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Stationery Times

Brand: Pilot

Pilot FriXion Ball 0.38 Refill LFBTRF12UF: 17 Colors

Compiled from 2 sources; we haven't tested this product ourselves yet. How we research

Quick answer

The Pilot FriXion Ball LFBTRF12UF is a 0.38 mm erasable gel-ink refill sold in 17 colors. Pilot's refill site lists it at 87.5 mm long and 3.6 mm across, for ¥154 (about US$1.00) with tax, and says it fits the FriXion Ball Slim, Switch and several multi pens. Pinch off the yellow protective pipe before use.

On this page10 sections
Seventeen Pilot FriXion Ball 0.38 mm refills drawn to scale at 87.5 mm, each in one of the 17 ink colors
All 17 refill colors at Pilot's 87.5 mm (1 mm = 5 px); the tints are representative. Original illustration made for this guide. © Stationery Times.

Product facts

Product
Pilot FriXion Ball 0.38 mm refill (LFBTRF12UF)
Brand
Pilot
Brand origin
Japan
Made in
Not stated*
Material
FriXion erasable gel ink (Pilot)
Price range
$under $5 per item
Ink colors

Green

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Notes on these facts
  • Made by Pilot Corporation (Japan). Country of manufacture not stated: Pilot's refill page gives size, price, color codes and JAN barcodes but no country of manufacture, and Yoseka's page doesn't state one either. Source. Price: example listing.
  • Colors: names per Pilot refill site, checked November 2, 2026. The 17 ink color names are Pilot's refill-site names, in the order it lists them. We have no color chips, so each swatch is a representative tint picked to match the name, not sampled from a photo. Tints are representative, not measured. Shops stock different colors.
  • How we test and disclose samples: How we test stationery.
  • 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

  • Pilot's refill site lists LFBTRF12UF at 87.5 mm (3.4 in) long and 3.6 mm across, with a 0.38 mm ball.
  • There are 17 ink colors, each with its own code such as LFBTRF12UF-G (green) and LFBTRF12UF-BN (brown); black is not among them.
  • Pilot lists it at ¥154 (about US$1.00) with tax, ¥140 (about US$0.90) before tax.
  • Pilot lists 6 pens that take it as their 0.38 mm refill, including the FriXion Ball Slim 038 (LFBS-18UF) and the Ball Switch (LB31FBS-1).
  • Pilot's cautions say not to use FriXion ink on documents or addresses and to remove the yellow protective pipe before writing.

What is the Pilot FriXion Ball 0.38 mm refill?

It is a replacement gel-ink refill with a 0.38 mm ball, in 17 colors, for pens in Pilot’s FriXion Ball line. Pilot’s refill site describes it as refills with abundant color lineups for FriXion multi pens and the FriXion Ball Slim, with ink that can be erased by rubbing.

Yoseka lists it as a refill for FriXion Ball Slim clicker pens and FriXion Ball multi pens. Our FriXion Ball Switch guide shows one of the pens it fits.

Pilot LFBTRF12UF specs

Spec Value
Maker Pilot Corporation, Japan
Code LFBTRF12UF, then a color suffix such as -G
Ball 0.38 mm
Total length 87.5 mm (3.4 in)
Largest diameter 3.6 mm (0.14 in)
Ink FriXion erasable gel ink
Japanese list price ¥154 (about US$1.00) with tax
Price band $ (under $5); Yoseka’s US listing is inside it

What colors does the refill come in?

Seventeen, from green to brown, with no black. Pilot lists Green (G), Light Green (LG), Apricot Orange (AO), Orange (O), Pink (P), Light Blue (LB), Purple (PU), Blue-Black (BB), Sky Blue (SKL), Forest Green (FG), Honey Yellow (HY), Baby Pink (BP), Coral Pink (CP), Rose (RS), Wine Red (WR), Violet (V) and Brown (BN).

Pilot gives each a JAN barcode on its page. Yoseka lists the same 17 names. Our swatches are tints picked to match the names, not sampled from photos.

Which pens does it fit?

Pilot’s page names six 0.38 mm pens, and says it can also be used with eight others. Always check the pack code in the shop, because pens and refills change.

