much as three parts water to one part ink. However if you dilute it too much you start coming up against issues of flow, since ink needs to have certain agents in it to reduce water tension. This can be solved by buying an ink diluting agent (or just adding a drop of glycerin). Try playing with different dilutions and see for yourself.
Looking forward to trying out your suggestions. I'm currently watching your "How sketch a landscape using pen and ink" video. Your teaching method is very detailed and the process quite calming. Thank you! ❤ @mkompan
Blackforest was in my list for a looooong time, I finally pulled the trigger for both EF and Fude nibs. There was a pretty damn good deal for Duke 619 roller and fountain pen set in past months, I'm highly regretful for not purchasing it. I hope that deal will be available again. Duke series come with different variations and nibs as others mentioned 😉. Thanks for the awesome video Marc!
You’re very welcome! Duke seems to put out some very decent pens. I also really fond of the Duke 209.
Amazing! Thank you!
My pleasure!
Many thanks for this excellent tutorial. I now have a brilliant use/excuse for my large collection of fude pens and my many different greys in De Atrementis and Rohrer and Klingner Sketch Inks. I really appreciate your constant and helpful exploration of techniques and materials. Is there any chance of your promised book recommendations in the near future ? I would be really interested in your views. Thanks again.
You’re very welcome! A book/resource recommendation video is on the list of videos to do. I have a small window of free time coming up, so hopefully I’ll be able to get it done.
@@mkompan Great news!
Hi Marc, I hope this message finds you well. I'm a big fan of your UA-cam videos (and so is the fountain pen addict in me!) I am going to buy a stainless steel jowo nib with a fude regrind from FPNibs for my Opus88 eyedropper. Do you think a fude nib would benefit from being paired with an ebonite feed or would the FPNibs feed "flow hack" be sufficient? Thanks Marc. I look forward to hearing from you. Best regards, John
Hi John. I paired my fude nibs from FPnibs with plastic feeds with the "high flow" hack, and they work great. I don't think the ebonite feed is necessary. Glad you're enjoying my channel (and sorry for feeding your addiction).
@mkompan thanks very much for your advice, I really appreciate it 🙂 Your videos feed my addiction in a good way because they promote the utility of fountain pens, not just collecting for the sake of collecting 😁
Wait, you can grab one as a charcoal stick? I gotta try this!
It’s super fun with that grip! And on rougher paper, it looks like a weird charcoal/ink hybrid.
I dont know dude.... like I feel if we had to pick the "ONE" pen it would technically need to be a Fude because of its options haha. I really like your first drawing because of the thumb and forfinger grip, your drawing is loose and looks great. Also I like how you appropriately just dive in- no mistakes no mercy! haha man I love ink! Anyways, great art, great opinions, also ink wash FOR SURE, I always carry a wash of 1/5 Noodlers Heart of Darkness! :)
I agree that the fude is the most versatile pen out there, but I love drawing with flex nibs so much that if I had to pick between the two, I’d go with flex. And thanks for the compliments. I work mostly with tight rendering but it’s so much fun to let loose and do something fast and sloppy. :)
Hey there! Thank you for the great review. I have one question concerning fude nibs: are they suitable for left handed artists as well?
Thank you!
My pleasure! I’m neither left handed nor know left-handed artists that use fudes, but here’s my hunch: the fude can be held and used in so many different ways that left handed will certainly also find them usable.
@@mkompanalright thank you for the quick and honest reply! I just bought the Hongdian, maybe I’ll leave an update if I don’t forget.
Greetings and blessings from Germany☺️
@@mkompan Update: I bought the Hongdian fude pen (color brass) and as a leftie I can say: It's a blisssss✨✨ to work woth
@@jhaas_ thank you for the update! I will now recommend fude pens to lefties with confidence.
I already have a Q1, and wondering if I can just get a fade nib that is compatible...
That can be done. This pen takes a standard #6 nib, and you can buy a fude nib for it.
Hi Marc, first of all thank you for your videos, they are very instructive and interesting. Do you know Mannen's Sailor calligraphy Fude? If so, what do you think compared to these three? thanks again and cheers!
sorry for the translation
You’re very welcome, Antoni! I do know, and have the Fude De Mannen pens. The bend on them is very sharp, making the line variation more difficult to control. There’s also the issue of the feed making contact with the paper at low angles. I would say these three fude pens are better in every way.
Thank you for another great video. You report that the Hongdian will not write in reverse. I own two Hongdian Black Forest with fude nibs which write very well when reversed. Perhaps yours needs a lttle tinkering with?
