rotring rapid PRO: Black vs Silver



Click to see scalable pic 

Everyone has their favorite.  I know that I do.  I'm sure that you do, too!  And everyone thinks that their choice is the best.  And they are right.  From their point of view that is.  We all have our reasons for choosing our favorite and each has it's own merit.  Sometimes our choice is not so much wrong as inappropriate.  Maybe it's the occasion, maybe it's the season, maybe simply it's just all wrong at the moment for whatever reason.  But when it comes to which rotring rapid Pro to choose, well there just isn't a "right" or "wrong" or a "good" or "bad" choice!  Whichever one you might choose you have made the "perfect" choice for you.

When it comes to elegance there are few colors (or lack thereof) that can top black. There is just something mysterious and alluring about the color black that always makes us look twice!  Especially something satin black, like the rotring rapid PRO in satin black. Pure black does not reflect light, it absorbs it.  But few things are pure black, like space.  Even so it's hard to see details of something black.  This is what makes a black object so alluring and mysterious.

Now when you want to be noticed right away, if you want to show some bling, then the metallic colors is the way to go and silver, white gold and platinum are very hard to beat when it comes to flash, sparkle and bling!  An object in a bright metal color stands out like nothing else can!  You can see it and make out details clean across the room!  Such a color is in-your-face and makes the bold statement, "I am here!  Deal with it!"  Unlike black, which sets in the background, awaiting to lure you in, Silver tones announce their intentions!

OK, so much for the romantic verbiage.  Lets get down to some hard facts about the rotring rapid PRO, shall we?  In either satin black of two tone silver this is a pencil that demands respect.   Made of solid brass then coated in either a black or silver finish (just what process is used I have been unable to discover nor can I find out just what the coating is.  Often metals are plated with another metal so the surface can be treated with a process that the underlying metal can not be treated with.  Often the coating is aluminum which can be anodized or heavy anodized a variety of different colors or treated in another fashion).  The satin black finish has an ever so slightly rougher texture to it than does the satin finish of the silver model.

However, to my delicate and sensitive finger tips, (stop laughing), the teeth on the grip of the silver model feel just a tad sharper than those on it's ebony brother.  This is probably due to the heavier coating on the black pencil.  Personally I prefer the sharper teeth as they afford me a better grip.  My finger tips may not be delicate but they are certainly not grizzled with calluses and they are still sensitive enough to feel the difference between the two grip surfaces.  This is one reason that I prefer the silver finish over the black.  Some of the others are it's over all look and the fact that minor scratches tend not to show up as well as they do on the black pencil.

One thing that I have noticed regardless of the color of the pencil and that's dirt in the grip's teeth.  I happen to think that knurling, also called cross hatching, is a very effective way to achieve a good gripping surface on the grip of a mechanical pencil.  But (there's always a but), it's also the worst surface to keep clean. 

The points, a natural product of the cross hatching, scrape the surface of the skin, pulling off dead skin every time the grip is touched.  This dead skin lodges in the grooves created by the Knurling process and build up.  The result is an ugly discolored grip!  While it's bad on a silver or gold tone grip, it's worse on a black or dark grey colored grip.  On the lighter pencils the discoloration dulls the luster of the metal and on the darker colors it lightens them up and makes the points look worn.

There are ways of cleaning this disgusting stuff out of the grooves of the grip.  One effective way is to brush it away using a short, stiff bristled brush and some alcohol.  From a hardware store purchase a good quality "acid" brush.  This is a natural fiber brush with bristles 1-1/2" long and has a sheet steel handle rolled into a tube.  A good quality brush can cost $1.00 or more.  The bristles are thin enough to get into the grooves of the grip but they are too long!  Carefully, using a good pair of fabric shears, cut the bristles down to 1/2" long.  A good straight cut is what you want.  From a drug store or department store purchase a bottle of 91% isopropyl  alcohol (rubbing alcohol).  70% is the most common strength for isopropyl alcohol is 71% so you may have to 91% it at a drug store. The higher the percentage the more alcohol and less water in the solution.  More is better!  You will also need a lint free cloth, like a man's cotton bandanna, washed several times to remove the sizing.  DO NOT use fabric softener when cleaning and drying the bandanna as the chemicals in the softener retard the bandanna's ability to absorb liquids.

