The Pilot New Brush Pen has been a fun tool in my kit for months. The ink flows well though it isn't waterproof. The brush is a little easier to control than some comparable pens and the light weight makes it easy to use for long sessions.

I use it in a Stillman & Birn Epsilon Sketchbook without any bleed through so using both sides of the paper is fine. Writing in an Apica notebook has worked well and even my printer paper works with it. No problem with ink drying in the brush even following weeks of no use. A light touch is all it takes to get a lovely line with plenty of variation. Again, this is a fun tool once you get the hang of using a brush pen.

I make an effort to try out every new Pentel pen or brush pen since I'm generally happy with their products. That wasn't the case with their Colour Brush line -- I found the ink too thick. difficult to get a consistent flow, slow to dry and it smudged well past the point it should have dried fully. Erasing stray pencil lines after using one could create a disaster.

I purchased both the fine and medium models of this new pen despite being concerned of the outward similarity to the Colour Brush. The similarity ends there; the ink flows well and isn't the goopy mess. There is still some post-drying smudging, so I'd still be cautious erasing, but I'll keep using these for a while to see how things progress as far as brush wear and ink consistency.

Not like they used to be - primed and started the ink flow and it's been a battle. Lots of strokes with gaps in the ink, squeeze the tube until you see ink flow, the brush needs to be solid black before you start.

The Fine tip on my unit isn't so fine, it's small but I get thinner lines with the medium sized. The brush hairs form more of a dull point than a sharp one.

I am admittedly a Pilot Pen Fangirl, so this was an obvious choice for me to try out as I have been experimenting with brush pens. This pen was NOT love at first swipe, but it has seriously grown on me. I also have the light black Pentel brush pen, the Pentel pocket brush pen, and my husband has a Kuretake #13, so I have been able to compare them all. The size and weight of this make it the most comfortable for me to hold, the pocket pen style of the Kuretake and the Pentel make me want to hold them like a standard writing pen, but this just works better for more of a brush-style grip. I also like a larger body as it is more comfortable in my long fingered hands. The squeeze bottle style, while not pretty, also gives and added level of control. If I want to do a fast brush stroke I can make it look dry with all the bristle marks, or give it a squeeze and make it nice and black. The brush bristles are a little more stiff than the Kuretake and they recover quickly (like the Kuretake and Pentel light black, unlike the Pentel Pocket). The tip is also a little smaller than the Kuretake. I would say that the Kuretake brush tip is slightly better quality, but the pen body of the Pilot is easier to control. Now, one of my favorite parts is the ink. At first I was a little frustrated with how much the ink bleeds when water is added, but this is no ordinary black ink. If you like to use water to wash out and/or blend your ink, you might really like this one. It blends out with a whole range of colors, navy, purple, pink, and gray. It's so pretty! This is a great brush pen at a great price.

I love the brush stroke!