The Complete Guide to Muji Pens & Pencils

Are you unsure which Muji pen or pencil you need?

This complete guide To Muji pens & pencils shows you every pen & pencil that Muji makes.

Muji pens and pencils are popular for their sleek, clean design. They come in all different types of pens, from ballpoint to calligraphy, with gel, oil, and water-based inks. While Muji may not be a brand you’ve heard of before, if you are a big fan of gel pens or Japanese products, Muji should be on your radar.

1. Muji Pens

Muji pens is a Japanese company that started in 1980. They sell pens and a variety of other products, including apparel, food, and household items. Muji has a succinct manufacturing process with minimal waste to create pens that will function well for the task at hand.

Their three core principles are the selection of materials, streamlining of the process, and simplification of packaging. Their goal is to maintain low-cost products that have excellent quality. Muji products are sold worldwide, and they have over 1,000 stores.

2. Muji Pen Types and Sizes

Muji pens come in two different types of ink: oil or water-based ink. They also have calligraphy pens, ballpoint pens, and fountain pens. They even make a pen that comes with a mechanical pencil! No matter what type of pen that you are looking for, Muji has something with a simple, sleek design that will work for you.

Most Muji pens can be refilled check out our Complete Guide to Muji Pen & Pencil Refills for more information.

2.1. Muji Oil Ink Polycarbonate Ballpoint Pen 0.7mm

This oil pen comes in two different ink colors, red and black. This pen barrel is made of polycarbonate, a material that’s both stronger and lighter than plastic. It’s a 0.7mm tip, and it leaves a thin, dark line. The ink is smooth, so you never have to go back over a word. This pen is not refillable, so it does create more plastic waste, but it only costs 99 cents, so it’s not going to break your bank to replace it.

2.2. Muji Oil Ink Triangle 3 Color Ballpoint Pen

This pen is three in one: it has blue, red, and black ink all inside one barrel. This pen is perfect if you need to switch between colors quickly, like if you want to take color-coded notes in class. It’s a 0.7mm point, so it will work well for writing in small spaces. It’s a bit more expensive at $4.90 but worth the cost.

2.3. Muji Oil Ink Triangle 2 Color Ballpoint Pen with Mechanical Pencil

This unique pen has two different colored inks inside, red and black, and a mechanical pencil. The pens are 0.7mm and the pencil is 0.5mm, so you can change up the size of your stroke depending on which one you are using. The instrument is six inches long and has a sleek white barrel.

2.4. Muji Soft Calligraphy Pen

If you’ve always wanted to try calligraphy, this pen is for you. It’s only available in black ink, but it has a soft, large tip, perfect for changing your brush stroke as needed. It takes time to get used to writing with a calligraphy pen, but if you stick with it, you’ll find it scripts well and has a good ink flow.

2.5. Muji Aluminum Fountain Pen

The Muji Aluminum Fountain Pen is a traditional pen perfect for any businessman. The barrel is made of aluminum, so it has a clean silver exterior and the ink is water-based. It’s heavier than an average pen but has a grip to hold onto for easy writing. This pen has a fine nib and is a good beginner fountain pen for someone who has never used one before.

2.6. Muji Oil Ink Hex 6 Color Ballpoint Pen 0.7mm

If you love color pens but are constantly misplacing your different colors, this Muji Oil Ink Hex 6 Color Ballpoint is the perfect solution. There are six different ink colors inside one pen, including black, pink, red, orange, light blue, and blue. At 0.7mm, these colors come out clean with solid lines, and it’s the perfect pen for someone who wants lots of ink options but doesn’t want to carry more than one pen around.

2.7. Muji Oil Ink Polycarbonate Rubber Grip Ballpoint Pen 0.7mm

The Muji Oil Ink Polycarbonate Rubber Grip Ballpoint Pen is perfect if you’re looking for something simple but comfortable. It only comes in blue ink but has a comfortable rubber grip for long writing periods. If you’re anyone who has to take a lot of notes, like a student or an assistant, this pen will work for you. Plus, at the low price point of 99 cents, you can keep quite a few of them on hand.

