UNI Stars Graphite Pencil HB x 6

Uni Star is a great, all-purpose pencil for writing and drawing. It's made in Japan with the same expertise, design sensibility, and quality control as Mitsubishi's higher-end pencils. But it's a simplified design, not as glossy as the Hi-Uni and made with humbler materials, and the result is a pencil of outstanding quality at a surprisingly low price.

In our tests, we enjoyed the smooth, dark graphite inside Uni Star pencils, which runs a bit harder than the famously soft Hi-Uni lead. That gives the HB grade a firm, precise point, as you'd expect from a traditional #2. It sharpens cleanly and doesn't break easily, even when held at a shallow angle for broad marks and shading.

Uni Star shares the good looks of its older siblings, too. It's finished with burgundy lacquer (fewer coats than Hi-Uni, but still nice and shiny) and stamped with the Mitsubishi brand in gold foil.

This listing is for a single Uni Star pencil. We also offer the Uni Star in sets of 12 with reusable plastic storage cases.