---
title: "Kuretake ZIG Fudegokochi: Firm Brush Pen for Beginners"
canonical: "https://stationerytimes.com/guides/kuretake-zig-fudegokochi/"
description: "Kuretake ZIG Fudegokochi brush pen explained: a firm POM brush tip, black pigment ink, 138 × 11 mm, 300–400 m of writing, the LS1-10, its versions and origin."
category: "Pens"
type: "Brush pen"
published: 2026-10-23
updated: 2026-10-24
author: "Ellis Penhale"
publisher: "Stationery Times"
sources: 4
products:
  - name: "Kuretake ZIG Fudegokochi brush pen (LS1-10, black)"
    brand: "Kuretake"
    brand_origin: "Japan"
    made_in: "Japan"
    material: "PP body, cap and end plug, stainless steel clip, POM brush-style tip, water-based pigment ink (Kuretake)"
    price_band: "$ (under $5 per pen (multi-packs divided by the count), typical US retail, October 2026)"
    manufacturer: "Kuretake Co., Ltd. (Japan)"
    model: "LS1-10"
    gtin: "4901427104288"
    url: "https://www.kuretake.co.jp/product/brush-pen/brush/fudegokochi"
---

# Kuretake ZIG Fudegokochi: Firm Brush Pen for Beginners

> The Kuretake ZIG Fudegokochi is a felt-tip brush pen with a firm, brush-shaped plastic tip that handles like a pen, made for lettering, envelopes and illustration. Kuretake lists the black LS1-10 at 138 × 11 mm and 11 g, with water-resistant pigment ink that writes 300 to 400 m. It's made in Japan and costs about ¥242 (about US$1.50) there.

- URL: https://stationerytimes.com/guides/kuretake-zig-fudegokochi/
- Category: Pens
- Author: Ellis Penhale
- Published: 2026-10-23
- Updated: 2026-10-24

![Kuretake ZIG Fudegokochi brush pen drawn to scale at 138 mm, capped, above a black brush stroke, with an inset of the pointed POM tip](https://stationerytimes.com/images/raster/kuretake-zig-fudegokochi-16x9.png)

*The Fudegokochi, 138 mm long per Kuretake (1 mm = 4.4 px).* Original drawing (SVG): <https://stationerytimes.com/images/kuretake-zig-fudegokochi-cover.svg>. Drawings © 2026 Stationery Times, reusable with credit under CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).

## Product facts

| Product | Brand | Brand origin | Made in | Material | Released | Price range (typical US retail, October 2026) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kuretake ZIG Fudegokochi brush pen (LS1-10, black) | Kuretake (by Kuretake Co., Ltd. (Japan)) | Japan | Japan | PP body, cap and end plug, stainless steel clip, POM brush-style tip, water-based pigment ink (Kuretake) | – | $: under $5 per pen (multi-packs divided by the count) |

- Made in (Kuretake ZIG Fudegokochi brush pen (LS1-10, black)): Japan. Kuretake's Japanese order site lists 原産国 (country of origin) 日本 (Japan) for the black Fudegokochi, LS1-10 (read October 23, 2026). Source: https://order.kuretake.co.jp/products/detail/1488

### Kuretake ZIG Fudegokochi brush pen (LS1-10, black) colors

- Ink in the box: Black (LS1-10, water-based pigment ink).
- Per Kuretake (order site) (https://order.kuretake.co.jp/products/detail/1488), checked 2026-10-24. The LS1-10 is sold in black (黒) only, per Kuretake's order site; the light-ink LS5 and quick-dry versions are separate models. Tint sampled from Kuretake's product photo. Shops stock different colors; check the listing.

## Key takeaways

- Kuretake's Japanese order site lists the black Fudegokochi, LS1-10 (JAN 4901427104288), at 138 × 11 mm and 11 g.
- Kuretake says one pen writes 300 to 400 m, with water-based pigment ink that resists water and light.
- Its list price in Japan is ¥220 (about US$1.40) before tax and ¥242 (about US$1.50) with tax.
- The retail-packed LS1-10S had 1,343 Amazon US ratings averaging 4.7 stars on October 23, 2026.
- Kuretake lists Japan as the country of origin.

## What is the Kuretake ZIG Fudegokochi?

**It's a disposable brush pen from Kuretake with a firm, brush-shaped plastic tip, made to feel like a pen rather than a real brush.** Kuretake's Japanese page calls it an easy-to-use brush-style sign pen for people who aren't comfortable with brush pens.

Kuretake, a sumi-ink and brush maker based in Nara, recommends it for envelopes, gift envelopes, postcards and illustration. In the US it's sold as the ZIG Fudegokochi, model LS1-10S in retail packaging.

## Kuretake ZIG Fudegokochi specs

**Kuretake's order site lists the black LS1-10 at 138 × 11 mm, 11 g, with a POM tip and water-based pigment ink.**

| Spec | Fudegokochi, black (LS1-10) |
|---|---|
| JAN | 4901427104288 |
| Size | 138 × 11 mm (5.4 × 0.4 in), widest point without clip |
| Weight | 11 g (0.39 oz) |
| Body, cap, end plug | PP |
| Clip | Stainless steel |
| Tip | POM (acetal) plastic, brush-shaped |
| Ink | Water-based pigment, direct-liquid |
| Writing distance | 300–400 m (330–440 yd) |
| Japan price | ¥220 (about US$1.40) before tax |
| Made in | Japan |

All figures come from Kuretake's Japanese order site. Kuretake calls it a direct-liquid (直液式) pen and says that lets you use the ink to the end without waste.


