Jump to content

Rotring 600 Mk 2 Lava EF


ayhc

Recommended Posts

Bandwidth warning: This review is graphics-heavy.

 

Rotring 600 Mk 2 (Newton Mk 1) Lava EF (steel nib)

 

Introduction

 

Rotring made a number of fountain pens before being acquired by the Newell Rubbermaid conglomerate; among their many products was the Rotring 600. As others (most notably Splicer) have detailed elsewhere, the 600 went through two iterations, with the latter sometimes referred to as the "Newton" (not to be confused with the later Newton design).

 

First impressions

 

The pen came in a small cardboard box – evidently it was manufactured late in the 600’s production run, as the sticker on the box bore the name "Newton".

 

http://static.zooomr.com/images/8559607_5988972b9d.jpg

 

http://static.zooomr.com/images/8559608_3f4126ee86_m.jpg

 

Appearance and design (9/10): Industrial chic

 

Rotring's 600 series embodies no-nonsense industrial design – a combination of a hexagonal cap and barrel and a cylindrical section. There are no adornments other than the trademark red ring on the cap. Even the clip is simplicity itself.

 

http://static.zooomr.com/images/8559609_77687f8981_o.jpg

 

Some 600s were manufactured with 18k gold nibs; this is not one of them. The stainless steel wing nib is unadorned, except for the discreet “Rotring” and “EF” markings on the sides of the nib.

 

http://static.zooomr.com/images/8559611_bcfd35c268_m.jpg

 

http://static.zooomr.com/images/8559612_f73260cc41_m.jpg

 

The pen is coated in Rotring’s lava finish, which has a rough finish and is slightly sparkly.

 

http://static.zooomr.com/images/8559606_03e914d1eb.jpg

 

There are also abundant signs of attention to detail. There is a scalloped edge to the barrel where the cap meets the barrel. The section has spring-loaded studs which help to hold the cap in place.

 

http://static.zooomr.com/images/8559613_db3cd12a30_o.jpg

 

The section is threaded so that the nib is not symmetrical with the barrel. However, it is aligned so that the nib is at the right angle when the barrel is resting in the hand.

 

Construction and quality (9/10): Typically Germanic

 

The widespread reputation of Rotring 600s being nigh-on indestructible is well-deserved. The 600 appears to have an all-brass construction underneath; its solidity and build quality is reminiscent of that other miracle of German mechanical engineering, the Leica M rangefinder camera.

 

The one pitfall is that the cap does not post securely. There is a rubber grommet on the end of the barrel, but the cap does not fit snugly. In practice, however, I have not found this to be a problem as the centre of gravity is uncomfortably high with the cap posted.

 

http://static.zooomr.com/images/8559610_1839196edc_o.jpg

 

Weight and dimensions (10/10): Reassuringly substantial

 

I do not like lightweight pens, and this particular 600 feels reassuringly substantial in the hand. The 600 is not particularly large by fountain pen standards, although its angularity makes it look larger than it actually is.

 

http://static.zooomr.com/images/8559614_05f8db3686.jpg

 

Nib and performance (9/10): A smooth nail

 

This particular 600 has a stainless steel EF nib – in short, a nail, but a smooth one. I've had some occasional ink flow problems, but nothing unexpected in an EF nib and nothing that I would characterise as a show-stopper.

 

Filling system and maintenance (9/10): Standard cartridge/converter

 

The 600 is a cartridge/converter filler. My 600 was not supplied with a converter – and, because Rotring no longer makes fountain pens, the supply of original parts has already dried up. However, the 600 will accept both international (short) cartridges or Waterman long cartridges.

 

http://static.zooomr.com/images/8559617_ef8737feb7.jpg

 

Due to how securely the cap is mounted, small ink spatters can often be found on the nib after uncapping.

 

Cost and value (9/10)

 

HK$600 (about US$77) as new-old stock from a pen shop in Hong Kong – not that cheap for a 600, but not terribly expensive for something this durable.

 

Conclusion (9/10)

 

The Lava finish was the drawing point of this 600, and it has delivered in spades – it provides a grippy surface (even for sweaty hands) without being abrasive. Even without the Lava finish, the no-nonsense design and build quality would make this pen difficult to pass up.

 

Recommendation: Buy

Edited by ayhc

Currently using:

Pilot M90 F - Pilot Iroshizuku tsuyu-kusa

Rotring 600 EF Lava - Waterman black

Rotring Newton F Copper - Pilot red

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Replies 3
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

  • MYU

    1

  • 2cents

    1

  • encre

    1

  • ayhc

    1

Top Posters In This Topic

Very nicely detailed and thoughtful review of an excellent pen. I'm glad to see the Rotring 600 Lava put in such good light. The lava material is quite unique and feels great in the hand. :) Oh, and $77 is a good price for this pen.

[MYU's Pen Review Corner] | "The Common Ground" -- Jeffrey Small

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 year later...

Nice review, but except a Rotring with a red letter inscription was made in Germany all others were more than likely made in Japan for a cheaper price. I have a Rotring with a red letter inscription and another one without, both old style and not Newton. The differences are noticeable. The original German one feels much better, lighter and more egonomic. The one made in Japan feels like a chunk of metal, heavy. The original one with the knurled grip kind of melts in your hand and somehow the one made in Japan feels like you are pushing a heavy rod when writing. Just my 2cents

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now


  • Most Contributions

    1. amberleadavis
      amberleadavis
      43844
    2. PAKMAN
      PAKMAN
      33494
    3. Ghost Plane
      Ghost Plane
      28220
    4. inkstainedruth
      inkstainedruth
      26624
    5. jar
      jar
      26101
  • Upcoming Events

  • Blog Comments

    • Shanghai Knife Dude
      I have the Sailor Naginata and some fancy blade nibs coming after 2022 by a number of new workshop from China.  With all my respect, IMHO, they are all (bleep) in doing chinese characters.  Go use a bush, or at least a bush pen. 
    • A Smug Dill
      It is the reason why I'm so keen on the idea of a personal library — of pens, nibs, inks, paper products, etc. — and spent so much money, as well as time and effort, to “build” it for myself (because I can't simply remember everything, especially as I'm getting older fast) and my wife, so that we can “know”; and, instead of just disposing of what displeased us, or even just not good enough to be “given the time of day” against competition from >500 other pens and >500 other inks for our at
    • adamselene
      Agreed.  And I think it’s good to be aware of this early on and think about at the point of buying rather than rationalizing a purchase..
    • A Smug Dill
      Alas, one cannot know “good” without some idea of “bad” against which to contrast; and, as one of my former bosses (back when I was in my twenties) used to say, “on the scale of good to bad…”, it's a spectrum, not a dichotomy. Whereas subjectively acceptable (or tolerable) and unacceptable may well be a dichotomy to someone, and finding whether the threshold or cusp between them lies takes experiencing many degrees of less-than-ideal, especially if the decision is somehow influenced by factors o
    • adamselene
      I got my first real fountain pen on my 60th birthday and many hundreds of pens later I’ve often thought of what I should’ve known in the beginning. I have many pens, the majority of which have some objectionable feature. If they are too delicate, or can’t be posted, or they are too precious to face losing , still they are users, but only in very limited environments..  I have a big disliking for pens that have the cap jump into the air and fly off. I object to Pens that dry out, or leave blobs o
  • Chatbox

    You don't have permission to chat.
    Load More
  • Files






×
×
  • Create New...