‘Popcorn Yubi-fude’ fingertip brush

How come this idea hasn’t come out to market before?

Popcorn Yubi-fude (PopCornゆび筆), the latest invention by a Japanese calligraphy supply maker Boku-undo Co., is not your typical brush — it’s a slip-on brush which you can easily put on your finger instead of holding it in hand.

Boku-undo Co. reports that about 6000 brushes have been sold in the first month since the product came out in April.

The company says that consumer interest is especially big among people with disabilities who have trouble holding brushes or pens and among the elderly whose grips are weak.

People who have tried using the brush say it’s very comfortable for calligraphy and painting and does not need any special instructional technique.

Despite the simple concept, it wasn’t so easy to produce such a tool! The maker first started developing the brush in 2006. The idea came from their own childhood when they enjoyed painting with fingers in sand and on fogged windows. One of the first versions of the brush was made in such a way that the holder had to be kept in place by a ring. However, this proved useless because the ring caused blood to pool in the fingertip. The materials which are usually used for brushes were also found to be too soft, making it difficult to paint strokes.

Once they perfected the brush into a useful tool, they named it “Popcorn” because of its resemblance to the shape of a corn cob.

Buko-undo Co. says they are already developing similar tools: fingertip ball-point pens and brushes for make-up.

Popcorn Yubi-fude is sold in Japan in paper and art material stores and comes in three sizes: small (¥630, $7), medium (¥735, $8) and large (¥840, $9).