--- title: "KOKUYO Research Lab Pen: Alcohol-Resistant 0.6 mm Pen" canonical: "https://stationerytimes.com/guides/kokuyo-research-lab-pen/" description: "KOKUYO Research Lab Pen explained: a 0.6 mm oil-based pen with alcohol-resistant ink that writes on frozen or dewy surfaces and microtube lids, with price." category: "Pens" type: "Laboratory pen" published: 2026-10-31 updated: 2026-10-31 author: "Ellis Penhale" publisher: "Stationery Times" sources: 1 products: - name: "KOKUYO Research Lab Pen, oil-based alcohol-resistant ink, fine 0.6 mm (blue, black, red)" brand: "KOKUYO" brand_origin: "Japan" made_in: "Not stated" material: "Oil-based alcohol-resistant ink; hard fine tip" price_band: "$ (under $5 per pen (multi-packs divided by the count), typical US retail, October 2026)" manufacturer: "KOKUYO Co., Ltd. (Osaka)" model: "Research Lab Pen" url: "https://www.kokuyo.com/en/stationery/series/research-lab-pen/" --- # KOKUYO Research Lab Pen: Alcohol-Resistant 0.6 mm Pen > The KOKUYO Research Lab Pen is a 0.6 mm oil-based ballpoint made for laboratories. KOKUYO says its ink resists alcohol so letters do not fade when alcohol touches them, and a special water-repellent ink writes on frozen or dewy surfaces. A hard thin tip fits small labels such as microtube lids. It comes in blue, black and red at 440 yen (about US$2.78) each. - URL: https://stationerytimes.com/guides/kokuyo-research-lab-pen/ - Category: Pens - Author: Ellis Penhale - Published: 2026-10-31 - Updated: 2026-10-31 ![KOKUYO Research Lab Pen in blue, black and red, silver barrels with colored caps and tips](https://stationerytimes.com/images/raster/kokuyo-research-lab-pen-illustration-16x9.png?v=492ba20e) *The Research Lab Pen in blue, black and red (drawn in proportion).* Original illustration made for this guide. © Stationery Times. Original drawing (SVG): . Drawings © 2026 Stationery Times, reusable with credit under CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). ## Product facts | Product | Brand | Brand origin | Made in | Material | Released | Price range (typical US retail, October 2026) | |---|---|---|---|---|---|---| | KOKUYO Research Lab Pen, oil-based alcohol-resistant ink, fine 0.6 mm (blue, black, red) | KOKUYO (by KOKUYO Co., Ltd. (Osaka)) | Japan | Not stated | Oil-based alcohol-resistant ink; hard fine tip | – | $: under $5 per pen (multi-packs divided by the count) | - Made in (KOKUYO Research Lab Pen, oil-based alcohol-resistant ink, fine 0.6 mm (blue, black, red)): Not stated. KOKUYO's Research Lab Pen series page gives no country of manufacture, so check the label on your copy. ## Key takeaways - The ink is oil-based and alcohol-resistant, so writing should not fade when alcohol touches it, per KOKUYO. - A special ink that does not mix easily with water lets it write on frozen or dewy surfaces. - The tip is about 0.6 mm and made of a hard material, so it fits small surfaces such as microtube lids. - It comes in blue, black and red at 440 yen (about US$2.78) each. - KOKUYO's page gives no country of manufacture and no body dimensions. ## What is the KOKUYO Research Lab Pen? **It is a pen for laboratories, built so labels survive alcohol.** KOKUYO describes it as an alcohol-resistant pen for research labs and opens its page with a familiar problem: letters that disappeared when alcohol touched them. It is a capped oil-based pen with a fine tip of about 0.6 mm. ## What makes the ink different? **It is made to resist alcohol and water.** KOKUYO says the ink has excellent alcohol resistance, so even if alcohol gets on the writing surface the letters do not fade easily. It also says the ink is smudge-resistant and quick-drying. ## Can it write on frozen or wet surfaces? **Yes, according to KOKUYO.** The page says a special ink that does not easily mix with water lets the pen write on frozen surfaces and on surfaces with condensation. We have not tested this. ## How fine is the tip? **About 0.6 mm.** KOKUYO says a hard tip material makes a thin shape so you can write on small surfaces, such as the lid of a microtube. By our arithmetic a 0.6 mm line is twice the 0.3 mm of the [Zebra Mackee Care Ultra Fine](https://stationerytimes.com/guides/zebra-mackee-care-ultra-fine/) and about half the 1 mm line of the [Sharpie Fine Point](https://stationerytimes.com/guides/sharpie-fine-point/). ## Is it a ballpoint or a marker? **KOKUYO calls it an oil-based pen, so think of it as a ballpoint-style pen.** The page lists oil-based, alcohol-resistant ink and a fine 0.6 mm point, and does not call it a marker. ## What colors and price? **Blue, black and red at 440 yen each.** KOKUYO lists the same price for all three: 440 yen (about US$2.78), in our $ band (under $5). ## What did KOKUYO say about caring for it? **It is a lab tool with a short list of conditions.** Beyond the ink claims, KOKUYO's page is brief: a thin tip, three colors and one price. It gives no body size, weight or refill information, so we cannot say whether it is refillable or how it sits in the hand. Treat it as a disposable lab pen until KOKUYO says more. ## How should you store it? **Cap on and lying down.** KOKUYO's care notes for the pen say not to store it upright and to keep the cap on, and to store it sideways. ## Who is it for? **For lab and cold-storage labeling.** The use cases KOKUYO names are small tubes, alcohol-wiped surfaces and frozen or dewy surfaces. For everyday permanent marking, a [Zebra Hi-Mackee](https://stationerytimes.com/guides/zebra-hi-mackee-marker/) costs a quarter of the price by our arithmetic (165 yen against 440 yen). ## How does it compare with other permanent markers? **It is a pen, not a marker.** For markers see our [best permanent markers](https://stationerytimes.com/guides/best-permanent-markers/) roundup, and for pens that resist water see [best waterproof pens and inks](https://stationerytimes.com/guides/best-waterproof-pens-and-inks/). ## Where is it made, and what does it cost? **KOKUYO's page doesn't say.** At 440 yen (about US$2.78) it is in our $ band (under $5). ## Frequently asked questions ### What is it for? Writing on lab items where alcohol can wipe off ordinary ink, such as microtube lids, per KOKUYO. ### How does the ink resist alcohol? KOKUYO says the ink has excellent alcohol resistance so letters do not fade easily if alcohol reaches them. ### Can it write on frozen things? Yes. KOKUYO says its special ink does not mix easily with water, so it writes on frozen or dewy surfaces. ### How fine is the line? About 0.6 mm. ### Which colors are there? Blue, black and red. ### How much is it? 440 yen each, about US$2.78. ### Where is it made? KOKUYO's page does not state it. ## Sources - [KOKUYO: Research Lab Pen series page (ink, tip, uses, colors, price; read October 31, 2026)](https://www.kokuyo.com/en/stationery/series/research-lab-pen/)