Tombow 8900: Japan's Olive Green Pencil Since 1945
The Tombow 8900 is a hexagonal, olive green wood pencil that Tombow first sold in November 1945 and still makes in six grades, 2H to 2B. It's sold in yellow boxes of 12 with no eraser. Tombow's Japanese list price is ¥660 (about US$4.20) a dozen, and US retailers list it as made in Vietnam.
On this page
Product facts
- Product
- Tombow 8900 graphite pencil (8900-HB, box of 12)
- Brand
- Tombow
- Brand origin
- Japan
- Made in
- Vietnam*
- Material
- Wood case, graphite core
- Released
- November 1945
- Price range
- $under $5 per pencil (multi-packs divided by the count)
Notes on these facts
- Made by Tombow Pencil Co., Ltd.. Made in Vietnam: St. Louis Art Supply (H and B singles), the Minneapolis Institute of Art store (HB) and the Dallas Museum of Art shop (2B) list Vietnam. One eBay listing for a 12-pack says Japan. Tombow's own pages we could reach don't state the country, so we follow the majority of US listings. Source. Price: example listing.
- Price bands are typical US retail, checked October 2026. Conversions to US dollars are approximate, at October 2026 rates (US$1 = ¥158 = ₩1,330 = NT$32.5 = CN¥6.7 = SEK 9.9 = DKK 6.7 = ₺49.6 = C$1.41 = A$1.43; €1 = US$1.12; £1 = US$1.32; CHF 1 = US$1.21).
Key takeaways
- Tombow launched the 8900 in November 1945 as a premium pencil for retouching photographs, according to its company history.
- Tombow's Japanese site lists six grades, 2H, H, F, HB, B and 2B, at ¥660 (about US$4.20) including tax for 12.
- The yellow dozen box and olive green barrel date from 1948, three years after launch, Tombow says.
- ASKUL lists the HB dozen box at 180 × 48 × 17 mm (7.1 × 1.9 × 0.7 in); the EAN is 4901991001044.
- Most US retailers list it as made in Vietnam, and a box of 12 works out to our $ band (under $5 a pencil).
What is the Tombow 8900?
The Tombow 8900 is Tombow’s everyday wood pencil: hexagonal, olive green, with no eraser, sold in yellow boxes of 12. Tombow’s Japanese site calls it Japan’s longest-selling pencil (日本で一番のロングセラー鉛筆), and Tombow USA calls it one of the most famous pencils in Japan and Tombow’s oldest product still on sale.
In the US it’s easy to find: Tombow USA sells it directly, and art supply and museum shops stock it by the box and as singles.
When did the 8900 come out?
Tombow’s company history dates it to November 1945, when it was sold as a high-grade pencil for retouching photographs. In a 2019 press release, Tombow says it settled on the olive green barrel and the yellow dozen box in 1948, three years later, and that’s the design still sold today.
Tombow 8900 specs
| Spec | Value |
|---|---|
| Maker | Tombow Pencil Co., Ltd., Tokyo, Japan |
| Item codes | 8900-2H, -H, -F, -HB, -B, -2B |
| Grades | 6: 2H, H, F, HB, B, 2B (Tombow Japan) |
| Barrel | Hexagonal, olive green, gold lettering |
| Eraser | None |
| Pack | Box of 12 |
| Box size (HB) | 180 × 48 × 17 mm (ASKUL) |
| EAN (HB, 12) | 4901991001044 |
| Japan list price | ¥660 (about US$4.20) incl. tax for 12 |
| Made in | Vietnam (most US retailer listings) |
Tombow doesn’t publish the pencil’s own length or diameter in the sources we found, so we leave them out rather than guess. The 180 mm box gives an upper limit.
Which grade should you choose?
HB is the all-rounder; go to B or 2B for darker, softer writing, and H or 2H for light lines. F sits between HB and H, so it stays sharp a little longer than HB.
Tombow USA mainly stocks HB, B and 2B. The full six-grade range is easiest to find from Japanese and European sellers.
How does the 8900 compare with other pencils?