2.8. Muji Wooden Hex Ballpoint Pen 0.5mm

The Muji Wooden Hex Ballpoint Pen has a one-of-a-kind design with a barrel made out of natural wood. It’s a very skinny pen, with a width of only .39 inches, so it’s perfect for someone with small hands. The tip is small at 0.5mm, so it’s great for small, clean lines. It’s lightweight, and the ink does not bleed through paper.

2.9. Muji Hexagonal Water-Based Twin Pen

The Muji Hexagonal Water-Based Twin Pen has two different pen points: one side of the pen is fine-tipped, and the opposite side is regular-tipped. They come in five colors: koubai (red plum), light blue, purple, pink, and green. This pen is smaller, with a length of 5.15 inches. This pen is great for anyone who wants colorful ink but different-sized pen strokes.

3. Muji Gel Pens

While some gel pens can be annoying to write with because the ink doesn’t flow properly, Muji gel pens do not have this issue. In fact, they’re made with an ink-prevention mechanism that prevents the line from breaking or ink from flowing in the wrong direction and keeps your pen from leaking.

4. Muji Gel Pens Types and Sizes

The Muji gel pen is available in a 0.5mm point, 0.38mm point, and 0.7mm point. There are tons of different colors available, and you can get them as “knock type” (a type of retractable pen) or capped. The gel ink is water-based, and all the gel pens are only available as ballpoint pens.

4.1. Muji Smooth Gel Ink Knock Type Ballpoint Pen 0.5mm

The Muji Smooth Gel Ink Knock Type Ballpoint Pen is as smooth as it claims to be, so you’ll never get any skips of ink when writing. There’s a huge color variety available: orange, yellow-green, black, light blue, blue, red, asagi (a teal blue), brown, purple, purple-red, sakura (light pink), blue-black, gray, yellow, green, and pink. The colors are all vibrant on the page, but the knock-type does feel a bit more wobbly when writing than the capped varieties.

4.2. Muji Gel Ink Cap Type Ballpoint Pen 0.5mm

If you want a sturdy gel pen, the Muji Gel Ink Cap Type Ballpoint Pen in 0.5mm is perfect for you. The nib of this pen is 0.5mm, and the design keeps the ink from drying up. While this pen doesn’t come in as many color varieties as the Knock Type, it does come in red, black, orange, blue, pink, green, light blue, yellow-green, blue-black, and purple.

4.3. Muji Gel Ink Cap Type Ballpoint Pen 0.38mm

The Muji Gel Ink Cap Type Ballpoint Pen in 0.38 mm is a great pen for getting the most out of a page. Because these pens have such a fine point, you can fill up the page with lots of notes. Like the other gel varieties, these pens come in fun colors like: red, black, orange, blue, pink, green, light blue, yellow-green, blue-black, and purple. Since these have a cap, it is slightly less convenient than a retractable pen.

4.4. Muji Gel Ink Cap Type Ballpoint Pen 0.7mm

If you’re looking for a broader pen stroke, go with the Muji Gel Ink Cap Type Ballpoint Pen in 0.7mm. These thicker pens don’t come in as many colors, only red, black, blue, and blue-black, so they’re better for formal settings like the office or school. They cost about a third of what the Pilot Hi-Tec-C or Pentel Slicci costs.

Muji Pen Sets

If you need to get more than one pen at once because you tend to lose them, then Muji pen sets are perfect for you. These pen sets come with up to ten of the same type of pen, and the price per pen is lower if you buy in bulk. There are all different types of colors and sets available, so this is the way to go if you need lots of pens on hand.

Muji Pen Sets Types and Sizes

You can get Muji Pen sets in gel ink or water-based ink, but not for their oil-based pens. For the gel pens, you can get sets in the retractable knock type or cap types, with points of 0.5mm or 0.38mm. These pen sets come in nine or ten-count. There is only one water-ink pen set available, for the hexagonal pen, and it comes in a four-count box.

