Rotring 600 Ballpoint Pen "Madder Red" Review

(Jeff Abbott is a regular contributor at The Pen Addict. You can find more from Jeff online at Draft Evolution and Twitter.)

The Rotring 600 is one of the most iconic mechanical pencil designs, and I'm sure a good number of people would recognize it even if they didn't know what it was called. It oozes great industrial design, looks like an instrument, and feels even better in the hand. Luckily, they also come in a ballpoint pen variety. But, the standard black and silver colorways had gotten a bit stale. I'm really excited that Rotring introduced some new colors for 2020, and I've really been enjoying the Madder Red ballpoint that I've been using lately.

The new red, blue, and green variety of Rotring 600 are just that — new color options. Nothing changes in terms of the design and functionality of the pens/pencils. I'm a huge fan of the colors and really pleased that Rotring decided to expand a bit into some more interesting options for their iconic pens and pencils. I'm equally pleased that they chose colors that still somehow match really well with their existing aesthetic and design language. The red and blue colors really pop, but they feel perfect alongside the red Rotring branding and famous red ring.

If you've never had the chance to use a Rotring 600, you should take the opportunity if one shows up. They're made of brass and expertly machined. The fine knurling on the grip section and top of the body feel great in the hand and offer a superb amount of grip. The pipe design of the lead holder or ballpoint refill holder allows ample viewing room around the lead or refill so that you can see what you're writing or drawing around when making precise motions. The nock mechanism has a satisfying click feel and subtle noise. The clip is strong and sleek against the hexagonal body.

My first Rotring was a 600 mechanical pencil. I love that pencil and enjoy using it even though I'm not an artist. It feels substantial but easy to control when writing. The extra bit of heft gives your fingers more confidence when making marks. The next Rotring I purchased was a Rapid Pro ballpoint. I also love this pen and have used it heavily for many years. It's a little longer than the 600 and features softer edges on the hexagonal body, but it's very similar in almost every other aspect. With this new 600 ballpoint, I'm not sure I'll be using the Rapid Pro very much any more. I'm currently smitten with the Pelikan Giant 337 refill, so I put that in the 600 as soon as I opened it. If there's one thing that Rotring don't do very well, it's refills. There are lots of great options for Parker-style ballpoint refills, but Rotring isn't among them. A better refill makes this pen undeniably good.

At $40, it's also a pretty good deal. It definitely looks like something that cost more than 40 bucks, and it's built to outlast most humans. They're still fairly new and difficult to find, but the more difficult part is probably deciding which color(s) to get. The possibility of mixing and matching the grip sections and bodies is just too good to pass up!

As of now, the Rotring 600 ballpoint pen and mechanical pencil come in Silver, Black, Madder Red, Iron Blue, and Camouflage Green.

(The Pen Addict purchased this pen at full retail from Yoseka Stationery.)

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Platinum Curidas Fountain Pen Review

If there was an award for the most anticipated stationery product of 2020, the Platinum Curidas would be the runaway winner.

In development for years prior to release, the Curidas hype train officially pulled out of the station at the beginning of the year. I mean, who wouldn’t be excited for a reasonably priced, good quality, retractable fountain pen? I know I was.

That hype continued through its early release. Yes, there was pricing confusion brought on by Platinum themselves, pulling back from their standard retail pricing of 20% off MSRP to full MSRP, but I don’t think that snafu lowered anticipation in the least. It just gave us as a community something to talk about.

What we really wanted to discuss was the pen itself, and the initial reviews were positive. The only hang up early on was with the bump located on the back side of the barrel that affected the grip area for some users. A bump that many of us, myself included, never noticed in Platinum’s early marketing photos. Good job by them for hiding it well, I guess?

As these early looks at the pen trickled in, a new issue cropped up with the wide release of the Curidas, as delivery was pushed back from February to April - at least in the US market. There was some early availability, like in the UK at special release events, but most of us were still waiting. Again, not really a big deal, but another “thing” to discuss surrounding this pen.

By the time I received mine in early April, I was nearing Curidas-hype burnout. But as with most new products, once it actually got in my hands I was excited to test it out.

My initial thoughts about it were tempered. I felt it was an ok pen, with a just-too-wide barrel and a bump that gets in they way of my low grip. But I liked the idea of it, and kept using it to see if my thoughts would change with continued use.