You’re very welcome! Thanks for sharing your experience. Nibs can come with all kinds of faults, of course, even in super expensive pens, but since this pen works perfectly well, other than in reverse, I don’t think I’m going to thinker with it. It already puts down a super thin line, no need for something even thinner.
The fact that a fude can be gripped the same way I grip my pencils have sold me on getting one now thanks
Glad I was able to sell it!
Thank you for a very informative tutorial. Important question: Can these pens be completely disassembled - down to the nib - for deep cleaning when using waterproof inks (ie Platinum Carbon, DeAtramentis, etc)?
Yes. I have many many different fude pens. And they all disassemble well. I have even swapped Fude nibs into other pens with great success. The Black Forest nibs are a bit different when disassembled but they are easy to clean.
@@richardfuchs5131 Unfortunately, I broke my Hong Dian Black Forest Fude trying to remove the nib. How did you do it?
You’re welcome Tony. As Richard correctly mentioned, the Hongdian can be disassembled, but the nib and feed are fairly tight in the housing unit and sometimes require a rubber grip to pull out. The Moonman Q1 can be taken apart very easily. The Duke 600 nib and feed do not seem to pull out, however.
@@mkompan - I believe Jonathan Weinberg said in his video that his nib and feeds come out of his Duke 600 for cleaning. You might want to check with Jonathan to see if there's someway to remove your nib and feeds. I have a black Duke 600 that the nib and feeds are easily removed and replaced for cleaning. The two white Duke 600's I have tried have nib and feeds that do not remove... and getting all the ink out of the feed, nib, and superfeed while they are still pressed together in the housing is a challenge with uncertain results. I had loaded a with Duke 600 with Noodler's Brown (such a fav!), and then wanted to change the ink. So I soaked the nib, feeds and housing in a jar of water for 10 mins before attempting the first water flushes. 15 mins after removing the nib/feed/housing from the soak, I was still flushing and pressing Noodler's Brown out of the feed with a white paper towel. So my jury is still out on the Duke 600. So much to love about it - until it comes to cleaning it due to inconsistent nib & feed removal.
Love the Majohn Q1.... It also takes any size 6 Jinhao nibs - Extra Fine, Medium, Fudes. My Q1 Fude arrived with a size 6 Jinhao fude nib and a size 6 Medium Majohn nib in the box. The Majohn size 6 nibs also work in the Jinhao X750's. Everything sets up easily and removes easily. Sweet. The Q1's are definitely staying in my collection.
Which fude nib you are using for Moonman Q1 fat one? is it a stock nib that comes along with the pen, or you purchased it separately?
I bought this one with a stock Moonman fude nib. If I remember correctly, it came with a spare regular nib.
@@mkompan thank you so much for the reply.
@@immortalbeing196 - My Q1 that arrived December 2024 came with a size 6 Jinhao Fude nib installed, and an alternate size 6 Moonman medium (straight) nib in the box. I am learning that all JinHao size 6 nibs fit in the Majohn Q1 feed and housing.
Great video Marc, I really appreciate your insight into these subjects.
I put a fude nib (from a hero 501, I like that the bend is a curve creating more dynamic lines, when compared to my sharper bent sailor) into my Boston safety pen, you've inspired me to draw with it more!
Will check out your friends channel too 👍
Thanks! I hadn’t considered putting a fude into a Boston Safety (mostly because I didn’t know what nib would fit into it). Good to know the Hero 501 nib will work!
And thanks for looking at my friend’s channel! He’s doing great work and deserves more subscribers.
Thanks for the tutorial. Could You please share the name of a glass-like pen with wavy pattern on its body. Appreciate in adance and keep shooting such videos )
You’re very welcome. That’s a PenBBS 355, fitted with a custom made #6 Jowo nib from FPnibs.com.
I've given up trying to convert a Jinhao to hold a Manga nib and not rust away - about to order my first fude pens but I see that most have a hard bend and not a curve like one of those you really liked here.
Do you advise bent or curved nibs please?
Also - love the idea of putting dilute ink in for washes. Never thought of that before!
I’ve stopped trying this manga nib trick as well. It’s often a very tight fit, and these nibs need to be removed and dried after every use, or they rust and get permanently jammed in the housing.
The curved fudes are better, giving you more control over line thickness.
