Compiled from 8 sources; we haven't tested this product ourselves yet. How we research
Quick answer
The Le Pen (model 4300) is Marvy Uchida's capped 0.3 mm fineliner with a micro-fine plastic point and water-based dye ink, sold by Uchida of America in Torrance, California. Uchida says it comes in 36 colors, each barrel matching its ink, and calls it its best seller. The pen is printed Made in Japan.
On this page11 sections
The black Le Pen, drawn to scale from Boston General Store's 5.7 in length.
Plastic barrel and cap, micro-fine plastic point (Uchida); metal clip (Hunter Paper Co)
Price range
$under $5 per pen (multi-packs divided by the count)
Ink colors
1 Black
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Notes on these facts
Made by Uchida of America, Corp. (Torrance, California). Made in Japan: Uchida's own product photo of the black Le Pen (read October 24, 2026) shows MADE IN JAPAN printed on the barrel. Hunter Paper Co and Boston General Store also list it as made in Japan. Source. Price: example listing.
Colors: names per Marvy Uchida, checked October 24, 2026. The 18 colors Uchida sells singly on its US store, with Uchida's color numbers; Uchida says the full range is 36 colors, including fluorescent and pastel shades sold in sets, and Hunter Paper Co lists 42 names. Tints were sampled from Uchida's product photos. Tints are representative, not measured. Shops stock different colors.
Price bands are typical US retail, checked October 2026.
Key takeaways
Uchida says the Le Pen comes in 36 colors, and sells 18 of them singly on its own US store, from Black and Burgundy to Periwinkle and Amethyst.
Uchida lists water-based dye ink and a micro-fine plastic point; retailers and Uchida's own Amazon set titles give the point as 0.3 mm.
Boston General Store lists the pen at 5.7 in (145 mm) long.
Uchida's product photo shows MADE IN JAPAN printed on the barrel, and two retailers list Japan as well.
On Amazon US the black 12-pack had 1,149 ratings averaging 4.7 stars on October 24, 2026.
What is the Marvy Uchida Le Pen?
It’s a slim capped fineliner with a 0.3 mm plastic point and water-based dye ink, made in Japan and sold in 36 colors. Uchida of America, which sells it under the Marvy Uchida brand, calls the LePen its best seller. It recommends it for bullet journals, planners, forms, scrapbooking and letters.
Each barrel is the color of its ink, so a cup of Le Pens doubles as a color chart. The model number is 4300; single colors add Uchida’s color number, as in 4300-1 for black.
Marvy Uchida Le Pen specs
Spec
Value
Brand
Marvy Uchida (Uchida of America, Corp.)
Model
4300; colors 4300-1 (Black) to 4300-106 (Amethyst)
Type
Capped fineliner
Point
Micro-fine plastic point (Uchida), 0.3 mm (retailers, Uchida’s Amazon set titles)
Ink
Water-based dye; smear resistant and quick drying (Uchida)
Colors
36 (Uchida); 18 sold singly on uchida.com
Length
5.7 in (145 mm), per Boston General Store
Clip
Metal (Hunter Paper Co)
Safety
Non-toxic, conforms to ASTM D4236 (Uchida)
Made in
Japan
Price band
$ (under $5 per pen)
Uchida’s own page calls the point “micro-fine” without a number. The 0.3 mm figure comes from Hunter Paper Co, Boston General Store and Uchida of America’s Amazon set listings.
The Le Pen against two pigment fineliners, lengths to scale; its width is drawn by eye.
What colors does the Le Pen come in?
Uchida says 36 colors, and sells 18 of them one at a time on its US store. The singles run from Black, Red, Blue and Green to Lavender, Oriental Blue, Teal, Orchid, Periwinkle and Amethyst.
The rest come in sets, such as the 6-piece Pastel set (coral pink, pale blue, pastel peach, peppermint, wisteria and yellow) and the 6-piece Neon set of fluorescent colors. Hunter Paper Co lists 42 names, adding newer shades such as Cocoa, Terracotta and Matcha, so counts vary by shop.
Set (Uchida item)
Colors
4300-4A Primary
Black, blue, red, green
4300-4B Black
All black
4300-10B Dark
Black, red, blue, green, brown, lavender, olive green, dark grey, burgundy, oriental blue
Coral pink, pale blue, pastel peach, peppermint, wisteria, yellow
Is the Le Pen ink waterproof or archival?
No: Uchida lists a water-based dye ink, which it calls smear resistant and quick drying, not waterproof. Hunter Paper Co calls the ink water-resistant, but Uchida’s own page makes no such claim.
For ink that resists water and fading, a pigment fineliner such as the Sakura Pigma Micron or STAEDTLER pigment liner 308 is the safer choice. The Le Pen’s strength is its color range on thin paper.
What is the Le Pen Flex?
A brush-tip sister pen, item 4800, with a flexible rubberized tip for hand lettering. Uchida’s 30-piece Le Pen Flex set holds one of every Flex color, so it’s a separate pen rather than a Le Pen with a different nib.
Who makes Le Pen?
Uchida of America, Corp., the Torrance, California company behind the Marvy Uchida brand, established in September 1973. JetPens describes Uchida of America as an affiliate of Japan’s Uchida Yoko, but we didn’t find that confirmed on a Japanese company page. We also found no Japanese-market page or Japanese name for the Le Pen.
How does the Le Pen compare to other fineliners?
It offers far more colors, but in one size and with dye ink rather than pigment.
Japan. Uchida’s own product photo shows MADE IN JAPAN printed on the black barrel, and Hunter Paper Co and Boston General Store list Japan as well.
On Amazon US, the black 12-pack had 1,149 ratings averaging 4.7 stars, and Uchida’s 4-piece black set had 1,075, on October 24, 2026.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Le Pen waterproof?
No. Uchida lists a water-based dye ink and calls it smear resistant and quick drying, not waterproof. For water-resistant lines, use a pigment fineliner such as the Sakura Pigma Micron.
Does Le Pen bleed through thin paper?
Uchida says it works well on thin papers, and recommends it for planners and bullet journals. That's a maker claim; we haven't tested it yet.
How many colors does the Le Pen come in?
Uchida says 36. Its US store sells 18 singly and the rest in sets, such as the 6-piece Pastel and Neon sets, while Hunter Paper Co lists 42 names including newer earth tones.
What is the difference between Le Pen and Le Pen Flex?
The Le Pen has a 0.3 mm plastic point for writing; the Le Pen Flex, item 4800, has a flexible rubberized brush tip for hand lettering. Uchida's 30-piece Flex set holds one of every Flex color.
Is Marvy a Japanese company?
Marvy Uchida is the brand of Uchida of America, Corp., in Torrance, California, established in September 1973. The Le Pen itself is printed Made in Japan.
Is the Le Pen made in the USA?
No. Uchida's product photo shows MADE IN JAPAN printed on the barrel, and Hunter Paper Co and Boston General Store list Japan too.
How long is a Le Pen?
Boston General Store lists it at 5.7 in (145 mm); Uchida doesn't publish a length. That's longer than a capped STAEDTLER pigment liner (136 mm) or uni PIN (139 mm).
