March 2025 Stationery Picks: 14 Pens, Pencils, and Accessories Worth a Look

Introduction

March 2025 was a strong month for stationery, with a wave of new releases and limited editions hitting shelves. We picked up a wide mix this time: mechanical pencils, ballpoints, a multi-pen, a memo pad, an eraser, and one very tempting leather pen case. Some of these arrived with real fanfare, others quietly, and a few surprised us more than expected. Here is everything, in no particular order.

Uni Kuru Toga Wood

The Uni Kuru Toga Wood generated plenty of buzz before its general release, with early sales at select stores. It is based on the Kuru Toga Metal, but the wooden grip changes the balance in a way that genuinely matters. Uni indicated that general availability would follow from June onward, and since it is not a limited edition, there is no need to rush; anyone considering it can wait calmly for wider stock.

Caran d’Ache 849 Black Code XL

The Caran d’Ache 849 Black Code XL is a thick-barrel ballpoint that is 130% larger than the standard 849, a welcome answer for anyone who always found the classic a little small. One useful discovery: the XL accepts G2-style refills, even though the brand’s own refill format is normally not cross-compatible. Not every barrel that looks the same will lock a G2 refill properly, but the XL works, which adds real flexibility.

OHTO Steller 925-35 Loft Limited Black

This Loft-limited black-and-gold version of the Steller 925-35 finally gives the long-running black-gold colorway a proper companion. Black-gold Steller models have existed for years in other limited runs, and pairing them looks genuinely striking. Set alongside the standard Midnight Blue, the design holds up beautifully. The subtle brand marking on the Loft edition is a nice touch that makes it feel special.

Laconic Solid Light

Laconic, a brand known for planners and notebooks, surprised everyone with the Solid Light, a mechanical pencil with no clip and an all-black finish. The writing feel is the headline here: smooth, balanced, and unexpectedly refined. It is a polished, well-considered pencil that hits all the right notes, and it drew a big reaction when it first surfaced.

Pilot Custom Heritage

The Pilot Custom Heritage is a twist-action business ballpoint, extending the refill by rotating the barrel. It ships with an Acro Ink refill, so it writes smoothly out of the box. Our one hesitation: it feels less premium than expected for the category, and the design skews toward a more mature taste rather than a younger audience.

Ito-ya 110

The Ito-ya 110 was not originally on the shopping list, but after repeated requests from readers curious about this lesser-covered pencil, it earned a purchase. It is a mid-barrel mechanical pencil with a shake-advance mechanism, and the writing feel lived up to its reputation. What stood out most was how little it feels cheap; the finish is better than expected for this kind of pencil.

Uni Jetstream 4&1 Light Touch

A new color arrived for the Jetstream 4&1 Light Touch multi-pen, with a glossy finish this time. It carries black, red, blue, and green ballpoints plus a pencil mechanism, and at around 1,430 yen it is remarkably affordable for what it does. Uni also released a limited blue-black Jetstream ink at the same time; it is a dark, muted blue rather than a strongly blue-black, so tastes may vary.

Romeo Number 3 Haze

The Romeo Number 3 Haze is a colorway released after the Romeo brand was rebranded in late 2024. The barrel work is genuinely beautiful, with a luxurious finish that makes it an instant favorite. There were a few points worth noting about the design and mechanism, though, so it is a pen to examine carefully before committing.

Kitera Lift Plus

The Kitera Lift Plus is Kitera Trading’s first original mechanical pencil, and it stands alongside the Laconic Solid Light as one of the best-writing pencils in this haul. The level of polish was a genuine surprise, and buyers report high satisfaction. The all-black metal barrel looks excellent, and the writing experience is the main reason to take it seriously.

Raddin Combo Round Zip Pen Case 2

The Raddin Combo Round Zip Pen Case 2 in black with denim was an impulse buy, prompted by the appealing photos people kept posting. The denim leans noticeably blue, which is not quite our preferred shade, but the compact size is exactly right, and the leather quality is good. Finding a genuine leather pen case at this footprint was the appeal, and it is a well-made companion for the desk.

OHTO MS023in

The OHTO MS023in is a shake-action multi-pen with black and red ballpoints plus a pencil mechanism. The barrel is a thicker hexagonal shape that is easy to grip, and the writing feel is excellent, helped by OHTO’s strong refill quality. The needle-tip refill is a defining feature. The only frustration is availability: OHTO products are rarely seen in stores and often sell out online, which is a shame for such appealing products.

Pentel P205 Retro Black Stripe

The Pentel P205 Retro Black Stripe is a limited colorway with a deliberately worn, chipped-edge paint effect that looks great. The P205 is a mechanical pencil with a worldwide reputation, and overseas markets get many variations, this being a favorite among them. If you like a pencil with character straight out of the box, this one is easy to like.

Diamond Memo S and Pentel Ain Limited Eraser

The final picks are small desk essentials. The green Diamond Memo S is sized to fit inside a pen case, which makes it genuinely handy, and it pairs well with the 5mm ruled layout. The Pentel Ain stick-type eraser in a limited version is a conveniently small size that is easy to use, exactly the kind of item that is hard to walk past in a physical stationery shop.

Buying Advice

Across this batch, the mechanical pencils were the standout category: the Laconic Solid Light and Kitera Lift Plus for pure writing feel, the Kuru Toga Wood for balance and novelty, and the P205 Retro Black Stripe for character on a budget. For ballpoints, the Caran d’Ache 849 Black Code XL is the most exciting thanks to its size and refill flexibility, while the Jetstream 4&1 Light Touch wins on value. Check availability before committing to limited editions like the Steller black or the Ain eraser, since these tend to disappear quickly.

Conclusion

March 2025 delivered a genuinely satisfying haul, with more writing tools than originally planned. From limited editions with serious shelf appeal to understated performers that simply write beautifully, there is something here for most desks. If only one takeaway matters: the new wave of Japanese mechanical pencils, particularly the Kitera Lift Plus and Laconic Solid Light, shows how much refinement the category is getting right now.