--- title: "uni-ball One 3: The Stubby Twist 3-Color Gel Pen" canonical: "https://stationerytimes.com/guides/uni-ball-one-3/" description: "uni-ball One 3 explained: the first 3-color pen in the uni-ball One line, a short 129 mm twist body, 0.38 and 0.5 mm, UMR-ML refills, gift version, US sources." category: "Pens" type: "Gel pen" published: 2026-10-22 updated: 2026-10-24 author: "Ellis Penhale" publisher: "Stationery Times" sources: 5 products: - name: "uni-ball One 3, 3-color gel pen (UME3-SR)" brand: "uni-ball" brand_origin: "Japan" made_in: "Not stated" material: "Plastic body, metal wire clip; water-based pigment gel ink" released: "2026-03-18" price_band: "$$ ($5–20 per pen (multi-packs divided by the count), typical US retail, October 2026)" manufacturer: "Mitsubishi Pencil Co., Ltd." model: "UME3-SR" mpn: "UME3SR05.20" gtin: "4902778352908" url: "https://www.mpuni.co.jp/products/ballpoint_pens/gel/uniball_one/one_3/ume3sr.html" --- # uni-ball One 3: The Stubby Twist 3-Color Gel Pen > The uni-ball One 3 (UME3-SR) is Mitsubishi Pencil's first 3-color uni-ball One pen: black, red and blue pigment gel ink, selected by twisting a short, thick body. It launched in Japan on March 18, 2026 at ¥1,430 (about US$9.10), in 0.38 and 0.5 mm. JetPens lists it at 129 mm and 15 g. - URL: https://stationerytimes.com/guides/uni-ball-one-3/ - Category: Pens - Author: Ellis Penhale - Published: 2026-10-22 - Updated: 2026-10-24 ![Brick Red uni-ball One 3 three-color gel pen drawn to scale at 129 mm, with an inset of the tip](https://stationerytimes.com/images/raster/uni-ball-one-3-16x9.png) *The uni-ball One 3 in Brick Red, 129 mm long (drawn at 1 mm = 5 px).* Original drawing (SVG): . Drawings © 2026 Stationery Times, reusable with credit under CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). ## Product facts | Product | Brand | Brand origin | Made in | Material | Released | Price range (typical US retail, October 2026) | |---|---|---|---|---|---|---| | uni-ball One 3, 3-color gel pen (UME3-SR) | uni-ball (by Mitsubishi Pencil Co., Ltd.) | Japan | Not stated | Plastic body, metal wire clip; water-based pigment gel ink | 2026-03-18 | $$: $5–20 per pen (multi-packs divided by the count) | - Made in (uni-ball One 3, 3-color gel pen (UME3-SR)): Not stated. Mitsubishi Pencil's Japanese product page and press release, JetPens and the Amazon.com listing we read on October 22, 2026 don't state a country of manufacture. ### uni-ball One 3, 3-color gel pen (UME3-SR) colors - Body colors (6 standard, 0 special edition): Grass Green (0.38 mm); Sugar Brown (0.38 mm); Shirt Blue (0.5 mm); Brick Red (0.5 mm); Lamp White (gift version, 0.38 mm); Record Black (gift version, 0.5 mm). - Ink colors (3 standard, 0 special edition): black; red; blue. - Per Mitsubishi Pencil Japan (https://www.mpuni.co.jp/products/ballpoint_pens/gel/uniball_one/one_3/ume3sr.html), checked 2026-10-24. Body colors and ball sizes per Mitsubishi Pencil's Japanese UME3-SR page; the boxed gift version (UME3-SRG) per its gift page (names romanized from its katakana; Grass Green as JetPens spells it). Every body holds black, red and blue pigment gel ink. Tints were sampled from Mitsubishi Pencil's product photos; ink tints from its single-color uni-ball One photos. Shops stock different colors; check the listing. ## Key takeaways - Mitsubishi Pencil launched the uni-ball One 3 in Japan on March 18, 2026, at ¥1,430 (about US$9.10) with tax. - It is the first 3-color pen in the uni-ball One series, with the line's dark pigment gel ink in black, red and blue. - JetPens lists it at 12.9 cm (5.1 in) long and 15 g; an Amazon.com listing gives 129.1 × 18.9 × 13.9 mm with the clip. - Refills are the UMR-ML-38S or UMR-ML-05S, listed at ¥165 (about US$1.00) each in Japan. - A gift version in Lamp White or Record Black costs ¥1,980 (about US$13) and comes boxed. ## What is the uni-ball One 3? **It is the first 3-color pen in Mitsubishi Pencil's uni-ball One series: black, red and blue pigment gel ink in a short, thick twist body.** It went on sale in Japan on March 18, 2026, at ¥1,430 (about US$9.10) with tax. The single-color [uni-ball One](https://stationerytimes.com/guides/uni-ball-one/) is known for ink that stays on top of the paper, so black looks darker and colors brighter. The One 3 keeps that ink and the open wire clip, and adds a rotating mechanism that Mitsubishi Pencil says suits planners and work bags. ## uni-ball One 3 specs | Spec | Value | |---|---| | Maker | Mitsubishi Pencil Co., Ltd., Japan | | Model | UME3-SR-38 / UME3-SR-05 | | Mechanism | Twist (rotating) | | Inks | Pigment gel, black, red and blue | | Ball | 0.38 or 0.5 mm | | Length | 12.9 cm (5.1 in), JetPens | | Diameter | 13.7 mm at the grip, JetPens; 13.9 mm body, Amazon listing | | Weight | 15 g, JetPens | | Refill | UMR-ML-38S / UMR-ML-05S | | Japanese list price | ¥1,430 (about US$9.10) | Mitsubishi Pencil doesn't publish a length or weight on the pages we read, so sizes come from JetPens and an Amazon.com listing. ## Why is the One 3 so short? **Mitsubishi Pencil designed it as a short, thick body with a "stabilizer" that sets the balance point, so it is easy to carry yet steady to write with.