--- title: "OHTO Fude Ball 1.5: The Brush-Like Rollerball Pen" canonical: "https://stationerytimes.com/guides/ohto-fude-ball/" description: "OHTO Fude Ball 1.5 explained: a 1.5 mm liquid-ink rollerball with pigment ink, a 138 mm body, brush-like strokes, the 2025 Fude Ball bio, colors and origin." category: "Pens" type: "Rollerball" published: 2026-10-22 updated: 2026-10-24 author: "Ellis Penhale" publisher: "Stationery Times" sources: 8 products: - name: "OHTO Fude Ball 1.5 liquid-ink rollerball pen, black (CFR-150FB)" brand: "OHTO" brand_origin: "Japan" made_in: "Japan" material: "Polypropylene barrel, cap and end plug; ABS cap top; stainless steel clip" released: "2013" price_band: "$ (under $5 per pen (multi-packs divided by the count), typical US retail, October 2026)" manufacturer: "OHTO Co., Ltd. (Japan)" model: "CFR-150FB" gtin: "4971516003082" url: "https://ohto.co.jp/?product=%e7%ad%86%e3%83%9c%e3%83%bc%e3%83%ab" --- # OHTO Fude Ball 1.5: The Brush-Like Rollerball Pen > The OHTO Fude Ball 1.5 is a capped liquid-ink rollerball with a 1.5 mm ball, one of the largest on a rollerball. OHTO designed it to write like a brush, with stops, flicks and sweeps, in waterproof, fade-resistant pigment ink. It is 138 mm long, weighs 10.5 g and is made in Japan at OHTO's Yuki factory. - URL: https://stationerytimes.com/guides/ohto-fude-ball/ - Category: Pens - Author: Ellis Penhale - Published: 2026-10-22 - Updated: 2026-10-24 ![Black OHTO Fude Ball 1.5 rollerball drawn to scale at 138 mm, with an inset of its 1.5 mm ball](https://stationerytimes.com/images/raster/ohto-fude-ball-16x9.png) *The black Fude Ball at 138 mm, drawn to scale.* 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) | |---|---|---|---|---|---|---| | OHTO Fude Ball 1.5 liquid-ink rollerball pen, black (CFR-150FB) | OHTO (by OHTO Co., Ltd. (Japan)) | Japan | Japan | Polypropylene barrel, cap and end plug; ABS cap top; stainless steel clip | 2013 | $: under $5 per pen (multi-packs divided by the count) | - Made in (OHTO Fude Ball 1.5 liquid-ink rollerball pen, black (CFR-150FB)): Japan. OHTO's Japanese product page says MADE IN Japan and that the pen is made from development to assembly at OHTO's Yuki factory. Source: https://ohto.co.jp/?product=%e7%ad%86%e3%83%9c%e3%83%bc%e3%83%ab ### OHTO Fude Ball 1.5 liquid-ink rollerball pen, black (CFR-150FB) colors - Ink colors (2 standard, 0 special edition): Black; Red. - Per OHTO Japan (https://ohto.co.jp/?product=%e7%ad%86%e3%83%9c%e3%83%bc%e3%83%ab), checked 2026-10-24. OHTO Japan lists the CFR-150FB in black (クロ) and red (アカ); the 10 colors of the Fude Ball bio (CFR-15FBO) are a separate model. Tints were sampled from OHTO's product photos of each pen. Shops stock different colors; check the listing. ## Key takeaways - OHTO's Japanese site lists the Fude Ball (CFR-150FB) at 138 mm (5.4 in) long, 10.5 mm across and 10.5 g. - Its 1.5 mm ball is three times the width of a 0.5 mm pen ball; OHTO's English history dates the pen to 2013. - OHTO lists the black and red Fude Ball at ¥150 (about US$0.90) before tax, and the 10-color Fude Ball bio at ¥200 (about US$1.30). - The Fude Ball bio, launched in Japan in March 2025, uses biocide-free pigment ink that OHTO says dries in under 2 seconds and writes about 600 m. - OHTO says the pen is developed and assembled at its Yuki factory in Japan, and it sells in our $ band (under $5) in the US. ## What is the OHTO Fude Ball? **The Fude Ball is a capped, disposable rollerball with a 1.5 mm ball, built to give a brush-like line from a ballpoint-style tip.** "Fude" is Japanese for brush. OHTO says it can make a brush's stops, flicks and sweeps, from stylish brush lettering to round, cute handwriting depending on pressure. It is one of OHTO's Free Ink Roller pens: the ink sits free in the barrel rather than in a fiber reservoir, and feeds straight to the ball. OHTO's English history dates the Fude Ball 1.5 to 2013 and calls it the boldest Free Ink Roller pen in the world, which is OHTO's own claim. ## OHTO Fude Ball specs | Spec | Value | |---|---| | Maker | OHTO Co., Ltd., Japan | | Model | CFR-150FB (Fude Ball); CFR-15FBO (Fude Ball bio) | | Type | Capped liquid-ink (free ink) rollerball | | Ball | 1.5 mm, tungsten carbide (bio) | | Ink | Water-based pigment, water-resistant and lightfast | | Length | 138 mm (5.4 in) | | Diameter | 10.5 mm; 14 mm at the clip | | Weight | 10.5 g | | Materials | Polypropylene barrel and cap; ABS top; stainless clip | | Japanese list price | ¥150 (about US$0.90); bio ¥200 (about US$1.30), before tax | Figures are from OHTO's Japanese pages for both versions; the ball material is from OHTO's English Fude Ball bio page. ## How big is a 1.5 mm ball? **Three times the width of a 0.5 mm ball, which is why the line looks like marker or brush writing rather than pen writing.