Rotring 600 Drafting Pencil Review

There are not many drafting pencils that get discussed more around the internet than the Rotring 600. This all-time classic is one of those products that you just purchase and enjoy for years to come.

What makes the Rotring 600 so special? The list is long, but I will do my best to summarize. First off, the design is minimalism at its finest. The smooth brass hexagonal body combined with a knurled grip and lead grade indicator give the 600 a clean look. Add in the iconic Rotring red circle and this pencil has classic written all over it.

As great as it looks, the feel of the pencil in the hand is what sets it apart from the competition. The weight and balance when writing or drawing is perfect. It is heavier than most drafting pencils but since it is dispersed so evenly you hardly notice. Engineers, architects, and artists all swear by it.

Then there is the history and mystique that surrounds the Rotring 600. I won’t profess to know the full lineage of the 600 but for a while it was very hard to find, if not discontinued. The purchase of the original German company by American conglomerate Newell Rubbermaid in the 1990’s only added to the confusion. As it stands right now, the Rotring 600 (and its big brother the 800) is made in Japan only and is imported into the US by companies like JetPens.

Do you need to add a Rotring 600 to your collection? Well, none of us NEED more pens and pencils, do we? But, if you are looking for that one classic that will last a generation then this historic pencil should jump to the top of your wish list.

Rotring Tikky Rollerpoint 0.5 mm Blue Review

The Rotring Tikky Rollerpoint is an amazing pen, but even amazing pens are not for everyone.

If you have ever asked me for a pen recommendation, the first response you received from me is “What will you be using the pen for?”, that is, if you haven’t laid it out for me already. It is an important question because I want to help you find the best pen for the best situation. Not all pens are created equal!

This Tikky Rollerpoint is one of the most impressive pens I have ever had the pleasure of holding. The weight and feel of the barrel are phenomenal and you can tell by holding it that a lot of thought went in to the design. The needle tip is extremely firm as well.

Where I found the pen getting off track was in the ink flow department. It flows fast and I had to pick up the writing pace to keep ahead of the ink bleeding. For me, it doesn’t fit my style of writing. The output does look impressive on the page though.

Where I see this pen fitting in is with a long form writing style. If you are a cursive note taker or journaler who knocks out several pages in one sitting I would recommend taking a look at this pen. It reminds me of the Pilot V7, which is one of the best needle tip liquid ink pens on the market. If you are more of a stop and start, detailed note taker like me, then you may want to look at a gel ink needle tip pen.

Pen choices are nearly endless. Be sure to take the time to understand the pros and cons of each pen and how it would apply to your situation. Your next favorite pen is out there somewhere.

Rotring Tikky Liner Gel Ink Pen 0.3 mm Review

A recurring theme for the past few months has been my newfound love for all things Rotring. It’s not that the love wasn’t there before, it’s that the availability and accessibility to the product is much greater now. One can argue that today’s Rotring (as part of the Newell Rubbermaid conglomerate) is a much different product than it was in the past, but my focus is on the present. How do Rotring’s current products compare to other similar products on the market?

The first word that comes to mind is expensively. If you have compared a Rotring pen or pencil to another comparable pen or pencil then your know what I mean. Rotring products are more expensive, usually around two times as much as similar products. But are they a good value? That is the more important question.

The Rotring Tikky Liner is a good pen, but I would hesitate to call it a good value. The design is beautiful, the feel is great, and when the ink flow gets going it is a great writer. Open up the original size photo in Flickr and you will see what I mean. I love how it performs - when it performs.

That is the problem with the Tikky Liner. I am finding the ink cartridge to be very fussy and frustrating. It is widely know that the Pilot Hi-Tec-C needs a little warm up before heading off to the races. Two or three seconds of scribbling and it is ready to go for as long as you are. With the Tikky Liner, two or three minutes often wasn’t enough to get the ink flowing.

If a pen is going to cost this much the frustration level needs to be a lot lower. I can’t help but reach for it at least once a week, but more times than not I am reaching for a different pen within a few minutes.