--- title: "uni Hi-Uni Pencil: 22 Grades From 10B to 10H" canonical: "https://stationerytimes.com/guides/uni-hi-uni-pencil/" description: "Mitsubishi uni Hi-Uni graphite pencil explained: 22 grades from 10B to 10H, the maroon barrel and gold ring, the 22-pencil Art Set, its 1966 debut and origin." category: "Pencils" type: "Wood pencil" published: 2026-10-20 updated: 2026-10-20 author: "Ellis Penhale" publisher: "Stationery Times" sources: 16 products: - name: "uni Hi-Uni graphite pencil (10B–10H)" brand: "uni" brand_origin: "Japan" made_in: "Japan" material: "Wood case, graphite core" released: "1966" price_band: "$ (under $5 per pencil (multi-packs divided by the count), typical US retail, October 2026)" manufacturer: "Mitsubishi Pencil Co., Ltd." model: "HU" mpn: "HUHB" gtin: "4902778972984" url: "https://www.mpuni.co.jp/products/pencils/black/uni_series/hi_uni.html" --- # uni Hi-Uni Pencil: 22 Grades From 10B to 10H > The Hi-Uni is Mitsubishi Pencil's top-grade wood-cased graphite pencil, sold under the uni brand in 22 grades from 10B to 10H. It has a maroon, wine-red hexagonal barrel with a gold ring and a black end, and no eraser. Mitsubishi launched it in 1966, and retailers list it as made in Japan. - URL: https://stationerytimes.com/guides/uni-hi-uni-pencil/ - Category: Pencils - Author: Ellis Penhale - Published: 2026-10-20 - Updated: 2026-10-20 ![Maroon, wine-red hexagonal uni Hi-Uni pencil with a gold ring and a black end, drawn in proportion; inset: 22 grades from 10B to 10H](https://stationerytimes.com/images/raster/uni-hi-uni-pencil-16x9.png) *The Hi-Uni, drawn in proportion: Mitsubishi's length isn't in our sources.* Original drawing (SVG): https://stationerytimes.com/images/uni-hi-uni-pencil-cover.svg. Drawings © 2026 Stationery Times, reusable with credit under CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). ## Product facts | Product | Brand | Brand origin | Made in | Material | Released | Price range (typical US retail, October 2026) | |---|---|---|---|---|---|---| | uni Hi-Uni graphite pencil (10B–10H) | uni (by Mitsubishi Pencil Co., Ltd.) | Japan | Japan | Wood case, graphite core | 1966 | $: under $5 per pencil (multi-packs divided by the count) | - Made in (uni Hi-Uni graphite pencil (10B–10H)): Japan. Hunter Paper Co. lists the single Hi-Uni pencil and the Art Set as made in Japan, and STL Art Supply and The Journal Shop say the same; we found no retailer listing another country. Mitsubishi Pencil's Japanese product pages don't state it. Source: https://hunterpaperco.com/products/mitsubishi-hi-uni-pencil ## Key takeaways - Mitsubishi Pencil lists 22 grades, 10B to 10H, at ¥1,980 (about US$13) a dozen in Japan; the 22-pencil Art Set is ¥3,960 (about US$25). - Mitsubishi Pencil launched the uni in 1958 and the Hi-Uni in 1966, per its September 14, 2026 press release. - The 22-pencil Art Set comes unsharpened in a metal tin that retailers list at 187 × 199 × 12 mm. - PencilTalk measured a Hi-Uni 10B at 7.25 mm across the flats with a micrometer. - Hunter Paper Co. and STL Art Supply list Japan as the country of origin. ## What is the uni Hi-Uni? **The Hi-Uni is the top-grade wood-cased graphite pencil from Mitsubishi Pencil Co., sold under its uni brand in 22 grades.** It is sold for drawing, drafting and writing, one grade at a time or in sets. Mitsubishi Pencil's press release of September 14, 2026 says the uni pencil arrived in 1958 and the Hi-Uni in 1966. The same release announced new packaging from September 16, 2026, starting with the HB, B and 2B grades, at ¥1,980 (about US$13) a dozen. Mitsubishi Pencil, which has owned LAMY since 2024 and isn't part of the Mitsubishi group, traces its pencils back to 1887 ([the story of Mitsubishi Pencil and LAMY](https://stationerytimes.com/guides/lamy-mitsubishi-pencil/)). Mitsubishi Pencil's Japanese page says the lead uses fine graphite and clay with few