--- title: "Pilot FriXion Ball Switch: Erasable Plus Permanent Ink" canonical: "https://stationerytimes.com/guides/pilot-frixion-ball-switch/" description: "Pilot FriXion Ball Switch explained: 3 erasable FriXion inks plus a permanent oil-based black in one 145 mm pen, two tip pairings, refills and US availability." category: "Pens" type: "Erasable gel pen" published: 2026-10-22 updated: 2026-10-24 author: "Ellis Penhale" publisher: "Stationery Times" sources: 6 products: - name: "Pilot FriXion Ball Switch, 0.5 mm FriXion + 0.7 mm oil-based (LB31FBS-2)" brand: "Pilot" brand_origin: "Japan" made_in: "Not stated" material: "Resin body with rubber grip; FriXion thermo-sensitive gel ink and oil-based pigment ink" released: "2026-03-05" price_band: "$$ ($5–20 per pen (multi-packs divided by the count), typical US retail, October 2026)" manufacturer: "Pilot Corporation (Japan)" model: "LB31FBS" mpn: "LB31FBS-2-B" gtin: "4902505697197" url: "https://webcatalog.pilot.co.jp/products/DispDetail.do?volumeName=00004&itemID=t000100005839" --- # Pilot FriXion Ball Switch: Erasable Plus Permanent Ink > The Pilot FriXion Ball Switch (LB31FBS) is the first FriXion pen that holds both erasable and permanent ink: black, red and blue FriXion gel plus an oil-based black you select by sliding the clip. Pilot launched it in Japan on March 5, 2026 at ¥880 (about US$5.60). It is 145 mm long and weighs 15.2 g. - URL: https://stationerytimes.com/guides/pilot-frixion-ball-switch/ - Category: Pens - Author: Ellis Penhale - Published: 2026-10-22 - Updated: 2026-10-24 ![Black Pilot FriXion Ball Switch drawn to scale at 145 mm, with an inset of the clip sliding down to select the permanent ink](https://stationerytimes.com/images/raster/pilot-frixion-ball-switch-16x9.png) *The FriXion Ball Switch in black, 145 mm long (drawn at 1 mm = 5 px).* Original drawing (SVG): . Drawings © 2026 Stationery Times, reusable with credit under CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). ## Product facts | Product | Brand | Brand origin | Made in | Material | Released | Price range (typical US retail, October 2026) | |---|---|---|---|---|---|---| | Pilot FriXion Ball Switch, 0.5 mm FriXion + 0.7 mm oil-based (LB31FBS-2) | Pilot (by Pilot Corporation (Japan)) | Japan | Not stated | Resin body with rubber grip; FriXion thermo-sensitive gel ink and oil-based pigment ink | 2026-03-05 | $$: $5–20 per pen (multi-packs divided by the count) | - Made in (Pilot FriXion Ball Switch, 0.5 mm FriXion + 0.7 mm oil-based (LB31FBS-2)): Not stated. Pilot's Japanese press release and web catalog, JetPens and the Amazon.com listing we read on October 22, 2026 don't state a country of manufacture. ### Pilot FriXion Ball Switch, 0.5 mm FriXion + 0.7 mm oil-based (LB31FBS-2) colors - Body colors (8 standard, 0 special edition): Black (both models); White Gray (both models); Olive (0.5 + 0.7 mm (LB31FBS-2)); Navy (0.5 + 0.7 mm (LB31FBS-2)); Bordeaux (0.5 + 0.7 mm (LB31FBS-2)); Mocha (0.38 + 0.5 mm (LB31FBS-1)); Blue Gray (0.38 + 0.5 mm (LB31FBS-1)); Lavender (0.38 + 0.5 mm (LB31FBS-1)). - Per Pilot Japan (https://webcatalog.pilot.co.jp/products/DispDetail.do?volumeName=00004&itemID=t000100005839), checked 2026-10-24. Names transliterated from Pilot Japan's catalog: ブラック, ホワイトグレー, オリーブ, ネイビー and ボルドー for the 0.5 + 0.7 mm LB31FBS-2, and ブラック, ホワイトグレー, モカ, ブルーグレー and ラベンダー for the 0.38 + 0.5 mm LB31FBS-1. Tints were sampled from Pilot Japan's product photos. Shops stock different colors; check the listing. ## Key takeaways - Pilot launched the