It's funny how different an impression a pen can make when held in your hand, versus looking at a few photos. When I saw images of the Rotring 700 on-line, I wasn't all that impressed. The clip looked interesting, but fragile (I'd seen a few photos here and there of ones that were either bent or broken off). The barrel diameter is extraordinarily thin (even thinner than a Montblanc Noblese), making one wonder whether it would be comfortable to hold. And the surface is coated in a rather dull blackish color (unlike the deep rich matte black of the 600) that makes it look like it's made of hard plastic.

Here's a stock image:


While at the DC Pen SuperShow, I happened to stumble upon a Rotring 700 resting next to a few Rotring 600's. It was in mint condition and had a sticker on it indicating an italic 0.6mm nib. I'd never heard of Rotring making such a nib in their 600 and 700 lines. I inquired and learned that it was custom ground, allegedly by a legendary nib specialist of Sheaffer fame. OK, this pen I'd have to dip test.

And oh, was I surprised. This is the kind of nib I didn't realize I wanted so badly. You get a very nice fine line with subtle variation. A little extra pressure and you get a thicker line. The Rotring 700 nib has some spring to it too, unlike the hard-as-nails 600 nibs. The thin body is much more usable than I expected. It's actually quite comfortable, mostly due in part to the firm rubberized section that is easy to grip, and despite being made of metal it's not heavy feeling. And just like the Montblanc Noblese, the cap posts with a soft and subtle click, resulting in a very nicely balanced pen. And the color? It looks like the surface is adonized in a very dark gray (almost black) that contrasts well with the chrome furniture and the signature red ring of Rotring. In bright light, it has a slight sheen that is visually appealing. On the whole, this pen has a unique appearance that I'm finding rather handsome, now that I've had one to hold and write with.

The Rotring 700 may not be as crush proof as a Rotring 600, as examples I've seen can be pretty beat up (see below), but they are a little more ergonomic being less weight and having a some cushion from the rubberized section. Plus the nibs have some spring, which is a very welcome touch.

Here's a shot of Splicer's beat up (but beloved) Rotring 700:


Some eye candy shots of my actual Rotring 700 (only had stock photo previously):









You can tell how clean the chrome is -- a small mirrored reflection of my taking the photos is seen in the clip ball.

The 700 will always hold a place in my heart. You can see why I was trying to transplant that nib onto a 600... a combination that would make a great pen, I think. The clip is about the only downside; mine bent when I was taking it out of a coat pocket. It just sprung. I don't recall when I acquired that dent in the barrel, but that 700 has been back and forth across the country with me a few times. It was my constant companion at Burning Man twice and has really been through the wringer. And now you see why, too!

You used the right word about the flexibility of the nib: it's subtle. The darn thing is a "smooth nail" but then as you write with it, it provides clever surprises that you might have missed if you'd been paying less attention.

I have to admit, I'm really curious about that 0.6mm italic nib. That must be a very fun pen.

There was someone else on FPN who mentioned swapping a 700 nib into the body of a 600... can't remember who that was, but it sounded like he was successful.

Burning Man twice, eh? What years did you attend and what were they like?

I'll have to make a writing sample of the italic nib soon. It's an intriguing nib, as the writing behavior changes slightly based on the paper used. If the paper is slick, like Claire Fontaine, then there's a little bit of false starting. A slightly more porous paper and it just glides. Thanks for the warning about the clip--I'll have to make a point of being careful with using it. The pen came in a nice felt pen sleeve, so I think I'll continue making use of it and avoid clipping. It's a curious design--nice idea, but perhaps Rotring should have made the shaft a little thicker or used a better tempered steel. Have you ever tried unscrewing the clip from the cap top?

I did get the nib from a 700 onto a 600. I don't recall why, but I wasn't satisfied with it. Maybe the cap no longer fit? or I never got the flow right? I just don't remember.

I've tried to unscrew the clip from the cap, but I've never gotten it to budge. I'm not certain how it's attached. I suspect there is a way to get it apart, but I'm clueless.

My Burning Man experiences were in 1997 and 2002. First time there were 12,000 people there, second time I think it was 28,000. In 2002 it really seemed like more of a real city. In addition to all the art projects and crazy parties there were a lot of things that you could do at home, like go to the movies, read the newspaper that was delivered daily to your doorstep, or have letters delivered by the "Spatial Delivery" bicycle messengers (Here's the FP tie-in: I had a little fling with a lovely young lady whose camp was two blocks away from mine. I wrote letters to her on my airmail paper with the 700, then I would go all the way to Center Camp to have the letter delivered. Yes, I could have walked it over myself more easily, but it wouldn't have been the same!) There were AA meetings and theatrical performances, and I got my first swingdancing lessons there in the desert.