6.1. Muji Smooth Gel Ink Knock Type Ballpoint Pen 0.5mm 10 Pieces Set

If you need blue-black pens for your whole family, this ten-piece set will work. This is the basic Muji knock point gel pen, so if you don’t want any extra bells and whistles like bright colors, you’ll be happy with this set. This set comes in 0.5mm, so it’ll be a nice line that’s not too thick or thin. If you want a retractable pen set, this is the only one available. Plus, this pen writes so smoothly that a kid or adult can use it.

6.2. Muji Gel Ink Cap Type Ballpoint Pen 0.38mm 10 Pieces Set

You can purchase the Muji Gel Ink Cap Type Ballpoint Pen in 0.5mm or 0.38 mm. The .38mm size comes with ten pens and only black ink is available. Since these have caps, it’s not quite as good for kids since they might be more likely to lose them. But if you need a big set of thin pens for your desk, this will do the trick.

6.3. Muji Gel Ink Cap Type Ballpoint Pen 0.5mm 9 Pieces Set

If you need a colorful pen set, then the 0.5mm nine-piece Muji Gel Cap Type pen set is the one to get. All the pens come in a resealable bag, so they are easy to keep track of. These pens don’t smear, so they are good if you want to write colorful notes for something like med school.

6.4. Muji Gel Ink Cap Type Ballpoint Pen 0.38mm 9 Pieces Set

This set is the same as the 0.5mm set, except it’s a thinner pen at 0.38mm. The ink flow is excellent for all these pens, except that the red and pink pens take a minute to get started. But once they do, they flow just as well as the rest of the pens in this set.

6.5. Muji Water Ink Hexagonal Pen Set

The Muji Water-Ink Hexagonal Pen Set comes with four pens with wide tips, perfect for highlighting. They come in four different colors: yellow, orange, pink, and green, and you can actually connect the four pens together. They are short, so this makes it easy if you want to combine two and stick them in your purse so you can grab them quickly.

7. Muji Mechanical Pencils

Muji doesn’t just make quality pens, they make lots of mechanical pencils as well. These pencils have similar, sleek designs as the pens, so they are great for adults who want nice pens for work or home. Some of these pencils do not come with erasers, so you may want to have extra of those on hand.

8. Muji Mechanical Pencils Types and Sizes

Muji mechanical pencils come in .5mm or 0.3mm. There are five different designs available, but no pencil sets, so you have to buy them one at a time. But, this way you can try lots of different types to see which ones you like. There are refills available for the 0.5mm pencils, so you don’t have to buy those again.

8.1. Muji Low Center Gravity Mechanical Pencil 0.5mm

If you want a high-quality mechanical pencil, the Muji Low Center Gravity Mechanical Pencil will fit your fancy. This pencil is designed with a balanced weight, so it’s easy to write with for long periods and provides more stability at the base. It’s 5.79 inches long and holds up for years with minor wear and tear.

8.2. Muji Wooden Hex Mechanical Pencil with Eraser 0.5mm

If you like the look and feel of old-school pencils that need to be sharpened but want a mechanical pencil, then the Muji Wooden Hex Mechanical Pencil is for you. This mechanical pencil is made of wood, is black, has an eraser at the top, and has six sides! You can hardly tell the difference between this pencil and a black Dixon Ticonderoga.

8.3. Muji Wooden Hex Mechanical Pencil 0.5mm

This Muji Wooden Hex Mechanical Pencil is just like the pen variety, except it’s a pencil! It’s a light natural wood and looks like a pen. It’s an elegant pencil with silver features at the point, top, and clip. And even though it looks so nice, it smells and feels like the old #2 pencils. This pencil is only available in the 0.5mm point.

8.4. Muji Wooden Hex Mini Mechanical Pencil 0.5mm

If you need a small pencil to fit in your pocket, then the Muji Wood Hex Mini Mechanical Pencil is perfect for you. This pencil is only 5.3 inches long and weighs .634 ounces. It can fit anywhere so it’s a great pencil for on the go or as part of a kit. However, it is small, so it’s easy to misplace!

