rOtring 600 Mechanical Pencil (Old Style) 0.7mm

September 13, 2013

I'm not really a pencil guy as I'm sure you've gathered if you've been reading the blog for a while, but there are instances when I'll turn to one. When making my walnut pen holders or building other project in the workshop, the pencil is my writing instrument of choice.

Oddly enough, my very first rOtring was a pencil, an older 600 series 0.7mm with a smooth grip and retractable tip. It was made during the same timeframe as my 600 Lava ballpoint and bares the same design and feel.

The story behind my acquisition of the pencil started when a friend and coworker (not a pen or pencil “person”) happened to show up to work one day touting this 600 series pencil and I instantly called him out on it. I’d been eying the rOtring brand for a while, but hadn’t made a purchase yet so it caught my attention. He was surprised by my enthusiasm for the pencil, but mentioned it was one he’d had “kicking around in a drawer” for years and had no idea where it came from. After discussing with him the price of these discontinued models, he thought it might be a good idea to part with it because, he not being a writing instrument nerd, didn’t feel a need to be carrying a $75+ pencil around with him. He said that if I sold if for him on eBay that we could split the money (pretty good deal), but I ended up offering a fair price for the piece and bought him out of his half of the deal instead.

She isn’t perfect and has a few little nicks and marks, but I’m pleased that this was my first rOtring. I’d always been very interested in the matte black editions, but the metallic silver versions are quite striking as well. I enjoy the chrome accents of the tip and knock sections that are just flashy enough to be noticed. I’m sure the matte black version might hide scratches or dings better, but the silver versions are quite nice.

This particular version of the 600 pencil has a fully retractable tip. The knock has a sort of dual action to it where a full-on click will retract the tip, but smaller “mini clicks” extends the lead. Pretty cool.

Below are pics of the tip retracted and extended:

Under the current lineup of rOtring pencils, this feature is reserved for the 800 series, which is a bit more reminiscent of the iconic knurled pens and pencils, and still carries the gold accents which are pretty flashy. I’m sure one of those will grace my collection at some point…

I love the build and weight of these pens and pencils. They just feel solid and balanced in your hand. When you pick one up to write with it is impressive how good it feels. I have since acquired some additional rOtring pencils (reviews forthcoming at some point) and they really have done a stellar job of maintaining the feel and quality of these older models.

One topic that would be great to get into at some point is the pencil softness/hardness scale and how it impacts your writing experience. H’s, B’s, HB’s… what the heck does all of that mean? Well, why don’t we just get into it now? There is another blogger out there, Dave, that is pretty much the mechanical pencil guru. He has a massive collection of some pretty killer models. I’m not really even a pencil guy, but I covet (yes covet) some of his pieces. He did an article several years ago about lead hardness that I would definitely give a look.

Dave hasn’t seemed to post in awhile, but he has a great archive of some pretty awesome stuff to peruse.

Anyway, we’ve detoured from the main topic. Granted, if you’re not a pencil person, dropping some money on a discontinued model may not really be the best idea unless you get a smoking deal, but I would definitely give a look at rOtrings current lineup of 600 and 800 pencils (also a Rapid Pro pencil that I’ll be reviewing soon). In those times that you want to use a pencil, you won’t be disappointed with one of these rOtrings.

Thank you all for joining The Clicky Post during rOtring week! rOtring still has their Tikky promo running through the 15th, so if you're thinking of picking up something make sure to take advantage.

rOtring Tikky Ballpoint - Pen Review

September 9, 2013

Not that this little guy is disposable by any means, but this is my first experience with a rOtring that is your standard plastic clicky pen (or below the $35 range from rOtring), but that doesn't make this pen any less of a pen. Although, this is a rOtring that if I happened to misplace I would likely not lose too much sleep over.

With all sincerity, my experiences with the rOtring Tikky have been overwhelmingly good and I'm excited to write this review about it.

This pen was also included in my care package from Alice at rOtring (thanks again), and is also the pen that they are offering to include for free if you spend 30€ or more before September 15th at rOtring.com. Here is a link to the announcement I made about it last week with more of the details. If you enjoyed the Rapid Pro review from Saturday and were looking to get one, picking one up through rOtring would get you one of these babies for free.

First and foremost, the thing that I'm really loving about the Tikky is the standard refill that comes with it. It is called the Jumbo-Mine Giant Refill in medium (and blue as a standard; love that, even though the name is a bit crazy) and is actually a great refill. I don't know if I would say it is the smoothest writer, but it wasn't scratchy.

The thing that impressed me most about this particular ballpoint refill is that in all my writing not once have I had the annoying "ballpoint glob" that starts to accumulate around the tip of the pen that you then have to find a place to smear off. I really hate that as it is super distracting and messes up a page of writing pretty fast. Also, the line is crisp and consistent too and I haven't run into a single skipping session. Does the Schmidt EasyFlow have some competition? Probably not, but the refill rOtring picked is a good one.

