--- title: "Tombow MONOgraph Lite: Needle-Tip Ballpoint" canonical: "https://stationerytimes.com/guides/tombow-monograph-lite-ballpoint/" description: "Tombow MONOgraph Lite ballpoint explained: 5.2 mm needle tip, low-viscosity oil ink, textured grip, 0.38 and 0.5 mm balls, three inks, refills, price." category: "Pens" type: "Ballpoint pen" published: 2026-11-02 updated: 2026-11-02 author: "Ellis Penhale" publisher: "Stationery Times" sources: 1 products: - name: "Tombow MONOgraph Lite ballpoint (BC-MGLU01 0.38 mm, BC-MGLE01 0.5 mm)" brand: "Tombow" brand_origin: "Japan" made_in: "Not stated" material: "Not stated (Tombow lists a cut-metal needle tip and a textured grip surface)" price_band: "$ (under $5 per pen (multi-packs divided by the count), typical US retail, October 2026)" manufacturer: "Tombow Pencil Co., Ltd. (Tokyo)" model: "MONOgraph Lite" mpn: "BC-MGLU01" url: "https://www.tombow.com/products/monograph_lite/" --- # Tombow MONOgraph Lite: Needle-Tip Ballpoint > The Tombow MONOgraph Lite is a retractable oil-ink ballpoint with a 5.2 mm cut-metal needle tip, a textured grip without rubber stickiness and ultra-low-viscosity ink. Tombow sells it with a 0.38 mm ball (0.21 mm line) or a 0.5 mm ball (0.26 mm line) at 220 yen with tax (about US$1.39) in Japan. - URL: https://stationerytimes.com/guides/tombow-monograph-lite-ballpoint/ - Category: Pens - Author: Ellis Penhale - Published: 2026-11-02 - Updated: 2026-11-02 ![Tombow MONOgraph Lite ballpoint with a needle tip, dark textured grip and clear barrel with a blue stripe](https://stationerytimes.com/images/raster/tombow-monograph-lite-ballpoint-illustration-16x9.png?v=6b0d2caa) *The MONOgraph Lite, drawn in proportion (Tombow lists no size); circle: the two line widths at 1 mm = 40 px.* 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) | |---|---|---|---|---|---|---| | Tombow MONOgraph Lite ballpoint (BC-MGLU01 0.38 mm, BC-MGLE01 0.5 mm) | Tombow (by Tombow Pencil Co., Ltd. (Tokyo)) | Japan | Not stated | Not stated (Tombow lists a cut-metal needle tip and a textured grip surface) | – | $: under $5 per pen (multi-packs divided by the count) | - Made in (Tombow MONOgraph Lite ballpoint (BC-MGLU01 0.38 mm, BC-MGLE01 0.5 mm)): Not stated. Tombow's Japanese product page lists model numbers, ball sizes, colors and prices but no country of manufacture, so check the label on your copy. Tombow Pencil Co., Ltd. is a Tokyo company. - Good for: Everyday writing. Skip it if you want a gel or water-based ink: Tombow lists oil-based ink only, and it names no body material. ### Tombow MONOgraph Lite ballpoint (BC-MGLU01 0.38 mm, BC-MGLE01 0.5 mm) colors - Body colors (6 standard, 0 special edition): Mono color (black, blue or red ink); Smoky White; Smoky Blue; Smoky Brown; Smoky Pink; Smoky Purple. - Per Tombow (Japan) (https://www.tombow.com/products/monograph_lite/), checked 2026-11-02. Tombow sells a Mono color body (black ink, with blue or red ink in the same body) and five Smoky bodies in both ball sizes: Smoky White, Smoky Blue, Smoky Brown, Smoky Pink and Smoky Purple, all with black ink. Tints were sampled from Tombow's product images and are representative, not measured. Shops stock different colors; check the listing. ## Key takeaways - Tombow lists two ball sizes: 0.38 mm (line about 0.21 mm) and 0.5 mm (line about 0.26 mm). - The needle tip is 5.2 mm long and machined from solid metal, which Tombow says gives a wide view of the page and strength. - A pen costs 220 yen with tax (about US$1.39) in Japan and a refill costs 132 yen (about US$0.84). - Black ink fits every body; blue and red inks are sold only in the Mono color body, per Tombow. - It won a 2021 Good Design Award and a 2021 Red Dot Award, Tombow says. ## What is the Tombow MONOgraph Lite? **It is the ballpoint in Tombow's MONOgraph line, built around a long needle tip.** Tombow says the pen came out of the MONOgraph series (best known for its shaker mechanical pencil, our [MONO Graph guide](https://stationerytimes.com/guides/tombow-mono-graph/)) with writing ease as the goal. Its pitch is that a precise needle tip and an ultra-low-viscosity oil ink work together to give a very smooth feel. We read Tombow's Japanese product page on November 2, 2026. ## What features does it have? **A 5.2 mm needle tip, a textured grip and the MONO design.** Tombow lists these points. - **Long needle tip.