Posts filed under Micro Tip

Tombow Mono Graph Lite Ballpoint Pen 0.38 mm Review

Tombow Mono Graph Lite Ballpoint Pen 0.38 mm Review

Micro tip pens (sub-0.5mm) are my favorite category of pens. Yes, ahead of fountain pens, and other most-used products like fineliners and mechanical pencils. So when I saw these 0.38 mm Tombow Mono Graph Lite Ballpoints pop up on JetPens, I ordered a few right away.

Now, within the micro tip category, gel ink pens are my favorite (Uni-ball Signo DX 0.38 mm take a bow.) After that come ballpoints, then way down the line are the few rollerball options on the market. Gel pens have dominated this market for ages, but ballpoints have made headway, led by the Uni-ball Jetstream. The 0.7 mm Jetstream has long been my go to for standard writing, and they have created some exceptional tiny-writers in pens like the Jetstream Edge.

Tombow Mono Graph Lite Ballpoint Pen Refill

Where Uni leads, others will follow, and Tombow put an excellent option on the market with the Graph Lite. It comes in 0.5 mm and 0.38 mm tip sizes, and in black, blue, and red ballpoint ink colors. There are various barrel color options featuring solid metallic colors, or the traditional Tombow tri-color blue/white/black flag stripes.

Tombow Mono Graph Lite Ballpoint Pen Grip

I went for the traditional, as the Mono logo is one of my favorites in all of the stationery world, and, as the title states, grabbed the 0.38 mm tip size.

One quick note on ballpoint tip sizes as compared to gel: An 0.38 mm ballpoint tip writes finer than an 0.38 mm gel tip. The general assumption you can make across the board is that ballpoint pens will write one tip size finer than their gel ink counterparts. An 0.7 mm ballpoint writes like an 0.5 mm gel. An 0.5 mm ballpoint writes like an 0.38 mm gel. And so on down the line. Make sure you are buying a size that is good for you because these are some of the finest writing pens on the market.

Tombow Mono Graph Lite Ballpoint Pen Writing
Tombow Mono Graph Lite Ballpoint Pen Colors

The Tombow Mono Graph Lite handles that fineness with ease. The lines are sharp, solid, clean, and shockingly smooth. Smooth is relative at this tip size, but I’m not sure I could expect anything better. Blue is far and away my favorite ballpoint ink color, and I think it is the standout of this group. Black is a close second, and red brings up the rear, but not far behind the other two. Red would make for an excellent margin pen, for example.

Tombow Mono Graph Lite Ballpoint Pen Logo
Tombow Mono Graph Lite Ballpoint Pen Knock

I’m a big fan of the grip Tombow uses for this pen. It’s like a knurled rubber, which makes for excellent grippiness. That’s appreciated when this pen is designed for fine lines or detailed drawing. It’s also very light, comfortable in the hand, and has a solid knock and clip.

At $3.00 each (either tip size, any barrel color,) that’s right in line with the going rate for a pen like this. I would happily pay that for a handful of the Tombow Mono Graph Lite pens, because really, who buys just one?

(JetPens provided this product at no charge to The Pen Addict for review purposes.)


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Tombow Mono Graph Lite Ballpoint Pen Review
Posted on July 19, 2021 and filed under Tombow, Ballpoint, Micro Tip, Pen Reviews.

Tuesday Toolset, Top 5 Micro Gel Ink Pens Edition

Lavender Black, my favorite DX ink color.

Micro-tipped gel ink pens are the reason I started The Pen Addict in 2007. Once I discovered that I could get gel ink pens in sub-0.5 mm tip sizes, my mind was blown. I won’t say that I’ve tried them all over the years, but I bet I’ve come close. Needless to say, I have thoughts on the best of the bunch.

  1. Uni-Ball Signo DX 0.38 mm - It’s so good that I helped design an upgraded pen barrel for it. What more can I say? (Buy)
  2. Zebra Sarasa Clip 0.4 mm - I think you can argue for several pens in the two-spot, but the Sarasa Clip is consistently good, and a joy to use. (Buy)
  3. Pilot Juice Up 0.4 mm - The standard Juice has been on this list forever, but the Juice Up is better than the original in every regard. (Buy)
  4. Pilot Hi-Tec-C 0.3 mm - If you can put up with frequent inconsistency and finickiness, then the Pilot Hi-Tec-C will provide you the sharpest fine line on this list. (Buy)
  5. Uni-ball Signo RT1 0.38 mm - Signo 307 or Signo RT1, that is the question here. I like the 307 barrel better, but the RT1 has many, many more colors available, and that wins out in the end. (Buy)

(Notes: In my dream scenario, Pentel kills off the Slicci lineup, and adds a sub-0.5 mm refill to the EnerGel lineup. Preferably, in the barrel they refer to as the Euro Needle. Do that, and it would be the number two pen in this list I believe.

Posted on February 11, 2020 and filed under Top 5, Micro Tip, Gel.

Top 5 Micro Tip Gel Ink Pens

Signo DX 0.38mm


I have been getting several emails a week asking for pen recommendations, so I have decided to break down some of the questions into very specific lists. This is not my personal Top 5 List, but like that list, it will be constantly changing and evolving, so I will try to update as needed.


One of the main questions I get is concerning gel ink pens and all of the micro tip options. I consider a micro tip a pen with an 0.5mm tip size or less. 0.5mm is really pushing it on the upper end, but since some manufacturers actually market that size as micro, I’ll go with the flow.


My recommendations for the Top 5 Micro Tip Gel Ink Pens are:




  1. Uni-Ball Signo DX 0.38mm Black
    If you have never bought a pen under 0.7mm, much less 0.5mm or smaller, this is where you should start if you want to get into the world of micro tip pens. The Signo DX writes incredibly well, with sharp lines and a dark black ink. The barrel is the perfect combination of minimalism and durability. I never have any issues with this pen, which makes it my top reccomendation.




  2. Zebra Sarasa Clip 0.4mm Blue Black
    Many readers require that their pens be retractable, and the Sarasa Clip fits that bill as well as any. The blue black gel ink is one of the most popular around, and at just $2.00 per pen, the Sarasa Clip is a great value.




  3. Pentel EnerGel Euro Needle 0.35mm Blue
    This pen has been a real sleeper hit. Admittedly, the 0.35 needle tip lays down a line closer to some 0.5mm pens, but wow does it write well. It is a wonderfully designed pen, and the blue ink is my favorite of the bunch.




  4. Pilot Hi-Tec-C 0.4mm Grip Black
    While this would rank higher on my personal list, I almost never recommend the Hi-Tec-C to first time buyers. The pens tend to be a little finicky on occasion, mainly the ink flow when starting to write. If you are willing to work past that, they are awesome to write with, and are the best sketching/drawing pen of the bunch.




  5. Uni-Ball Signo RT 0.38mm Lavender Black
    Why not have some fun? The Lavender Black is one of my favorite non-standard colors. And if the regular RT barrel isn’t for you, these refills pop right into any Uni-Ball 207 barrel, including the Premier.




Those are my recommendations for the Top 5 Micro Tip Gel Ink Pens. What are your favorites in this category? What other categories would you like me to cover next?



Posted on July 19, 2011 and filed under Gel, Micro Tip, Top 5.