--- title: "Fonte biiro Fountain Pen: Mix-and-Match Two-Color Pen" canonical: "https://stationerytimes.com/guides/fonte-biiro-fountain-pen/" description: "Fonte biiro fountain pen from Komamono Lab explained: a 121 mm acrylic EF pen in 7 colors with 10 swappable UNIT 2 parts, converter included, sizes, cost." category: "Pens" type: "Fountain pen" published: 2026-11-04 updated: 2026-11-04 author: "Ellis Penhale" publisher: "Stationery Times" sources: 3 products: - name: "Fonte biiro UNIT 1 fountain pen body with converter, EF nib, plus UNIT 2 parts (Komamono Lab)" brand: "Fonte (Komamono Lab)" brand_origin: "Japan" made_in: "Not stated" material: "Acrylic body with zinc alloy and polypropylene parts; stainless steel nib" price_band: "$$ ($5–20 per pen (multi-packs divided by the count), typical US retail, October 2026)" manufacturer: "Nippan (Nippon Shuppan Hanbai Inc.), Japan, under its komamono lab brand" model: "Fonte biiro UNIT 1 and UNIT 2" url: "https://komamono-lab.com/fonte/" --- # Fonte biiro Fountain Pen: Mix-and-Match Two-Color Pen > The Fonte biiro is a two-part fountain pen from Komamono Lab: a UNIT 1 body in one of 7 colors and a UNIT 2 pack of ring and end parts in one of 10. The 14 by 121 mm acrylic body has a stainless steel EF nib and a converter. Komamono Lab lists it at ¥2,178 (about US$13.80) with tax. - URL: https://stationerytimes.com/guides/fonte-biiro-fountain-pen/ - Category: Pens - Author: Ellis Penhale - Published: 2026-11-04 - Updated: 2026-11-04 ![Fonte biiro fountain pen, 121 mm long, in wine red with an orange end part, above rows of body and part colors](https://stationerytimes.com/images/raster/fonte-biiro-fountain-pen-illustration-16x9.png?v=f82cca71) *The pen at 1 mm = 6.9 px from Komamono Lab's 121 mm height, above the 7 body and 10 part colors.* Original illustration made for this guide. © Stationery Times. Original drawing (SVG): . Drawings © 2026 Stationery Times, reusable with credit under CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). ## Product facts | Product | Brand | Brand origin | Made in | Material | Released | Price range (typical US retail, October 2026) | |---|---|---|---|---|---|---| | Fonte biiro UNIT 1 fountain pen body with converter, EF nib, plus UNIT 2 parts (Komamono Lab) | Fonte (Komamono Lab) (by Nippan (Nippon Shuppan Hanbai Inc.), Japan, under its komamono lab brand) | Japan | Not stated | Acrylic body with zinc alloy and polypropylene parts; stainless steel nib | – | $$: $5–20 per pen (multi-packs divided by the count) | - Made in (Fonte biiro UNIT 1 fountain pen body with converter, EF nib, plus UNIT 2 parts (Komamono Lab)): Not stated. Komamono Lab's Fonte page lists size, materials and price for the biiro but not the country of manufacture. - Good for: First pen. Skip it if you need a nib wider than EF or a stated weight: Komamono Lab lists only an EF nib and gives no weight. ### Fonte biiro UNIT 1 fountain pen body with converter, EF nib, plus UNIT 2 parts (Komamono Lab) colors - Body colors (10 standard, 0 special edition): Skeleton (clear) (UNIT 1 and UNIT 2); Ivory (UNIT 1 and UNIT 2); Pink (UNIT 1 and UNIT 2); Blue (UNIT 1 and UNIT 2); Taupe Gray (UNIT 1 and UNIT 2); Midnight Blue (UNIT 1 and UNIT 2); Wine Red (UNIT 1 and UNIT 2); Orange (UNIT 2 only); Yellow (UNIT 2 only); Purple (UNIT 2 only). - Per Komamono Lab (Japanese): Fonte brand page, biiro section (https://komamono-lab.com/fonte/), checked 2026-11-04. Seven UNIT 1 body colors and three more UNIT 2 colors (Orange, Yellow, Purple) as named by the maker, romanized from katakana. Tints were sampled by hand from the maker's product photos and are representative; UNIT 2 parts in the seven shared colors use the body tint. Shops stock