Kuretake Handmade Envelope Template (Western Version) Review

I never seem to have the right sized envelope when I need one. I ought to buy stationery sets with paper and matching envelopes, but I've gotten spoiled writing on Tomoe River Paper. There may be Tomoe Stationery sets, but I don't have one. And a cheap office envelope just seems wrong.

Enter the Kuretake Handmade Envelope Template (Western Version). I found this on JetPens and decided to buy one so that I could make envelopes any time I needed them. I also bought the Nichiban Tenori Adhesive Stamp to glue my envelopes.

The envelope template is simple. It's constructed out of thick plastic, with cut-outs for four different envelope sizes, from small gift-card-sized envelopes to large card-sized envelopes: 2.6" x 4.1" (65mm x 105mm), 3.9" x 5.8" (98mm x 148mm), 4.5" x 6.4" (114mm x 162mm), and 4.7" x 6.7 " (120mm x 170mm). Note that none of these is a business-sized envelope. I made my first group of envelopes out of a grocery bag (yay recycling!).

All you have to do is place the template on your paper, draw the outline of the envelope in the size you desire, and cut the envelope out. Then it's just a matter of folding the two sides and bottom portions and gluing them in place.

The Tenori was a disaster, I'm afraid. I don't know what I did wrong, but after using it once or twice the tape got tangled, and the more I tried to fix it, the more mangled it got. I'm just going to use good ol' Elmer's from now on.

With scrapbooking paper, you can make envelopes in any pattern or color you like.

The design can be on the outside of the envelope (you'll need to make an address label unless the design is light or plain).

Or you can put the design on the inside.

The template is very handy. As long as you have paper, a pencil, and scissors, you can make an envelope. Be careful about the weight of the paper, just in case you need to add extra postage.

You can buy the Kuretake Handmade Envelope Template at JetPens for $13.50. If you want to take a chance on the Nichiban Tenori Adhesive Stamp, it is $6.50 at JetPens.

Kuretake Zig Cartoonist Mangaka Outline Pen 003 Review

My love for the Kuretake Zig Cartoonist Mangaka Outline Pen is well known. My handwriting looks awesome, and the 02 size has become a regular part of my rotation.

Notice I said the 02 size. It's a wonderful writer, checking in around 0.35 mm line width, and even the 01 size sees a lot of use, leaving a line around 0.3 mm. But the 003 size Zig Cartoonist? Who do you think I am, Sam Larson?

I pick on Sam because I love his artwork. He does amazing work with some of the finest drawing pens on the planet, but I can't swing the 003 personally. I don't have the need for it. That said, compared to other tiny tipped drawing pens this Kuretake has a firmer tip than most. That's why I like the 01 and 02 sizes so much. Durability is important with this style of pen.

I'm curious how many readers out there have a use for such a specialized pen. It's clearly useful for many people, and honestly it's technically impressive that such a pen exists. How and why would you use a pen with a tip this small? Let me know in the comments section.

(JetPens provided this product at no charge to The Pen Addict for review purposes.)

An Introduction To The Brush Pen Sampler

(Jeff Abbott is a regular contributor at The Pen Addict. You can find more from Jeff online at Draft Evolution and Twitter.)

A few months ago, I wrote about my introduction to the brush pen genre with the Pilot Petit3. Shortly after that, JetPens began offering a sampler pack of 5 popular brush pens under the $30 mark. I ordered one right after seeing it, and I've been trying them out since. The main thing I've learned? Not all brush pens are created equal. Each one has a purpose, and as long as you understand that, you'll get along just fine.

The criteria

Recently, JetPens released a fantastic video that explains the different qualities of brush pens and how that affects the writing, drawing, lettering, etc. experience. I'm using the same qualities in my review, so let's have a quick look at what they are:

• Tip type: This describes what the tip is made out of. This could be natural hair bristles, synthetic bristles, or felt. Depending on the type of material used in the tip, the rest of the characteristics of the pen will vary greatly.
• Firmness: This can range from soft, medium, and firm. Soft tips will create wider line variation, but require more control and finesse. Firm tips are easier to use, but do not have great line variation.
• Fineness: This can range from fine, medium, and broad. This refers to the line width the pen produces, similar to your fountain pen nib sizes. Brush pens with a soft firmness can hit all three line widths.
• Elasticity: You guessed it, this refers to how well the brush tip can hold its original shape after being expanded with additional pressure. Basically, bristle tip pens will maintain the wide shape once you let off, and you'll have to fiddle with it a bit to make it fine again, whereas a felt tip pen will immediately return to its original width when the stroke is complete.
• Ink flow: Again, if you're familiar with fountain pens, this one will make sense. This refers to how much ink comes out when making marks, similar to how we refer to a nib as "wet" or "dry."
• Saturation: Another common term with fountain pens. This refers to the coloration of the ink. In the case of a black ink, a saturated ink will create a deep, dark black on the page, whereas a not-so-saturated ink will make a gray or brown shaded black mark.

Now, with that out of the way, let's take a look at these 5 pens.

Kuretake Disposable Pocket Brush Pen, Fine

The Kuretake brush pen is a fine felt tip pen that is really easy to use. It's disposable, which means that once the ink dries up, you throw it away. The barrel is a sparkly dark blue color with gold text. The cap sits firmly on the pen when closed.

• Tip type: Felt.
• Firmness: I think this pen errs on the side of firm, but you can get some decent variation if you press hard enough.
• Fineness: Fine
• Elasticity: The tip returns to its original shape immediately.
• Ink flow: Very good ink flow, as it requires the slightest pressure to put ink on the page.
• Saturation: Very dark saturation.

Tombow Fudenosuke Brush Pen, Soft

Of the felt tip brush pens in this pack, the Tombow is my favorite. I love how it writes, even if it isn't so pretty on the outside. This pen also comes with a handy little lettering guide, but I honestly haven't found much use for it. The body is a dark gray color with white text and lots of little graphics.

• Tip type: Felt.
• Firmness: I'd call this a medium because you can get a bit of line variation fairly easily.
• Fineness: Fine to medium.
• Elasticity: The tip returns to its original shape almost immediately.
• Ink flow: Very good ink flow — requires almost no pressure to make a mark.
• Saturation: Very dark saturation.

Zebra Disposable Brush Pen, Super Fine

The Zebra, even though its called "super fine," is very similar to the Tombow. You can get a decent amount of line variation, but it doesn't write as well as the Tombow. It's an excellent pen, but just a couple marks behind the Tombow. The body looks very similar to the Kuretake — dark sparkly blue with gold text, so it's very easy to confuse them.

• Tip type: Felt tip.
• Firmness: Firm to medium, but not as soft as the Tombow.
• Fineness: Fine with the ability to reach medium.
• Elasticity: Returns to original shape very quickly.
• Ink flow: Very good ink flow, but a tad drier than the previous two.
• Saturation: Very dark saturation.

Pilot Pocket Brush Pen, Soft

Ah, the Pilot brush pen. Of the broad, "lots of variation" group, this is my favorite. The pen is black with gold Japanese lettering on the body and red lettering on the cap. There isn't a word of English on this pen, so I only know it's the Pilot from a process of elimination.

• Tip type: Felt.
• Firmness: Very soft.
• Fineness: Capable of making fine to broad lines easily.
• Elasticity: Returns to original shape fairly easily, but might need some help after making broad lines.
• Ink flow: Exceptional ink flow for such a wide tip.
• Saturation: Very dark saturation.

Pentel Pocket Brush Pen for Calligraphy

Of the bunch, this is the only bristle tip pen, and it's a hoot to use. This one takes the most practice and patience when using, and it's absolutely not suited for writing. The pen body is black some minimal silver text on the cap. Also, of the bunch, this pen uses an ink cartridge, so you can refill it after its empty.

• Tip type: Synthetic bristles.
• Firmness: Soft — very soft.
• Fineness: Medium to broad. You can get an insane level of variation from this one.
• Elasticity: Needs help returning to a medium point. It likes to stay pretty broad when making lines.
• Ink flow: The ink flow is "good enough" for most things, but it's not nearly as good as the other 4.
• Saturation: The saturation also leaves something to be desired, as the lines can look a bit brown on the page.

Conclusion

All in all, this sampler pack is a great way to break into the brush pen genre. For me, I still feel like I have no idea how to use these properly, but that doesn't mean I don't enjoy the heck out of them. I don't consider myself an artist, but these pens make me want to draw, and for that I'll eternally love them.

If you're curious about brush pens, I highly suggest you start here.