--- title: "Pilot Fude-Makase: Hard-Tip Color Brush Pen" canonical: "https://stationerytimes.com/guides/pilot-fude-makase/" description: "Pilot Fude-Makase (SVFM-20EF) explained: a hard extra-fine brush pen for stops, flicks and sweeps, 8 dye-ink colors, 140 mm and 8.8 g, launch, price and rivals." category: "Pens" type: "Brush pen" published: 2026-10-29 updated: 2026-10-29 author: "Ellis Penhale" publisher: "Stationery Times" sources: 4 products: - name: "Pilot Fude-Makase extra-fine color brush pen (SVFM-20EF-B), black" brand: "Pilot" brand_origin: "Japan" made_in: "Not stated" material: "Resin barrel and cap, hard felt brush tip, water-based dye ink (Pilot)" released: "2013-07-15" price_band: "$ (under $5 per pen (multi-packs divided by the count), typical US retail, October 2026)" manufacturer: "Pilot Corporation (Japan)" model: "Fude-Makase" mpn: "SVFM-20EF-B" gtin: "4902505463150" url: "https://webcatalog.pilot.co.jp/products/DispDetail.do?volumeName=00004&itemID=t000100001393" --- # Pilot Fude-Makase: Hard-Tip Color Brush Pen > The Pilot Fude-Makase (SVFM-20EF) is a cheap capped brush pen with a hard, extra-fine tip that Pilot designed so beginners can write the stops, flicks and sweeps of brush lettering. It holds water-based dye ink in 8 colors, measures 140 mm and 8.8 g, launched in Japan on July 15, 2013 and lists at ¥220 (about US$1.40). - URL: https://stationerytimes.com/guides/pilot-fude-makase/ - Category: Pens - Author: Ellis Penhale - Published: 2026-10-29 - Updated: 2026-10-29 ![Pilot Fude-Makase in green drawn to scale at 140 mm, cream barrel and cap with a green clip and cap end, with an inset of the hard brush tip](https://stationerytimes.com/images/raster/pilot-fude-makase-illustration-16x9.png?v=838b40b3) *The Fude-Makase at Pilot's 140 mm, drawn at 1 mm = 5 px.* Original illustration made for this guide. © Stationery Times. Original drawing (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) | |---|---|---|---|---|---|---| | Pilot Fude-Makase extra-fine color brush pen (SVFM-20EF-B), black | Pilot (by Pilot Corporation (Japan)) | Japan | Not stated | Resin barrel and cap, hard felt brush tip, water-based dye ink (Pilot) | 2013-07-15 | $: under $5 per pen (multi-packs divided by the count) | - Made in (Pilot Fude-Makase extra-fine color brush pen (SVFM-20EF-B), black): Not stated. Pilot's catalog page and 2013 release don't state a country of manufacture, and Yoseka doesn't either. A search snippet for a Hunter Paper Co. listing said made in Japan, but we couldn't open that page on October 29, 2026. ## Key takeaways - Pilot's catalog lists the SVFM-20EF at 140 mm long, 11.4 mm across at the widest and 8.8 g. - It comes in 8 water-based dye inks: black, red, orange, blue, blue black, green, pink and sepia. - Pilot launched it on July 15, 2013 at ¥210 (about US$1.30) including tax; it lists at ¥220 (about US$1.40) today. - Pilot says its own hard tip combines firmness and flexibility, so the extra-fine point doesn't fray. - The clip matches the ink color, and Pilot chose a cream body and cap to suggest a Japanese mood. ## What is the Pilot Fude-Makase? **It is Pilot's color brush pen with a hard, extra-fine tip, made so people who struggle with a brush can still write brush-style letters.** Pilot's 2013 release calls it an entry-level brush pen that lets you add the stops, flicks and sweeps (tome, hane, harai) of Japanese brush writing. It also works like a color sign pen. Pilot pitches it for illustrations, e-tegami picture letters and greeting cards, which is why it comes in 8 inks rather than black only. ## Pilot Fude-Makase specs **Every figure here is from Pilot's own catalog and release.** The price is Pilot's tax-included list price. | Spec | Pilot Fude-Makase (SVFM-20EF) | |---|---| | Tip | Hard extra-fine brush tip | | Feed | Cap type, direct-fill (ink straight from the barrel) | | Ink | Water-based dye | | Colors | Black, red, orange, blue, blue black, green, pink, sepia | | Size | 140 mm long (5.5 in), 11.4 mm (0.45 in) at the widest | | Weight | 8.8 g | | Material | Resin barrel and cap | | Launched | July 15, 2013 | | Japanese list price | ¥220 (about US$1.40) | ![Pilot Fude-Makase 140 mm and 8.8 g next to the Pentel Pulaman at 142 mm and 11 g and the Zebra Mildliner Brush at 148 mm and 10.5 g](https://stationerytimes.com/images/pilot-fude-makase-lengths.svg?v=8b7af3c0) *Three low-cost Japanese pens to scale, from the makers' Japanese pages. Original illustration made for this guide. © Stationery Times.* ## How does the hard tip write? **It stays firm like a felt pen but bends enough to make thick and thin strokes.