I got a black forrest ( but in the yellow color) it's my first fountain pen ive used and I really like it alot. The versatility is nice because it can use cartridge or bottle ink. It seem also to be built pretty tough thats a good thing for me, I have a tendency to drop things out of my pocket and run them over with my jeep. I can see why you have a love of fountain pens. Much love ❤️ 🙏
Thanks for your note. That Black Forest is such a great pen, and yes,perfect for those that tend to run things over with their Jeeps.
I'm currently expecting a Monnman Q1 to arrive, perfect timing! Is the fude nib from yours a specific brand or any will do? I saw in another place that the Q1 uses a #6 nib so you can place a flex one aswell (another reason why I got one) also I love the chubby design.
That is good timing. :) I bought mine with a fude nib already installed (it also came with an extra regular #6 nib. With that odd grip this pen is very comfortable, but I just couldn’t get used to it with a regular grip.
@@mkompan As soon as I get mine I'll give it a go and compare both grips, now I want a fude nib to try this tecnique! Thanks, Marc!
That last "dry brush" face you are shown drawing I find particularly appealing. There's a technique I could use my leftover cold press on.
My fudes and zooms are currently sitting in the drawer, deferred by higher priority pursuits. Have you commented on the zoom nib? Sailor zooms (I believe they invented it) are of course overpriced, but I recently got a Good Blue L130 with zoom for less than half the money in what is still a very nice all-metal pen.
PenBBS sometimes sells inexpensive zoom nibs on their official Etsy site. They call them calligraphy nibs and they come a few different shapes.
I haven’t checked too deeply so I don’t know if you did a video on this. Wondering what your thoughts on glass dip pens are.
I’ve never tried glass pens . Perhaps it’s time to try one and make a review.
I've just bought a Fude pen, and thus - have of course subscribed to your channel. I'm already finding the pen adds a range of effects and techniques I was struggling with (I also use dip pens, with Indian ink). Is there ONE ink that you would recommend above all others, I wonder?
Thanks for subscribing! A good waterproof black such as Noodler’s. Black is essential, but I’m particularly fond of the way Lexington Grey works with fude pens. It’s a lovely, highly transparent waterproof grey that layers wonderfully, and allows for subtle value shifts while retaining the ability to go very dark.
I like the look of Noodler's Black Swan In Australian Roses. The intensity variation is from a pink to a near black.
Marc - is there a trick or technique to getting the feed, nib, and superfeed out of the Duke 600 housing for cleaning? I purchased a white Duke 600 from Amazon and loved it - until I tried to clean it and the nib and feeds wouldn't come out. I ordered a black pen, and the nib and feeds in that pen came out just and went back into the housing with ease. So I reported the problem with the original white pen to Amazon and arranged for a return/replacement. The white replacement pen just arrived, and I can't remove the nib and feeds from the second white pen... so out of 3 pens, I can remove the nib and feeds from 1 of the pens for cleaning (that is the black one, so do the nib and feeds only come out of the black ones and not the white ones?). Is there a technique to use to get the nib and feeds out of these pens? The ergonomics in this pen are great for me, and I really want to use them - and part of using them is being able to clean them and use lots of fun inks in them without worrying about clogging and contamination.
I couldn't pull the feed and nib out of the 600, which does limit limit its usefulness, since you really shouldn't put waterproof ink into it. That said, so long as you use inks that clean easily, and due regular flushing maintenance, you should be fine switching inks often, even if you can't take everything apart.
Thanks for the inspiring information! Is the Duke 600 going by another name? I can't find it anywhere. One pen that looks similar to it is simply listed under "Asian Calligraphy Pen."
You’re welcome! It is sometimes listed only as “Asian Calligraphy Pen.”
It has a very distinct shape (and nib), so it can’t be confused with something else.
@@mkompan Thank You kindly!!
Thanks for this excellent tutorial. I have been a fude enthusiast for a while and I learned a few new things. I have a Jinhao Century 100 fude that was about $20 and came with a a converter-awesome pen! I’ll definitely be trying the dilute gray technique, but in the past when I’ve diluted ink, even with RO water, I end up with clumps of pigment in colored water. Any tips?
Also, I have a question. Recently, I stumbled on an exhibit of the work of Monir Farmanfarmian, which included drawings she did of plants with something called a “French pen”. I would have guessed brush and ink, just by looking at them, but I can’t find any information on what a French pen is. Google just turns up French brands of fountain pens, which I don’t think is what she used. Any ideas?
You’re very welcome Valerie. I’ve never had the dilution induced clumping that you’ve experienced, but it must be ink specific. Lexington Grey dilutes very well, without separation. Though I’ve never tried it, a number of companies sell a special dilution liquid.
