For standard Ohuhu alcohol markers, choose Honolulu Brush & Chisel if you want a flexible tip for tapered strokes and curves. Choose Oahu Fine & Chisel if you want a fine point for small enclosed details. Both versions have a chisel tip, so start with the other tip when deciding what your current markers are missing.
Honolulu vs Oahu: check the two tips on the box
| Feature | Honolulu Brush & Chisel | Oahu Fine & Chisel |
|---|---|---|
| Ink type | Alcohol-based dye ink | Alcohol-based dye ink |
| Tip to compare | Brush, for strokes that widen or taper | Fine, for narrow marks and small spaces |
| Tip both have | Chisel, for broad strokes or narrower marks with its corner | Chisel, for broad strokes or narrower marks with its corner |
| Example chart to inspect | Honolulu 120 | Oahu 120, separate from Oahu New 120 |
Ohuhu lists these tip combinations in its marker series guide. On the Honolulu 120 product page, check that the selected option says Brush & Chisel. Honolulu B uses Brush & Fine, so it makes sense to look at that separately if you want both of those tips. This guide does not compare Honolulu B, Honolulu S or Honolulu² performance.
Find the detail that would make you switch
Pick a page you already like and find one repeated detail you regularly go back to tidy up: the point of a leaf, the gap between scarf stripes or a tiny flower petal. The detail matters more than a tip demonstration on an empty sheet.
- Copy the same boundary three times. Sketch it at the size it appears in your book, on spare paper. Mark where the stroke should stop. Put a protective sheet underneath if you use alcohol markers.
- Try the chisel corner first. Color the first copy with the corner of the chisel you own. If you can stop where you want without awkwardly turning the page, you may already have the tip you need.
- Try the other tips you can access. On the second copy, try a brush with light pressure near the narrow end. On the third, try a fine tip. Use similar dry colors where possible so you can see the boundary. Write “untested” beside any tip you cannot borrow or try.
- Count corrections, not speed. On the dry samples, mark where you crossed the line or had to go back to fill an unwanted gap. Note whether you needed to change grip or turn the paper. Use those observations for this detail on this paper; different ink, paper and drawing sizes can change the result.
If the chisel handles your detail comfortably, try choosing by useful shades rather than replacing the whole set for another tip. If the detail is still awkward, try the tip you prefer on one larger version of the same shape before deciding. This is a reader exercise, not a physical test of the two products by ColorBestie.
Compare the charts before you compare the counts
For one upcoming page, write down three colors with jobs: for example, a pale wall, a middle green leaf and a darker leaf accent. Start with dry swatches you already own. Circle only the jobs you cannot fill. When looking at a new set, check the included chart for candidates for those jobs instead of counting every color as an upgrade.
The official Ohuhu Color Codes Index lists Oahu 120 and Oahu New 120 separately. The words New Color Codes refer to the numbering; they do not tell you which 120-color chart to pick. Compare your pack's chart with the corresponding manufacturer chart. For example, ColorBestie's Oahu 120 printable and Honolulu 120 printable are separate charts, each labeled for its set.
Plan with your set in ColorBestie
- Open the Palette Generator, choose Ohuhu and look for Honolulu 120 or Oahu 120. Use the entry that matches your chart.
- Pick the numbering printed on your pens. Try Pastel if you want a starting point for a light palette, then choose Generate Palette. Copy only the codes you can find in your case.
- Swatch candidates on your paper. Put the wall and leaf colors side by side before committing to the page. If a suggested shade does not fill one of your three jobs, set it aside.
We checked both named selections in the released tool. The Oahu New 120 box did not have a separate selection in that check; if that is your edition, use Ohuhu's matching chart and your own swatches instead. Digital suggestions cannot tell you how a color will dry or whether two inks will blend on your paper.
Sources
- Ohuhu's series guide: standard Honolulu, Honolulu B and Oahu tip configurations and ink type.
- Ohuhu's code index: old and new numbering and the separate charts for Oahu 120 and Oahu New 120.
- Ohuhu's Oahu New 120 product page: an example of the separately named set.