Pilot Acroball: Acro Ink, Tip Sizes & BRFV-10 Refills

The Pilot Acroball 0.7 mm Fine, the size most US packs are sold in.

Product facts

Product: Pilot Acroball Retractable Ballpoint (0.5 / 0.7 / 1.0 mm; BAB-15)
Brand: Pilot
Brand origin: Japan
Made in: Japan^*
Material: Recycled plastics (recycled PP barrel, recycled PC cap and front, per Pilot Japan), rubber grip
Released: 2008^*
Price range: $under $5 per pen (multi-packs divided by the count)

Notes on these facts

Made by Pilot Corporation (Japan); sold in the US by Pilot Corporation of America. Made in Japan: per US business-supplier spec sheets: OnTimeSupplies lists Japan for the 0.7 mm 2-pack (item 31895), and Aztek lists Japan for the 0.7 mm 3-pack (item 31859). Australian and US retailers also label Acroball refills as made in Japan. Pilot's Japanese web catalog doesn't state it. Source. Price: example listing. Released: Year Pilot launched the Acroball in Japan, per Impress Watch (March 2024); we found no separate US launch date.
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; €1 = US$1.12; £1 = US$1.32; CHF 1 = US$1.21).

Key takeaways

Pilot launched the Acroball in 2008; Pilot says Acro ink has about 1/5 the viscosity of ordinary oil-based ballpoint ink.
Three common US ball sizes: 0.5 mm Extra Fine, 0.7 mm Fine and 1.0 mm Medium; Pilot Japan also sells a 0.3 mm Acroball 150 (BAB-15MF), after first offering 0.3 mm in the Acroball T on November 24, 2020.
Pilot's Japanese catalog lists the Acroball 150 at 142.5 mm (5.6 in) long, 11.4 mm wide and 9.5 g in every ball size; JetPens gives 14.2 cm and 9–10 g.
Refills are Pilot's BRFV-10 family: BRFV-10EF (0.5 mm), BRFV-10F (0.7 mm) and BRFV-10M (1.0 mm).
US business-supplier spec sheets list Japan as the country of origin.

What is the Pilot Acroball?

The Acroball is Pilot’s retractable, refillable everyday ballpoint, built around its low-viscosity Acro ink. Pilot Corporation of Japan launched it in 2008, according to Impress Watch, and has sold it worldwide since.

In March 2024 Pilot redesigned the body in Japan, then at ¥165 (about US$1.00) for the single-color pen and ¥660 (about US$4.20) for the Acroball 4+1 multi-pen. Pilot’s price list raised the single pen, now sold as Acroball 150, to ¥198 (about US$1.30) on July 1, 2026. In the US it’s sold in multi-packs, including Acroball Colors and the white-barrel Acroball PureWhite.

Pilot Acroball specs

Spec	Value
Maker	Pilot Corporation (Japan); US seller Pilot Corporation of America
Type	Retractable ballpoint, low-viscosity oil-based Acro ink
Ball sizes	0.5 mm Extra Fine · 0.7 mm Fine · 1.0 mm Medium; 0.3 mm in Japan (BAB-15MF) and in the Acroball T
Refills	BRFV-10MF · BRFV-10EF · BRFV-10F · BRFV-10M
Length (retracted)	142.5 mm (5.6 in), per Pilot Japan; 14.2 cm per JetPens
Widest	11.4 mm, per Pilot Japan
Weight	9.5 g, per Pilot Japan; 9–10 g per JetPens
Japan list price	¥198 (about US$1.30) including tax, from July 1, 2026
JAN (0.7 mm black)	4902505375279 (BAB-15F-BB)
Launched	2008 in Japan
Made in	Japan (per US supplier spec sheets)

Size, weight, refills and price come from Pilot’s Japanese web catalog, which lists the same 142.5 mm and 9.5 g for every ball size; JetPens’ figures are close. In Europe the pen is sold as Acroball BeGreen, and Pilot’s Nordic data sheet gives its recycled-plastic share as 78%. In Europe the pen is sold as Acroball BeGreen, and Pilot’s Nordic data sheet gives its recycled-plastic share as 78%.

What is Acro ink, and is it a hybrid?

Acro ink is an oil-based ballpoint ink that Pilot says has about one-fifth the viscosity of ordinary oil ink. Pilot’s Japanese catalog says that makes it flow almost like water-based ink and soak into the paper fibers for a dark, even line; JetPens puts the claim as “80% less viscous”. Thinner ink lets the ball turn with less drag, which is why Pilot promises a smooth feel and starts without skipping.

In the US, Pilot sells it as Advanced Ink, and retailer copy calls it a gel and ballpoint hybrid that dries quickly. It is still a ballpoint ink, not a gel. Pilot doesn’t publish a dry time, and we haven’t measured one.

Which Acroball tip size should you choose?

Choose 0.7 mm Fine for everyday notes, 0.5 mm for small handwriting and 1.0 mm for a dark, bold line.