** Pilot says its own newly developed hard tip combines firmness and flexibility, so the point doesn't fray even though it is extra fine. That is the trade-off with a soft brush: less dramatic contrast, more control. Pilot's catalog sums it up as a pen that makes neat brush letters easy. ## What colors does it come in? **Eight: black, red, orange, blue, blue black, green, pink and sepia.** Pilot gives each pen a clip in the same color as its ink. The barrel and cap are cream, which Pilot says it chose for a Japanese (wa) feel. Yoseka sells all 8 in the US. Each color has its own model code, a suffix on SVFM-20EF; the codes and JAN barcodes below are from Pilot's catalog lineup and Yoseka's listing, useful when ordering from a Japanese shop. | Color | Model | JAN | |---|---|---| | Black | SVFM-20EF-B | 4902505463150 | | Red | SVFM-20EF-R | 4902505463167 | | Orange | SVFM-20EF-O | 4902505463174 | | Blue | SVFM-20EF-L | 4902505463181 | | Blue black | SVFM-20EF-BB | 4902505463198 | | Green | SVFM-20EF-G | 4902505463204 | | Pink | SVFM-20EF-P | 4902505463211 | | Sepia | SVFM-20EF-SP | 4902505463228 | ## How does it compare with other brush pens? **It is a firm, low-cost brush pen, and a light one.** Pilot gives 140 mm and 8.8 g, lighter than the [Pentel Pulaman](https://stationerytimes.com/guides/pentel-pulaman/) at 11 g and the [Zebra Mildliner Brush](https://stationerytimes.com/guides/zebra-mildliner-brush/) at 10.5 g, per their makers. | | Fude-Makase | Tombow Fudenosuke (hard) | Pentel Touch Sign Pen | |---|---|---|---| | Tip | Hard extra-fine | Hard | Flexible fiber | | Ink | Water-based dye | Water-based pigment | Dye | | Colors | 8 | See its guide | 30 plus 6 fluorescent (Japan) | For pigment ink in black, see the [Tombow Fudenosuke](https://stationerytimes.com/guides/tombow-fudenosuke/). For a bendier fiber tip in many colors, see the [Pentel Touch Sign Pen](https://stationerytimes.com/guides/pentel-touch-sign-pen/). ## Why did Pilot make it? **To widen the market for brush lettering beyond people who can already use a brush.** Pilot's 2013 release says it wanted to reach potential users who would like to write beautiful brush letters. It also says Pilot had an eye on calligraphy (shosha) lessons in Japanese junior high schools in future. The name, Pilot says, means leaving it to the brush so the letters come out as you want. ## Where is it made, and what does it cost in the US? **Pilot doesn't say where it is made, and no page we could open states it.** A search result for one shop said Japan, but we couldn't load that page. On October 29, 2026, Yoseka listed it at US$3.30 in all 8 colors, a $ price. We couldn't read JetPens or Amazon, which block our tools. ## Frequently asked questions ### Is the Fude-Makase a hard or soft brush pen? Hard. Pilot calls the tip a hard tip with just enough firmness, and files it as an extra-fine, hard-writing brush pen. ### Is Fude-Makase ink waterproof? Pilot lists water-based dye ink and makes no waterproof claim. A Swedish shop says it isn't waterproof and may fade in sunlight; we haven't tested it yet. ### What does Fude-Makase mean? Pilot says the name means leaving it to the brush, so you can write letters the way you want; Yoseka translates it as a brush you trust. ### Can you refill the Fude-Makase? Pilot doesn't list a refill or cartridge for it, and the ink feeds straight from the barrel. Treat it as a disposable pen. ### Is the Fude-Makase good for beginners? That is who Pilot made it for: people who find brushes hard. It says the hard tip makes stops, flicks and sweeps and thick-thin contrast easy. ### Can you use the Fude-Makase for drawing? Yes. Pilot says it works like a color sign pen for illustrations, picture letters and colorful greeting cards. ## Sources - [Pilot Japan web catalog (Japanese): SVFM-20EF-B Fude-Makase extra-fine (¥220 with tax, JAN 4902505463150, cap type, direct-fill, water-based dye, resin, φ11.4 × 140 mm, 8.8 g, 8 colors; read October 29, 2026)](https://webcatalog.pilot.co.jp/products/DispDetail.do?volumeName=00004&itemID=t000100001393) - [Pilot Japan press release (Japanese): color brush pen Fude-Makase on sale July 15, 2013 (¥210, hard tip, 8 colors, cream body, clip in ink color)](https://www.pilot.co.jp/press_release/2013/07/08/post.html) - [Yoseka Stationery: Pilot Fude-Makase Brush Pen (8 colors, 5.5 in, water-based dye ink, SVFM-20EF stock codes; read October 29, 2026)](https://yosekastationery.com/products/pilot-fude-makase-brush-pen) - [Tidformera: Pilot Brush pen Fude-Makase, Black (water-based dye ink, not waterproof, may fade in sunlight)](https://tidformera.se/en/products/pilot-brush-pen-fude-makase-black)