Make sure that the newly made cleaning brush is clean and has not been used for anything else.  Pour a small amount of 91% isopropyl alcohol into a small disposable container.  Dip the cleaning brush in the alcohol and clean the brush using a paper towel.  Remove the grip from the pencil and set the rest of the pencil aside.  Hold the grip in a fold of the bandanna between thumb and forefinger of your opposite hand then dip the brush in the alcohol.  With a sweeping motion and traveling along one set of grooves, using medium pressure and turning the grip in the opposite direction, brush the alcohol into the grooves of the grip.   Be sure not to touch the metal of the pencil with the metal of the brush or you could scratch the finish!  You may have to use a light scrubbing  action to remove old, stubborn crud from the grip.  Use the bandanna to dry the grip.  Then check it to see if the grip is clean.  If not, repeat the procedure in the stubborn area until it's clean.  Be very careful not to over clean as this can damage the finish.

Cleaning my leave the finish on the grip clean, but dull.  To shine it up a tad, apply a liberal coating of Armor All on a cotton swab until the entire grip is coated in the milky white stuff.  Then use the bandanna to dry the grip by simply rolling it in the folds of the bandanna.  Do Not dry all the Armor All off the grip.  Allow some to dry.  This will give the metal a shine of satin look in some cases. Do not clean the grip too often as this will help erode the finish more quickly!

So, the choice is yours.  Elegant Black or Stunning Silver.  Either way you can't go wrong when picking a rotring rapid Pro as your instrument of expression!

Thanks ever so much to our friends at JetPens.com.com for the pencils used in this post.

Entry Level Pencil: The rotring 300, 0.3 mm Drafting Pencil

Every mechanical pencil maker has at least one entry level pencil.  Some may have more if they have different lines of pencils.  Most entry level pencils are much lower in cost than the next pencil in the series.  They are usually made of plastic with a metal tip and lead sleeve.  The pocket clip can be integral with the body or removable.  They most often lack features like a metal grip and a lead grade indicator.  Their internal mechanism is generally simple in design and made of plastic or polymers except for the clutch mechanism which is almost exclusively made of brass.  Construction can be a little less than desirable but generally they are well made as they represent the company and are often the only item from the company the user ever sees.

The rotring 300 is rotring's entry level pencil in the numbered series of pencils.  The next up is the 500, then the best known of the series, the 600 followed by the rapid PRO and then the top of the line 800.  At one time, when the pencils were made in Germany there was a 400 and a 700 in the series.  However these are no longer produced and fetch a pretty penny when found.  The rapid PRO, cost wise, fits in between the 600 and the 800.  This sort of fills the gap left by the out of production 700.  There does not appear that there is a replacement for the 400.

As far as entry level pencils (ELP) go the rotring 300 is a slightly above average pencil.  It features a design that is reminiscent of the 500 and 600 pencils.  While the later mentioned 500 and 600 pencils have removable metal grip areas the 300 does not.  The body is a single piece made of plastic, only the tip is removable and made of chromed brass and stainless steel.  The push button cap is also made of plastic while the removable pocket clip is made of chromed metal.  The pencil features a lead grade indicator which is something usually found on higher end pencils.  Unlike the 500, 3600 and 800 the lead grade indicator on the 300 is made of plastic, not metal.  There is no detent, but there is enough friction to hold the indicator on station during use.

