--- title: "OHTO Rays: Flash Dry Gel Pen and PG-105NP Refill" canonical: "https://stationerytimes.com/guides/ohto-rays/" description: "OHTO Rays gel pen explained: Flash Dry PG-105NP 0.5 mm needle refill, 138.5 mm and 13.3 g steel-and-plastic body, 11 colors, G2 refill fit, and lefty use." category: "Pens" type: "Gel pen" published: 2026-10-22 updated: 2026-10-24 author: "Ellis Penhale" publisher: "Stationery Times" sources: 7 products: - name: "OHTO Rays retractable gel pen, 0.5 mm, orange (NKG-255R-OR)" brand: "OHTO" brand_origin: "Japan" made_in: "Not stated" material: "ABS front barrel, steel back barrel and clip, brass tip cone" released: "2017" price_band: "$$ ($5–20 per pen (multi-packs divided by the count), typical US retail, October 2026)" manufacturer: "OHTO Co., Ltd. (Japan)" model: "NKG-255R" mpn: "NKG-255R-OR" gtin: "4971516026616" url: "https://ohto.co.jp/global/products/gs/rays/" --- # OHTO Rays: Flash Dry Gel Pen and PG-105NP Refill > The OHTO Rays is a retractable gel pen with a steel upper barrel, a colored plastic lower barrel and OHTO's Flash Dry PG-105NP refill: a 0.5 mm needle tip with fast-drying black gel ink that OHTO recommends for left-handed writers. OHTO lists it at 138.5 mm long and 13.3 g, in 11 colors. - URL: https://stationerytimes.com/guides/ohto-rays/ - Category: Pens - Author: Ellis Penhale - Published: 2026-10-22 - Updated: 2026-10-24 ![Orange OHTO Rays gel pen drawn to scale at 138.5 mm, with an inset of its 0.5 mm needle tip](https://stationerytimes.com/images/raster/ohto-rays-16x9.png) *The orange Rays at 138.5 mm, drawn to scale.* Original drawing (SVG): . Drawings © 2026 Stationery Times, reusable with credit under CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). ## Product facts | Product | Brand | Brand origin | Made in | Material | Released | Price range (typical US retail, October 2026) | |---|---|---|---|---|---|---| | OHTO Rays retractable gel pen, 0.5 mm, orange (NKG-255R-OR) | OHTO (by OHTO Co., Ltd. (Japan)) | Japan | Not stated | ABS front barrel, steel back barrel and clip, brass tip cone | 2017 | $$: $5–20 per pen (multi-packs divided by the count) | - Made in (OHTO Rays retractable gel pen, 0.5 mm, orange (NKG-255R-OR)): Not stated. OHTO's English Rays page and the retailer listings we read (Cult Pens, Yoseka Stationery) don't state where the pen is made. OHTO's history photo shows the PG-105NP refill marked JAPAN, but that is the refill, not the pen. ### OHTO Rays retractable gel pen, 0.5 mm, orange (NKG-255R-OR) colors - Body colors (11 standard, 0 special edition): Black; Blue; Grey; Navy; Olive; Orange; Pink; Red; Rose Pink; White; Yellow. - Per OHTO (English) (https://ohto.co.jp/global/products/gs/rays/), checked 2026-10-24. Eleven body colors per OHTO's English Rays page; all write in black. The lower tint of each tile is the steel upper barrel. Tints were sampled from OHTO's product photos. Shops stock different colors; check the listing. ## Key takeaways - OHTO lists the Rays (NKG-255R) at 138.5 mm (5.5 in) long, 9.5 mm across (12.4 mm at the clip) and 13.3 g. - Its PG-105NP Flash Dry refill has a 0.5 mm tungsten carbide ball in a needle tip; OHTO says the ink dries instantly. - OHTO dates its Flash Dry gel ink to 2017, and Yoseka Stationery says the Rays was developed the same year. - The refill is the G2 (Parker) size, 98.4 × 5.8 mm, so other G2 refills fit, per Cult Pens. - OHTO lists 11 body colors, and the Rays sells in our $$ band ($5–20) in the US. ## What is the OHTO Rays? **The Rays is OHTO's low-cost retractable gel pen: a steel upper barrel and clip over a colored plastic lower barrel, with a 0.5 mm needle-tip Flash Dry refill.** OHTO calls the tip its Strong Needle-Point and marks the 3D clip with an "R". Yoseka Stationery says it was developed in 2017, the year OHTO dates its Flash Dry gel ink, and compares its retro look to a Parker Jotter. Cult Pens says it brought the Rays to the UK for its classic styling, its well-liked extra-fine refill and its value. ## OHTO Rays specs | Spec | Value | |---|---| | Maker | OHTO Co., Ltd., Japan | | Model | NKG-255R | | Type | Retractable gel pen, needle tip | | Refill | PG-105NP Flash Dry, 0.5 mm, black | | Length | 138.5 mm (5.5 in) | | Diameter | 9.5 mm; 12.4 mm at the clip | | Weight | 13.3 g | | Materials | ABS front barrel; steel back barrel and clip; brass tip | | Colors | 11, from black and navy to olive, rose pink and orange | All figures are from OHTO's English Rays and PG-105NP pages. OHTO's Japanese catalog no longer lists the Rays, though OHTO announced new Rays colors there in August 2018. ## What is Flash Dry gel ink? **It is OHTO's quick-drying gel ink, developed in 2017; OHTO says it dries instantly and suits left-handed writers.