It’s a plain, cheap everyday pencil, closer to a Ticonderoga #2 than to an art pencil.
| Tombow 8900 | Staedtler Noris | Tombow MONO 100 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Use | Everyday writing | Everyday writing | Drawing, premium writing |
| Grades | 6 (2H–2B) | 5 (2H–2B, no F) | 17 (6B–9H) |
| Eraser | No | No | No |
| Made in | Vietnam (retailers) | Germany | Japan |
If you want a drawing pencil with more grades, the Staedtler Mars Lumograph runs from 12B to 10H. For a triangular writing pencil with a dotted grip zone, see the Faber-Castell Grip 2001.
How do you sharpen and care for it?
Any standard pencil sharpener works, because the 8900 is a regular hexagonal wood pencil. A hand sharpener such as the KUM long point gives a longer point that stays sharp between turns; an electric or crank sharpener is faster for a whole box.
It has no eraser, so keep a separate one nearby. Softer grades, especially 2B, wear down faster and need sharpening more often than HB or H.
Is the 8900 good for drawing?
It works for sketching and lettering, but its six grades are a narrow range for shading. Tombow USA’s blog calls it a basic HB pencil and uses it for light sketching before inking lettering.
For full tonal drawing, step up to an art pencil line with more grades. For handwriting, note-taking and school work, the six grades cover nearly everything.
Why is it so popular in Japan?
It has stayed in production, in nearly the same look, for more than 75 years. Tombow says the yellow box and olive green barrel have barely changed since 1948, the design won a Good Design Long Life Design Award in 2011, and in 2019 it marked 70 years of that design with a limited set that came with a pencil-case tin.
How much does it cost?
In Japan, Tombow’s list price is ¥660 (about US$4.20) including tax for 12, or about ¥55 (about US$0.30) a pencil. In the US, Tombow USA sells it by the box of 12, and divided by 12 each pencil falls well inside our $ band (under $5).
Where is the Tombow 8900 made?
Most US listings say Vietnam. St. Louis Art Supply, the Minneapolis Institute of Art store and the Dallas Museum of Art shop all list Vietnam, while one eBay seller lists Japan. Tombow, the brand, is based in Tokyo.
Frequently asked questions
What grades does the Tombow 8900 come in?
Tombow's Japanese site lists six: 2H, H, F, HB, B and 2B. Tombow USA's listings mainly carry HB, B and 2B.
When did the Tombow 8900 come out?
Tombow's company history dates it to November 1945, when it was sold as a high-grade pencil for retouching photographs. The olive green barrel and yellow dozen box followed in 1948.
Does the Tombow 8900 have an eraser?
No. It's a plain wood pencil with no eraser or ferrule, so pair it with a separate eraser.
How much is a box of Tombow 8900 pencils?
Tombow's Japanese list price is ¥660 (about US$4.20) including tax for 12. In the US, a box of 12 works out to well under $5 a pencil, our $ band.
What does 8900 mean?
It's the product number Tombow gave the pencil in 1945, and the pencil is still sold under it. The sources we found don't explain how the number was chosen.
Tombow 8900 or MONO 100: which should I buy?
The 8900 is Tombow's everyday pencil in six grades. The MONO 100 is its premium drawing pencil in 17 grades, from 6B to 9H, at a much higher price.
Where is the Tombow 8900 made?
Most US retailers we found, including St. Louis Art Supply and two museum shops, list Vietnam. Tombow is based in Tokyo, Japan.
Sources
- Tombow (Japanese): 8900 pencil (six grades 2H–2B, list price for 12, hexagonal, 2011 Long Life Design Award; page read in full)
- Tombow (Japanese): company history (8900 launched November 1945 for photo retouching; page read in full)
- Tombow press release (Japanese): 70 years of the 8900 in its yellow dozen box (1948 design)
- ASKUL (Japanese): Tombow 8900-HB, 1 dozen (box size, JAN)
- Yodobashi (Japanese): Tombow 8900-HB, 1 dozen
- Tombow USA: 8900 pencils, 2B (box of 12)
- Tombow USA: National Handwriting Day (8900 HB box of 12 price)
- Tombow USA blog: Everything you need to know about Tombow pencils
- Tombow Europe: 8900 pencil HB, set of 12
- St. Louis Art Supply: Tombow 8900 pencil, B (made in Vietnam)
- Minneapolis Institute of Art store: 8900 drawing pencils HB (made in Vietnam)
- Tingstad: Tombow pencil 8900 HB (EAN 4901991001044)