Mitsubishi Hi Uni Graphite Pencil Review | Hi Uni Mitsubishi Graphite Pencils

I have wanted to review the Mitsubishi Hi-Uni Graphite Pencils for such a long time now. I have been reviewing art products for about eight or nine years now, and in that time, I have tested, demonstrated and showcased quite a few graphite pencils, from budget brands to high level Artist Brands.

I used to think a 2B pencil is a 2B pencil no matter where you buy it from and regardless of the brand, and I have had a lot of people say this to me when they have been looking out for quality graphite pencil. I can attest to the fact that this is not the case, I can put five 2B pencils in front of someone with a decent knowledge of art supplies, paint all the pencils black with no brand showing and guarantee that the individual would not think all pencils are 2B. They would all feel so different, that the individual using the pencils would assume they were from different grades.

Mitsubishi Hi-Uni Graphite Pencil Characteristics

The set I have purchased is the 22 set and as you can see, the pencils come in this beautiful matt black tin, on the tin there is a small piece of artwork, which depicts the variation of tonal value within the set beautifully. The pencil brand name, which is, Hi-Uni is printed in a gold color along with a list of the pencil grades printed below, the print easily readable given the contrast between the gold print and matt black background. On the tin there is also a very clear image of the pencil you are about to purchase, along with the Mitsubishi logo and name printed in small white font.

On the top of the tin lid, on both corners, there are printed in white print the word “Push”, indicating an easy way to actually open the package, gone are the days of wrestling with a stiff tin in order to unlock the treasures inside.

On opening the tin, the first thing you notice is that all the pencils are unsharpened, after chatting to a lot of you guys out there, I think it is safe to say that most artists prefer pencils to arrive unsharpened as opposed to sharpened. Artists have their own way that they like to prepare their supplies, be it electric sharpeners offering needle fine points, handheld sharpeners offering slightly shorter cores less likely to break or by using a craft knife.

Mitsubishi Hi-Uni Graphite Pencils 7.2 mm Barrel

the Mitsubishi Hi-Uni Graphite Pencils are hexagonal in shape, which again a lot of artists prefer as the pencils are less likely to roll of the studio desk, fall on the floor and shatter the core. Each barrel is lacquered a rich dark reddish, maroon colour. The barrel of each pencil is approximately 7.2mm in diameter or width given they are not circular; however, the core sizes of the pencils vary depending on the graphite grade, which I will show further into the review.

On the end of every barrel there is a black lacquered cap and on all six sides of the barrel, there is printed the pencil grade in gold leaf, making the clarity of grade recognition very easy given the stark contrast of the black and gold. Most graphite pencils will only display the graphite grade on one side of the barrel, be it hexagonal, circular or triangular.

Mitsubishi Hi-Uni

Along one side of the barrel in gold print, against the striking maroon lacquer, we have “Established 1887” which is obviously the date that Mitsubishi started. Further along the barrel we are presented with the Mitsubishi Logo, closely followed in print “Mitsu-Bishi” with the hyphen in the middle. Slightly further along the barrel towards the end we have printed the brand of graphite pencil “Hi-Uni”, given Mitsubishi have quite a few graphite pencils in their armoury.

On the opposite side of the barrel, we have a barcode printed in white which is obviously for open stock purposes. Further along the barrel we are presented with yet another indication of the graphite grade for that particular pencil, making graphite grade selection really easy when using the Mitsubishi Hi-Uni graphite pencils. Finally, toward the end of the barrel we have printed “Japan” which is the country of origin for Mitsubishi.

I mentioned earlier in the article about the core sizes of the various graphite grades, all the barrels are exactly the same size, which is 7.2 mm, however, the core vary in size depending upon the grade. The pencil grade in the middle, the HB, has a core size of 2.5 mm, which is quite a standard size, however, all the way along the scar to the 10H, the core size is 2.1 mm, quite a bit smaller. If we look at the core of the 10B core, we can see that it is significantly bigger with a measurement of 4.2 mm.

The reason for such a vast difference in size is simply due to the ingredients. In order for the 10H to be a very light tonal value, very little graphite is included the rest is clay or binding agent. For the 10B, that core is mostly graphite which is why the core is so soft and delivers a very dark tonal value. Graphite in its pure format is quite a soft material and so in order to keep it together in a pencil form, binding agent is applied.

Mitsubishi Hi-Uni Graphite Pencils Performance

After sharpening all the pencils, the next thing I completed was a swatch, I do this with all the pencil mediums I am reviewing as it gives me a good understanding of how the medium behaves on paper as well as value or color in the case of colored pencils etc.

In this instance I completed a swatch with all 22 grades of Mitsubishi Hi-Uni Graphite Pencils on a sheet of Strathmore 300 Series Bristol Velum, I wanted to use a paper that was relatively smooth but offered a little bit of tooth.

As you can see from the swatch image provided, with each pencil, I applied a heavy application, then a light application and finally a light application blended using a paper blending stump. I was really most impressed with the blending of this graphite for all of the grades in the set.

