rOtring Freeway Rollerball - Pen Review

I'm starting to think that The Clicky Post is becoming a hub for rOtring reviews.  I really don't know why, but I am completely obsessed with this brand.   

In perusing eBay recently I decided to take a chance on a newer (although now discontinued) model called the Freeway.  I picked up a black rollerball for about $15 new which I thought was really reasonable.  Although, for rOtrings, $15 usually doesn't mean much, so I was a bit skeptical even when placing the order... 

When I got the Freeway and first held it in my hand I thought to myself that it felt oddly heavy.  The barrel is all metal, but seems pretty hefty.  

In many pens, the weightiness adds a level of niceness, but with the overall build of the Freeway, in this case "heavy" doesn't really mean "quality".   It almost screams the opposite like the pen is a thrown-together type project.  (Gasps heard all around...)  I know; Mike is discrediting a rOtring model?  Seems impossible, right?  

Now, I think that the Freeway is a nice enough pen, but it is far, far away from the prestige levels of the 600 or even Newton series of the 90's.  Those pens just feel incredible; like a tool or precision instrument.  This pen feels like a giveaway type pen on the nicer scale.  The 600s and Newtons make your jaw drop.  

It writes nice though as it came with the Schmidt Ceramic Roller.  I really ought to use this refill more as it is smooth and inky rollerball, but lays down a finer line.  I can speak to the fact that the tip of the refill is good and snug in there and there is very little play while writing.  This is a plus.  

Referring back to my comment about the build quality, the pen just doesn't seem very refined.  The painted coatings seem ok, but like they are just a bit "meh".  I'm not fond of the clip design, and the fact that they opted for a chromed tip seems a bit out of place.  The threading between the grip and barrel is a bit rough and takes a bit of effort to get tightened down.  Doesn't speak volumes to precision. 

Am I upset that I bought the Freeway rollerball?  Nah.  I'm actually interested in experiencing the evolution of the brand as it changed hands.  I suppose I'm dedicated enough to the brand to ride that wave.  They made a Freeway fountain pen as well that I could probably pick up for $20 that I'd still be willing to try.  Maybe the nib is awesome?  

My hopes are that rOtring's future lineup will include the likes of what we saw before in the older models many of us covet.  I think there is absolutely a market for them considering the prices some of those models sell for online.  

What are your thoughts on the matter? 

One Star Leather Goods - Notebook/Pen Wallet GIVEAWAY!

Two giveaways in a row in two weeks?  How awesome is this?! 

My good friend, Keegan from One Star Leather Goods, and I were chatting a couple of weeks ago and thought it might be a good idea to do a giveaway of one of his awesome handmade leather products.  My current wallet is a One Star Leather Goods piece that I've reviewed here on the blog if you want to take a look.  I absolutely love his work!  

I'm going to make a recommendation for everyone that joins the giveaway: visit One Star Leather Goods' site and follow him on Instagram if you can.  Heck, consider buying something from him for holiday gifts for your family and friends!  His work is stunning and he posts new pics of his pieces all the time.  You all know how much I love small business, and One Star is definitely one that I support whole heartedly.

(photo courtesy of One Star Leather Goods) 

This piece is an absolute gem.  Super high quality, handmade, looks great...  What more could we ask for?  One of you lucky readers will get to win this!

The pictures in this post are ones Keegan took and his photography is always so good.  I opted to use his instead of retaking some, but I've got this thing in my possession and it is a beauty. 

Keegan whipped up something special for us, a notebook and pen holder case/wallet that can hold not only slimmer pens, but even a Bolt from Karas Kustoms!  Cases like these can be a back pocket carry, but if you're toting a brass Bolt (like in the pictures), make sure you've got the pen in a comfortable spot!...

(photo courtesy of One Star Leather Goods) 

The piece is made from a Horween chromexcel blue exterior and a British bridle brown bridle interior.  A killer combo for sure. 

 The wallet is shown with a Field Notes book (which will be included in the giveaway, but not the pen though as this is from Keegan's personal collection...), but can take a variety of your favorite 3.5"x5.5" journals like the Doane Paper Utility Notebook. 

(photo courtesy of One Star Leather Goods) 

HOW TO ENTER:

The "Fine Print" (sort of):

This giveaway is open to US and International readers again (woohoo again!) and will run through next Saturday, November 2nd, until 11:59pm PST (Arizona). 

To enter, complete the form below with your name and email address.  

I will arrange the names in order as received and use a random number generator to pick the winner.  

Upon picking the winner, I will announce it on the blog, email them, and they will have one week to reply with their address information.  After a week goes by if there is no response, I'll pick a new winner.  

 

 

Fisher Space Pen - Matte Black Zero Gravity Series

Another brand I seem to have a soft spot for is the Fisher Space Pen line.  As I've said before, there are some of their pens that don't appeal to me as they are a bit "over done" if you know what I mean, but there are quite a few models that I think are either classy or conservative enough. 

While perusing their line I came upon a clicky pen of theirs called the Matte Black Zero Gravity series.  They had one of these that said POLICE on the side; I'm not a policeman so I opted for just the straight matte black.

This pen isn't overly expensive and I think I paid less than $20 for it, but upon receiving it I was really surprised at the weight of it.  This thing feels like a tank which I assume is why they've included the version for law enforcement as I'd imagine it's pretty sturdy. 

The barrel is metal (brass I think), but has been given a black rubberized coating for grip.  It doesn't feel squishy though.  Regarding grip, the pen has a strange 3-sided grip section, although not triangular buy any means.  Like the took a smooth round barrel and squeezed it between three point just enough to flatten it out.  Honestly, I feel this was completely unnecessary from a design standpoint and detracts from the look of the pen.  When you pick up the pen the "sides" seem to get in the way a bit too.  Maintaining a smooth barrel the entire length would have been better. 

The click on this thing is pretty loud.  Like REALLY loud.  Granted, it is a ton of fun to click as the nock is nice and stiff, but it is noisy.  Louder even than the Parker Jotter. 

When writing there isn't any real play in the tip of the pen, but the nock does have a bit of a rattle.  It doesn't impact the experience of actually writing, but it is a bit of an annoyance.  It seems to be off and on when the mechanism is in a certain place to where it rattles sometimes but not others.  Strange. 

The clip is pretty thin and has weaker tension than I'd expect and I wouldn't be surprised if it bent out badly with one decent jerk on it.  For a really sturdy pen, this is kind of a downside.

The pen looks and feels great and overall and even with its cons I wouldn't say is a bad value.  It is big, sturdy, heavy, and takes the space pen refill.  Oh, and it is in matte black which adds to some cool factor.  I'm gonna go on record to say that I like this pen, just not some of the quirks about it.