impurities, mixed evenly so it writes darker and breaks less. ## uni Hi-Uni specs | Spec | Value | |---|---| | Maker | Mitsubishi Pencil Co., Ltd., Japan (brand: uni) | | Grades | 22: 10B to B, HB, F, H to 10H | | Barrel | Hexagonal wood, maroon (wine red), grade printed in gold on all six sides | | End | Gold ring, then a rounded black end; no eraser | | Width | 7.25 mm across the flats (PencilTalk, measured on a 10B) | | Length | Not published in our sources | | Item codes | HU + grade, e.g. HUHB (JAN 4902778972984), HU2H, HU6B (dozen boxes) | | Price in Japan | ¥1,980 (about US$13) a dozen; Art Set ¥3,960 (about US$25) | | Art Set | 22 pencils, 10B to 10H, unsharpened, metal tin 187 × 199 × 12 mm (The Journal Shop) | | Introduced | 1966 (Mitsubishi Pencil) | | Made in | Japan (retailers) | We couldn't find a published length, so the cover is drawn in proportion rather than to scale. The width is a reviewer's micrometer reading, not a maker figure. ![uni Hi-Uni grades from 10B to 10H, 22 in all; the 22-pencil Art Set tin drawn to scale at 199 by 187 mm and 12 mm deep; and a hexagonal Hi-Uni cross-section at 10 times, 7.25 mm across the flats](https://stationerytimes.com/images/uni-hi-uni-pencil-grades.svg) *All 22 grades fit in one flat tin about the size of a paperback cover.* ## What grades does the Hi-Uni come in? **Mitsubishi Pencil lists 22 Hi-Uni grades, from 10B to 10H.** That is ten B grades, HB, F and ten H grades, symmetrical around the middle. Few graphite pencil lines go as soft as 10B; the Castell 9000 stops at 8B and the MONO 100 at 6B. PencilTalk reviewed the Hi-Uni 10B alongside Mitsubishi's 10B brush pencil. ## How can you tell a Hi-Uni from a regular uni? **Look for the gold ring: a Japanese news history of the line notes that it is a Hi-Uni feature the regular uni lacks.** Mitsubishi Pencil describes the color as a blend of the traditional Japanese ebicha (maroon) and wine red, with the grade printed in gold on all six sides. One retailer adds that the hexagonal barrel turns cylindrical above the gold ring. The ring and the "Hi-uni" imprint on the barrel are the quick check. ## Which Hi-Uni set should you buy? **Buy the 22-pencil Art Set if you want every grade; buy dozen boxes of HB or B if you mostly write.** Most people use only a handful of grades. - **Writing:** HB, B or F. - **Sketching and shading:** 2B, 4B, 6B; 8B to 10B for the darkest tones. - **Drafting:** 2H to 4H; harder grades for faint construction lines. Pencils come unsharpened. A long-point sharpener such as the [KUM Long Point](https://stationerytimes.com/guides/kum-long-point-sharpener/) exposes more of the soft cores. ## How does the Hi-Uni compare to other drawing pencils? **The Hi-Uni sits between the Tombow MONO 100 and the Staedtler Mars Lumograph on range: 22 grades, against 17 and 24.** | | Hi-Uni | MONO 100 | Mars Lumograph 100 | Castell 9000 | |---|---|---|---|---| | Grades | 22 (10B–10H) | 17 (6B–9H) | 24 (12B–10H) | 16 (8B–6H) | | Launched | 1966 | 1967 (retailers) | 1930 (retailer history) | 1905 | | Eraser | No | No | No | No | | Made in | Japan | Japan (retailers) | Germany | Germany | The [Tombow MONO 100](https://stationerytimes.com/guides/tombow-mono-100/) was launched a year later as its direct rival. For German alternatives, see the [Staedtler Mars Lumograph](https://stationerytimes.com/guides/staedtler-mars-lumograph/) and the [Faber-Castell 9000](https://stationerytimes.com/guides/faber-castell-9000/). ## Where is the Hi-Uni made? **Hunter Paper Co., STL Art Supply and The Journal Shop list Japan as the Hi-Uni's country of origin.