Ohto Bloom 3+1 Review: A Compact Multifunction Pen That Punches Far Above Its Price

Introduction

Multifunction pens usually follow a predictable formula: thicker barrels, heavier bodies, and prices that climb quickly once you add a pencil to the mix. The Ohto Bloom 3+1 breaks that pattern in a few surprising ways. It combines a 0.7mm ballpoint, a red ballpoint, and a 0.5mm mechanical pencil in a body just 136mm long and 19.2g light, and it does so at a price that feels almost out of place for a brass-barrelled writing instrument from a company with over a century of history.

A Bit of Background on Ohto

Ohto was founded in 1919 and has been a genuine pioneer in the writing instrument industry. The company developed the world’s first pencil-shaped ballpoint pen in 1949, and in 1964 it created the world’s first water-based ballpoint pen. That history of firsts gives the Bloom 3+1 some interesting pedigree, even though it costs a fraction of what many modern multifunction pens command.

Design and Build Quality

The Bloom 3+1 comes in four colorways: Fade Red, Denim Blue, Ice White, and Iron Grey. Most of the palette leans bright and playful, giving the pen a poppier character than the darker, more serious designs that dominate this category. The barrel is made of brass, with the product and maker name printed on the upper section.

The grip features a knurled texture that is shallow but effective. It prevents slipping and provides a stable, comfortable hold during longer writing sessions. Whether you like the look of the knurling is a matter of taste, but functionally it does its job well.

One detail worth knowing: the clip is made from a special steel alloy containing sulfur. That makes it a poor companion for sterling silver pens, since sulfur can chemically darken silver. As long as the clip’s coating is intact it should be fine, but keeping the two in the same pen case is not recommended.

The selector mechanism is a pendulum-style system. Each position is labeled with the ink color it dispenses, so you simply orient the correct label upward before clicking. With pendulum-style multifunction pens, clicking at an arbitrary angle can risk damage, so it’s worth developing the habit of selecting deliberately. A button deploys the refill, and the pen also includes a small eraser for the pencil. The balance sits slightly top-heavy, which is noticeable but not uncomfortable.

Writing Performance

Starting with the 0.7mm black ballpoint: the included refill is Ohto’s low-viscosity, soft-writing ink, and it uses a needle-point tip. The fine needle tip gives excellent visibility of the nib as you write, making it easy to place your strokes precisely.

The red ballpoint shares the same low-viscosity character, and the standout advantage across both is how light the writing feel is combined with that clear view of the tip. It glides smoothly with minimal pressure.

The 0.5mm mechanical pencil is the genuine surprise here. Multifunction pens often suffer from noticeably loose pencil mechanisms, but the Bloom’s pencil lead barely wobbles at all. It writes cleanly and confidently, which is rare at any price, let alone this one.

Refills and Compatibility

The ballpoint uses the D1 standard, which is one of the most widely compatible refill formats available. If needle-point tips are not your preference, you can swap in other D1 refills such as the Uni Jetstream or the Pilot Acro ink refills, both of which come in rounded conical tip styles. That flexibility means you can tune the pen to your own writing taste without abandoning the body.

Things to Consider Before Buying

No pen is perfect, and the Bloom 3+1 has a few quirks. Shaking the pen produces a light rattling sound. This is an inherent trait of pendulum-style multifunction mechanisms rather than a defect, and with a refill deployed the noise disappears, so it never became a real annoyance in daily use.

The ballpoint also has a slight wobble at the tip that the pencil, impressively, does not share. It is minor and smooth overall, but perceptive writers will notice it. On top of that, like most mainstream multifunction pens, occasional ink skipping can occur with the stock refills, though swapping to a different D1 refill resolves it.

What tipped the scales heavily in the pen’s favor, beyond the compact size, thin 8.4mm barrel, and 19.2g weight, was the price. Comparable multifunction pens from major brands often run well over 5,000 yen, while the Bloom sits around 400 yen excluding tax. At that level, with this design, this build quality, and the freedom to choose your own refills, it approaches what an ideal budget multifunction pen should be.

Buying Advice

If you want a first multifunction pen, a backup for your bag, or simply an affordable pen that does not feel cheap, the Bloom 3+1 is an easy recommendation. The D1 compatibility makes it easy to live with long term, since you can adjust the ink to suit you. Just avoid pairing it with sterling silver pens in the same case, and click the selector with the color label facing up.

Conclusion

The Ohto Bloom 3+1 delivers a brass barrel, a genuinely stable 0.5mm pencil, low-viscosity needle-point ballpoints, and full D1 refill compatibility in a compact, lightweight body at a price that undercuts nearly everything in its class. The minor rattling and slight ballpoint tip movement are easy trade-offs to accept at this level. For anyone curious about multifunction pens without wanting to spend several thousand yen, this is one of the smartest entry points available.