different colors; check the listing. ## Key takeaways - Komamono Lab lists the biiro UNIT 1 body at up to 14 mm across and 121 mm high, with acrylic, zinc alloy and polypropylene parts, a stainless steel EF (extra fine) nib and a converter included. - The pen is sold in two listings: the UNIT 1 body in 7 colors and the UNIT 2 parts in 10 colors, which you can fit and remove again and again. - A UNIT 1 body is ¥1,980 (about US$12.50) before tax and ¥2,178 (about US$13.80) with tax; a UNIT 2 pack is ¥300 (about US$1.90) before tax and ¥330 (about US$2.10) with tax. - The three UNIT 2 pieces are small: a ring part 10 mm across and 3 mm high, a gold ring 9 mm by 1 mm and an end part 9 mm by 9 mm. - Komamono Lab gives no release date, weight, nib width in millimeters or country of manufacture, and we found no US retailer listing on November 4, 2026. ## What is the Fonte biiro? **It is a fountain pen you assemble from two color choices.** Komamono Lab, the original-goods brand of Japan's Nippan, sells the biiro inside its Fonte line. You pick a UNIT 1 body in one color and a UNIT 2 parts pack in another, and fit them together. The maker says the pen body is acrylic for a high-quality finish, and pitches it as a real fountain pen at a low price. The name joins the Italian bi, for two, with the Japanese iro, for color. We found no release date on the maker's page; the biiro photos and a leaflet PDF on the site were uploaded in January and February 2024, which suggests an early 2024 launch, but that is our inference from file dates, not a maker statement. ## Fonte biiro specs | Spec | Value | |---|---| | Maker | Nippan (Nippon Shuppan Hanbai), brand Komamono Lab, Japan | | Body size (UNIT 1) | Maximum diameter 14 mm, height 121 mm (0.55 × 4.8 in) | | Materials | Acrylic, zinc alloy and polypropylene body; stainless steel nib | | Nib | EF (extra fine) | | Filling | Converter included; cartridge use not stated | | Weight | Not stated | | Price in Japan, body | ¥1,980 (about US$12.50) before tax; ¥2,178 (about US$13.80) with tax | | Price in Japan, parts | ¥300 (about US$1.90) before tax; ¥330 (about US$2.10) with tax | The sizes, materials and prices are from Komamono Lab's Japanese Fonte page, read November 4, 2026. ## How do UNIT 1 and UNIT 2 fit together? **UNIT 1 is the pen and UNIT 2 is the colored trim.** The maker's page says you combine a body in your favorite color with parts in another to make a "special fountain pen", and that the parts can be fitted and removed repeatedly. In its photos the parts show as colored end pieces and rings on a body with gold-colored fittings. ![The three Fonte biiro UNIT 2 parts at one scale: a 10 by 3 mm ring part, a 9 by 1 mm gold ring and a 9 by 9 mm end part](https://stationerytimes.com/images/fonte-biiro-fountain-pen-unit-2-parts.svg?v=30d40fff) *The three UNIT 2 pieces at 1 mm = 26 px from the maker's sizes; the shapes are drawn by eye. Original illustration made for this guide. © Stationery Times.* Komamono Lab lists the three parts as a ring part (10 mm across, 3 mm high), a gold ring (9 by 1 mm) and an end part (9 by 9 mm at most), made of acrylic and zinc alloy. A UNIT 2 pack is the cheap way to change the look. ## Which colors can you choose? **Seven bodies and ten part colors.** UNIT 1 comes in Skeleton, Ivory, Pink, Blue, Taupe Gray, Midnight Blue and Wine Red. UNIT 2 adds Orange, Yellow and Purple to those seven. The swatches on this page are sampled from the maker's photos and are representative, and the maker's combination photo shows seven pairings. ## Who is the Fonte biiro for? **It is a low-cost fountain pen for someone who wants to design the look and write fine lines.