## How firm is the Fudegokochi tip?

**Firm: it's a molded plastic point, not bristles, so it flexes only a little.** That's why Kuretake pitches it at people who find soft brush pens hard to control.

You still get thin upstrokes and thicker downstrokes by changing pressure. A softer brush tip trades some of that control for bigger thick-thin contrast.

![The four Kuretake Fudegokochi versions: regular pigment, quick-dry pigment, quick-dry extra fine and light ink](https://stationerytimes.com/images/kuretake-zig-fudegokochi-versions.svg)

*Kuretake Japan sells four Fudegokochi versions.*

## Which Fudegokochi versions are there?

**Kuretake Japan lists four: regular, quick-dry, quick-dry extra fine and light ink.**

| Version | Model | Ink | Use (Kuretake) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fudegokochi | LS1-10S | Pigment, black | Lettering, envelopes, illustration |
| Quick-dry | QDLS1-10S | Quick-dry pigment, black | Dries fast, so hands and paper stay clean |
| Quick-dry extra fine | QDLS4-10S | Dye, black | Letters, postcards, planners, résumés |
| Light ink (usuzumi) | LS5-10S | Dye, pale gray | Condolence cards |

The US listings we found were almost all for the regular LS1-10S, so expect to import the other three. The extra fine has a harder tip, which Kuretake suggests for small writing.

## How does it compare with other brush pens?

**It's in the same firm, beginner-friendly group as the Tombow Fudenosuke hard tip and the Sakura Pigma Brush.**

| | Fudegokochi | [Tombow Fudenosuke](https://stationerytimes.com/guides/tombow-fudenosuke/) | [Sakura Pigma Brush](https://stationerytimes.com/guides/sakura-pigma-brush/) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tip | Firm POM, brush-shaped | Elastomer, hard or soft | Felt brush |
| Ink | Water-based pigment | Water-based pigment | Archival pigment |
| Made in | Japan | Japan | Japan |
| Price band | $ | $ | $ |

For real bristles, see the [Kuretake ZIG Clean Color Real Brush](https://stationerytimes.com/guides/kuretake-zig-clean-color-real-brush/). Our [best calligraphy pens for beginners](https://stationerytimes.com/guides/best-calligraphy-pens-for-beginners/) puts it next to chisel-tip pens.

## How much does the Fudegokochi cost?

**About ¥242 (about US$1.50) in Japan, and under $5 a pen in the US, our $ band.** A 3-pen pack on Amazon US worked out to about US$3.75 a pen on October 23, 2026.

The retail-packed LS1-10S had 1,343 Amazon US ratings averaging 4.7 stars the same day.

## How do you write with a firm brush pen?

**Hold it at a low angle and change pressure, not speed, between strokes.** Press on downstrokes for thick lines and lift on upstrokes for thin ones.

Kuretake suggests it for addressing envelopes and gift envelopes, which suits a firm tip: the lines stay even across a whole address. For practice, slow strokes on smooth paper show your pressure changes most clearly.

## Where is the Fudegokochi made?

**In Japan: Kuretake's Japanese order site lists 原産国 (country of origin) 日本 for the LS1-10.** Kuretake is based in Nara, Japan.

## Frequently asked questions

### What does Fudegokochi mean?

Roughly "brush feel" in Japanese (筆ごこち). Kuretake sells it as a brush-style sign pen for people who find real brush pens hard to control.

### Is the Fudegokochi a hard or soft brush pen?

Firm. The tip is molded POM plastic, not bristles, and Kuretake says it handles like a pen, which suits beginners and small lettering.

### Is Fudegokochi ink waterproof?

Kuretake says the black pigment ink resists running in water and has good lightfastness. Let it dry before going over it with watercolor or markers.

### Fudegokochi or Tombow Fudenosuke?

Both are firm Japanese brush pens for beginners. The Fudegokochi uses pigment ink; the Fudenosuke is sold in the US as a 2-pack with one hard and one soft tip.

### Can you refill the Fudegokochi?

No. Kuretake sells it as a direct-liquid disposable pen that uses its ink to the end; replace it when it runs dry.

### Is the Kuretake Fudegokochi made in Japan?

Yes. Kuretake's Japanese order site lists Japan as the country of origin.

## Sources

- [呉竹 BtoBオンライン注文サイト: 筆ごこち 黒 (LS1-10; ¥220 / ¥242; JAN 4901427104288; 138 × 11 mm; 11 g; 300–400 m; PP, SUS clip, POM tip; water-based pigment ink; origin Japan; read October 23, 2026)](https://order.kuretake.co.jp/products/detail/1488)
- [呉竹: 筆ごこち (Kuretake Japan product page: LS1-10S, quick-dry QDLS1-10S, quick-dry extra fine QDLS4-10S, light-ink LS5-10S; pigment ink resists water and light)](https://www.kuretake.co.jp/product/brush-pen/brush/fudegokochi)
- [Amazon US: Kuretake Fude Brush Pen in Retail Package, Fudegokochi (LS1-10S; 1,343 ratings, 4.7 stars, read October 23, 2026)](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001BZVB4M)
- [Amazon US: Kuretake ZIG Fudegokochi, 3 pens (price per pen, read October 23, 2026)](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08THMWF8Q)