Customer Reviews

The Hi-Uni 3B grade pencil is truly the best sketching pencil that I have used. It sharpens easily and perfectly every time and is so smooth when put to paper that it seems to do all the work for me. Just the slightest amount of resistance in the lead so that you can instantly feel the tooth of any paper and the marks it leaves are, dare I say it, the darkest sexiest lines of any pencil in any grade I've used so far, and they are very smudge resistant under most circumstances. With just three Hi-Uni pencils, F, 3B and 6B I have the perfect all around writing design sketching and drawing kit, no more need to carry around a full set of pencils, fantastic! Only three other series of pencils come close to the excellence of the Hi-Uni the Tombow Mono 100 and California Republic Stationers Palomino followed closely by the Pentel 999, each of which is just slightly different to make them more suitable for certain papers and conditions under the write circumstances. The Hi-Uni in F and 3B grades are the first pencils that I reach for most often.

With the addition of this premium line of pencils, in my view Jet Pens becomes the supreme online source of top quality drawing and sketching supplies in the USA. I have tried getting a full box if Mitsubishi Hi-Uni pencils for over a year now after spotting them in the Pencil Talk blog. Even managed to get a few loose Hi-Uni and Tombow Mono 100 pencils brought back from Japan through friends a couple of times, but the holy grail of a full dozen of 3B Hi-Uni pencils (an ideal sketching graphite hardness) so exquisitely packaged had eluded me thus far. As much as I enjoy the convenience and performance of my rather large collection of mechanical pencils and leadholders, there is something almost magical about these beautiful wooden pencils that glide so smoothly over the paper leaving rich dark strokes that are fairly smudge-resistant. Every artist and sketching hobbyist owes it to themselves to try these second-to-none wooden pencils in the comfort of their studios. For an optimal experience, I'd recommend getting also a Pilot Foam Eraser and a Kum pencil sharpener for an ideal sketching kit.

Mitsubishi Hi-Uni pencils are a true work of art themselves. Nothing short of amazing. The quality of these pencils is unsurpassed. I have tried all the top quality pencils and this is the best. The quality of the lead is excellent - Mitsubishi Hi Uni is much smoother and softer all around than other drawing pencils and the maroon finish is beautiful. The thick lacquer coating and slightly rounded edges of the shaft make the pencil very comfortable to use. That's another very important thing. How well does the pencil draw, how does it feel in the hand, and how does it look overall. The Hi Uni excels in all levels. Many fans of the Hi Uni tend to use the softer grades, but I tend to like a harder pencil around 4H to do most of my drawing and perhaps an HB for darker drawing. I have tried expensive mechanical pencils and leadholders before, but have come back to woodcase pencils for good and my brand of choice is Mitsubishi Hi-Uni. Jet Pens is excellent for bringing them from Japan to the US. They are a top art supply online seller. Excellent. Thanks!

Easily the best wooden pencils in the world. Secret weapon of many artists. Mitsubishi Hi-Uni have the best graphite possible. Very very smooth. And the wood is real, unlike cheap pencils. Does not require frequent sharpening as the graphite does not crack like with cheap pencils. You will probably sharpen a dozen of cheap pencils to the end by the time you use just one of these beauties. Fantastic. You got to stock up on these incredible pencils. I'm a person who uses mechanical pencils often, but once I started using these wooden pencils it is very difficult to use mechanical pencils. They are great for art, sketching as you can vary a line of different thickness all in one stroke. Very nice for writing too. They also come in a nicely designed plastic case. Classy.

10/10 stars.

Wow!!Fantastic!! What else can I say. Mitsubishi Hi-Uni is the best of the best woodcase pencils. For just writing even the HB is ultra smooth and has a certain waxiness.

You will stop using regular woodcase pencils once you try these.

These pencils are made to extremely high standards and outstanding quality, which are preferred by many artists, drafters and other professionals around the world. The smell of these wooden case pencils are so intoxicating that I always want to pick one of them up and start drawing. It is so addictive and such a rush that you don't want to stop, but just keep on going. These drawing instruments feel so good in your hand when you lay that graphite on a piece of paper. They slide so smoothly and gracefully, that it makes drawing such a joy to work with. These pencils are of exceptional quality and fine craftsmanship. They are a work of art and a true masterpiece. I will always cherish and love these pencils for the rest of my life. If you ever need pens or pencils, I highly recommend JetPens. Thank You, M. Keith Brummett

My new favorite! An absolutely great experience from this pencil. Easy to sharpen (to a nice sharp point I might add), and retains its point very well. I am also very happy that I got F instead of HB, which is my normal preference. I write in cursive, which normally wears the point down very quickly. However, I am proud to say I could write about another half a page (8.5 x 11" sized paper) without sharpening the point. A smooth writer, this pencil lays down a fairly dark line (comparable to most HB and even a few B pencils I use). Not bad at all. The finish on these pencils is fantastic. Thick lacquer with a great color. I won't be writing with anything else for a long time.

Very smoothe, can be sharpened to a long point, but won't last long because it is very soft. I see really no difference between this and the 9B or the Grafwood 9B. I prefer the 10B only because its slightly wider lead.

The Hi-Uni F grade pencil is the finest writing pencil that I have ever had the pleasure to use. It sharpens easily to the finest point, with a long point sharpener, and the lead is the most durable long lasting and smoothest of any F grade wooden pencil that I've used so far with just a hint of give to follow the tooth of most any paper used. The marks this pencil leaves are as dark as most HB grade pencils but with a more commanding feel when I write, giving my writing styles more confidence and presence. For example I can get close to 6 pages of my 4mm high writing in a large Moleskine before I feel the need to sharpen, something no other writing pencil I've tried can accomplish.

I prefer the Mitsubishi Hi-Uni 4H pencil for it's excellent point strength. I use it for all my sketching and rough drawings. The pencil can produce some darker lines than most other 4H pencils. The beautiful maroon varnish with gold lettering and black end cap make this, in my opinion, the highest-quality, most beautiful woodcase drawing pencil available. Japan's woodcase pencils are the best in the world and JetPens is great for carrying the full line of Mitsubishi Hi-Uni.

This is my everyday desk pencil. On the go I use a mechanical pencil, but when I'm at home I use Hi-Uni F wooden pencils for everyday work. I use the other grades for drawing, but this is fav for notes and general work.

These pencils are smooth and buttery. They sharpen very nicely in that the wood is tight around the lead and doesn't chip, the lead doesn't crumble or break. The lead is long lasting especially with the 5H being harder. I would say that it is a tiny bit lighter then a general 4H. These pencil are aesthetically pleasing to look at, kinda old school 90s.

This is my sketching pencil of choice. It can create the slightest of lines or one thats dark enough that can still erase with ease. I also use it for skin tones and shadows.

My family and I took a vacation to San Francisco 3-1/2 years ago. I HAD to go to Japan Center for the shopping. At a stationers there, picked up a couple Uni pencils. In concert with the pads I bought, this was the smoothest writing pencil I had ever used. I have used many different brands and grades, and this pencil tops them all. A friend went to Tokyu Hands and bought me one of every grade, then I bought a dozen 'F' from JetPens. I hoard them.

Amazing, quality! I love the Tombow's, but I thought I would try the Hi-uni. Glad I did these are so smoothe and dark. I had a Derwent 8b and could never sharpen to a point without crumbling and falling apart. These can be sharpen to a point and are buttery smoothe. I will be buying more in other grades.

P.S. Love You JetPens!!