8.5. Muji ABS Resin Mechanical Pencil 0.5mm

The Muji ABS Resin Mechanical Pencil is perfect for someone who hates to waste anything. You can use the lead in this pencil until there is only 1mm left. Plus, the barrel is larger than Muji’s other mechanical pencils with a width of .59 inches, so it’s good for people with hand ailments like thumb tendinitis.

8.6. Muji Aluminum Mechanical Pencil 0.5mm

The Muji Aluminum Mechanical Pencil is ideal for anyone looking for a sturdy bodied mechanical pencil. The barrel is made of aluminum, and the lead rarely breaks, even though it is thin lead at 0.5mm. Plus, there is an eraser hidden in the top of the pencil that you can’t see, making this pencil perfect for any professionals who still need to erase sometimes but want a classy pencil.

8.7. Muji Low Center Gravity Mechanical Pencil 0.3mm

If you want thin lines with your pencil, the Muji Low Center Gravity Mechanical Pencil in 0.38mm will work well. This is the thinnest lead Muji has to offer, and even though it can write small lines, it’s just as sturdy as any of the 0.5mm varieties. This pencil is weighted for perfect precision and long writing sessions, plus it’s refillable, so you can use it for years.

9. Muji Color Pencils

There is only one set of non-mechanical pencils from Muji. These brightly colored pencils are perfect for any art student or doodler. You will need a sharpener, but they do come pre-sharpened, so you don’t have to purchase a sharpener right away. With 36-60 colors available depending on the package’s size, your options for sketching are as endless as your creativity.

9.1. Muji Color Pencils with Paper Tube

Muji color pencils come in a paper tube, so you can easily keep them all together. You can choose to get small-sized pencils at 3.5 inches long, or longer pencils at 6.9 inches long. The small size only comes in a 36-count package, while the large size comes in either a 36 or 60-count package. These pencils are made of cedar and are so soft you can blend them on your hands. They sharpen easily and are difficult to break.

A few downsides are that there is no color listed on the pencil, only a number, and you can only buy these pencils in large packs, not individually. If you run out of one color, you have to buy another big pack to replace it.

10. Why Are Muji Pens So Good?

Muji pens are so good because of their simple design and high-quality ink. These pens look simple, so you don’t feel overwhelmed when trying to write with them. The ink never stops flowing (until it runs out), so your work won’t be interrupted by trying to write the same word over and over again.

Muji is so confident in their pens that they don’t even come in a package. Muji is not trying to sell you on how great their pens are. They sell them with little marketing material because they are confident that once you buy one, you’ll buy from them again and again.

11. How Much Do Muji Pens Cost

Muji pens prices vary based on where you purchase them, but if you purchase them from Muji’s website, you can get a pen for as little as 99 cents (the Muji Oil Ink Polycarbonate Ballpoint Pen 0.7mm) and as much as $15.90 (the Muji Aluminum Fountain Pen). There is a pen available at every price point, so if you want a colored gel pen for journaling or a nice fountain pen for your desk, you’ll find what you’re looking for.

12. Are Muji Pens Worth It?

There is a lot of hype around Muji pens, so it’s worth asking – is it worth it to buy a Muji pen? Yes, it is. They are inexpensive but easy to use, come in tons of different colors, and have refills available for purchase. Plus, Muji gel ink pens last for about 50 pages of notes, so you can try one first and use it for a while before you decide to buy more.

13. Where to Buy Muji Pens

Buy Muji Pens & Pencils at Amazon.com

Muji Pens can be bought online at Amazon, the Muji pen website, or at Kawaiipenshop.com. You can find them at brick-and-mortar stores, but it can vary depending on your location. If you live in a big city like Los Angeles, then odds are you can find Muji pens in Little Tokyo.

Or, if you live in Orange County in California, there is a specialty Japanese pen store in Costa Mesa called Mai Do.

Muji pens can be a little harder to find than some more prominent American brands, but these pens are worth the hunt with their smooth ink, fine lines, and bold colors.