** OHTO's Japanese history says the ink sharply improved drying and came with an improved tip for smoother writing. OHTO also calls the black very dark. We haven't timed it yet, so treat "instantly" as the maker's claim until our test below. The refill itself is light: OHTO lists the PG-105NP at 1.9 g, with a polypropylene tube and a stainless steel needle tip holding a 0.5 mm tungsten carbide ball. Because the tip is long and thin, you can see exactly where the line starts, which helps with small handwriting and ruled forms. ## Can you use other refills in the Rays? **Yes. The PG-105NP is the G2 size, 98.4 mm long and 5.8 mm across, and Cult Pens says the Rays takes standard Parker-style refills.** That opens it to ballpoint and gel refills from many makers. ![OHTO Rays 138.5 mm long and its PG-105NP refill 98.4 mm long, drawn to scale](https://stationerytimes.com/images/ohto-rays-refill.svg) *The Rays takes the same 98.4 mm G2 refill as the OHTO GS01.* The same PG-105NP refill goes into OHTO's metal GS01-G5, so you can try the ink in the Rays before buying a metal pen. Our [OHTO GS01](https://stationerytimes.com/guides/ohto-gs01/) guide covers that family. ## Which Rays color should you choose? **Any: the 11 colors change only the plastic lower barrel, and every Rays writes in black.** OHTO lists black, red, blue, olive, grey, yellow, pink, rose pink, white, navy and orange, each with its own JAN code. The steel upper barrel, clip and knock are the same on all of them. If you want blue ink, OHTO also makes the PG-105NP refill in blue. ## How does the Rays compare with other quick-dry gel pens? **It's a refillable, G2-size fine-liner with a metal top, where most quick-dry gel pens are plastic and use their own refills.** | Pen | Tip | Refill | Notes | |---|---|---|---| | OHTO Rays | 0.5 mm needle | PG-105NP (G2) | Steel upper barrel | | [Zebra Sarasa Dry](https://stationerytimes.com/guides/zebra-sarasa-dry/) | 0.5, 0.7, 1.0 mm | Unclear in the US | Rapid Dry Ink | | [Pilot G2](https://stationerytimes.com/guides/pilot-g2/) | 0.38 to 1.0 mm | Pilot G2 | US best-seller | | [Parker Jotter](https://stationerytimes.com/guides/parker-jotter/) | Ballpoint | Parker (G2) | All-metal | Choose the Rays if you want a fine needle tip and a pen you can refill with any G2 refill. Our [best pens for left-handed writers](https://stationerytimes.com/guides/best-pens-for-left-handed-writers/) covers more fast-drying picks. ## Where is the OHTO Rays made? **OHTO's Rays page doesn't say, and neither do the retailers we checked.** OHTO, the maker, is based in Yuki, Ibaraki, Japan; our [OHTO history](https://stationerytimes.com/stories/ohto-history/) covers the company. ## Frequently asked questions ### Is the OHTO Rays good for left-handed writers? OHTO recommends its PG-105NP Flash Dry refill for left-handed writers because the ink dries quickly. We haven't timed it yet; see the test slot in this guide. ### What refill does the OHTO Rays use? The PG-105NP, a 0.5 mm needle-point Flash Dry gel refill in black or blue. It is G2 size, 98.4 mm long, so Parker-style refills from other makers fit too. ### Does the Rays look like a Parker Jotter? Yes, a little. Yoseka Stationery compares its retro look to a Parker Jotter: a steel upper barrel and clip over a colored lower barrel, and both take G2-size refills. ### What colors does the OHTO Rays come in? OHTO lists 11 body colors: black, red, blue, olive, grey, yellow, pink, rose pink, white, navy and orange. The ink is black. ### How heavy is the OHTO Rays? OHTO lists 13.3 g, light for a pen with a steel upper barrel because the lower barrel is plastic. ### Is the OHTO Rays made in the USA? No. OHTO is a Japanese company; the pages we read don't name the country where the Rays itself is made. ## Sources - [OHTO (English): Rays (NKG-255R colors and JAN codes, 138.5 × 9.5 mm, max 12.4 mm, 13.3 g, materials, PG-105NP)](https://ohto.co.jp/global/products/gs/rays/) - [OHTO (English): PG-105NP refill (dries instantly, for left-handed writers, TC 0.5 mm, 98.4 × 5.8 mm, 1.9 g)](https://ohto.co.jp/global/products/refill/gs-refill/pg-105np/) - [OHTO (English): Our history (2017: Flash Dry gel ink)](https://ohto.co.jp/global/about-us/our-history/) - [OHTO Japan: 会社案内 歴史 (2017 フラッシュドライゲル開発, with the PG-105NP refill)](https://ohto.co.jp/?page_id=1441) - [OHTO Japan: home page news list (Rays new colors, August 31, 2018)](https://ohto.co.jp/) - [Yoseka Stationery: OHTO Rays Gel Pen 0.5 mm (developed in 2017; Parker Jotter-like look)](https://yosekastationery.com/products/ohto-rays-gel-pen-0-5mm) - [Cult Pens: OHTO Rays Flash Dry Gel Ballpoint Pen (steel upper barrel, plastic lower barrel, takes G2 refills)](https://cultpens.com/products/ohto-rays-flash-dry-gel-ballpoint-pen)