** The tip is 5.2 mm long and machined (cut) into its needle shape, so Tombow says it keeps strength even though it is thin. The long, thin tip is meant to give a clear view of what you are writing. - **Ultra-lubricating oil ink.** Tombow credits the combination of very low viscosity ink and the needle tip for the smooth glide. - **High-density textured grip.** The grip surface carries a texture that reduces finger slip so you can hold it firmly with a light hand, and Tombow says it avoids the tackiness typical of rubber grips. - **MONO brand design.** The page describes a simple, smart look shared across the MONOgraph series. ## Which ball size and ink should you pick? **Pick 0.38 mm for small writing and 0.5 mm for everyday notes.** Tombow gives the line widths: the 0.38 mm ball draws a line about 0.21 mm wide and the 0.5 mm ball a line about 0.26 mm wide. Black ink is sold in every body. Blue and red inks are sold only in the Mono color body, so the Smoky bodies are black only. | Item | Part number | Notes | |---|---|---| | 0.38 mm, Mono color, black | BC-MGLU01 | blue is BC-MGLU01R15, red is BC-MGLU01R25 | | 0.5 mm, Mono color, black | BC-MGLE01 | blue is BC-MGLE01R15, red is BC-MGLE01R25 | | 0.38 mm Smoky White, Blue, Brown, Pink, Purple | BC-MGLU25, 45, 55, 85, 95 | black ink | | 0.5 mm Smoky White, Blue, Brown, Pink, Purple | BC-MGLE25, 45, 55, 85, 95 | black ink | Every pen is 220 yen with tax (about US$1.39). ## Who is the MONOgraph Lite for? **It suits people who write small and want a cheap, refillable pen.** - **Everyday writing:** Tombow sells refills at 132 yen (about US$0.84) and the pen at 220 yen (about US$1.39) with tax, in black, blue and red inks in 0.38 and 0.5 mm. Skip it if you want a gel or water-based ink: Tombow lists oil-based ink only. For other picks see our [best ballpoint pens](https://stationerytimes.com/guides/best-ballpoint-pens/) roundup. ## How do you refill it? **Take the pen apart in four steps.** Tombow says to remove the front barrel and the spring, take out the used refill, put the new refill into the barrel, fit the spring on the new refill's tip and attach the front barrel. Tombow says to use genuine Tombow refills: BR-KNU33 (black), BR-KNU15 (blue) and BR-KNU25 (red) for 0.38 mm, and BR-KNE33, BR-KNE15 and BR-KNE25 for 0.5 mm, 132 yen with tax each (about US$0.84). ## What should you watch out for? **Avoid writing with the tip pointing above horizontal.** Tombow says that can make the ink leak. It also says not to leave the pen in direct sun or a hot place, to retract the tip when you carry it so ink does not stain clothes, and not to force the clip open because the clip can break. Keep it away from small children and use it only for writing. ## Where is it made, and what does it cost? **Tombow's page doesn't state a country of manufacture.** Tombow Pencil is a Tokyo company. At 220 yen with tax (about US$1.39), the pen is in our $ band (under $5). Tombow also lists a 2021 Good Design Award and a 2021 Red Dot Award for it. Tombow's matching pencil is the [MONOgraph Lite mechanical pencil](https://stationerytimes.com/guides/tombow-monograph-lite-mechanical-pencil/), with a retractable MONO eraser. ## Frequently asked questions ### What ball sizes does it come in? 0.38 mm, with a line about 0.21 mm wide, and 0.5 mm, with a line about 0.26 mm wide, per Tombow. ### What is the needle tip? A 5.2 mm long tip machined from metal. Tombow says it gives a wide view of the page and stays strong even though it is thin. ### Which ink colors are sold? Black, blue and red. Tombow says blue and red inks come only in the Mono color body. ### Is it refillable? Yes. Refills are BR-KNU33, BR-KNU15 and BR-KNU25 for 0.38 mm black, blue and red, and BR-KNE33, BR-KNE15 and BR-KNE25 for 0.5 mm, at 132 yen each. ### How do you swap the refill? Tombow says to remove the front barrel and spring, take out the old refill, drop in the new one, put the spring on its tip and screw the front barrel back. ### How much does it cost? 220 yen with tax (about US$1.39) for the pen in Japan; 132 yen (about US$0.84) for a refill. ### Did it win design awards? Tombow lists a 2021 Good Design Award and a 2021 Red Dot Award. ### Where is the MONOgraph Lite made? Tombow's page doesn't say. Tombow Pencil is a Tokyo company; check the label on your pen. ## Sources - [Tombow (Japanese): MONOgraph Lite oil-based ballpoint product page (needle tip, ball sizes, inks, colors, model numbers, refill steps, prices, awards, cautions; read November 2, 2026)](https://www.tombow.com/products/monograph_lite/)