Uni-ball Pen Deals: Compare Sale Prices & Find the Best Discount UK

Plenty of artists own a uni-ball without thinking much about it. It’s the pen that’s always in the bag, the one you grab to jot down an idea, ink a quick sketch or label a drawing. That reliability is the whole point of the brand. Uni-ball is made by Mitsubishi Pencil Company, which started life in Tokyo in 1887 when Niroku Masaki founded the Masaki Pencil Manufacturing Company to make wooden pencils. The business took the Mitsubishi Pencil name after the Second World War, although, despite the similar name and logo, it has nothing to do with the Mitsubishi Group of cars and electronics. In 1958 it launched the uni pencil, a high-quality drafting and drawing pencil, and in 1979 it brought out its first uni-ball rollerball pen. The brand has grown into one of the biggest names in pens worldwide, with a UK business, Mitsubishi Pencil Company UK, supplying British shops.

The uni-ball range is big, but a handful of pens stand out. The uni-ball Eye is the classic rollerball, with a smooth, free-flowing line and a little window in the barrel so you can see how much ink is left. The Signo is the gel pen line, launched in 1994, and its uni Super Ink is described by the company as archival, waterproof and fade resistant, which makes it a good choice for journals, sketchbooks and anything you want to last. Signo tips run from a very fine 0.38mm up to a bold 1.0mm, and the white and metallic Signo pens are popular with artists for adding highlights on dark paper. Then there’s the Jetstream, introduced in 2006, which uses a low-viscosity hybrid ink that dries fast and resists smudging. It’s a brilliant pen for left-handers and anyone who has ever dragged a hand through wet ink.

For drawing and illustration, the uni PIN fineliners are a natural fit, with fine pigment ink tips for inking linework, and they’re a good alternative to the better-known technical liners. The Kuru Toga mechanical pencil, released in 2008, is clever too. The lead rotates slightly each time you lift it off the page, so it wears evenly and keeps a sharp point instead of going flat on one side, which makes a noticable difference for detailed sketching and fine shading. Mitsubishi Pencil also makes Posca paint markers, which first appeared in 1983 and are now hugely popular for painting on canvas, wood, stone and just about anything else, although they’re sold under their own Posca name.

In sixteen years in the art supplies industry, including nearly a decade running digital marketing at ARTdiscount, I’ve seen uni-ball become one of those brands people buy again and again without needing to be sold on it. It’s steady, dependable stock, and in our community of 36,000 UK artists at Discount Art Supplies, uni-ball pens come up often, especially Signo white gel pens and PIN fineliners for sketching and inking. With two kids at home who treat pens as something to lose rather than keep, I’ve bought more uni-ball multipacks than I care to count.

Getting the best deal on uni-ball comes down to a few simple things. First, compare prices before you buy. Uni-ball is sold everywhere, from art shops and stationers to Amazon and supermarkets, so the same pack can vary a lot in price, and our comparison above checks the major UK retailers in real time. Second, buy multipacks where you can. Packs of Eye, Signo and Jetstream pens are nearly always cheaper per pen than singles. Third, look for refills. Several uni-ball pens take refills, which is cheaper and less wasteful than buying a new pen every time. And finally, watch the seasons. Uni-ball is heavily discounted around back-to-school in August and September and again on Black Friday, and I beleive that’s the best time to stock up.

A few questions come up regularly. Is uni-ball owned by Mitsubishi? Uni-ball is made by Mitsubishi Pencil Company, a separate Japanese company that is not part of the Mitsubishi Group. What’s the difference between the uni-ball Eye and the Signo? The Eye is a liquid-ink rollerball, while the Signo is a gel pen using uni Super Ink. Are uni-ball pens good for drawing? Yes. Signo gel pens and PIN fineliners are popular with artists for sketching, inking and highlights. Which uni-ball pen is best for left-handers? The Jetstream, because its fast-drying ink resists smudging. Are uni-ball pens waterproof? Signo pens use uni Super Ink, which the company describes as waterproof and fade resistant once dry.

Uni-ball might not be the first name you think of as an art brand, but it’s earned its place in plenty of sketchbooks. Looking for a uni-ball sale, discount or discount code? Check the price comparisons above, updated in real time, and you’ll always know you’re getting the best current UK price.