** JetPens notes the barrel is wide, like the single-color One P. ![uni-ball One 3 and uni-ball One drawn to scale: 129 mm and 139 mm long, 13.9 mm and 10.5 mm thick, 15 g and 10 g](https://stationerytimes.com/images/uni-ball-one-3-vs-one.svg) *The One 3 is 10 mm shorter but much thicker than the single-color One.* That makes it a pen for a planner loop or a small pouch rather than a shirt pocket. For a longer, heavier metal twist pen with a single ballpoint refill, see the [uni Jetstream Prime Twist](https://stationerytimes.com/guides/uni-jetstream-prime-twist/). ## What colors and versions are there? **Four regular body colors and two boxed gift versions.** Grass Green and Sugar Brown come in 0.38 mm, Shirt Blue and Brick Red in 0.5 mm, each with a colored ring as an accent. The gift version costs ¥1,980 (about US$13). Lamp White (0.38 mm) has champagne-gold painted clip, ring and tip, and Record Black (0.5 mm) has black and gunmetal parts. ## What refills does the One 3 take? **The UMR-ML multi-pen refill, in 0.38 mm (UMR-ML-38S) or 0.5 mm (UMR-ML-05S), at ¥165 (about US$1.00) each in Japan.** Mitsubishi Pencil lists the same refill for both the regular and gift versions, so any black, red or blue One multi-pen refill fits. JetPens sells the 0.5 mm refills singly in black, blue and red as uni-ball One Gel Multi Pen Refills. The pen ships with black, red and blue installed; the ink is pigment-based gel, which JetPens describes as fast drying and bleed resistant. The gift version is a little heavier: the Amazon.com listing gives 18.4 g for the Record Black, against JetPens' 15 g for the regular Brick Red. ## How does it compare with other 3-color pens? **It is a gel-ink pen for color-coding notes; for erasable ink, the [Pilot FriXion Synergy 3](https://stationerytimes.com/guides/pilot-frixion-synergy-3/) is the 2025 equivalent.** That pen uses a 0.4 mm Synergy Tip, weighs 13 g and lists at ¥1,100 (about US$7). The water-based [uni-ball ZENTO 3-color](https://stationerytimes.com/guides/uni-ball-zento-3-color/) is Mitsubishi Pencil's other new 3-color line. Our [best gel pens](https://stationerytimes.com/guides/best-gel-pens/) covers single-color options. ## Can you buy the uni-ball One 3 in the US? **Yes: JetPens lists all six colors, and Japan-import sellers list it on Amazon.com.** On October 22, 2026, the Amazon.com gift-version listing showed 126 ratings and "50+ bought in past month," and JetPens' Brick Red page had 6 reviews. US prices put it in our $$ band ($5–20). ## Where is the uni-ball One 3 made? **Mitsubishi Pencil doesn't state it on the pages we read, and the US listings don't either.** We list it as not stated until we can check a package. ## Frequently asked questions ### How do you change colors on the uni-ball One 3? Twist the barrel. A colored ring shows which of the black, red or blue refills is out. ### What refills fit the uni-ball One 3? Mitsubishi Pencil lists the UMR-ML-38S (0.38 mm) and UMR-ML-05S (0.5 mm), ¥165 (about US$1.00) each in Japan. JetPens sells them as uni-ball One Gel Multi Pen Refills. ### Do standard uni-ball One refills fit the One 3? Not that we can confirm. The One 3 uses the UMR-ML multi-pen refill, while the single-color One uses UMR-05S style refills, so buy the ML type. ### What is the uni-ball One 3 gift version? A boxed version in Lamp White (0.38 mm) with champagne-gold painted parts or Record Black (0.5 mm) with black and gunmetal parts, at ¥1,980 (about US$13). ### What body colors does the uni-ball One 3 come in? Grass Green and Sugar Brown in 0.38 mm, Shirt Blue and Brick Red in 0.5 mm, plus the two gift colors. ### Is the uni-ball One 3 sold in the US? Yes, as an import. JetPens lists all six colors, and Japan-based sellers list it on Amazon.com. ## Sources - [Mitsubishi Pencil press release: 『ユニボール ワン 3』新発売 (March 6, 2026; on sale March 18, ¥1,430 and ¥1,980, refills, colors; read October 22, 2026)](https://www.mpuni.co.jp/company/press/20260306-54237.html) - [Mitsubishi Pencil (Japanese): ユニボール ワン 3 product page (model and order codes, JAN; read October 22, 2026)](https://www.mpuni.co.jp/products/ballpoint_pens/gel/uniball_one/one_3/ume3sr.html) - [JetPens: Uni-ball One 3 Color Gel Multi Pen, 0.5 mm, Brick Red (UME3SR05.20; 12.9 cm, 15 g, 13.7 mm grip; read October 22, 2026)](https://www.jetpens.com/Uni-ball-One-3-Color-Gel-Multi-Pen-0.5-mm-Brick-Red/pd/51999) - [Amazon.com: Uniball One 3 0.5 Record Black UME3SRG05.24 (gift version; 129.1 × 18.9 × 13.9 mm, 18.4 g; read October 22, 2026)](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GVCF8BTD) - [三菱鉛筆: ユニボール ワン 3 ギフトver. UME3-SRG (Mitsubishi Pencil Japan: Lamp White and Record Black gift versions)](https://www.mpuni.co.jp/products/ballpoint_pens/gel/uniball_one/one_3/ume3srg.html)