Pen Pen code Ball
FriXion Ball Slim Biz LFBKS-1SUF 0.38 mm
FriXion Ball Switch LB31FBS-1 0.38 mm
FriXion Ball 4 LKFB-80UF 0.38 mm
FriXion Ball 3 Slim LKFBS-60UF 0.38 mm
FriXion Ball 2 LKFB-40UF 0.38 mm
FriXion Ball Slim 038 LFBS-18UF 0.38 mm

Pilot’s “can also be used” list includes the FriXion Synergy 3 (LTFS3-14) and several 0.5 mm pens, such as the FriXion Ball 4 (LKFB-80EF) and Ball Switch 0.5 mm (LB31FBS-2). We haven’t tested these. For the 0.5 mm single-color pens, see our FriXion Waai guide.

How do you pick the right FriXion Ball refill code?

Match the ball size first, then the color suffix. The 0.38 mm pens above take LFBTRF12UF or its sibling codes, and the 0.5 mm pens take a code ending EF. Across the Pilot pages we read, 12 appears in the many-color refills, including the Waai’s LFBKRF12EF, and 30 in the basic-color ones such as LFBTRF30UF. That pattern is our reading, not a Pilot statement.

Our FriXion Ball Switch guide cites LFBTRF30UF-3 as that pen’s 0.38 mm FriXion refill, so one pen can take more than one family. When in doubt, read the pen’s own code against Pilot’s list and buy by that.

What do Pilot’s cautions say?

Remove the yellow pipe first and don’t use it on anything that must last. Pilot’s remarks say to pinch the end of the yellow protective pipe and take it off before use, and to keep the pipe away from children because it could be swallowed. Don’t use FriXion ink on official documents, addresses or anything that should not be erased.

One Pilot FriXion Ball 0.38 mm refill 87.5 mm long with a yellow protective pipe over its tip, drawn at 1 mm = 10 px
One refill at Pilot's 87.5 mm; the pipe's size is drawn by eye. Original illustration made for this guide. © Stationery Times.

Where is the refill made, and what does it cost?

Pilot doesn’t say where it is made. Its refill page gives no country and neither does Yoseka, so we list it as not stated.

Pilot lists ¥154 (about US$1.00) with tax, ¥140 (about US$0.90) before tax. Yoseka’s US listing, read on November 2, 2026, was US$2 per refill. We haven’t compared shipping or fees.

Frequently asked questions

What pens take the LFBTRF12UF refill?

Pilot's page names the FriXion Ball Slim Biz, Ball Switch, Ball 4, Ball 3 Slim, Ball 2 and Ball Slim 038 as 0.38 mm pens, and says it can also be used with some other FriXion pens.

How long is the FriXion Ball 0.38 refill?

Pilot's refill site gives 87.5 mm in total length and 3.6 mm at the widest point.

Does the 0.38 mm refill come in black?

Not under the LFBTRF12UF code: Pilot's page lists 17 colors from green to brown with no black. Our Ball Switch guide cites the LFBTRF30 family for the basic inks.

What is the yellow pipe on the refill?

It is a protective pipe over the tip. Pilot says to pinch its end and remove it before use, and not to leave it where it could be swallowed.

Does this refill write erasable ink?

Yes, it holds FriXion ink, which rubs out with the pen's eraser. Pilot warns not to use it on documents, addresses or anything that shouldn't be erased.

How many colors does Yoseka list?

Seventeen, matching the colors on Pilot's refill page.

How does the 0.38 mm refill differ from a 0.5 mm refill?

The ball is finer and the ink code is LFBTRF12UF rather than a 0.5 mm code such as LFBKRF12EF. Pilot also lists some 0.5 mm pens as able to take it.

Sources (2)

  1. Pilot refill site (English): LFBTRF12UF FriXion Ball 0.38 mm (¥154; 87.5 mm; 3.6 mm; 17 color codes and JANs; compatible pens; cautions; read November 2, 2026)
  2. Yoseka Stationery: Pilot FriXion Ball Refills 0.38 mm (17 colors, FriXion Ball Slim Clicker and Multi pens, listed January 23, 2021; read November 2, 2026)

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