Brushpen Review: Zebra Double-Sided Brush Pen FD-502 - Hair / Hard - Fine
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I don't really review many pens from Zebra. A quick search of this blog didn't even bring up any review results. So I guess this means that this is my first Zebra review.
So to break this streak of not reviewing Zebra products, today I'll be reviewing the Zebra Double Sided Brush Pen FD-502, which I purchased from Jetpens not too terribly long ago. I purchased it with a large number of other fude and brush pens, with the intention of reviewing the lot. I think I've done a pretty good job ploughing through the list so far.
The Zebra Double Sided Brush Pen in FD-502 features a nylon individual haired large brush, and a small hard fude style brush. This is fairly unusual, as most double sided brush pens feature two felt nibs of different sizes, rather than a nylon brush end.
This pen actually has a twin that features a large soft felt brush, and a small soft felt fude. Both of these pens are fairly expensive compared to other fude or brush pens, even dual tips, clocking in at a whopping $8.25.
The Pen
My pen arrived unpackaged, with a label sticker on the gray plastic body. The larger cap is for the nylon brush tip, the smaller cap is for the fude pen tip.
The fude pen end is a little stumpy compared to other fude pens I've reviewed, and has a plastic sheath around the nib.
The caps are capable of posting to one another, with the large cap completely covering the small cap when posted, and the small cap fitting into a hole on the back of the large cap.
Like most nylon bristled brush pens, the Zebra Double Sided Brush Pen FD 502 is prone to drybrushing, even when new.
The Field Test
I opted to fill in the hair to see how the pen handled large (ish) fills. The ink is fairly dark and rich, but you may have to move slowly to ensure even coverage.
The Verdict
Although this pen performs fairly well, you could almost purchase two pens for the price of this one- a refillable Pentel Pocket brush, and the smaller fude pen of your choice. Or you could purchase a double sided pen that consistently performs well, like the Sailor Mitsuo Aida, which is just $4.45 and waterproof, almost $4.00 less than this non waterproof Zebra pen. For $3.30, you can get the Pilot Futayaku, another twin tipped brushpen that performs quite well, but isn't waterproof.
Of course, even with those alternatives, this pen is rather notable as it's the only one I've encountered that features a nylon brush tip as well as a fude tip. If you like a drybrush effect but also want to draw fine detals, and want both in one pen, this pen is a good pick.
Did you find this post useful? Did you enjoy it? How about sharing it with friends on Facebook, or Tweeting it to your followers? The links above the post make sharing SUPER easy- you don't even have to leave the page! If you really liked this post, or any of my posts, how about sending me a tip via Paypal using the handy donation link in the sidebar, or writing me an email? It would definitely make my day!
I don't really review many pens from Zebra. A quick search of this blog didn't even bring up any review results. So I guess this means that this is my first Zebra review.
So to break this streak of not reviewing Zebra products, today I'll be reviewing the Zebra Double Sided Brush Pen FD-502, which I purchased from Jetpens not too terribly long ago. I purchased it with a large number of other fude and brush pens, with the intention of reviewing the lot. I think I've done a pretty good job ploughing through the list so far.
The Zebra Double Sided Brush Pen in FD-502 features a nylon individual haired large brush, and a small hard fude style brush. This is fairly unusual, as most double sided brush pens feature two felt nibs of different sizes, rather than a nylon brush end.
This pen actually has a twin that features a large soft felt brush, and a small soft felt fude. Both of these pens are fairly expensive compared to other fude or brush pens, even dual tips, clocking in at a whopping $8.25.
The Pen
My pen arrived unpackaged, with a label sticker on the gray plastic body. The larger cap is for the nylon brush tip, the smaller cap is for the fude pen tip.
The nylon brush tip is fairly unremarkable, and looks similar to other nylon bristled brush pens I've owned, like the Pentel Pocket Brush, the Pentel Kirari, or the Akashiya Sai Pigment Outline Brush.
The fude pen end is a little stumpy compared to other fude pens I've reviewed, and has a plastic sheath around the nib.
The caps are capable of posting to one another, with the large cap completely covering the small cap when posted, and the small cap fitting into a hole on the back of the large cap.
Like most nylon bristled brush pens, the Zebra Double Sided Brush Pen FD 502 is prone to drybrushing, even when new.
The Field Test
The brush nib and fude nib both handle fairly well. The Brush Pen is smaller than the brush on the Pentel Pocket Brush, so if you found that brush pen to be too large for your taste, the Zebra Double Sided Brush Pen might be a good solution for you.
I opted to fill in the hair to see how the pen handled large (ish) fills. The ink is fairly dark and rich, but you may have to move slowly to ensure even coverage.
The Verdict
Although this pen performs fairly well, you could almost purchase two pens for the price of this one- a refillable Pentel Pocket brush, and the smaller fude pen of your choice. Or you could purchase a double sided pen that consistently performs well, like the Sailor Mitsuo Aida, which is just $4.45 and waterproof, almost $4.00 less than this non waterproof Zebra pen. For $3.30, you can get the Pilot Futayaku, another twin tipped brushpen that performs quite well, but isn't waterproof.
Of course, even with those alternatives, this pen is rather notable as it's the only one I've encountered that features a nylon brush tip as well as a fude tip. If you like a drybrush effect but also want to draw fine detals, and want both in one pen, this pen is a good pick.
Did you find this post useful? Did you enjoy it? How about sharing it with friends on Facebook, or Tweeting it to your followers? The links above the post make sharing SUPER easy- you don't even have to leave the page! If you really liked this post, or any of my posts, how about sending me a tip via Paypal using the handy donation link in the sidebar, or writing me an email? It would definitely make my day!
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