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　1958年に発売され今年で50周年となる三菱ユニは、トンボモノとともに戦後日本製鉛筆の双璧を成す製品です。
　粗悪品が多かった当時の日本製鉛筆より高密度な芯を開発、折れにくく濃くなめらかな書き味を実現、当時の日本製の水準で見て良質だったのみならず国際的にも高品質で、今もそれを保っています。
Mitsu-bishi UNI pencil is a representative of Japanese pencil together with Tombow MONO pencil in post WW2. It released in 1958, thus 50th anniversary in this year. Nowadays the Mitsu-bishi pencil co., ltd. is known as UNI-ball at the Western market.
The company developed its high density black-lead which had smoother, break-harder and tint-darker than the then many poor quality japanese pencils. As well as compared with quality oversea pencils.
The company is keeping the high quality at today.

1ダース税別1080円(1本90円)、樹脂箱入り、uni消しゴムつき
大きさφ8×176mm六角軸、封蝋あり
芯硬度：6B - 9H (17硬度)
銘は金文字"ESTABLISHED 1887 [三菱ロゴ] MITSU-BISHI - uni - [芯硬度]"
"Pressure-Proofed Hi-Density Lead [JISマーク、1998年4月以降なし] [芯硬度]"
現行はバーコードつき
a dozen in plastic box with an UNI eraser, 1,080 JPY without tax, 1,200 JPY without tax since July 2019
dim. ø8 mm × 176 mm, hexagonal barrel with crown / sealing
hardness grade range : 9H - 6B (17 grades)
imprint, golden coloured letters :
"ESTABLISHED 1887 [three-diamonds of Mitsu-bishi pencil logo] MITSU-BISHI - uni - [hardness grade]"
"Pressure-Proofed Hi-Density Lead [JIS mark, disused since Apr. 1998] [hardness grade]"
with bar-code currently
and the early imprint super drawing instead of ESTABLISHED 1887


　鉛筆の標準的な太さである7.5mm径に対しユニは少し太い8mm径なので三菱ユニホルダーやパイロットSシリーズ、カランダッシュフィクスペンシルのクリップを転用できます。※現行品はφ7.9mm
UNI has 8 mm in diameter thicker than the standard's dia. 7.5 mm, thus it is able to adopt pocket-clip of a number of lead-holders or mechanical pencils : Mitsu-bishi UNI-holder, Caran d'Ache Fix pencil and Pilot S series.
* current dia. 7.9 mm

　現在90円(税別)のユニも発売時は50円、これは同社製従来品の5倍の価格でした。
そのような「社運をかけた巨大なプロジェクトの末に登場した超高級鉛筆だったが、60年代の高度経済成長の波にのり、発売から6年後には生産量が10倍となるヒット商品」(ステーショナリーマガジン2号、エイ出版、2006)となり、1966年にはさらに高品質なハイユニの開発に成功しています。
UNI pencil was the price 600 JPY in a dozen when it released, which 5 times as large as the company's other pencils at the then.
"a high class product was succeeded by a huge challenging project by the company, and the goods achieved 10 times as large as production value after 6 years it thanks to the 1960s' rapid economic growth term in Japan."
Stationery Magazine No. 2, 42p, Ei publishing, 2006
The company has achieved a more high quality pencil in 1966, which is Hi-UNI pencil.

　三菱鉛筆における鉛筆の売上は時代の変化に伴って総売上の約8.7%(前掲書)と僅かですが、鉛筆は現在も同社を代表する製品で、新入社員に与える初仕事は鉛筆を削ることだとか。
また、発売50周年に合わせてユニ用補助軸が発売されます。
Though the pencil division of Mitsu-bishi pencil company has slight 8.7% of a total sales (op. cit.), pencils are still the representative product of the company. Thereby, it is reported that the company gives recruits a pencil-sharpening as a first job.
It shall be released a pencil extender for UNI pencil for the 50th anniversary.

　日本製鉛筆は舶来品に比べ濃くやわらかい傾向があり、いつからそのようになったのかわかりませんが、ユニやモノの開発経緯からすると戦後からなのでしょうね。
　実は私はそんな優秀すぎるユニやモノがあまり好きではありません。これらの質が高いのはよくわかるのですけれど、ベタつかず、乾いた感触の舶来品のほうが好みなのです。
I do not know when the japanese pencils' leads getting velvety and darker than the oversea pencils, however, it may be post WW2 as the development-circumstances of the UNI and the MONO.
To be honour, I am none so fond of these pencils, certainly these are excellent products, and while fatty, too excellent. I prefer the oversea pencils as its dry writing experience.
詳細は不明ですがユニにはいくつかの変種があります。
UNI pencil had variants, though, those are unknown particularly.

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