I love any new options for ink swatching and ink tasting so when I discovered the Sailor Compass Hocoro dip pens, I leaped at the chance to try them.
There are several versions available of the Hocoro dip pens. The pens can be purchased in a set with a bottle of the Sailor Dipton calligraphy ink (no safe for fountain pens, $29 per set) or just a pen-only package ($16 each).
The dip pens can be purchased in a white plastic or a dark grey plastic — or in the set in clear or purchase the individual pen barrel ($8) in clear. Then, each color is also available in fine, medium, 1.0mm, 2.0mm, and fude (bent tip, brush style). Then the last variable is that not all the nib styles come with a feed unit. The models with a feed unit are the 2.0mm and Fude. Feed unit reservoirs ($4 each) can be purchased separately and added to any nibs that don’t have them but it seems like a strange decision to include the feed with some and not others.
The coolest feature is that the nib unit pops out and can be stored back into the barrel by flipping it over and snapping it into the barrel for travel and to protect the nib unit.
The first one I got was the 1.0mm model which does not include the additional feed unit. Then at the Dallas Pen Show, I picked up the Fude dip pen which did include a feed.
I experimented with the 1.0mm model a bit prior to getting the Fude model and was super disappointed because the 1.0mm without the feed did not hold ink well. If would either bloop out or run out of ink within a few letters. I even tried annealing (heating the nib with fire to remove excess oils) the nib to get the ink to “stick” better to the nib. It didn’t help.
I decided to go ahead and get the Fude with the feed unit to see if I liked it better. Oh, hell yes! The feed holds a massive amount of ink and did not have the same blooping issues I had with the 1.0mm.
The Fude, which is a bent tip-style nib, mimics the properties of a brush by creating varying line widths depending on the angle you hold the nib. If held at a lower angle (60º to 45º to the writing surface), the line widths are much wider and held at a higher angle (more at a 90º angle to the paper) the nib will write with a finer line.
Honestly, the feed on the Hocoro was a game changer. I had been quite disappointed in the 1.0mm model but I have now purchased a few additional feeds in order to plus-up my 1.0mm version and see if that improves that dip pen. In the meantime, I highly recommend picking up one of the Fude dip pens. The feed is great and the line variation is super handy for ink testing.
DISCLAIMER: The items included in this review were provided free of charge by Dromgoole’s for the purpose of review. Please see the About page for more details.
I had the exact same experience! I got the 1mm Hocoro and was so disappointed because I could barely write with it. I get decent enough longevity with my Pilot Iro-utsushi M and kind of expected something similar, but it felt basically unusable until I got the feed. What a game changer! I don’t understand why they sell it without the feed included
100%! I hope you can get a feed and get the Hocoro functional and fun soon!
Same experience here, with three nib sizes. The feed should indeed be standard.
I’ve had some issues with ink getting into the handle, so I stretch a bit of plastic wrap over the open end. It has no effect on how much ink the nib and feed will hold and I don’t have to clean out the handle.
Ruth
I love the concept and affordability of the Hocoro but unfortunately after about a month of normal usage, the body developed hairline cracks where the nib is connected to the body so I just haven’t bothered to replace it.
Well, thats a big disappointment! I’ll keep an eye on the material and hope it doesn’t crack as well.
I bought this as a way to easy get into the fude nib and a dip pen (I bought other nibs and an extra feed too). I really like them… I did think to myself, wouldn’t it be good if the opposite end of the pen could also hold a nib, inverted the same, just for “carry” purposes? But this is not a criticism, more a wishlist. I’m about to start a small sketching course and this is to be my “brush” pen.
Thank you! I have the 1.0 stub and it’s been a disappointment – now I know why and what to do 🙂