The 300 breaks down into 4 major components: The main body which includes the pocket clip and the internal mechanism; the tip; the eraser and the cap or push button.  The internal mechanism at first appears to come out of the body tube but is stopped part way out.  The lead reservoir is transparent plastic while the clutch assembly is wrapped in white plastic and adhered to the lead reservoir.  There is no clean out rod stuck to the eraser.  The plastic cap fits snugly onto the lead reservoir covering the eraser.  The lead reservoir has a plug in the top of it with a small hole restricting the flow of lead into the reservoir to a single piece at a time. The eraser is a standard size white vinyl eraser available just about anywhere.  It is surrounded by a thin silver tone piece of sheet metal.




The exterior of the 300 is a semi gloss black with red figures on one of the six sides of the body, just under the pocket clip.  The grip area is cylindrical and molded to simulate knurling.  It is not very sharp but it works because of the pencils very light.  The pocket clip is removable, but I would never do so as it has to be pulled over the plastic LGI which is also molded to simulate knurling.  The pocket clip would, I'm afraid, ruin the LGI by scratching it or gouging it.  The tip is small with not a lot of gripping area.  Removing it the first time or later if it had been replaces to tightly, will require the assistance of a rubber jar opener.  When replacing it tighten it only enough to keep it on.

Now for some of that dry stuff, the stats.  The pencil weighs a mere 8.4 grams, making it a light weight indeed.  It is 141 mm long, has a diameter of 9 mm across the flats and has a balance point 72 mm from the tip of the pencil which gives it practically perfect balance.  2 strong presses of the cap expels enough lead to write with.  The lead reservoir has room for a full container of lead (12 pieces) but it will have to be fed in one piece at a time.  The mechanism  is fairly quite due in part to it's almost complete plastic construction.  Should you have a lead jam, common with 0.3 mm pencils, you'll have to supply your own clean out rod as the 400 does not come with one.

Being such a light pencil, many will find it an enjoyable experience to write with the 400.  I however find it a bit light for my taste.  I have to hold the pencil too tightly for extended use which hurts my hand.  Holding the pencil higher up at the point where the body meets the grip area helps but when using HB lead the print seems too light.  The use of grade B lead will help out also by making a darker impression with less pressure.

Overall I like the look of the 300 as it has the appearance of the beloved 600.  The pencil still come in 0.3 mm but for how long as the 600 comes only in 0.5 and 0.7 mm lead sizes.  While the extremely light weight of the 300 may be heaven for some users, but not for me.  I prefer the feel of the 600 because it has some heft to it..  That said, I think the rotring 300 is a dandy little entry level pencil that offers the user features found in some higher cost pencils without the higher price tag.  It's light weight makes it easy to carry in the breast pocket of a shirt without the need of a pocket protector.  So if you are in the market for a lightweight 0.3 mm drafting pencil that offers nice features then seriously consider the roting 300.

The rotring 300 and the entire numbered series of rotring drafting pencils can be seen and purchased from our friends at Jetpens.com.

roting rapid PRO 0.5 mm Drafting Pencil in Black

Click on any photo to see a full sized image

Grace, elegance, sophistication, beauty, no, I am not talking about my lovey wife, this time, although she is all these things, I'm talking about a drafting pencil.  Namely the rotring rapid PRO 0.5 mm in Black.  Like my lovely wife, the rotring rapid Pro is all these things and more.

First introduced in 2010 it's price range puts it in between the rotring 600 and the rotring 800 drafting pencils, the spot once held by the now discontinued and rare rotring 700 drafting pencil.  So I am going to take a wild guess here, mind you it just that, and say that the rotring rapid PRO was designed to fill the gap between the rotring 600 and the rotring 800.  But I could be wrong.  At any rate it fits the gap well.

Now, why would I apply such words like grace, elegance, sophistication and beauty to a drafting pencil?  Because they fit.  The rotring rapid PRO is everything one would expect from the International known and loved rotring family of pencils and pens.  It has graceful lines, is n elegant design, has a sophisticated look and is a beauty to look at and use.

