rOtring 900 Rollerball Review - Matte Silver Finish

One of the more odd rOtring pens in my collection is one I got sort of on a whim.  I found it for a good deal on eBay and it came with one of the neat original rOtring boxes; selling point for sure.

I don't really know a whole lot about the rOtring 900 series because they aren't as highly reviewed as the 600s, but they are interesting.  The 900 originally came in a variety of types from ballpoints and pencils (with crazy side knock mechanisms), rollerballs, fountain pens, and a strange tip called a Stylograph which is a ballpoint of sorts that takes an ink cartridge.  So, a rollerball actually?  There is one listed right now on eBay, but they run a bit steep in the range of a 600 fountain pen.

The design of the pen seems very modern.  When I showed it to my buddy Dan Bishop he described it as "80's European Modern".  The guy has a design degree; I trust him...  It seems very futuristic.

The barrel of the pen and grip are covered with machined grooves that start shallow and end up deeper near the middle of the pen.  As they aren't uniform throughout, it adds some cool visual texture to the pen.  The grooves aren't sharp in any way and don't seem to dig into my fingers at all.

The barrel is very heavy and very long.  This is a larger than average pen coming in at over six inches in length and is quite weighty.  Like most rOtring pens, I'd imaging the barrel is made from brass, but I could be wrong.  The barrel is coated in a matte silver finish, but it also came in a chrome version which looks pretty awesome.  Our friend over at Write to Me Often has a lovely collection of rOtring pens of which a chrome 900 fountain pen is included.

I didn't do a writing sample for this review as it takes a variety of standard rollerball refills (even a Pilot G2 would fit) so the options are open.  The refill is held snugly in place by a rear inner spring that adds some tension as well as allows for refills of slightly varying lengths.

The clip is a bit of an odd one, completely different than anything in my collection.  It is comprised of a single black wire that is bent to the shape of the cap and has a rubber/plastic piece on the end as not to scratch the pen.  For being wire, it is surprisingly sturdy and I have no fear of bending it with normal use.  The cap in comparison to the barrel is extremely light, and posted, doesn't impact the writing too terribly.

Not really a lot more I can say about this one other than it is unique and is likely a rOtring model that most people haven't heard of.  As I said above, I found this one at auction for quite a good deal, but these models can run anywhere from $70 to $180, so not necessarily cheap.  But if this design is something you find appealing and interesting, that may be a reasonable investment for you.  It will definitely stand out when you use it in your next meeting. 

Phenolic Render K Prototype by Karas Kustoms

This is a fun one that I've had on the list to review for awhile.  The Karas Kustoms Render K, it seems, has become one of the staple pens in the community for some time and is still one of my all time favorites.  It is a pen thats design I never grow tired of and still find myself admiring while using it.  A timeless piece for sure, and kudos to Dan Bishop for creating such a neat product for us to enjoy.

This particular Render K is extremely unique and was a gift from Dan and Bill that they gave me several months ago, maybe even closer to a year.  The Delrin Render K that received some attention awhile back is rare as the amount they produced was pretty small in number, but this smooth capped, phenolic version was literally done in only a handful.  In talking to Dan, they actually only made six of these and mine was hand finished by Dan himself.  Needless to say, this one is probably the jewel of my Karas "Kollection".  Thanks dudes.

Recent Instagram Post

You may recognize the material in another pen on the market, the TWSBI Micarta.  For a little Wikipedia education on Phenolic... 

The overall dimensions of the pen are very similar to the Render K that many of us know and love, but does not have a taper in the barrel towards the end of the pen.  It is similar to the raw bar-stock version that the guys did as well, so the end is more squared off and flat.

The tip is aluminum as I'm sure machining one from phenolic would have been a chore and probably prone to breaking/cracking.  The cap is aluminum also, but is smooth (no knurling) which gives the pen an overall vintage look.  Dan and I were discussing that copper accents might be really awesome to coordinate with the phenolic... 

I'm not entirely sure of how durable phenolic is as it feels like a fiberglass/plastic/resin type material that could be prone to breaking.  This is a pen I keep at home mostly that doesn't travel too often as I don't want to lose or damage it, or test out the stresses it can take.  I have my aluminum or brass (or copper) versions to use and abuse as they can take the beating.

I review this pen not so much to discuss it's features, feel, or writing experience, but to showcase how cool the design process is with making products.  It would be easy to simply stick with making the same version of a product we've found to be successful, but its awesome when people are willing to branch out and try new things just "because".  There is also something to be said about creating a physical version of a product during testing as having it to handle and use is a different experience than seeing a drawing or rendering; it connects you with the product a bit more if that makes sense.

This was a quick review/tribute, but I thought it'd be fun to share some shots of this rare version of one of our favorites.

Now, I'd imagine if demand was high enough for something like this the guys might even consider doing a batch of them.  No promises of course, but if we created enough of a stir we might get our way.  Should we start a petition?...

Again, thanks to Dan and Bill for this little beauty.  

Sharpie Pen Retractable - in Medium! (blue of course)

I've decided that I'm going to make a strong effort to review some of the more "over the counter" pens in greater frequency as I do use them fairly often in my day-to-day, but tend to review the fancier stuff here on the blog.  There has to be a balance of both, wouldn't you say?

One pen that I was excited to finally get my hands on is the Sharpie Pen in the retractable model...in a medium.  Now, that may not seem like a big deal, but I have never seen these in the store; ever.  In perusing Sharpie's site awhile back I noticed them as an offering on their site, but no retailer (brick and mortar) has ever carried them to my knowledge.  Apparently you can buy them direct, but I didn't go through the process to see how much shipping would be...

I found a two-pack of the medium tipped ones in blue on Amazon, but these things were pretty pricey to try.  Its almost like they are a rarity or something?  For comparison, a two pack of blue in fine on Amazon are as cheap as $4.16 while a two pack of medium are $11.99.  Crazy, right?

In the Sharpie Pen I do prefer a medium tip over the fine as it has a little more flow while writing.  The fine is smooth enough as it is a porous tip pen, but I enjoy the broad lines of the medium; fits my style a bit more.

If you've not used a retractable Sharpie Pen, I'd give it a go.  They are pretty large pens and a little bit awkwardly long, but are super light because they are all plastic.  There is a grippy rubber section that isn't squishy at all, but gives ample stability while writing.  

The retractable mechanisms are a little loose on these pens as in they they feel kind of flimsy, although have a good stiff "click".  In my opinion it is obnoxiously long, but gets the job done.  I really think the overall aesthetic and design element of the retractable Sharpie Pen could be redone to be a bit sleeker even though they are pretty much all a solid color and a bit straight forward.  Maybe making them a bit more interesting?  They used to have chrome accents more chrome accents on the pens which I'm glad they did away with (other than the clip).

I think Sharpie should also make a higher end model of this pen.  I know there is the capped stainless steel Sharpie, but my issues with it are customization.  No medium tip and no blue ink... Although, a higher end model would require the ability to change the refill which these pens do not possess.  When they run dry you simply toss them in the trash.  Seems a shame as it would be awesome to buy a Sharpie Pen refill similar to a Schmidt Fine Liner that could fit in other pens.

Another weird thing about these pens is the fact that the ink doesn't seem very consistent as far as color is concerned.  The shade of blue for the fine tip is completely different than the medium.  The medium is a lighter hue, while the fine is a darker almost royal blue.  This seems super odd to me; don't they make these in the same factory? 

Although this pen does have some casual gripes from me, overall it is a solid go-to office writer.