The grip on the Tikky is very, well, grippy. It is a responsive rubber grip that is large enough to accommodate for my thumb, middle, and index finger to hold the pen nice and snug on all sides.

The knock on the pen is a good clicker. Nothing fancy and is pretty reminiscent of a good plastic clicker like the Pilot G2. The clip is not super great although not bad in any way, but is not likely to bend up or out on you with normal use. It does move back and forth a bit, but is pretty standard issue for a pen like this.

An interesting feature of the pen is the flat side just near the knock on the "underbelly" of the pen. I'm not sure why this is so, but imagine it has something to do with keeping the pen upright on the paper so the clip faces upward? It doesn't run down the whole side of the pen, but just about an inch or so from the knock. If, in fact, it was for the sake of sitting upright, I'm not entirely sure this is necessary. Either way, it isn't a bother.

Overall, for your sub-$8 pen, the Tikky is a pretty good option, and especially due to the refill in my personal opinion. This would be a great pen to throw in a bag for day-to-day writing and it looks pretty cool with its stylish bold colors!

rOtring Rapid Pro Series Ballpoint - Pen Review

September 7, 2013

Round two of rOtring Week on The Clicky Post is the currently available Rapid Pro model ballpoint.

I was privileged to receive some samples of the Rapid Pro series by Alice, rOtring's Assistant Brand Manager, and am excited to put them to the test against their iconic cousins from previous years. Thanks so much Alice and rOtring for providing these for review!

As I'd only been exposed to discontinued models of the rOtring brand, I've been more than excited to try some of the current lineup they had to offer, mainly the Rapid Pro as I felt it most closely resembled the 600 series roots that fanatics (like myself) go crazy for.

First impressions were good and ongoing impressions are getting even better.

I wasn't sure what to expect with the Rapid Pros as far as weight is concerned, but the pens carry a good heft to them. If you are familiar with the 600 series, the weight and feel holds very true to what you are used to. The pen feels great in your hand and isn't too heavy.

The barrel of the pen is actually a more subtle hexagonal shape with more rounded edges. All this time I though they were more of a smooth cylinder, but they held on to a bit of heritage by keeping the faceted sides, although less defined. Of course, I'm a sucker for the sharp edges of the 600 series, but feel that the barrel is tastefully done. It doesn't really jump out at you like the older ones do though.

The Rapid Pros come with a tightly knurled grip similar to the 600 ballpoint I reviewed on Thursday, but with a slightly larger diameter. Actually the pen itself is larger in diameter than the thinner 600 series, but not by much, perhaps a millimeter or so. My friend Dan Bishop has been telling me I need to buy a digital caliper or micrometer which would actually come in handy at this very moment; note taken, Dan, and it is now officially on my shopping list...

Now, concerning the knurling: as I have an example of both the matte black and silver editions, I find that the knurling on the silver pen tends to "bite" a bit more on the skin in comparison to the black version making it more grippy. This doesn't offend me, but I could see some people being put off by the sharpness of the knurling on the silver version. I'd compare it pretty closely to the Zebra F-701, although just a bit sharper. The black version has a coating on it that seems to dull the bite a bit. Aesthetically the silver is nice and shiny and shows off the detail of the knurling pattern better and accentuates the red ring just above it. The black version does look really stealthy and subtle though... Well heck, I like them both.

Also mentioned in the previous post is the sound that the knock makes based on the different pen finishes. They both have a a nice click to them comparable to the older models that are pretty stiff and responsive. No "squish" clicking, although not quite a Parker Jotter click if you know what I mean. The black version seems to have some resistance due to the matte finish where the knock rubs a bit against the side of the barrel. It feels like it drags a bit which is to be expected though. The silver version has a mirror finish chrome knock that creates a higher pitched "click" and is very smooth. No resistance on this one and I personally find it a bit more enjoyable. Is it odd to analyze the knock of pens for their "click"? I'm sure to non-pen people this sounds absolutely nuts!

There is one part of the pen that enthusiasts will likely cringe at being that the threading between the grip and barrel (the red line) is a plastic piece. (Gasps everywhere...) .

Maybe the cringing might be in two parts as they also moved the red ring from the knock section to the barrel break (and away from view when in your pocket) and made it plastic. I know that I personally preferred the line at the top of the pen from a design stand point, but I'm not so sure how I feel about the part being plastic. For manufacturing I'm sure the plastic parts are much cheaper and the fact that it also simultaneously creates the aesthetic of the red ring in the process at the barrel break, it makes sense. My hopes are that it holds up well in the case of an accidental drop or if someone mistakenly tightens the sections to much.

Despite the last paragraph of some concerns, I can say with all honesty that I think the Rapid Pro ballpoints are really great pens and, in my opinion, worth the price tag of $40. If you're not ready to take the plunge on a discontinued model, these would be a great starting place or introduction to the brand for sure.