Tombow MONO 100: 17 Grades, Size & the White Band
The Tombow MONO 100 is Tombow's top-grade wood-cased graphite pencil, sold in 17 grades from 6B to 9H. JetPens lists it at 17.7 cm (7.0 in) long and 7.8 mm across. It has a glossy black hexagonal barrel, gold lettering and a white band on its rounded end, and no eraser.
On this page
Product facts
- Product
- Tombow MONO 100 graphite pencil (6B–9H)
- Brand
- Tombow
- Brand origin
- Japan
- Made in
- Japan*
- Material
- Cedar wood case per The Journal Shop (glossy black lacquer, gold foil lettering, ring cap), ultra-fine graphite core
- Released
- September 1967*
- Price range
- $under $5 per pencil (multi-packs divided by the count)
Notes on these facts
- Made by Tombow Pencil Co., Ltd.. Made in Japan: The Journal Shop lists Japan as the country of origin, Brand Name Pencils lists its MONO 100 HB as made in Japan with the JIS mark, and The Gentleman Stationer also says made in Japan. Tombow's Japanese pages don't state a country. CW Pencil Enterprise wrote in 2017 that "the Mono pencils are no longer made in Japan, but rather in Vietnam", without saying whether that covered the MONO 100, and bleistift.blog found other Tombow pencils (ippo!) made in Vietnam, so check the pencil or box you buy. Source. Price: example listing. Released: Tombow's Japanese 100-year history gives September 1967, for the company's 55th anniversary; retailers and CW Pencil Enterprise also give 1967.
- 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
- JetPens lists 17 grades: 6B to B, HB, F and H to 9H, softest to hardest.
- JetPens gives a body length of 17.7 cm (7.0 in) and a maximum diameter of 7.8 mm; one Japanese retailer says about 182 mm.
- Tombow's own 100-year history dates the MONO 100 to September 1967, for the company's 55th anniversary, at ¥100 (about US$0.60) a pencil; today a box of 12 lists at ¥1,980 (about US$13).
- Tombow says the name comes from the core's fineness: 10 billion (100億) graphite particles per cubic millimeter.
- Brand Name Pencils and The Gentleman Stationer say made in Japan; a 2017 CW Pencil Enterprise post said MONO pencils had moved to Vietnam.
What is the Tombow MONO 100?
The Tombow MONO 100 is the premium wood-cased graphite pencil from Tombow, the Tokyo pencil maker, sold one grade at a time in boxes of 12. It sits above Tombow’s everyday MONO pencils and is sold for drawing, drafting and fine writing.
Tombow’s own 100-year history dates it to September 1967 and says it marked the company’s 55th anniversary. At ¥100 (about US$0.60) a pencil, or ¥1,200 (about US$7.60) a dozen, it matched the price of the Mitsubishi Hi-Uni, launched the year before. The same history credits the designer Takashi Kono (河野鷹思) with the pencil and its packaging, and says Tombow created the first MONO eraser as a free gift with a dozen MONO 100s.
Tombow MONO 100 specs
| Spec | Value |
|---|---|
| Maker | Tombow Pencil Co., Ltd., Japan |
| Grades | 17: 6B, 5B, 4B, 3B, 2B, B, HB, F, H, 2H to 9H |
| Length | 17.7 cm (7.0 in) per JetPens; about 182 mm per Bungu |
| Diameter | 7.8 mm at the widest (JetPens) |
| Barrel | Hexagonal wood, glossy jet-black lacquer, gold foil lettering |
| End | Ring cap: a white band on a rounded black end; no eraser |
| Packaging | Unsharpened, plastic case of 12 of one grade |
| Item codes | MONO-1009H to MONO-1002H, MONO-100H, MONO-100HB, MONO-100F, MONO-100B, MONO-1002B to MONO-1006B (Tombow Japan) |
| Price in Japan | ¥1,980 (about US$13) including tax, box of 12 |
| Introduced | September 1967 (Tombow) |
| Made in | Japan, per retailers (see below) |
Tombow’s Japanese product page confirms the 17 grades, the hexagonal barrel and the 12-pencil case, and describes the core as ultra-fine and dense, so it writes smoothly and darkly and resists breaking. It gives no length or diameter, so sizes come from JetPens and Bungu, which differ by about 5 mm on length. We use JetPens’ figure in the drawings.
What grades does the MONO 100 come in?
Tombow’s Japanese site and JetPens list 17 MONO 100 grades, from 6B (softest, darkest) to 9H (hardest, lightest). HB, F and B are the everyday writing grades.
Nine of the 17 grades are H or harder, so the range is weighted toward drafting and fine line work more than heavy shading.
Why is it called the MONO 100?
Tombow’s Japanese site says the name comes from the fineness of the core: 10 billion (100億) graphite particles per cubic millimeter, or 100 times 100 million. It is a 1960s marketing figure, not a grade or a length.
The MONO name itself is older. Tombow’s history says the 1963 MONO pencil, at ¥60 (about US$0.40) a pencil, had advertised 8 billion particles per cubic millimeter, and followed the 1952 HOMO pencil; CW Pencil Enterprise calls the MONO 100 the higher-end version of that line.
How does the MONO 100 compare to other pencils?