Yeah, I know what you're thinking!  You're thinking that because he likes drafting pencils and rotrings that he's going to give this one a glossy review!  Well, I could see why you would think that way, but you'd be wrong!  I'm going to give it a satiny review.  Get it?  Satiny review!  The pencil's a satin black...  (Sigh)  Why do I even bother?

OK, enough dry humor.  Lets get down to some hard facts....

 The Construction..  The rotring rapid PRO is of all metal construction on the exterior and a combination of metal and plastic on the interior.  The metals are aluminum plate over brass (my best guess) which is anodized a satin black.  The barrel is hexagonal while the grip assembly is round.  The top of the pencil where the pocket clip resides is round as is the push button.

The Look.  The finish is a satin black with a smooth texture on the barrel and a rough texture on the grip portion of the grip assembly.  This is due to tiny spiral cross hatching intended to provide the surface a good grip. A red plastic ring separates the grip assembly from the barrel.  This is part of the interior assembly. On the left side of the pencil, in gloss gray paint, are the rotring logo and the name of the pencil, "rapid PRO" and the lead, size, "0.5" (mm).  Embossed on the pocket clip is the company logo.  All in all a rather attractive pencil.

Point of Interest.  The "red ring" around the pencil is the companies trademark.  It literally means "red ring".  The original manufacturing company, based in Germany, changed the company name to "rotring" in the early stages of the company's life.  The company is now part of Newell Rubbermaid and the pencils are made in Japan.  To the best of my knowledge the quality of the German pencil has been upheld by the Japanese version.  As far as interchangeability is concerned, I haven't a clue.  If you know of anything different please write me and let me know.

 The stats.  The rotring rapid PRO is a solid, high end pencil worthy of the rotring name.  It is made of metal, probably a combination of brass and steel.  I'm certainly NOT going to take a carbide scribe to it to find out for sure, but most metal pencils have brass bodies as well as other parts made of brass while things like the pocket clip, lead sleeve and push button are made of steel.  Generally the interior is a combination of metal (brass and steel) and plastic of some type.  Such is the case with the rapid PRO.  Don't disdain plastic in a high end pencil as plastic can dampen sound and it makes far less noise than metal when surfaces contact one another, thus making for a quitter pencil.

The rotring rapid PRO is a heavyweight weighing in at 24.5 grams.  It's 144 mm with the sliding sleeve retracted and 148 mm long extended.  That gives the rapid PRO a 4 mm lead sleeve. the diameter is 8.5 mm across the flats and has a balance point of 73 mm from the extended point.  This means that the Rapid Pro's balance point is almost in the exact center of the pencil.  This makes for a better writing experience. 

The black satin color is probably the result of the brass being plated with a thin coating of Aluminum and then hard anodized.  Brass itself cannot be anodized.  Anodize is a process where Aluminum is oxidized.  Anodize is applied in layers and is harder than the under lying Aluminum.  During the process the anodize can be dyed or colored, thus a black pencil!

The push button on the rapid PRO is a bit unusual and there is no explanation, that I can read (I don't read Japanese) in the pamphlet that accompanies the pencil, in that the push button is a tube, not a cap!  The top is open.  What's up with that!?  I don't see the purpose in the open top, but the metal is rolled down towards the inside so there is no sharp edge, but a nice smooth edge to press against.  Under the push button is a tiny eraser (useless in my book, then any follower of this blog knows how I feel about such erasers).  The eraser hides the fact that instead of a wide mouth for the reservoir there is a metal cap with a small hole in it so that the lead has to be delivered one-at-a-time!  Much like the Mitsubishi Kuru Togas.  Again, what's up with that!?  If anybody knows the reasoning behind this, please let me know!

