Tombow Mono 100 Hexagonal Wooden Body Pencil - 2H - Pack of 12

I'm a little surprised how little love the Mono 100 has gotten in reviews.

I've been using high-end Japanese pencils for a while, and while I do like the Hi-Uni a lot, I find myself gravitating more toward the Mono 100 for writing. The real-world differences are pretty negligible unless you are obsessively comparing the two back and forth on a variety of surfaces (guilty), and even then the differences are small. They are both smooth as far as HB pencils go, but I find that the Hi-Uni is slightly more slippery on a Rhodia page, while the Mono feels a bit more viscous. Both qualities can be very desirable, and my feeling is that the Mono gives a very slightly superior degree of control and precision for writing. When moving the pencil a lot faster, in sketching for example, the slightly lower resistance of the Hi-Uni might be more appealing. I also have had fewer point breakages with the HB Mono 100 than with the HB Hi-Uni, though both are rare.

Both pencils are excellent, probably deserving of being called the best pencils in the world today. If you're struggling to decide which to get (and can't afford both), flip a coin or choose by aesthetics or brand identity and you won't be disappointed.

While a lot of folks are fawning over the Hi-Uni, I have to say these are among my new favorite pencils. For a while I've been looking at darker pencils to use for writing heavier text (headers, etc) in my notes. At first I gave the Hi-Uni B a shot, and then the Uni Penmanship Pencil in 4B (carried by JetPens at the time of this writing), then this one. While the 4B Mitsubishi is quite an impressive instrument and is exceedingly smooth and dark with minimal pressure, it wears down quickly and the marks are rather smudgable. I was a bit surprised at how fragile the Hi-Uni B was; almost every time I wrote a "ping na" stroke in a Chinese character, the tip would snap from the extra pressure. It was getting really maddening, and I didn't have much hope for the Mono 100 in 2B. However, my fears were misplaced as the Tombow has excellent point durability, and did not break a single time in dozens of characters. It does of course wear down faster than an HB, but is quite dark and rather smooth. I think perhaps it gives up a little bit of the slipperiness of the Hi-Uni on some papers, but then it seems equally smooth or even a little smoother on some other papers, and the gains in precision and point durability are nothing to scoff at.

Truly a marvelous writing implement, and I think I'll need to get more of them.

Tombow Mono 100 are one of the best wooden case pencils for writing, sketching and drawing, which many artists and animators truly appreciate and love. When you lay the graphite on a piece of paper, it makes your work look like a true masterpiece. Japan makes some of the highest quality and top notch pencils in the world today,especially their graphite. These pencils are a true craftsmanship and they are absolutely beautiful. A work of art and a true masterpiece. These are world class quality pencils that I will always cherish and love for the rest of my life. Jetpens,you are truly amazing and remarkable. I will always be a lifetime customer. Thank You, M. Keith Brummett

Have now purchased a range of Mono 100s; 2B, 3B, and 4B. They are all of very high quality and used principally for writing. Having perused this range I've been able to zero in on the 3B as the preferred sweet spot because: dark and clear lines, reasonably smudge free, and while they do require more sharpening than compared to say, an HB, there's a nice, strong cedar aroma reminding you why you like cedar pencils. Thanks Jetpens.

Fantastic Pencil! I buy the normal mono, but I like the idea of buying in bulk and the variety. I can't tell a huge difference between the 100's and normal mono. I feel these 3B's are darker and smoother than the a 5B derwent. I do notice the lead is smear resistant.