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Rotring Calligraphy Artpen


WontonST

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http://img185.imageshack.us/img185/1629/rotring2.jpg

I decided to do this review since it seems that Rotring pens are underrepresented.

 

History

 

A full year ago, having used numerous cheap $10 calligraphy pens you get at Michaels, I was finally fed up with the inconsistency of the ink flow. I went online and compared some pens, and finally decided to buy the Rotring callligraphy pen for two reasons. One, it looked reliable, and two, its shape was perfect for pen spinning, although the latter has no relevance to this forum ^^

 

At a Glance

 

Aesthetically, the pen looks very nice. I had many comments from friends that the end of the pen looks like an eraser, although why one would need an eraser for a fountain pen is beyond the capabilities of my mind. The pen screams "workhorse". There are no fancy stuff, just a reliable pen.

 

Some friends do comment on the shape of the pen though, since it's definitely longer than most fountain pens (Safari).

 

The pen is made of pretty durable plastic. After a year of use, save a few scratches, the frame remains sturdy. I don't use the clip very much, but it seems sturdy enough.

 

http://img837.imageshack.us/img837/6580/img0536m.jpg

Components of the pen laid out

 

Technical Stuff

 

Stainless steel nib, which makes sense for a workhorse pen. Rotring sells these in 1.1, 1.5, and 1.9mm. 1.5mm works fine, though the horizontal lines are a bit thick. If I were to buy a 1.1mm, I might have to go with a Safari to be safe, though everything else about the Rotring I find superior to the Safari. Writing is very smooth, but in comparison to medium nibbed FPs, one still needs to apply some degree of pressure.

 

Ink flow is superior to any cheap fountain pen, never had a problem.

 

The clip says "Made in U.K."

 

The pen comes with I believe four cartridges, but anyone who wants to use this pen for a long time should invest in a converter. Filling the pen is a breeze, and I have never had any converter leaks or spills (that wasn't my fault. Okay, random tangent time. I was once taking a test using the pen when the ink stopped flowing. Puzzled since I only recently filled it, I opened up the converter compartment...to have all the ink I filled spill out. Folks, this is why you make sure the converter is secure -.-).

 

http://img87.imageshack.us/img87/1/img0532g.jpg

I know, I doodle too much. I didn't do this in one sitting though, that would be scary.

For a closer look, here's the massively oversized version of this picture

http://img829.imageshack.us/img829/8194/rotring1.jpg

 

Cost and Value

 

With a little bit of hunting, the pen is around $30 and $5 for the converter. For the amount of work it's done so far and the amount of work it'll do in the future, there's no doubt in my mind that this pen will last a very long time. The day it dies would be a sad day indeed for me :( I would say that compared to more widely used pens like the Safari or Al-Star, Rotring truly stands up to the competition as a reliable alternative. Still, this comes from an overly cautious user. Any abuse that would result in a dent on a metal cap would likely result in a large crack or complete destruction of this pen's cap. Overall, for me personally, this pen is a phenomenal A+.

 

Objective review, no affiliations.

Edited by WontonST

-WontonST

www.sanjosecalligraphy.com

www.wontonst.info

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The Art Pen is a truly well made pen. I've had a box of three of them (1.1, 1.5 and 1.9 mm) for over twenty years now in regular, but seldom daily, use.

 

There's no sign of a leak, they write straight out of the box after sitting unused for over a year though I might sometimes have to start it off with a licked finger. The nibs are stiff as boards but sail smoothly and rapidly over most fine papers for unrestrained flourishes.

 

The set came with six cartridges, converter, small Arkansas stone (one of the most used pieces of the kit but not with these pens!), and 'Creative Calligraphy' - a little manual by Hermann Zapf. Zapf recommends starting each stroke with a little pressure, release on the downstroke, and finish again with pressure. This gives the letters a brushlike quality and the technique works very well with regular HB pencils, ballpens, quills, and Wm. mitchell roundhand nibs. It does not work with these Art Pens. You can press 'em till the cows come home but they won't bend.

 

I've seen reviews of these where the users have been unable to post the cap. I find this very strange as I've never had a problem posting mine. I find the pen looks very strange posted, and I've never really wanted to use them posted; I use them strictly for calligraphy where I'd normally use brush, quill, or Roundhand dip pens.

 

They don't flex at all but they do everything else that they're supposed to do; dependably, reliably, and well. Great pens!

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I have the same ones in 1.5 in yellow and teal color.Great pens for drawing as well as writing.The long stem helps in giving good balance.The only difference are mine are made in Germany.

Enjoy

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I've used several Art Pens in the 1990s but found them too stiff for my taste. Otherwise they were decent performers for their price. Leaks were less of a problem than dry nibs, I recall. Posting the cap was quite idiosyncratic: some pens fared well, others didn't.

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I like Rotring in general, and the fact that this pen is available on Cult Pens but not listed on the Rotring site has always puzzled me. It seems like a nice pen. Is it it similar to a Lamy Joy? I have seen one of those and have been wondering whether should I buy it.

 Fountain pens:Lamy Vista, Lamy Safari, Pelikan Griffix, Parker Reflex, Parker Jotter/15, Lamy Joy, Senator Windsor, Lamy Smile, TOZ Penkala Rexpen x2("flighter" and lacquered), Pelikan Factor 

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The Artpen has a special place in my life: it was the first gift my husband ever gave me, quite a few years ago. He meant to encourage me to write. Today he knows he has also encouraged me to spend: more pens, more notebooks, more ink... You know.

But I still have that first one, a medium nib that wrote so much it is kind of flat nowadays.

 

All of their nibs tend to go on the dry side, so wet inks are the most appropriate. I have several fine nibs (some of the Millenium collection), that "very romantic medium nib" and recently ventured into the italics: 1.1 and 1.5. They are currently inked with MB Irish Green and JH Orange Indien and I get smooth writing and great shading in both.

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