Now if you go pressing on the push button, and I know that you will, then you will get a surprise. The first depression lets down the hidden sliding sleeve (Ha!  Told you there was a surprise!) along with a small amount of lead.  A second depression releases enough lead to write/draw with.  The mechanism is not loud, while not being silent either.  Shall we say it's on the quiet side, but audible. The sliding sleeve is a true sliding sleeve, not just a hide-a-way sleeve.  This means as you write, the lead wears away but when it reaches the sleeve the sleeve moves back up into the pencil allowing the lead to still make a mark.  However this is more use when drawing with a straight edge than anything else for the pencil is held almost perpendicular to the paper when drafting or doing mechanical drawings.

4 mm sliding sleeve
Now You See Me, Now You Don't!

The rotring rapid PRO breaks down into 4 major components.  The grip/end cap/lead sleeve, the push button, the eraser (without a clean out rod) and the main body.  The pocket clip is removable, but should one do so I am afraid that the finish would be scratched.  To disassemble the pencil in order to remove a lead jam, simply remove the grip assembly, then using a suitable clean out rod, remove the jam and reassemble the pencil.  No need to remove the push button and eraser to gain access to the clean out rod because there is none (did I mention that the pencil doesn't come with a clean out rod already?).

Top: Grip/End Cap/Lead Sleeve
Bottom from left to right: Front Row, Push Button, Eraser.  Back Row:  The Main Body And Internal Works

 

Now besides the obvious grudge I have against pencil makers no longer putting clean out rods in thin lead pencils I have one other complaint about the pencil  But first a word from our sponsors... Please visit jetpens.com often and when you do you can mention my name, The Old Geezer!  And the name of my blog, Pens and Pencils!  It won't get you any discounts or anything but it might get and my blog some attention! (Just kidding,...).  The second, and more importantly is the grip part of the grip assembly.  The knurling is very fine and was intended to provide the end user with a good griping surface.  But for me the knurling is almost to fine.  Almost but not quite.  It's not that the pencil slips in my hand when I use it, it's just that I prefer the feel of a courser knurling!  To each his own. 

 

However, there is one thing that I have discovered.  With use the grooves tend to fill with exfoliated skin!  This turns the black to gray!  An"acid" brush, form a hardware store, with it's natural bristles shortened considerably, is good for cleaning this out of the grooves of the grip. A little bit of tap water used with the brush helps remove the dead skin and wash it away. The natural bristles are easy on the finish.  NEVER use any type of metal brush to do this as this would ruin the pencils finish!

 

Bottom line.  The rotring rapid Pro make a good writing pencil.  it's well balanced, has some heft to it which helps keep in in the hand and in the correct writing position..  The grip issue aside the pencil is a keeper.  It's a very well made pencil, made from quality materials with an attention to details.  The pencil is also suited for mechanical drawing but I personally feel that the rotring rapid Pro is worth the money.  One day I'll buy one in silver and I'll have a side by side comparison.

 

I hope that this review has been helpful, interesting, informative and that you, the reader, liked my since of humor.  If you didn't, then by all means don't email me a bout it!

 

Many thanks to our friends at jetpens.com for the pencil used in this review.  Please visit them for some of the finest pens, pencils and stationary items that Japan makes. 

 

Thank you.

 

 

 

 

Can You Identify Me?

Click on pic so see larger image

I am a rotring pencil of unknow era and unknown model.  If you know just what my model name is PLEASE contact The Old Geezer at theoldgeezer@live.com as Geezer has a loyal reader who has the need to know!  He has ask Geezer for help, unfornately Geezer has no idea what model I am but is sure that some loyal reader of Pens And Pencilsa does.  So, can you indedify me. please?

