Tombow MONO, The Eraser Brand That Started With Pencils

Tombow's MONO eraser, with its distinctive the black, white, and blue stripes on its paper sleeve, has long been an iconic product for the brand since it was introduced in 1969. What you might not know, however, is Tombow's long history with pencils.

History of Tombow Pencils and
the Birth of MONO

Pencils had been the core business for Tombow since the brand first started in 1913. In 1963, "Tombow MONO" was introduced as a premium line of drawing pencils. Interestingly, erasers were never originally part of the story. The Tombow MONO eraser first appeared as a freebie inside premium MONO 100 pencil boxes in 1967, and was only available with the purchase of a 12-pack of pencils.

From Freebie to Flagship Product

The eraser quickly earned a great reputation for its performance. In response to market demand, the company introduced the eraser as a standalone product two years later, in 1969. The three colors of its paper sleeve became an icon for the brand, leading Tombow to adopt the color scheme on its other products, such as pencils, spare leads, correction tape, and mechanical pencils. In March 2017, it was registered as Japan's first "trademark consisting only of color."

Continuous Innovation: The MONO Graph

Although the MONO eraser gained a massive lead in the market, it didn't stop Tombow from remaining innovative. In 2014, Tombow launched its flagship mechanical pencil, the MONO Graph. Although it was not the first non-clicking mechanical pencil, its unique shake-to-extend mechanism and twistable eraser made it incredibly popular among students, artists, and designers. The Tombow MONO Graph mechanical pencil has received prominent international design awards, including the notable Good Design Award in 2014 and the international Red Dot Award in 2016.

Anatomy of an Icon:
Inside the MONO Graph Mechanical Pencil

Let us explore the details behind this award-winning mechanical pencil.

The MONO Graph mechanical pencil is not just a pure innovation, but also demonstrates a real understanding of the user's experience in everyday writing. Apart from its sleek look, the pencil's mechanism is engineered to solve common frustrations from using ordinary mechanical pencils. These are frustrations that you might have encountered over the years and have forgotten.

The key feature of the design is the shake-to-extend mechanism. Instead of clicking in the middle of your flow, this pencil is designed so a gentle up-and-down shake advances the lead. This feature is a game-changer for students and artists who require an uninterrupted rhythm. Furthermore, it is incredibly ergonomic for users with smaller hands, completely eliminating the awkward hand-stretching required to reach a traditional top button.

Tombow also solved the issue of accidental lead extension by incorporating a clip that allows users to lock the shaker mechanism to secure the internal mechanism while the pencil is tumbling around in your bag or pencil case. A fixed 4mm guide pipe gives an unobstructed view of the surface, that makes it perfect for precise sketching or ruler work.

At the top, instead of a flimsy, easily lost plastic cap hiding a tiny nub of rubber, you will find a generous 2.5cm twistable MONO eraser. This mechanism does more than just replace a traditional cap. It makes erasing highly controllable. By allowing you to twist out only what you need, it keeps the core of the eraser supported and securely inside the sleeve, effectively preventing it from snapping or splitting under pressure.