Against other premium graphite pencils, the MONO 100 has fewer soft grades but reaches 9H; against a school #2, it is a drawing pencil with no eraser.
| MONO 100 | Hi-Uni | Mars Lumograph 100 | Ticonderoga #2 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grades | 17 (6B–9H) | 22 (10B–10H) | 24 (12B–10H) | HB (#2) |
| Length | 17.7 cm | Not published in our sources | 17.5 cm | 190 mm |
| Eraser | No | No | No | Yes |
| Made in | Japan (retailers) | Japan (retailers) | Germany | China, some Mexico |
For the European equivalents, see the Staedtler Mars Lumograph and Faber-Castell 9000. For an everyday #2 with an eraser, see the Ticonderoga #2.
Which MONO 100 grade should you buy?
Start with HB or B for writing, 2B to 6B for shading, and 2H or harder for light, precise lines. Each box holds 12 of one grade, so buy single pencils if you only need a few of the extreme grades.
- Writing and notes: HB, B or F.
- Sketching: 2B, 4B, 6B.
- Drafting and technical lines: 2H to 4H; 5H and up for very light construction lines.
A long-point sharpener such as the KUM Long Point exposes more of the core for shading.
Where is the Tombow MONO 100 made?
Retailers list Japan for the MONO 100. The Journal Shop gives Japan as the country of origin, Brand Name Pencils describes its HB as made in Japan with the JIS mark, and The Gentleman Stationer also says made in Japan. Tombow’s Japanese pages don’t state a country.
There is a caveat. CW Pencil Enterprise wrote in 2017 that “the Mono pencils are no longer made in Japan, but rather in Vietnam”, noting that the “Made in Japan” stamp had gone from the barrel, and bleistift.blog found Tombow’s ippo! school pencils made in Vietnam. Check the stamp on the barrel or box if origin matters to you.
Frequently asked questions
How many grades does the Tombow MONO 100 come in?
Tombow's Japanese site and JetPens list 17 grades: 6B, 5B, 4B, 3B, 2B, B, HB, F, H and 2H through 9H. It stops at 6B on the soft end, so artists who want very dark tones often add a softer pencil.
How long is a Tombow MONO 100 pencil?
JetPens lists the body at 17.7 cm (7.0 in) with a maximum diameter of 7.8 mm. Bungu, a Japanese retailer, gives about 182 mm, so allow a few millimeters either way.
Does the Tombow MONO 100 have an eraser?
No. The end is a rounded black cap with a white band, not an eraser, so pair it with a separate eraser such as Tombow's MONO plastic erasers.
What does the 100 in MONO 100 mean?
Tombow's Japanese site says the name comes from the core's fineness: 10 billion (100億) graphite particles per cubic millimeter. Tombow's earlier MONO pencil had advertised 8 billion. It is a 1960s marketing figure, not a grade.
Is the Tombow MONO 100 good for writing?
Its HB, F and B grades work as writing pencils, and the line is often recommended on pencil forums alongside the Mitsubishi Hi-Uni. It is sold as a premium drawing and drafting pencil, though, and costs more than a school #2.
Tombow MONO 100 or Mitsubishi Hi-Uni: which is better?
They are Japan's two flagship graphite pencils and were launched a year apart: Tombow's history dates the Hi-Uni to 1966 and the MONO 100 to 1967, both at ¥100 (about US$0.60) a pencil. The Hi-Uni has more grades (22, 10B to 10H, against 17); choose by the grades you need and the feel you prefer.
Where is the Tombow MONO 100 made?
Retailers including Brand Name Pencils and The Gentleman Stationer say Japan. A 2017 CW Pencil Enterprise post said MONO pencils had moved to Vietnam, so check the pencil or box.
Sources
- モノ100 (Tombow Japan product page, "MONO 100": ultra-fine core, 17 grades 9H to 6B with item codes, hexagonal, 12 in a plastic case, ¥1,980 (about US$13) with tax, name from 10 billion particles per mm³)
- トンボ鉛筆100年史 p. 44 (Tombow's 100-year company history: MONO 100 launched September 1967, ¥100 a pencil and ¥1,200 a dozen, design by Takashi Kono, MONO eraser created as a giveaway)
- JetPens: Tombow MONO 100 pencil, 8H, pack of 12 (17 grades, 17.7 cm length, 7.8 mm diameter)
- Bungu Store: MONO 100 wooden pencil, dozen pack (about 182 mm, hexagonal, glossy black lacquer, ring cap)
- The Journal Shop: Tombow MONO 100 drawing pencils, box of 12 (cedar wood, 75 × 20 × 224 mm box, country of origin Japan)
- Brand Name Pencils: MONO 100 HB (made in Japan, JIS mark)
- The Gentleman Stationer: Tombow MONO 100 pencil
- CW Pencil Enterprise: A Moment in Pencil History, Tombow MONO 100 (1967, Takashi Kono, 10 billion particles per mm³, Vietnam)
- Yoseka Stationery: MONO 100 pencil (55th anniversary, Hi-Uni rival)
- bleistift.blog: Made in Vietnam (Tombow ippo! pencils made in Vietnam)
- Amazon: Tombow MONO 100 2H, 1 dozen (MONO-1002H; case 75 × 20 × 224 mm)
- Amazon: Tombow MONO 100 HB wood-cased pencils, 12-pack
- Fountain Pen Network: Any good wooden pencils? (MONO 100 and Hi-Uni recommendations)