** OHTO makes its Free Ink Roller pens in 0.3 to 1.5 mm; the Fude Ball is the largest. ![OHTO Free Ink Roller ball sizes 0.5, 0.7, 1.0 and 1.5 mm magnified 80 times](https://stationerytimes.com/images/ohto-fude-ball-ball-sizes.svg) *The Fude Ball's 1.5 mm ball beside OHTO's smaller Free Ink Roller sizes.* A big ball and free-flowing liquid ink put a lot of ink on the page. That gives the bold, dark line people buy it for, and it also means slower drying and show-through on thin paper. ## What is the Fude Ball bio? **It is the 2025 update: the same 1.5 mm pen with a biocide-free pigment ink, a clear ink window and 10 colors.** OHTO launched it in Japan in mid-March 2025 at ¥200 (about US$1.30) before tax. OHTO's English page lists the bio ink as document-proof to ISO 14145-2, with a 36-month shelf life. It says the ink dries in under 2 seconds, writes about 600 m in OHTO's own test, and doesn't dry out with the cap off for 2 days. ## What is the Fude Ball good for? **Bold notes, lettering, envelopes, labels and signs, where you want a dark line that won't wash away.** Yoseka Stationery suggests note-taking, addressing envelopes and packages, and sign decorating, and OHTO's pigment ink is water-resistant. It is less suited to small handwriting or thin planner paper. For everyday notes, OHTO's own 0.5 or 0.7 mm Free Ink Roller pens use the same kind of ink in a finer line. ## How does the Fude Ball compare with brush pens? **It gives a bold, slightly varied line with the control of a ballpoint, but less line variation than a real brush tip.** | Pen | Tip | Line | |---|---|---| | OHTO Fude Ball 1.5 | 1.5 mm metal ball | Bold; some variation with pressure | | [Tombow Fudenosuke](https://stationerytimes.com/guides/tombow-fudenosuke/) | Felt brush tip | Thin to thick with pressure | | [Pentel Sign Pen](https://stationerytimes.com/guides/pentel-sign-pen/) | Fiber tip | Even, medium-bold | | [uni-ball Vision](https://stationerytimes.com/guides/uni-ball-vision/) | Ball, liquid ink | Fine to bold, even | Choose the Fude Ball for bold notes, envelopes and signs that won't smear in rain. For real thick-and-thin lettering, a brush pen from our [best brush pens](https://stationerytimes.com/guides/best-brush-pens/) roundup does more. ## Where is the OHTO Fude Ball made? **In Japan.** OHTO's Japanese product page says MADE IN Japan and that the pen is developed and assembled at its Yuki factory in Ibaraki, which OHTO says also makes the tips and ink. Our [OHTO history](https://stationerytimes.com/stories/ohto-history/) covers that factory. ## Frequently asked questions ### Is the OHTO Fude Ball a brush pen? No. It is a rollerball with a 1.5 mm metal ball, not a brush or felt tip. OHTO says pressure and touch let it imitate a brush's stops, flicks and sweeps, but the line comes from a ball. ### Is Fude Ball ink waterproof? OHTO describes it as a water-resistant, lightfast pigment ink. The Fude Ball bio is also listed as document-proof to ISO 14145-2. ### Can you refill the Fude Ball? No. It is a disposable liquid-ink pen with no refill; OHTO sells it at ¥150 (about US$0.90) before tax in Japan. ### Does the Fude Ball bleed through paper? A 1.5 mm liquid-ink ball puts down a lot of ink, so expect show-through on thin paper. Use heavier or fountain-pen-friendly paper for lettering. ### What is the difference between Fude Ball and Fude Ball bio? The bio (CFR-15FBO), launched in Japan in March 2025, has the same 1.5 mm size and body but a biocide-free pigment ink, a clear ink window and 10 colors. ### What colors does the Fude Ball come in? The original CFR-150FB is listed in black and red in Japan. The Fude Ball bio comes in black, blue, red, green, sky blue, light green, orange, pink, wine and violet. ### Is the OHTO Fude Ball made in the USA? No. OHTO says it is made in Japan, from development to assembly, at its factory in Yuki, Ibaraki. ## Sources - [OHTO Japan: 水性ボールペン 筆ボール (CFR-150FB: MADE IN Japan, 138 mm, 10.5 mm, 10.5 g, ¥150, JAN codes, materials)](https://ohto.co.jp/?product=%e7%ad%86%e3%83%9c%e3%83%bc%e3%83%ab) - [OHTO Japan: 水性ボールペン FUDEBALL bio (CFR-15FBO: ¥200, 10 colors, biocide-free ink, 138 mm, 10.5 g)](https://ohto.co.jp/?product=cfr15fbo) - [OHTO (English): FUDE BALL bio (shelf life, 600 m writing distance, under 2 s drying, 2-day cap-off, ISO 14145-2 DOC)](https://ohto.co.jp/global/products/free-ink-roller/fudeballbio/) - [OHTO (English): Free Ink Roller (ball sizes 0.3 to 1.5 mm, 10 ink colors)](https://ohto.co.jp/global/products/free-ink-roller/) - [OHTO (English): Our history (2013: FUDE BALL 1.5)](https://ohto.co.jp/global/about-us/our-history/) - [Yoseka Stationery: OHTO Fude Ball Rollerball Pen 1.5 mm (14 cm, waterproof and fade-proof pigment ink)](https://yosekastationery.com/products/ohto-fude-ball-rollerball-pen-1-5mm) - [Yoseka Stationery: OHTO Fude Ball bio Rollerball Pen 1.5 mm](https://yosekastationery.com/products/ohto-fude-ball-bio-rollerball-pen-1-5mm) - [Cult Pens: OHTO Fude Ball Bio Liquid Ink Rollerball Pen 1.5 mm](https://cultpens.com/products/ohto-fude-ball-bio-liquid-ink-rollerball-pen-1-5mm)