Then crack-gate hit.

What started as the discovery of a few cracked feeds where the nib clamps onto it, turned into a widespread, high rate of failure, issue. Once news started to spread I gave mine the once-over. I didn't see anything glaring at first, but upon closer inspection, it stood out like a sore thumb: A crack running nearly the full-length of the right side of the feed.

Platinum responded to the issue quickly, and offered replacements through the original point of purchase. I haven’t gone that route with mine yet because it doesn’t affect the performance of my Curidas. It will eventually, and I’ll have it replaced.

At this point, I began to wonder if the Curidas was cursed. What started as a hype train lead into a derailment. Yet, I couldn’t put it down.

Pilot Vanishing Point, bottom.

The more I used it, the more I enjoyed it. My main holdup, as I mentioned above, is the barrel diameter. This is a wide pen. I have a place for wide pens in my arsenal, but I prefer if they have some sort of taper, or concave area, in the grip section. The retractable Pilot Vanishing Point tapers toward the grip. The retractable Lamy Dialog 3 doesn’t. Having a straight-sided, wide-barrel causes more tension in my grip, leading to shorter writing sessions due to my hand getting tired.

What I have found with the Curidas is that it thrives in shorter writing sessions. This is a note-taking pen for me, not a journaling for page after page pen. And the retractable nature of it is perfect for that - at my desk.

I want the Curidas to be a more portable EDC-type pen, but it is too large for that. The Vanishing Point is better for that use case, and is a better pen overall.

That doesn’t mean there isn’t a place for the Curidas in the market. Platinum invested in this idea for a reason: There is no other retractable fountain pen close to this price point. My gut tells me that this is just the beginning of the Curidas. If they can make a few tweaks here and there, and tighten up the QC, it will no longer be just a curiosity. It will be a solid choice for users wanting a good retractable fountain pen experience.

(JetPens provided this product at no charge to The Pen Addict for review purposes.)

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Benu Grand Scepter Fountain Pen Review

(Sarah Read is an author, editor, yarn artist, and pen/paper/ink addict. You can find more about her at her website and on Twitter. And check out her latest book, Out of Water, now available where books are sold!)

I love browsing my pen box and seeing what pen I'm in the mood for, but some pens are a mood unto themselves. The Benu Grand Scepter is one of those pens. The original Scepter is fancy enough, but slap the word Grand in front of it, and I feel like using it should have a dress code that includes a tiara. I'm game.

The Grand Scepter is the same size and shape as the Scepter--it's only the nib that differs, with the Grand sporting a larger #6 nib instead of the original's #5. It does indeed lend a better balance to the overall appearance, I think, but both are fantastic pens. If you like a bit of bling.

The Scepter pens are shaped acrylic, with swirling facets around the pen that end in twin flared, gem-shaped ends. It's an odd shape, and doesn't look terribly comfortable, but it is surprisingly nice to hold. The flared end balances the section nicely, and the wider part rests against the hand. The grip section, which is plain black, is quite narrow, adding to its somewhat odd silhouette, but it is also a comfortable fit for me. The slightly tapered end of the grip prevents slipping too far, and the step-up to the threads and body is far back enough that it doesn't interfere with the hold at all.

The cap screws on, and ends in a black cap band with the word "Benu" embossed on it. Its shape mirrors the facets of the body, and when closed, all of the facets line up--a feat which impresses me greatly, as I've seen far fancier pens fail to do this. Of course, with the flared ends, this pen does not post at all.

This is my third Benu pen, and so far all have had excellent nib performance. Just the right amount of ink flow, with smooth lines and the perfect amount of feedback. This Grand Scepter has a broad nib, and it lays down a smooth trail of ink like hot butter on glass. It will be perfect for shimmer inks, because why not add even more sparkle?

The glittery look of the Benu Scepter is created by suspending some seriously sparkly flakes in the acrylic itself, which creates a beautiful depth to the look. Some of the acrylics even glow in the dark, lending luminosity to an already bright effect.

These pens are wild and certainly won't appeal to everyone, but they're well-made and write beautifully. The fact that it makes me feel like a queen is an added bonus. I shall use it to write my royal decrees.

(BENU provided this product at no charge to The Pen Addict for review purposes.)

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Membership starts at just $5/month, with a discounted annual option available. To find out more about membership click here and join us!