It doesn’t take much from Rotring to get me excited. The 600 Mechanical Pencil is a first-ballot Stationery Hall of Fame product, and, while their product line is not enormous, their updated colors are so nice I’ll buy the pencil twice!
While their stand-alone ballpoint pens and multi pens don’t move the needle as much as the classic 600 drafting pencil, the same Rotring design language and quality is found in each product.
The Rotring 600 3-in-1 Multi Pen is my first experience with this model, despite it being around in various iterations for years. The new barrel colors caught my eye, specifically Iron Blue with the classic red Rotring markings.
To access the refills, grab the knurled section near the top of the pen and pull this entire section out.
While the name is officially 3-in-1, I consider this multi pen a 2 + 1 model, meaning there are two ballpoint refills (black and red-both 0.5 mm,) plus an 0.5 mm width mechanical pencil insert. This is the classic all-in-one setup as far as I am concerned, with one difference being the choice of 0.5 mm ink refills instead of a the more standard 0.7 mm found in similar multi pens.
To add more pencil graphite, slide the sticks into the metal sleeve protruding from the barrel, and then replace the pencil mechanism.
To deploy your preferred writing tip, simply twist the knurled section near the top of the barrel. It will rotate through them until your choice is made. When choosing the pencil, use the click on the back of the barrel to extend or retract the lead.
The lines of both refills are excellent, leaving fine, clean lines on the page. The fineness isn’t for everyone, so know that they are standard D1 refills and easily replaceable if you like the barrel but not the line. Rotring pencil lead is average, so I advise replacing it with something better over the long term.
The knock advances the lead when the pencil mechanism is deployed. It’s not removable, so therefore there is no eraser found underneath.
How do I personally use multi pens, especially the + 1 pencil varieties? I use the base ink color, in this case black, as my main writing choice, and the secondary color for markup, notations, highlights, etc. The pencil is more of a mood thing, performing the same tasks that the base ink color does, while also being a good sketching or drawing option.
The grip diameter is comfortable to hold when writing, and the classic Rotring knurling provides just enough grip without digging into your fingers.
The main question to ask is why spend $46 on a multi pen when similar ones can be had in the $10 range? I’m the last person to argue against those less expensive pens, as they are some of my favorites. That said, I didn’t blink when I saw this price for the Rotring, given their place in the market. In fact, I would have guessed it would have been more.
I’m glad it’s not, because as Rotring has started to expand their color offerings from Black and Silver to Camouflage Green and Iron Blue (plus even more colors in other product lineups,) they are widening their stationery reach beyond the drafting and engineering focus of the brand.
As long as the quality remains at the same high Rotring standard, which it is, I am here for everything the current version of the brand is doing.
(JetPens provided this product at no charge to The Pen Addict for review purposes.)
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