rotring 600 0.35 mm drafting pencil in silver

Zed! What are you doing here!? And where’s Tommy!?
“I told him to take the night off. I wanted to surprise you and tell you that I’ve moved myself and my entire family to Earth!”
You have!? Wow! That’s great Zed! I guess we’ll be seeing a good deal more of each other then!?
“That’s right, Geezer!”
Well then, is that my Rotring 600 you’ve got there?
“Sure is, Geezer! Time to give it a review!”
You’re right, Zed! So…
I have been wanting a rotring for some time now. It was a toss up between the 500 and the 600, 0.35 mm. I like the silver over the black, and I like all metal pencils, so I took the plunge recently, cracked open the piggy bank and splurged on the 600 model!  I Did not get it on eBay, instead I found it and the Staedtler REG 925 85 03 Regulator at Smartimports.com. Their selection of pencils just happened to be almost completely limited to the very 2 pencils that I wanted that day! As for the500 model, well it’s only 2/3rds the price of the 600and it only comes in black, but maybe I can get one soonish, we’ll see!
The rotring 600 0.35 mm…
“Eh, Geezer? Don’t you mean 0.3 mm?
No, Zed, I mean 0.35 mm! You see 0.35 mm is much closer to the actual diameter of the lead than 0.3 mm is. So the wily Germans decided to confuse everyone and correct, or nearly so, a misconception that has been perpetrated on the entire world for decades!
“That’s confusing, Geezer!”
Welcome to Earth, Zed! Ain’t ‘cha glad ya moved here!?… As I was saying, the rotring 600 0.35 mm drafting pencil is an almost entirely metal pencil, as is the entire 600 series of pencils and pens. The 500 series has a plastic body with a metal grip, pocket clip and a few other parts. The section holding the 3-jawed chuck is of a tough white colored plastic of some sort while the clear connecting tube that connects the white support to the metal lead reservoir is of another. Other than the eraser and the strip the lead grade indications are printed on the pencil is entirely made of brass and steel. The various parts have been surface treated in such a way as to give the smooth areas a uniform satin finish once chromed. Same goes for the knurled portion of the grip and the lead grade indicator. The color makes the pencil look hard chromed. The obround window in the lead grade indicator reveals the the lead grade indications are gloss white upon a gloss background. Ad to this the red numerals, “0.35” on the left side of the pencil and the ”rot ring” around the Lead grade indicator and you have one very beautiful pencil! The only other adornments visible are the manufactures name on the pocket clip and the lead size on top of the push button, both embossed.

Now oddly enough there is one other marking on the pencil. It’s hidden from view and I might have gone on for years without knowing it was there if it wasn’t for the fact that I take my pencils apart. In so doing I just happened to notice what I thought was a couple of dings in an unusual place (blame it on aging eyes). Just above the threads on the upper body are the initials “K Q” in capitals. The area where they are stamped is normally hidden by the grip. Just whose initials they are is a deep, dark mystery!… Well maybe not so deep or dark! They could be the initials of the person who made the pencil, of the person who inspected it, of the name of the factory the pencil was made in or any number of other names. Signing ones work used to be a matter of pride in a factory. Is it still?

The rotring breaks down into 6 major parts/components. They are the grip, which is very nicely knurled and which is an integral part of the end cap/lead sleeve. Next is the integral 3-jawed chuck, chuck holder and metal lead reservoir. Then comes the body, a beautifully made hexagon tube with a removable pocket clip. The lead grade indicator is atop the body and is also nicely knurled. It is also the first pen of it’s ilk where the lead grade indicator sleeve has enough tension/friction to not only stay put when set but is actually hard to move! Plugging up the lead reservoir is the eraser. rotring did not include a clean out rod with the pencil though the eraser holder was clearly designed for one. Since this is my first rotring I don’t know if this is accidental or by design. Lastly comes the straight tube-like push button. To me the rotring (btw if you didn’t catch it earlier “rot ring” in German means “red ring”) 500/600 series of pencils are very beautiful. I have always liked the shape ever since I was introduced to the design many moons ago when I bought my first Koh-I-Noor Rapidomatic 5633, though having a plastic barrel the Koh-I-Noor is more akin to the 500 series. At one point in time rotring owned Koh-I-Noor (or was it the other way around? The web can be so confusing!) hence the similarities in the pencils exterior design.


