Introduction

The Mitsubishi Hi-Uni is a high end pencil. Two or three pencils equating the cost of a box of Mitsubishi 9800s, the Hi-Uni is supposed to be much better than its workhorse relative. But how much better can a pencil be?

Specs

Place of Manufacture: Japan
Price: $20-25 for a box of 12, $2-3 per pencil

Packaging

The Mitsubishi Hi-Uni comes in a nice plastic case when a dozen are purchased. There is an inner plastic divider to separate the two layers of six pencils. The build quality is quite decent and it keeps the pencils safe. I like it so much that I still use it to hold some of my favorite pencils.

Fit and Finish

The level of detail and meticulousness that Mitsubishi has put into this pencil is amazing. The maroon lacquer is perfect (out of the box, that is) and there are no scratches nor is there chipped paint. The lettering is crisp and precise all around. The foil band around the end is straight and fits perfectly in the groove that is cut into the wood. The graphite core sits very centered. I have no complaints at all.

Design

The design of the Mitsubishi Hi-Uni has one flaw: the clutter. The barcode on the backside along with the UPC set this back from other pencils such as the Blackwing.

Similarly, the multitude of fonts used on the pencil can make it an eyesore.

However, the colors used, red, black and gold, work well together.

Functionality

The jump from a 9800 to the Hi-Uni is quite evident. The Hi-Uni has a much smoother core than the 9800 while maintaining a certain level of feedback. The pencil is obviously harder than a Blackwing 602, but will not lose to it in terms of smoothness. It has a bit of residue when writing with lots of pressure, but normal writing will erase well.

Sharpening the pencil is fun. The cedar the Mitsubishi has used in the pencil smells great and sharpeners glide through the wood.

Conclusion

The Mitsubishi Hi-Uni is a high end pencil. It features a good lead core, nice wood and great fit and finishing at a more expensive price. It has a few design issues, but overall, it is a great pencil.