0.3 mm (Acroball T, and Acroball 150 in Japan): Pilot released it on November 24, 2020, as its first oil-based ballpoint with a 0.3 mm ball. Good for planners and tiny writing.
0.5 mm Extra Fine: a crisp line and the least ink of the standard sizes.
0.7 mm Fine: the size most US packs come in.
1.0 mm Medium: sold in the US as Acroball Colors; the boldest line.

The number is the ball diameter. Pilot names run a step finer than many brands, so its “Fine” is a 0.7 mm ball.

What refills does the Acroball use?

It takes Pilot’s BRFV-10 Acro ink refill, the same one used in the Acro 300, Acro 1000 and ILMILY.

Ball size	Refill	Ink colors listed
0.3 mm	BRFV-10MF	Black, blue, red (Pilot Japan)
0.5 mm	BRFV-10EF	Black, blue, red (Pilot Japan)
0.7 mm	BRFV-10F	Black, blue, red (Pilot Japan)
1.0 mm	BRFV-10M	Black, blue, red (Pilot Japan)

Don’t confuse it with the BRFN-30, Pilot’s Acro ink refill for its higher-priced pens. It uses the same ink but doesn’t fit the Acroball.

How does the Acroball compare to the Jetstream RT?

They are the two best-known Japanese low-viscosity ballpoints, and they’re close in size and price. The uni-ball Jetstream RT came first, in 2006.

	Pilot Acroball	uni-ball Jetstream RT
Ink	Acro ink, low-viscosity oil	Jetstream, low-viscosity oil pigment
US ink name	Advanced Ink	Super Ink
Sizes	0.5 · 0.7 · 1.0 mm (0.3 mm in the T)	0.5 · 0.7 · 1.0 mm
Refill	BRFV-10	SXR-5 / -7 / -10
Length	142.5 mm (Pilot Japan)	14.14 cm (uni-ball UK, 1.0 mm)
Made in	Japan (retailer sheets)	Japan (retailer sheets)

Against a classic paste-ink ballpoint like the BIC Cristal, both write darker and smoother. If you want a wetter line still, a gel pen such as the Pilot G2 goes further, at the cost of slower drying.

Where is the Pilot Acroball made?

US business-supplier spec sheets list the Acroball as made in Japan. OnTimeSupplies gives Japan for the 0.7 mm 2-pack (item 31895), and Aztek gives Japan for the 0.7 mm 3-pack (item 31859). Retailers in Australia and the US also label BRFV-10 refills “Made in Japan”; Pilot’s Japanese web catalog doesn’t state a country.

How much does a Pilot Acroball cost?

It’s in our lowest price band, $ (under $5 per pen), when bought in a multi-pack. Most US listings are packs of 2 to 12; Pilot Japan’s list price of ¥198 (about US$1.30) for a single pen since July 1, 2026 gives a sense of scale.

For an even plainer everyday ballpoint at the same band, Korea’s hexagonal Monami 153 has been sold since 1963.

Frequently asked questions

Is the Pilot Acroball a gel pen or a ballpoint?

It's a ballpoint. Pilot classes the Acroball as an oil-based ballpoint; its US packaging calls the ink Advanced Ink and retailer copy describes it as a gel and ballpoint hybrid because it writes more smoothly than ordinary ballpoint ink.

What refill does the Pilot Acroball use?

Pilot's BRFV-10 Acro ink refill in the matching size: BRFV-10MF for 0.3 mm, BRFV-10EF for 0.5 mm, BRFV-10F for 0.7 mm and BRFV-10M for 1.0 mm. Pilot's refill site says the same refill fits the Acro 300, Acro 1000 and ILMILY.

Can I put a BRFN-30 refill in an Acroball?

No. The BRFN-30 is Pilot's Acro ink refill for its higher-priced ballpoints. It uses the same ink but is a different refill size.

Is the Acroball good for left-handed writers?

Retailers market it to left-handed writers because the ink is quick-drying. Pilot doesn't publish a dry time, and we haven't timed it yet; the 0.5 mm puts down the least ink.

Where is the Pilot Acroball made?

US business-supplier spec sheets list Japan as the country of origin for Acroball packs, including item 31895. Pilot Corporation is based in Tokyo.

What is the difference between the Acroball and the Acroball T?

The Acroball T is a version sold with metallic-color bodies such as silver, gold and metallic red. Pilot released a 0.3 mm Acroball T on November 24, 2020, which it called its first oil-based ballpoint with a 0.3 mm ball; in Japan the 0.3 mm is now also sold as the standard Acroball 150 (BAB-15MF).

How does the Acroball compare to the uni-ball Jetstream?

Both are low-viscosity oil-based ballpoints from Japan. The Jetstream launched in 2006, two years before the Acroball, and uses pigment ink sold in the US as Super Ink; most US Acroball packs come in 0.7 and 1.0 mm.

Sources (22)

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