FriXion Ball Switch in Japan on March 5, 2026, at ¥880 (about US$5.60) with tax. - It holds 3 erasable FriXion gel inks plus 1 new oil-based black that resists rubbing, water and alcohol, per Pilot. - There are 2 tip pairings: FriXion 0.38 mm with oil-based 0.5 mm, or FriXion 0.5 mm with oil-based 0.7 mm. - Pilot lists it at 145 mm (5.7 in) long, 13.8 mm across and 15.2 g, in 10 body colors. - The FriXion inks use slide levers; the permanent black comes out when you push the clip down. ## What is the Pilot FriXion Ball Switch? **It is a 4-in-1 pen with three erasable FriXion inks and one permanent oil-based black, the first FriXion product to combine the two.** Pilot launched it in Japan on March 5, 2026, at ¥880 (about US$5.60) with tax. Pilot pitches it as one pen for a whole workday: erasable ink for a planner and notes, permanent ink for forms, certificates and addresses. It arrived as Pilot announced that the FriXion series had passed 5 billion pens sold worldwide by the end of 2025. ## How do you switch between erasable and permanent ink? **Slide one of the three levers for FriXion black, red or blue; push the clip down for the permanent black.** Pilot made the clip a separate selector on purpose, so you don't pick the permanent ink by mistake. ![FriXion Ball Switch writing widths to scale: 0.2 and 0.28 mm in the 0.38 + 0.5 model, 0.25 and 0.32 mm in the 0.5 + 0.7 model](https://stationerytimes.com/images/pilot-frixion-ball-switch-line-widths.svg) *Pilot's listed writing widths for both tip pairings, drawn to scale.* Pilot developed the oil-based pigment ink for this pen. It says the ink resists water, alcohol, light and rubbing, so if you rub it with the FriXion eraser by accident it shouldn't smear. ## FriXion Ball Switch specs | Spec | 0.38 + 0.5 model | 0.5 + 0.7 model | |---|---|---| | Model | LB31FBS-1 | LB31FBS-2 | | FriXion ball / line | 0.38 mm / 0.2 mm | 0.5 mm / 0.25 mm | | Oil-based ball / line | 0.5 mm / 0.28 mm | 0.7 mm / 0.32 mm | | FriXion refill | LFBTRF30UF-3 | LFBTRF30EF-3 | | Oil-based refill | BRF-15 | BRF-17 | | Body colors | Black, white gray, mocha, blue gray, lavender | Black, white gray, olive, navy, bordeaux | Both are 145 mm × 13.8 mm (5.7 × 0.5 in) and 15.2 g, with ¥880 (about US$5.60) list prices, per Pilot's catalog. Pilot says the body is about as thick as its 4-color FriXion Ball 4. ## How does it compare with other FriXion multi-pens? **Choose it if you need one permanent ink; choose the [FriXion Synergy 3](https://stationerytimes.com/guides/pilot-frixion-synergy-3/) if you want the finest erasable line.** The Synergy 3 has three erasable 0.4 mm Synergy Tip inks, weighs 13 g and lists at ¥1,100 (about US$7). The Ball Switch adds the permanent black but uses FriXion Ball refills (LFBTRF30) in 0.38 or 0.5 mm. For a single-color erasable pen sold in US stores, see the [FriXion Clicker](https://stationerytimes.com/guides/pilot-frixion-clicker/), and our [best erasable pens](https://stationerytimes.com/guides/best-erasable-pens/) compares more. If you only need permanent inks, a multi-pen such as the [uni Jetstream 4&1](https://stationerytimes.com/guides/uni-jetstream-4-and-1/) does that without erasable refills. ## Why did Pilot add permanent ink to a FriXion pen? **Because FriXion's main limit is that it erases, and Pilot wanted one pen for every task in a working day.