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.
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.
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.
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.
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.)
Enjoy reading The Pen Addict? Then consider becoming a member to receive additional weekly content, giveaways, and discounts in The Pen Addict shop. Plus, you support me and the site directly, for which I am very grateful.
Membership starts at just $5/month, with a discounted annual option available. To find out more about membership click here and join us!