So the comparison goes like this: 1997 was the better party, the better freaky art gathering, the better campout, the better fringe-culture extravaganza. 2002 was the better temporary city, and the better lesson about society and civilization being exactly what we make of it, no more and no less. It's so easy to walk the streets of a city and see the buildings only as canyons, as part of the landscape--see the people I deal with as functionaries. Burning Man 2002 was a reminder that those buildings were built by people and that the person handing me my burger at lunchtime took time out of her or his day to stand behind the counter to do that for me.

Hands down, 2002 was better for me.

This is the cornerstone of a novel. A nicely sized hunk of the whole frame, in fact.

Email me.



I read about BM each of the first few years when the original/authentic iteration of Wired covered the events with the approximate newsworthiness zeal of FoxSports covering the Super Bowl or ABC covering the World Cup. The stories were amazing, and the fire on the final night just about instantly became an annual thing either to hear of or maybe even witness, back before the days of YouTube.

And just for the sake of tie-in argument: although I haven't owned a rOtring 7000, I did just receive my third Initial (Bavarian blue this time), right on the heels of my first Lissabon.

No kidding! I can tell you need to comb your hair!

Seriously, beautiful photos.

Hello there,

Interesting thread, interesting photos. Thanks!

With respect to the comparisons to the Noblesse: it's my understanding - and I can't, at the moment, recall the source of the information - that the 700 was in fact manufactured using the tooling for the Noblesse (which had been sold to rOtring by MB). Obviously, rOtring made the design its own; but the similarities, to my eye, are clear.

Has anyone else heard that particular story?

Cheers,

Jon

Yes, the similarities are very clear, and even the Noblesse ballpoint and the 700 pencil share a common design. It would not surprise me much at all except that I haven't seen any other evidence of it. Montblanc apparently did partner with Aurora on the Noblesse at some point but I don't know what came of that. Also, Rotring took the 700 out of production in 1998 (I think) while the Noblesse continued until 2002.

If you find a source for this information, I'd be very very interested.

Thanks for the compliment, Steve.

Fascinating point, Jon. The "click" of the cap into the barrel end for posting feels curiously the same between the two pens. Fortunately I happen to have a Noblesse in my collection. This weekend I'll have to take some side-by-side photos of the two. Already eyeballing them next to each other, the similarities are unmistakably close. It'll be a fun photo comparison to make.

Hi All,

Well, for once, I was able to locate the original information source without delay or difficulty.

In the rOtring section of Lambrou's Fountain Pens of the World, there's a brief paragraph on the 700. It states (paraphrasing here) that in 1992 rOtring purchased from Mont Blanc the tooling for the discontinued CS line, and used that tooling to produce the 700 - with some changes, of course.

Now, I readily admit that I'm a little bit foggy on the distinction between the Noblesse and the CS; to my eye, they look awfully similar.

So - if Lambrou is to be regarded as authoritative - it seems that there is a verifiable connection between the two models. I guess MB's decision to move upmarket had unanticipated benefits for rOtring.

I've got a rebranded Noblesse (CS?): an Yves Saint Laurent pen that showed up in a lot of promotional pencils and ballpoints. It's a lovely writer. I can definitely foresee picking up a 700, if the opportunity presents itself.

Cheers,

Jon

I love my 700s.

I bought a 700 FP in '98 because i thought i needed a good pen, that was the start of my downfall... I got hooked on pens...

There was a period that I never wanted to be without a 700, so I now have 2 complete sets of the FP, MP, BP, and RB....

The most charming part of the entire pen is the clip...

Wow, fantastic collection there, Brettman. I've never seen a complete set of Rotring 700 writing instruments before. Let's see some photos!

I have two in EF (one which is really used) and one in F...

Best ones I ever had.

Right now I haven't had much recourse but to stick to Parker Vectors (which are pretty good themselves).

Nice! I haven't tried out any in EF size. I have used Parker Vectors and appreciate their writing quality for the price... but I find that the ink flow is not very reliable. It seems you have to thoroughly flush the section rather frequently to keep flow going well. On the other hand, the Rotring holds up extremely well to long periods of the same ink in the section.

I managed to pick up a M nib 700 which writes nicely too, more like an F-M. Rotring definitely established their line widths nicely on the 700 series.