Review #2: Kuretake Sumi Brush Pen DT140-13C

My friend Drewscape has reviewed this seven years ago and recently I finally bought one for myself.

The Kuretake Brush Pen DT140-13C (below) is not the only Kuretake brush pen I have. The other two I have are model No 40 and 50.

The difference between this one I'm reviewing versus No 40 & 50 are, the latter two are sable hair brush pens. Sable hair is supposed to last longer and since these Kuretake brush pens are refillable, it would be good for the bristles to last as long as possible.

This brush pen currently selling at Amazon USA for US $15 (not including shipping). The build quality of this brush pen is fantastic. I can't tell if the body is made of metal or plastic.

It has a very classic all black look compared to the patterned look on No. 50. All the gold trimmings look great against the black.

When you close the cap, there's a springy feel to it which is followed by a satisfying audible click.

Three disposable ink cartridges are provided. The ink is not waterproof. If you want to use an ink convertor, the Platinum ink convertor fits perfectly. If you want to use your own ink, I recommend either Sailor KiwaGuro, De Atramentis Archive or the Rotring ink. These three inks are waterproof, and since they are said to be safe for use in fountain pens, they should work fine in a brush pen.

Regardless of which ink you use, the maintain the brush tip, you should use the brush pen often. That will keep the ink flowing and the hair wet. If the ink dries out on the hair, the hair will become stiff and difficult to clean. And if the ink dries on the hair, the ink won't be flowing anymore. You can still clean the hair, but I'm not sure if you can unclog the ink inside the grip section.

After the ink cartridge or ink convertor is installed, you need to wait a few minutes for the ink to soak the hair. After which, the bristles will taper to a nice point.

With a brush pen, you create strokes of varying thickness, and strokes with textures.

Drawing with strokes of varying thickness can make line art more interesting. And it's very easy to control the thickness of the just by varying the thickness.

The thinnest line is about hair line thin,

And the thickest line is determined by the whole length of the bristle. Ink flow is quite good. Better compared to the Pentel Pocket Brush Pen.

As mentioned earlier, the ink from the ink cartridge provided is not waterproof.

Conclusion

In terms of value for money, it's certainly really worth the money. I paid a higher price to get the No 50 brush pen with sable hair (around US $45) but this particular one with the synthetic hair is more worth the money. Build quality and aesthetics is comparable to the No 50.

Availability

You can find the Kuretake Brush Pen on Amazon via these direct links:
Amazon.com | Amazon.ca | Amazon.co.uk | Amazon.de | Amazon.fr | Amazon.it | Amazon.es | Amazon.com.au | Amazon.co.jp

Search Jackson's Art Supplies (UK) and Dick Blick Art Materials too.