No, I’ve never heard of a French pen, but looking at Farmanfarmian’s terrific drawings, they might have been done with a traditional reed calligraphy pen used for Arabic and Farsi script.
De Atrementis sells a dilution liquid for their document ink that I've found works perfectly plus the inks are all intermixable too.
@@mkompan thanks. Do you dilute the Lexington with just tap water? It makes sense that she would have used that type of pen, but I’m mystified as to what is French about it.
@@ValerieHayes1 yes, just tap water. Perhaps the “French pen” is simply a mistranslation.
@@mkompan it could be a mistranslation, but I’d expect better from whoever prepares the exhibit labels at the High Museum.
I have the Duke 600. I like the styling and the build quality is quite impressive for the price. When I dip the pen in ink the nib is smooth and I love the angle and curve for sketching. But, when inked up with the converter the ink doesn’t flow well. It skips like crazy. I’ve flushed it, forced ink into the feed with the converter, and left it nib down overnight; nothing helps. I’m using Noodlers Black. Maybe I got a dud? It’s so close to a great sketching pen 🙁
Sorry to hear this pen isn’t working for you. I’ve heard nothing but good things about it, so perhaps you did indeed get a dud, especially since it sounds like you know your pen maintenance. Noodler’s black has at times caused me problems with flow. Perhaps try the pen with a different ink?
@@mkompan Thank you for responding. I am trying de Atrementis Document Black now and it seems much better. I’ll sketch with it for awhile and see how it goes. Thanks again!
what nib size does the Duke 600 uses? in case i wanted to swap it for a normal one? I love the shape it looks so ergonomic
The nib and feed on this pen don’t seem to pull out, but the good news is that you can buy a version with a regular nib unit. I can’t determine the size (or if it’s a standard, swappable nib) without pulling it out, but it looks to be a #5.
One fountain pen recomendation that i think works better than the moonman is a wancher puchico with a n5 jinhao fude nib.Its kinda trikie to pull the original nib,i recomend wigling it gently with pacience,i could not pull out the feed tho,so putting back a nib its also kinda hard,but the end result its fantastic
I love your content,saludos desde españa
This looks like an excellent alternative to the Moonman. Saludos desde Espana! De hecho estoy in Madrid con mi esposa española, visitando a su familia.
@@mkompan que bien! Yo soy de La Rioja, pasalo muy bien en tus vacaciones maestro! Thanks to your recomendations i did buy an asvine 126 and its now my favourite pen
Thanks for this. I also like to use my Sailor Fude with a water brush to lay down washes. Find the fude's ability to put out a tiny or a huge amount of ink lets me control the saturation that goes into the layer of water. But what we're really missing is an English languge tutorial on how to actually use these things for what they're meant for eg. Asian calligraphy :( (Which I actually do, and I also think, is great practice for mark-making for art generally.)
You’re welcome! So you put down a wash of water first, and go into with the fude?
@@mkompan Pretty much. It's a bit sloppy, but it's good for looser drawings :D
@@somedude8877 sounds interesting, and I’ll have to try it. The fude is great for controlled sloppiness.
Could you please demonstrate how you would draw a three-day unshaved man?! 😂😂❤❤❤❤ i can't figure it out!!
That’s a very specific request. :) I’ll see what I can do.
With lots of stubbling… I mean stippling 😅
@@mdz0739That's the key! :)
I combined a Jinhao fude nibe with a Noodler's Ahab with decent success. Noodler's Black Swan in Australian Roses looks good for the variability in contrast it is capable of with a few layers or speed.
An Ahab with a fude is a great combo!
Next time I go figure drawing I will be using a Fude pen and work on a larger scale!
I’m glad I inspired you to try it!
полностью согласен - это прекрасные ручки - у меня есть Duke b Moonman - super for drawing
спасибо за ваше согласие!
Like my Fude
👍👍👍
😀😀😀
I bought that Duke 2 years back. I must of gotten a bad one. Because my experience with it was nothing like yours. the flow was incredibly bad. even a slow speeds..it would skip. I tried to fix it. but gave up after trying multiple things.
Sorry to hear that. The nib and feed don’t pull out of these (as far as I know) so if something goes wrong, it will be hard to diagnose and fix. I guess that’s the main issue with these less expensive pens: they’re inconsistent. Sometimes they come working great, and sometimes not so much.
Sometimes I like to flip over my falcon and imagine that I have a fude 🥲
I do like the falcon's ability to do that, though it's super hard to control.