Compiled from 6 sources; we haven't tested this product ourselves yet. How we research
Quick answer
The Pentel Hybrid Gel Roller (K105) is a slim gel pen that US shops stopped carrying around 2010; The Pen Addict called it discontinued in May 2011. It isn't gone everywhere: Pentel Japan still sells the Hybrid, launched in 1989, as a 0.5 mm pen for ¥132 (about US$0.80), with KF5 refills.
On this page10 sections
The Hybrid K105, about 150 mm capped per Amazon's import listing (drawn at 1 mm = 5 px).
Plastic barrel and cap with molded grip, gel ink refill (KF5) (Pentel Japan, The Pen Addict)
Released
1989*
Price range
$under $5 per pen (multi-packs divided by the count)
Ink colors
Black
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Notes on these facts
Made by ASTRUM Corporation (Tokyo), called Pentel Co., Ltd. until April 1, 2026; Pentel remains the brand. Country of manufacture not stated: Pentel Japan's Hybrid pages, The Pen Addict's 2010 and 2011 posts and the Amazon US import listing we read on October 23, 2026 don't state a country of manufacture. Price: example listing. Released: Pentel's Japanese design archive gives 1989 as the Hybrid's launch year. US retailers stopped carrying the Hybrid Gel Roller around 2010; The Pen Addict called it discontinued on May 23, 2011. Pentel Japan still sells it.
Colors: names per Pentel Japan, checked October 24, 2026. The three ink colors on Pentel Japan's Hybrid page (XK105-GA, -GB, -GC); the KF5 refills come in the same three. English names are translated from Pentel's Japanese color names. Tints are the color-chip values on Pentel Japan's page. Tints are representative, not measured. Shops stock different colors.
Price bands are typical US retail, checked October 2026. Conversions to US dollars are approximate, at October 2026 rates (US$1 = ¥158 = ₩1,330 = NT$32.5 = CN¥6.7 = SEK 9.9 = DKK 6.7 = ₺49.6 = C$1.41 = A$1.43 = CZK 21.7; €1 = US$1.12; £1 = US$1.32; CHF 1 = US$1.21).
Key takeaways
Pentel's Japanese design archive dates the Hybrid to 1989; it won a Good Design Award in 1993.
A Pen Addict reader couldn't find the K105A anywhere online in October 2010, and the site called the US pen discontinued in May 2011.
Pentel Japan still lists the Hybrid in black, red and blue with a 0.5 mm ball at ¥132 (about US$0.80); a recycled-material version is EK105.
Pentel Japan sells KF5 refills (0.5 mm) for both versions at ¥88 (about US$0.60).
For a US-sold replacement, The Pen Addict suggested Pentel's Hybrid Gel Grip; readers named the uni-ball Signo 207 and Signo DX.
Is the Pentel Hybrid Gel Roller discontinued?
In the US, yes: shops stopped carrying the Hybrid Gel Roller K105 around 2010, but Pentel Japan still makes and sells the Hybrid. In October 2010 a Pen Addict reader wrote that he could no longer find the Hybrid Gel Roller Black K105A anywhere online.
The Pen Addict called the pen discontinued in its May 23, 2011 review. One commenter remembered it as the most sought-after gel pen in middle school, and another noted it was still sold in Asia. It is also on our list of discontinued pens people still look for.
What is the Pentel Hybrid?
It’s Pentel’s gel-ink pen of 1989: a slim capped pen that Pentel’s design archive dates to that year. The design won a Good Design Award in 1993, and Pentel’s company history lists the Hybrid among its milestone writing tools.
The Pen Addict’s reviewer called the US version a long, sleek gel pen with nice dark ink, but found it a little draggy next to newer 0.7 mm gel pens. The reader who sent it liked its thin barrel and subtle molded-in grip.
Pentel Hybrid K105 specs
Spec
Value
Maker
Pentel (ASTRUM Corporation since April 1, 2026), Tokyo
Model
K105; Japan pack items XK105-GA, GB, GC
Type
Capped gel-ink pen
Ball (Japan)
0.5 mm, extra fine (Pentel Japan)
US version
Described as 0.7 mm (The Pen Addict, 2011)
Colors (Japan)
Black, red, blue
Length
About 5.9 in, 150 mm (Amazon import listing)
Weight
About 0.3 oz, 8.5 g (Amazon import listing)
Refill
KF5, 0.5 mm (Pentel Japan)
Price in Japan
¥132 (about US$0.80)
Launched
1989 (Pentel Japan)
Pentel Japan doesn’t publish a length or weight for the Hybrid, so the size comes from Amazon’s listing for a Japanese 10-pack.
From the 1989 launch to US discontinuation, and the Japanese Hybrid that's still on sale.
What replaced the Hybrid Gel Roller?
Pentel didn’t name a US successor in anything we found; The Pen Addict pointed readers to Pentel’s Hybrid Gel Grip, nearly the same pen with a 0.8 mm tip. Commenters suggested the uni-ball Signo 207 and Signo DX instead.
Yes, as a Japanese import. Amazon US carries a 10-pack of K105-GA black, and Pentel Japan lists the pack-sealed XK105 in black, red and blue at ¥132 (about US$0.80) each.
Pentel Japan also sells a recycled-material version, the EK105, at the same price and in the same three colors. Both are 0.5 mm, finer than the 0.7 mm The Pen Addict reviewed.
What refill does the Hybrid take?
Pentel Japan lists the KF5 gel refill, 0.5 mm, in black (KF5-A), red (KF5-B) and blue (KF5-C). It costs ¥88 (about US$0.60) and fits both the Hybrid and the EK105, so one pen can last for years.
KF5 refills are sold mainly in Japan. We found no source saying whether they fit old US K105A pens, so treat those as pens that write until they run dry.
Where is the Pentel Hybrid made?
Pentel doesn’t say on the Japanese pages we read, and the Amazon import listing gives no country. Pentel is a Japanese brand based in Tokyo; its company was renamed ASTRUM Corporation on April 1, 2026.
Check the pack on an imported XK105 if origin matters to you.
Frequently asked questions
Why can't I find the Pentel Hybrid Gel Roller in US stores anymore?
In the US, yes: shops stopped carrying it around 2010, and The Pen Addict called it discontinued in May 2011. Pentel Japan still sells the Hybrid as model XK105 in a 0.5 mm size.
Which pen is closest to the old Pentel Hybrid Gel Roller?
Pentel didn't name a US successor in anything we found. The Pen Addict suggested the Pentel Hybrid Gel Grip as nearly the same pen with a 0.8 mm tip; readers suggested the uni-ball Signo 207 and Signo DX.
Can you still buy Pentel K105 pens?
Yes, as Japanese imports. Amazon US carries a 10-pack of K105-GA black, and Pentel Japan sells the pen and its refills in Japan.
What refill does the Pentel Hybrid K105 take?
Pentel Japan lists the KF5 gel refill, 0.5 mm, in black (KF5-A), red (KF5-B) and blue (KF5-C), for both the Hybrid and the recycled-material EK105.
When did Pentel make the first Hybrid?
1989, according to Pentel's Japanese design archive, and the pen won a Good Design Award in 1993. Pentel's history counts it among its key writing tools, between the Rolling Writer and the EnerGel.
Was the US Hybrid Gel Roller 0.7 or 0.5 mm?
The Pen Addict reviewed it as a 0.7 mm pen in 2011, while the Hybrid Pentel Japan sells now has a 0.5 mm ball. We couldn't find a Pentel page for the old US version to settle it.