If you look at the liner strokes I applied in both the heavy and light applications, I did this for a reason, ordinarily one would use tiny circular movement, providing the best and smoothest coverage, but I wanted the liner strokes for a reason. When it came to the blending section, again, I applied a light layer of liner strokes and then blended with the paper blender. However, on this type of test, especially in the H grades, when blending some of the liner strokes will be visible on cheaper quality graphite.

However, as you can see, all the way up to 10H, there are no liner strokes present on the blended tests. I apply this type of test to watercolor pencils also, when applying the watercolor pencil dry, once you activate it with water, on cheaper pencils the dry pencil strokes will be visible but on the higher quality pencils, once activated with water, no pencil strokes are present.

I then decided to draw some artwork and I didn’t want to do something that was going to be terribly complicated, so I decided to draw pencil shavings from the sharpening of pencils. Again, for this test I used Strathmore 300 Series Bristol Velum paper as I was really happy how the Mitsubishi Hi-Uni pencils performed in the swatch.

Strathmore 300 Series Bristol Pad - 11-Inchx14-Inch - 20 Sheet Pad

STRATHMORE PAPER

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To be honest I was really happy with how the artwork turned out, I was impressed with the very dark B values and they along with the lighter H values, allowed me to create something that looked a little bit 3D.

On issue that is very difficult to escape with all graphite pencils is that when you apply the darker softer grades in the B range, when light reflects upon the layers, the appearance is almost metallic looking. Aside from the Staedtler Mars Lumograph Black and the Faber Castell Pitt Matt Graphite pencils, which have a bit of carbon in the ingredients, I was impressed with the Mitsubishi. I didn’t find the glare on the 10B from the light to be too bad, I have most certainly seen worse in cheaper pencils. If you take a look at my YouTube video review you will see a demonstration of this metallic appearance.

Mitsubishi Hi-Uni Graphite Pencil Prices

There is no doubt about it, the Mitsubishi Hi-Uni Graphite Pencils are on the pricy side, this is one of the reasons it took me so long to review them. That being said, if you are a graphite artist and wanting to sell your original art, this is absolutely the type of pencil you should be looking at.

If you are just looking to for a 2H pencil or HB pencil to sketch with, there are much cheaper alternatives on the market best suited for that. Unfortunately, I was only to obtain prices for the UK, when I looked on Amazon US and Amazon EU, I couldn’t find the products to get the prices from. I will of course update this post as and when the prices become available but if you like the look of the Mitsubishi Hi-Uni Graphite Pencils, please make sure you check about, because the prices fluctuate such a lot with this particular set of pencils.

Uni Hi Wooden Pencil Art Set - 10B to 10H - Box of 22 (HUAS)

Uni

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Here in the UK, to purchase this full set of Mitsubishi Hi-Uni Graphite Pencils 22 Set, you can expect to pay approximately £30. To purchase a single open stock pencil any grade, it will cost you approximately £4.99 but you can get them open stock much cheaper elsewhere, on this occasion for the open stock pencils, Amazon is not the place. You can also purchase sets of 12 but they are 12 pencils on one particular grade, so if you use the 10B a lot, but a pack of 12 and this will cost £22, which is not a bad deal at all, considering 12 open stock pencils at £4.99 is going to cost over £50.

I apologise that I am unable to list the Amazon prices for other countries, however I will amend the post as and when sets become available on the other Amazon platforms.

Mitsubishi Hi-Uni Graphite Pencil Conclusion

I am not what you would call a graphite artist, but I have tested and reviewed a lot of graphite pencils over the years. Of all the sets I have tested and demonstrated, without doubt, the Mitsubishi Hi-Uni Graphite Pencils are up there at the top with one or two other brands.

I think for those of you serious about graphite art, the Mitsubishi Hi-Uni Graphite Pencil is a fantastic place to look if you haven’t already done so. You don’t have to buy the full set, purchase a few of the grades you use most in open stock format, get a good feel for them and then perhaps buy the full set.

The quality of the graphite is beautiful, even in the high H grades, which for so many other sets, once you get past 5H, the pencil is so brittle it is difficult to sharpen and when you use it on paper, it is incredibly gritty and scratchy. I know they are not very technical descriptive terms.

I loved using the Mitsubishi Hi-Uni Graphite Pencils and I was incredibly impressed with the swatch test on the blending section and more importantly, I was really happy with the artwork. The rich dark tonal values of the B grade graphite against the subtle light tonal values of the H grades, help me achieve a nice realistic look on the pencil shavings.

As always, I have added a speed drawing video to my YouTube channel and if you would like to watch the artwork come to life, simply follow the link. If Speed drawings are not your thing, I have also included a selection of images from the drawing process and added them to a page on The Art Gear Guide, hear you can select whatever image you like, it will enlarge automatically and from there you can inspect and take a closer look at the art in your own time with no distractions. Finally, I have also included a YouTube Video review of the Mitsubishi Hi-Uni Graphite Pencils, allowing you to sit back and relax with a cup of tea and allow me to showcase this product in detail. All elements of the review, including this written review will help to build up a comprehensive review of the product should you want to purchase the pencil for yourself.