** The converter is included, the body is ¥2,178 (about US$13.80) with tax and a parts pack adds about US$2.10, so a body and one UNIT 2 pack comes to ¥2,508 (about US$15.90) at Japanese prices. That is our $$ band, with no US retailer we could confirm. - **First pen:** a converter is included and the whole build costs under US$20 at Japanese prices. An EF nib suits small handwriting and notes, but the maker gives no tip width. For a cheaper clear pen with cartridge support and 14 cap colors, see the [Fonte Skeleton Fountain Pen](https://stationerytimes.com/guides/fonte-skeleton-fountain-pen/); for a pen that makes a first fountain pen easy, see our [best fountain pens for beginners](https://stationerytimes.com/guides/best-fountain-pens-for-beginners/). ## Where is the Fonte biiro made? **Komamono Lab doesn't say.** Its Fonte page lists materials and sizes but not a country of manufacture. Nippan, its owner, is a Japanese company. ## How much does it cost? **It sits in our $$ band ($5-20).** A UNIT 1 body is ¥2,178 (about US$13.80) with tax and a UNIT 2 pack ¥330 (about US$2.10) with tax; the page prices them as two separate listings, so plan for both. We found no US listing for the biiro on November 4, 2026, so import and shipping would be extra. ## Frequently asked questions ### What does biiro mean? Komamono Lab says it joins the Italian bi, meaning two, with the Japanese iro, meaning color, for the idea of making a fountain pen from two colors. ### What is the difference between UNIT 1 and UNIT 2? UNIT 1 is the pen body, with the converter and EF nib. UNIT 2 is a small pack of parts, a ring part, a gold ring and an end part, that you combine with the body to change its colors. ### Can you change the parts after buying? Yes. Komamono Lab says the UNIT 2 parts can be attached and removed repeatedly, so you can change the look without buying a new pen body. ### What nib does the Fonte biiro have? A stainless steel EF (extra fine) nib, per Komamono Lab. The page gives no tip width in millimeters, so it cannot be compared directly with another maker's EF. ### Does the biiro come with a converter? Yes. Komamono Lab lists a converter included with the UNIT 1 body. The page does not say whether it also takes cartridges, unlike the cheaper Fonte skeleton pen, which it does. ### How many colors can you build? Seven body colors and ten part colors are listed, so there are 70 body and part pairings, counting same-color pairs. Komamono Lab shows seven of them in its photos. ### How big is the Fonte biiro? Komamono Lab gives a maximum diameter of 14 mm and a height of 121 mm for the UNIT 1 body. The page does not say whether the height includes the cap, and gives no weight. ### How much does the Fonte biiro cost? In Japan a body is ¥1,980 (about US$12.50) before tax and ¥2,178 (about US$13.80) with tax, and a parts pack ¥300 (about US$1.90) before tax and ¥330 (about US$2.10) with tax. We found no US price on November 4, 2026. ## Sources - [Komamono Lab (Japanese): Fonte brand page, biiro section (UNIT 1 body ¥1,980 (about US$12.50), ¥2,178 (about US$13.80) with tax; 14 x 121 mm; acrylic, zinc alloy, PP body, stainless steel nib; converter included; EF; 7 colors; UNIT 2 parts ¥300 (about US$1.90), ¥330 (about US$2.10) with tax; 10 colors; part sizes; name meaning; read November 4, 2026)](https://komamono-lab.com/fonte/) - [Komamono Lab: biiro leaflet (PDF uploaded February 2024; image-only, read for its existence but not for facts)](https://komamono-lab.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/biiro_web_leaflet_0209.pdf) - [Yoseka Stationery: Fonte Fountain Pen (the cheaper Fonte pen in the same family; cartridge or converter; read November 4, 2026)](https://yosekastationery.com/products/fonte-fountain-pen)