** Pilot itself warns that FriXion ink shouldn't be used for certificates or addresses, since heat or friction can make it vanish. FriXion launched in Europe in 2006 and in Japan in 2007, and Pilot says it now sells in more than 100 countries and regions. Pilot calls the Ball Switch the "next stage" of the series and promoted it with SWITCH STATION try-out events at JR Osaka Station and JR Tokyo Station in February 2026. ## Can you buy it in the US? **Yes, from JetPens and Japan-import sellers on Amazon.com.** On October 22, 2026, JetPens listed ten color and size versions; it is new in the US, with only a couple of reviews so far. Its price puts it in our $$ band ($5–20). JetPens notes that the ballpoint refill fits only its own slot, and the gel refills only theirs. ## Where is the FriXion Ball Switch made? **Pilot doesn't state it on the pages we read, and US listings don't either.** We list it as not stated until we can check a package. ## Frequently asked questions ### Which ink in the FriXion Ball Switch can't be erased? The black refill you select with the clip. It is an oil-based pigment ink Pilot developed for this pen, and Pilot says rubbing it with the FriXion eraser by mistake doesn't smear or remove it. ### How do you select the permanent ink? Push the clip down. The three FriXion colors use ordinary slide levers, and the clip works as a fourth lever only for the oil-based black, so the two kinds of ink are easy to tell apart. ### What refills does the FriXion Ball Switch use? Pilot lists LFBTRF30UF-3 (0.38 mm) or LFBTRF30EF-3 (0.5 mm) for the FriXion inks, and BRF-15 (0.5 mm) or BRF-17 (0.7 mm) for the oil-based black. JetPens says the two kinds aren't interchangeable between slots. ### How thick are the lines? Pilot lists writing widths of 0.2 mm for FriXion 0.38, 0.25 mm for FriXion 0.5, 0.28 mm for the 0.5 mm oil-based refill and 0.32 mm for the 0.7 mm. ### Can you buy the FriXion Ball Switch in the US? Yes, as an import. JetPens lists both tip pairings in ten body colors, and Japan-based sellers list it on Amazon.com. ### Is the FriXion Ball Switch good for signing documents? Use the clip-selected black for that. Pilot says the oil-based ink resists water, alcohol, light and rubbing, while the FriXion inks shouldn't be used on anything that must not disappear. ### What colors does the Pilot FriXion Ball Switch come in? Pilot Japan lists 10 body colors across the two models: black, white gray, olive, navy and bordeaux for the 0.5 + 0.7 mm pen, and black, white gray, mocha, blue gray and lavender for the 0.38 + 0.5 mm pen. ## Sources - [Pilot Japan press release: 多機能筆記具『フリクションボールスイッチ』発売 (February 10, 2026; on sale March 5, ¥880, 145 mm, 13.8 mm, 10 colors; read October 22, 2026)](https://www.pilot.co.jp/press_release/2026/02/10/content_19.html) - [Pilot Japan web catalog: LB31FBS-2-B フリクションボールスイッチ (0.5 + 0.7 mm; JAN, 15.2 g, writing widths, refills; read October 22, 2026)](https://webcatalog.pilot.co.jp/products/DispDetail.do?volumeName=00004&itemID=t000100005839) - [Pilot Japan web catalog: LB31FBS-1-B フリクションボールスイッチ (0.38 + 0.5 mm; JAN 4902505697142)](https://webcatalog.pilot.co.jp/products/DispDetail.do?volumeName=00004&itemID=t000100005838) - [Pilot Japan press release: 『フリクション』シリーズ 世界累計販売数50億本達成 (February 10, 2026)](https://www.pilot.co.jp/press_release/2026/02/10/_50.html) - [JetPens: Pilot FriXion Ball SWITCH 3+1, 0.5 mm + 0.7 mm, Black (LB31FBS-2-B; read October 22, 2026)](https://www.jetpens.com/Pilot-FriXion-Ball-SWITCH-3-1-3-Color-0.5-mm-Gel-Multi-Pen-0.7-mm-Ballpoint-Pen-Black/pd/49913) - [Amazon.com: Pilot FriXion Ball Switch LB31FBS-2-BO, Bordeaux (read October 22, 2026)](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0H6B9MJNQ)