Marvy Le Pen Flex Brush Pen Review

(Sarah Read is an author, editor, yarn artist, and pen/paper/ink addict. You can find more about her at her website and on Twitter. And check out her first novel, The Bone Weaver’s Orchard, now available where books are sold!)

Marvy Le Pen, purveyors of the world's most okay-est fineliner, have released a new Flex Brush Pen that allows for brushstroke-like lines for drawing or writing. And they are, as one might expect, pretty okay!

The body of the brush pen is identical to the marker pen version, with the same colorful plastic and minimalist design. They aren't the most comfortable to hold or write with and the clips are a bit flimsy. It's very helpful that the color of the body matches the ink. The cap snaps in place, but doesn't post very securely.

The only difference between these pens and the old, familiar fine markers is the tip. These brush pens have a rubberized felt tip that offers a good deal of line variation. They are quite soft and flexible, and very smooth to write with. The tips are petite, so you can get a very fine line with a light touch, and only a little pressure adds the variation. It feels very much like writing with a springy paint brush--more so than some other brush pens I've used that are either too firm or have too much feedback.

So far the pen is available in magenta, burgundy, red, green, teal, oriental blue, navy, blue, amethyst, brown, dark grey, and black. They may eventually come in the wide variety of other colors Marvy LePen offers, but these are good for starters. The ink colors are vibrant and saturated and show up nicely. The ink does bleed a little, even on coated paper. There are also cautions out there about Marvy LePen ink that it may not age well, with fading and yellowing occurring over time. I don't know if these pens use the same ink formula, but I would guess that they do. If that's the case, I'd suggest that these are fun hobby tools, but not good for artists or scrapbookers who want their work to stand the test of time.

So, are these the world's most okay-est brush pens? I think it's too soon to tell, but the good brush tip on these may edge them into better-than-okay territory. I think the body design and ink formula are holding these back. At $1.95, they're also more expensive than their Marker Pen twins, and also 15c more expensive than the Kuretake Fudebiyori Brush Pen, which is a better quality pen. Still, it's exciting to see an old reliable brand branching out into something new and cool, and I enjoyed these more than I thought I would.

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

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Marvy LePen Marker Pen Review

(Sarah Read is an author, editor, yarn artist, and pen/paper/ink addict. You can find more about her at her website and on Twitter.)

The Marvy LePen is one of those iconic pens that many of us remember from our childhoods--one that instantly drew our eyes with its bright hues and gave us hours of coloring bliss. A gateway drug for young pen addicts that soon led to gel pens and Sharpies. And it remains popular, even (mumbles) decades later. But I honestly can't quite figure out why--though perhaps the fact that it is inexpensive and comes in a lot of great colors is enough.

The Le Pen has an easy-to-spot, long, slim profile and a straight clip. The cap is friction-fit and snaps into place. It does post, precariously, on the narrow part of the end, but too much tipping or shaking (like, writing) causes it to fall off. There is a short section that is really more of a nose cone--the only way to hold it comfortably is back on the body. Even that may be too narrow for longer drawing or writing sessions. I find it fairly comfortable, though it feels like I'm holding the pen too far back for good control. The clip is springy--and a bit bendy. It's one of the more fragile metal clips I've ever met, but it does hold the pen securely in place. Just don't strain it, or it won't return to its original position. I have memories of my old LePens with clips winging out at odd angles--and it seems they haven't changed the recipe since then.

The plastic of the body matches the color of ink, which is always nice. There are quite a few ridges and shaggy bits left over from the plastic molding process, but they are easily removed if they're in a spot that interferes with comfortable use. "Le Pen Marvy Japan" is embossed in silver on the side, in keeping with its minimalist look.

The felt tip is at the end of a metal needlepoint sleeve. Some tips seem to protrude more than others, and I did find that, after some use, the felt tip was either disappearing into the metal casing or else squishing down. These are very delicate felt tips and require a pretty light hand in order to keep them nice. Even new, I did get a lot of line variation between the pens. Some wrote a finer line than others from the get-go, which makes them a little frustrating as tools for drafters, I'd think.

The ink itself has quite a lot of spread and bleed to it. Something about it just wants to travel through paper fibers. But the colors are very vibrant and well saturated. Even the pale colors show up nicely--which makes me want to use them for coloring books. That may indeed be their best use. There are reports of the ink fading very quickly or causing discoloration to the paper surrounding the lines. That isn't something I'd want in a piece of artwork or a scrapbook/memento designed to last. Though the ink is acid-free, it doesn't seem to be lightfast or very paper friendly.

So what is the appeal of these pens and what are they for? I think coloring books or zentangles would be a perfect fit. The low price point makes them a great entry-level fineliner for coloring enthusiasts both teen and adult. But if you need a fineliner for something more meaningful or lasting, there are much better options out there for not-that-much-more cost.

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

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Enjoy reading The Pen Addict? Then consider becoming a member to receive additional weekly content, giveaways, and discounts in The Pen Addict shop. Plus, you support me and the site directly, for which I am very grateful.

Membership starts at just $5/month, with a discounted annual option available. To find out more about membership click here and join us!

Marvy LePen Technical Drawing Pen Review

I'm on the record as not being a big fan of the Marvy LePen, much to my friend Ana's dismay. It is by no means a bad pen, I just feel that there are many similar pens that do a much better job than the LePen does. That made me hesitant to try out the Marvy LePen Technical Drawing Pen but I am glad I did since it is quite good.

It falls into the same category as a litany of other drawing pens like the Sakura Pigma Micron, Uni Pin, Staedtler Pigment Liner, etc. It is a crowded group for sure, making it hard to stand out. But I like how the LePen Tech has performed so far and would say it ranks highly among its peers.

What I liked the most about it is despite the super fine tip I went with (the 0.1 mm in this case), it felt durable. My lines were crisp and clean, and while I haven't put this pen through the ringer that an artist would, it held up well. The barrel is larger than most other similar pens but I didn't find that to be an issue. In fact, it was downright comfortable. You can see the size comparison next to a Sakura Pigma Micron below.

The Marvy LePen Technical Drawing Pen looks like a keeper to me. I plan on ordering one or two other sizes to test out and if that goes well may add it to the regular rotation of drawing pens in my arsenal.