The fit and finish on the 600 is impeccable! It clearly shows it’s German engineering and Japanese manufacturing heritage! The finish is flawless through out the pencil, even where it doesn’t have to be, like the threads! The fit is nice and tight with no gaps where the grip meets the body as well as where the lead grade indicator ring meets the body. The pocket clip though “removable” is fitted so tightly that I dare not remove it in fear of scratching the finish! Besides it would spoil the look! One slightly odd bit of engineering is the threads on the white plastic tube that supports the chuck. The part screws into the grip ahead of the body. When the grip is removed from the body the entire innards of pencil follow and exit the body tube. The grip must then be unscrewed from the chuck support tube in order to get to the chuck. I can see the purpose in this design in that it is probably one reason why the pencil feels so solid.
“Stats, Geezer! Stats!”
I was just getting to them, Zed!
The Stats: The rotring is140 mm long over all. It is 8 mm across the flats. It’s balance point is 69.8 mm from the tip of the pencil (I thought I’d get in line with other bloggers on that point as I used to measure from the other end!) and it weighs 23.4 grams making it a heavyweight. But you don’t get featherweights when you make ‘em outta metal! The knurled part of the grip/end cap/lead sleeve is 30.4 mm long offering the user plenty of room with which to grip the pencil. The diamond cut knurling on the grip and lead grade indicator ring are superbly done and has a nice feel, being slip resistant without being biting. The lead reservoir is cavernous enough for quite a bit of lead but like any other automatic pencil over filling the reservoir can cause the pencil not to feed. Three clicks is enough to produce adequate lead with which to write or draw with. The ratcheting mechanism is smooth and solid even if a bit metallic (hey, metal, duh!) with normal resistance. By the way, the rotring is the only automatic pencil I’ve seen that an extra grip/end cap/lead sleeve can be bought!






I like the feel of the rotring. It feels solid, well made. A weighty object, especially one so small, always seems to convey to our brains the sense of quality, solidity and wealth (Wealth? Yes, wealth. After all gold is heavy, right? I think that I’ve made my point). The rotring conveys all this and more when I pick it up to write with. Since it’s almost perfectly balanced in the middle of the pencil it feels almost neutral in my hand belying it’s true weight. This could be another reason for the white plastic chuck support in that it helps keep weight off of the writing end of the pencil. It’s balance is another good sign of quality design and engineering. Beauty, quality craftsmanship, a luxury feel, what more could a a pencilaholic ask for?
“How does it write, Geezer?”
Write?… Oh, yea, write! Because of it’s balance and feel the rotring is a pleasant writing experience. The lead has almost imperceptible lead wobble within the lead sleeve (yet another sign of quality) so lead breakage is held to a minimum. It feels like writing with a lighter pencil in that the weight seems to play less of a factor than in metal pencils not as well balanced. The knurling on then grip provides an excellent griping surface so keeping the pencil in the hand is easy. If you are a draftsperson or like to dabble in mechanical drawing or if you just like to use triangles and templates when you draw then the 4 mm fixed lead sleeve provides plenty of clearance to maneuver.
Bottom line – The rotring 600 0.3 mm drafting pencil is one of the finest examples of an automatic pencil I have ever owned. It is beautiful to both look at and to hold. It is elegant in design and superb in quality and operation. It is easy to use and should provide the user with a lifetimes worth of use and still be able to pass it down to your grandchildren! So if you want art or functionality or both then consider purchasing a rotring 600 series drafting pencil.
Author’s note: It is my understanding that the 600 style of pencil has been discontinued for many years now and availability is limited to whatever stock vendors have or can find. As availability goes down prices go up and I’ve seen the pencil go for more than double what I paid for mine. So if you are interested in a rotring 300, 400, 500 or 600 then I suggest that you not delay your purchase much longer. – JH
Well, Zed, how was that?
“Great, Geezer! You do have a way with words!”
Thanks, Zed!… So you’ve moved to Earth, hey?…