Rotring 600 Series Black Rollerball Review

It wasn’t until I was deep into my pen addiction that I discover the wonders of NOS, or “New Old Stock”. I had seen the term before on places like eBay but never realized what great products could lie behind the designation.

In a nutshell, NOS designates products that are no longer being manufactured but are still in new and unused condition. The product could have been discontinued, or had a design tweak that was cause for a new version. Whatever the case, many NOS pens are highly sought after by collectors.

Rotring seems to be one of the most popular NOS brand names. Their industrial designs are timeless, and with all of the changes in the company over the years, many models are no longer being produced. While I haven’t gone on the hunt yet for some of the rarer pens like the Lava Series I was able to pick up the Rotring 600 Series Black Rollerball for a very reasonable $60 from a dealer at the Atlanta Pen Show back in April. It wasn’t on the shopping list that day, but how could I pass it up?

I was smitten with it immediately upon first use. The barrel is substantial in both size and weight but remains comfortable to write with as long as I leave the cap unposted. It is too long and the balance is off otherwise. The refill I believe is a Rotring branded Schmidt rollerball and is a standard size so many other refills should fit as well. This one works wonderfully.

It is rare that a pen makes you feel like a superhero. The Rotring 600 Rollerball has that special quality where when you use it you know it is different from most other pens. The only downside is it is going to cost me money as I search out more NOS goods.

Lamy Tipo Roller Ball Pen Review

I can spot a Lamy a mile away. Maybe it is because I am looking at them all the time in person or online but there is no doubting that their designs are distinctive. Many of their most popular pens are built around the Safari model, and of course there are higher end designs like the Studio and the Dialog 3 (swoon). You don’t have to spend a fortune to have a great pen though, and the Lamy Tipo is the embodiment of that.

I haven’t personally used some of the higher end Lamy models but I think they really thrive in the entry level market. Where else can you get a uniquely designed, distinctive pen with a high quality roller ball ink cartridge for about $10? The Tipo, while not perfect, pushes a lot of my buttons and I am really enjoying it.

The ink cartridge was a surprise for me. The ink doesn’t bleed near as much as I anticipated it would and is comparable to the Schmidt refill used in the Retro 51. One thing that may throw people off is how the knock is integrated into the clip. For me, I think it looks cool, works great, and acts as a safety if you like to clip the pen to your shirt pocket.

If there is any downside to the pen it is that the grip is somewhat slick. The ridges help out but I wouldn’t mind a little more tackiness in that area.

Overall, using the Tipo has been a great experience and I plan on picking up another one - most likely the orange barrel like Brian recently reviewed.

Stabilo Bionic Worker Roller Ball 0.5 mm Review

Do you have a brand of pen that you think is great looking and great feeling but there is something a little off that throws you for a loop? Stabilo is that brand for me. I keep coming back to them because they make a great looking pen but there is one thing that consistently makes me shake my head: their tip sizes are not based in reality.

I have mentioned on several occasions that tip size and line width are two separate measurements. The tip size is the physical measurement of the tip of the pen, while the line width is the width of the ink line on the page. For example, an 0.5 mm gel ink pen often leaves a line wider than 0.5 mm on the page, while an 0.5 mm ballpoint leaves a narrower line. Each brand has their own little intricacies that I have come to expect, but Stabilo blows them all out of the water.

The Stabilo Bionic Worker Roller Ball is marked on the barrel as an 0.5 mm pen. With a liquid ink pen such as this, I do expect a wider line than a comparable 0.5 mm gel ink pen, but this one is really wide. This is a line width I would expect from an 0.7 mm or 0.8 mm pen at the least. I should have been tipped off when I saw the word “Medium” on the back of the barrel. I have never seen an 0.5 mm pen marked that way.

This is a consistent experience across all Stabilo products I have tried but don’t let my rant dissuade you from what is actually a very good pen. I compare this pen to the standard Uni-ball Vision pen, and the Stabilo may be even better. If you like a wider line in your liquid ink pens then you should give this one a shot. Just don’t go in expecting fine lines.