The Mitsubishi Hi-Uni Pencil is a wooden pencil that comes in a vast range of different grades from 10B to 10H (22 grades in all).
The finish is a gorgeous dark purple with gold lettering and trim and a black end. The hexagonal body neatly transforms into a rounded end. Everything suggests care and attention to detail.
The lead is gorgeously smooth and luscious. It’s pretty much smudge resistant and erases well.
It’s lovely to write with this 2B version and it’s also an excellent drawing pencil.
(I have the 10B, too, and it’s almost like a crayon, it’s so soft. I struggle with it myself but that’s most likely just me.)
It’s a shame about the barcode spoiling the otherwise perfect looks but I suppose that’s just a fact of life.
The wood smells absolutely wonderful and sharpens very neatly. I am sure that clutch pencils would be much more practical for drawing with but it’s the smell of pencils like this and the Tombow Mono 100 (and the Blackwings) that keep me using wooden pencils.
The Mitsubishi Hi-Uni is a wonderful pencil. I prefer the Tombow Mono 100, just, I suspect simply because I found the Tombow first. I find the Tombow to be a little more precise for drawing but that, I’m sure, is because I’m so used to it. I don’t think you can go wrong with either.
I’m a sucker for the smell of wood pencils in the morning. Not to sound TOO fetish-y, but the absolutely most fragrant sticks I have ever smelled have to be a tin of mixed grade Conte graphite pencils. Someday I want to wear Chanel No. 2B.
Hi-Unis and Mono 100’s are seriously great, and yeah that barcode is a bummer. Say P!P!P!, did you freehand the lines in your windowpane or did you use a straightedge (well done, either way).
I shall have to get me some Conte graphite pencils I think!
I always draw freehand.
Thanks for taking the time to comment!
I agree, the Hi Uni and the Tombow Mono 100s are both fantastic. However, I think the Tombow’s box puts it over the top. 🙂
By the way, what font are you using here? It looks like a sans serif version of Garbriela. It’s very nice.
Hi Richard
I’ve only ever bought the Tombows as singles so I’ve not had the pleasure of seeing the box! The body font is Bree and the title font is Chunk.
Beautiful pictures. And i agree, nice pencils.
Thank you 🙂
Is there a particular sharpener that you like to use? I typically shop Blick and only bought a plastic cheap that destroys nearly every pencil, as if it came with a pre-dulled edge. So I am not knocking blick, in fact I love their variety and sample shows but I normally use .3-.5 high quality drafting pencils for everything, however, I bought a set of 72 blick artist colored pencils and would like to buy the 10h-10b mitsu-bishi set online due to better pricing and would like to know if you may know of a good sharpener that will work great and keep on working great. (I’ve owned my colored set for a year and have only been able to use it once because my sharpener destroys them) Thanks and great review
I use a KUM Automatic Long Point at home with graphite pencils and a KUM Brass Wedge single hole sharpener with coloured pencils. I haven’t tried many others because the KUMs work well enough for me. (The KUM Stenographers Long Point is also good.)