** We found no listing that gives another country, and Mitsubishi Pencil's own pages don't state it. Mitsubishi Pencil, the brand owner, is based in Tokyo. Hunter Paper Co. says the company was founded there by Niroku Masaki in 1887. ## Frequently asked questions ### How many grades does the Hi-Uni come in? Mitsubishi Pencil lists 22 grades, from 10B (softest, darkest) to 10H (hardest, lightest). The Hi-Uni Art Set holds one pencil of each. ### Who makes the Hi-Uni pencil? Mitsubishi Pencil Co., the Tokyo maker of uni pencils and uni-ball pens, sells it under the uni brand. Hunter Paper Co. says the company was founded by Niroku Masaki in 1887. ### What is the difference between uni and Hi-Uni pencils? The Hi-Uni is the top grade of the uni pencil series, launched in 1966, eight years after the uni. Mitsubishi Pencil gives it a maroon and wine-red barrel with the grade in gold on all six sides and a gold ring; a dozen costs ¥1,980 (about US$13) in Japan against ¥1,320 (about US$8) for the uni. ### What comes in the Hi-Uni Art Set? One pencil of each of the 22 grades from 10B to 10H, unsharpened, in a metal tin that The Journal Shop lists at 187 × 199 × 12 mm. Mitsubishi Pencil sells it for artists and designers at ¥3,960 (about US$25) in Japan. ### Does the Hi-Uni have an eraser? No. The end above the gold ring is a plain black end, so you need a separate eraser. ### Hi-Uni or Tombow MONO 100: which is better? They are Japan's two flagship graphite pencils. The Hi-Uni has more grades (22 against 17) and goes softer, to 10B; pick by the grades you need and the feel you prefer. ### Where is the Hi-Uni pencil made? Hunter Paper Co., STL Art Supply and The Journal Shop list Japan as the country of origin; Mitsubishi Pencil's own pages don't say. Mitsubishi Pencil is based in Tokyo. ## Sources - [三菱鉛筆: ハイユニ (Mitsubishi Pencil product page: fine, pure graphite and clay; maroon and wine-red barrel, gold grade marks, gold ring)](https://www.mpuni.co.jp/products/pencils/black/uni_series/hi_uni.html) - [三菱鉛筆: ハイユニ ラインナップ (Mitsubishi Pencil lineup, read in full: 22 grades, HU order codes, JAN, ¥1,980)](https://www.mpuni.co.jp/products/pencils/black/uni_series/hi_uni/hi_uni.html) - [三菱鉛筆: ハイユニ アートセット (Mitsubishi Pencil: 22-grade set for artists and designers, ¥3,960)](https://www.mpuni.co.jp/products/pencils/black/uni_series/hi_uni_art/art_set.html) - [鉛筆『uni』『Hi-uni』パッケージリニューアル (Mitsubishi Pencil press release, September 14, 2026: uni 1958, Hi-uni 1966; dozen prices)](https://digitalpr.jp/r/143458) - [Hokkaido Shimbun: uni and Hi-uni history (gold ring)](https://www.hokkaido-np.co.jp/article/1370244/) - [Hunter Paper Co.: Mitsubishi Hi-Uni pencil (made in Japan; Mitsubishi Pencil founded 1887)](https://hunterpaperco.com/products/mitsubishi-hi-uni-pencil) - [Cult Pens: Mitsubishi Hi-Uni pencil (maroon finish, gold ring)](https://cultpens.com/products/mitsubishi-hi-uni-pencil) - [Cult Pens: Mitsubishi Hi-Uni pencil Art Set of 22 grades](https://cultpens.com/products/mitsubishi-hi-uni-pencil-art-set-of-22-grades) - [The Journal Shop: Mitsubishi Hi-Uni Pencil Art Set, 22 degrees (187 × 199 × 12 mm, made in Japan)](https://www.thejournalshop.com/products/mitsubishi-hi-uni-pencil-art-set-22-degrees-22-pencils) - [Hunter Paper Co.: Mitsubishi Hi-Uni pencil Art Set of 22 grades (metal tin, made in Japan)](https://hunterpaperco.com/products/mitsubishi-hi-uni-pencil-art-set-of-22-grades) - [Bungu Store: Hi-uni Art Set 22 pencil set](https://bungu.store/products/hi-uni-art-set-22-pencil-set-mistubishi-pencil) - [Tacto Studio: Hi-Uni pencils, box of 12](https://tacto-studio.com/products/hi-uni-pencils-box-of-12) - [STL Art Supply: Hi-Uni pencil, B (made in Japan)](https://shop.stlartsupply.com/products/hi-uni-pencil-b) - [PencilTalk: Mitsubishi 10B pencils, the brush pencil and the Hi-uni (7.25 mm measurement)](https://www.penciltalk.org/?p=326) - [Yahoo! Shopping Japan: Mitsubishi Pencil Hi-uni, hexagonal, HB, 1 dozen (HUHB)](https://shopping.yahoo.co.jp/products/09fc50cbf9) - [Fountain Pen Network: Any good wooden pencils? (Hi-Uni and MONO 100 recommendations)](https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/topic/270211-any-good-wooden-pencils)