TOMBOW DUAL BRUSH PENS v. CRAYOLA MARKERS / PROS + CONS

There are a lot of cool art supplies out there – one of those being the popular Tombow Dual Brush Pens. You can use them for lettering, art, and more. I’ve been exploring the world of brush lettering and art for a while now, and back in December, I picked up some of my own Tombow Dual Brush pens. However, there’s a cheaper option – Crayola Broad-Line Markers! A lot of people can’t make a decision – should they splurge and buy the $30 brush pens, or go cheap with the $3 markers? To save you some time (and maybe money!) I’m comparing the two pen markers by contrasting the pros and cons of each.

THE COLOURS

Tombow Dual Brush Pens: There are approximately 96 different colours from the Tombow Dual Brush Pen collection. There are primary colours, pastels, darks, lights, blacks, greys. The selection is huge!

Crayola Broad Line Markers: Crayola has about 64 different colors in their Broad Line collection. Most colors are bright and bold, while some are pastel. There is not as much selection with colors as compared to the Tombow pens.

THE SHAPE

T: Tombow Dual Brush Pens are quite long and awkward to hold. However, they’re about the same size as a regular ballpoint pen circumference-wise.

C: Crayola Broad Line pens are the length of a normal pen, but their circumference is super wide. Keep in mind that these markers are manufactured for smaller kids. They’re more awkward to hold. 😛

 

THE TIP

T: Tombow Dual Brush pens, as their name implies, comes with two tips – the feathered tip and the fine point tip. The Tombows’ feathered tip is long and somewhat flexible. The fine point tip is a basic thin marker. I feel like the manufacturers spent a lot of effort on the feathered tip and then simply stuck a basic tip on the fine point end. The tips do get worn and frayed without proper care.

C: Crayola markers have a thick, non-flexible tip. However, this is a plus. Achieving a thin, upward line is so much easier because of the stiff tip. Pressure isn’t a thing to worry about with this, as you can easily switch from tip to side. The downside is that the tip, after a little while of use, gets “smushed.” It’s easily fixed by normally coloring on a scrap piece of paper to get it back to normal.

THE PRICE

T: Tombow Dual Brush Pens are listed on the market for about $25.99-29.99 for a set of 10. I bought mine at a local craft store, and using a coupon, I got them for around $17. These are on the more expensive side of the art pen spectrum.

C: Crayola Broad Line pens are so cheap. You can get a pack of 10 markers for $3.49. Now that’s a steal! You could easily buy 8 packs of these and one pack of Tombows’ for the same price.

OTHER ASPECTS

T: With these guys, you can blend colours and do cool ombre effects. The pastel colours look so aesthetic compared to the solid, bright colors from Crayola.

C: You can’t blend colours with these pens, and some of the colors don’t show up the way they look – the black ends up looking like a very dark green.

THE OVERALL OPINION

I honestly think that Crayola Markers are easier to handle and produce better results. However, there are more colour options with the Tombow pens. Crayola Markers are so much cheaper, but you do get what you pay for. They’re so cheap that it doesn’t break the bank when they run dry and you need replacements. Tombow markers are expensive, and I don’t think they’re even worth the price you pay.

+ LET’S GET CHATTY

Which marker do you prefer? Would you rather buy the Tombow pens or the Crayola markers if you were going to the store today?