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Sad to see Rotring fade away


Splicer

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Sorry to pimp my own blog, but it's already written.

 

http://splicer.com/2007/05/15/meet-the-par...ot-parkers-yet/

 

The upshot is that it seems pretty final: we'll never see Rotring pens again, and if we do, they'll be Parker branded. Best case scenario seems to be that we in the US will still be able to get Rotrings from Europe, but I don't know how long that will last.

 

Sanford took a brand with unique market niche and threw it away. It just bugs me. Sure, I've used better writers than Rotrings, but rarely have I found a better sketcher. The writing was on the wall (har har) when Sanford took over Rotring and discontinued the 700 and kept the lesser 600.

 

Well, the brand will still be around, but likely only on Rapidographs and ArtPens. I personally would have thought that those would go first. Aren't I the only person on Earth who still uses Rapidographs?

 

I don't have any more to say but I want to keep typing. It's just shock and denial and sadness. Yes, I've been hearing about it for months just like everyone else, but having made the phone calls I hoped that I'd hear some encouraging shred of news.

Who are the pen shops in your neighborhood? Find out or tell us where they are, at http://penshops.info/

Blog: http://splicer.com/

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Hi Splicer,

 

If it is any comfort to you, you are not the last or the only person who still uses Rapidographs or even Tintenkulis and Altros for sketching, I still use them and you are right Rotring Fps are good for sketching too, I have a couple of them for the same reason.

 

Cheers, John

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So may I know anyone use isogragh pens? (from rotring)

 

Do mp me anyone interested.

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Splicer,

 

Thank you for this information. It is very sad to see a once venerable brand slowly die. I have always wanted to try a Rotring. Fountain Pen Hospital has the Initial on clearance, so I ordered one.

 

Lisa

Love all, trust a few, do wrong to none.

 

Lisa in Raleigh, NC

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So may I know anyone use isogragh pens? (from rotring)

 

Do mp me anyone interested.

 

I don't use them myself, but they're the same basic design as the Rapidograph. They are just like the Koh-I-Noor (and everyone else's) rapidographs and don't have the cartridge fill system that the Rotring Rapidographs do. I've been using Rapidographs for longer than I care to admit, so if you have questions I might be able to help.

Who are the pen shops in your neighborhood? Find out or tell us where they are, at http://penshops.info/

Blog: http://splicer.com/

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Isographs came first, I'm pretty certain. They were certainly the first generic drafting pen I ever noticed, identical in concept to to the Faber Castell TG-1 and the Staedler (spelling?) Mars pens, and probably loads of others I never heard of. Rapidographs were introduced as a student pen I think, when professional's started to use pen plotters.

 

When my local Staples store stopped stocking Isographs and sold them off at 50%off, I bought one of every size they had 0.18 through 0.9. I haven't inked them yet though...

 

It is an absolute travesty that Rotring are dying; will I ever see one of those cool yellow rulers again?

 

ABP

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Isographs came first, I'm pretty certain. They were certainly the first generic drafting pen I ever noticed, identical in concept to to the Faber Castell TG-1 and the Staedler (spelling?) Mars pens, and probably loads of others I never heard of. Rapidographs were introduced as a student pen I think, when professional's started to use pen plotters.

I think I have a set of TG-1s around here somewhere, in pretty good shape. Haven't used them in over ten years or longer and hadn't thought about them until I saw your note. Are TG-1s the kind of pen that people in graphic arts would want? I always liked them, but never had any idea whether they were highly regarded by anyone but me. :unsure:

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Isographs came first, I'm pretty certain.

 

Sort of. The Rapidograph was introduced in 1953 as what we fountain-pen people would call an eyedropper-filler. That pen is almost identical to what all the other manufacturers call Rapidographs today. In 1983, Rotring switched to capillary disposable cartridges in the Rapidograph, and started calling the refillables "Isograph." So the Isograph design predates the Rotring Rapidograph design, but the Rapidograph name came first. Also, other manufacturers make Rapidographs with the same design as the Isograph and still call them Rapidograph.

 

It is an absolute travesty that Rotring are dying; will I ever see one of those cool yellow rulers again?

 

I don't think that Rotring is disappearing entirely, just from the fountain pen world. I think even the ArtPen will continue as a Rotring product, but it's only speculation on my part. I didn't ask the Sanford rep directly about any particular products.

Who are the pen shops in your neighborhood? Find out or tell us where they are, at http://penshops.info/

Blog: http://splicer.com/

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Splicer,

 

I was 13 in 1983, so that would explain my ignorance; thanks for the info. I have noticed that Rotring seems to be being downgraded in all areas to a sort of school stationery range. I guess it was bound to happen to some of the companies who were primarily known for draughting office equipment, but I had hoped that the move into fountain pens proper would keep the name alive...seems I was wrong.

 

Bill,

 

I used TG-1's while I was at University and at my first job, where we didn't have CAD. I thought the pens were excellent, although Rotring will always be my "first love" :wub:

 

Cheers,

 

ABP

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Tks for all the informative answer here, I don't use that but was offer by a seller as a lots to the pen I needed. there they are lying around. Would $100 a just for 8 pen with some funny hook or attachment and many rulers, refills?

 

Do pm me if interested. Tks

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Sort of. The Rapidograph was introduced in 1953 as what we fountain-pen people would call an eyedropper-filler. That pen is almost identical to what all the other manufacturers call Rapidographs today.

 

And the Rapidographs were just a modification of the original stylograph, which goes back to the original Cross and McKinnon designs in 1874 (?). I have a 1920s BHR lever-filler Inkograph stylo, which is fabulous, and an older JuCo eyedropper, which needs some wire help.

 

John

So if you have a lot of ink,

You should get a Yink, I think.

 

- Dr Suess

 

Always looking for pens by Baird-North, Charles Ingersoll, and nibs marked "CHI"

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Indeed it is very sad. My first fountain pen was a Rotring 600 (the old type), I bought it about 15 years ago and it still is like new. I have also a Rotring 400 and an Esprit mini, I bought the former 10 years ago, while the last was a gift of my wife (together with the pencil and the BP), both are good writers. The Rotring have been my pens of choice after my study, the only ones that was not cheap rollerballs.

When I began to collect FP three months and some money ago), Rotring was the brand I looked first, but I was very disappointed by their current range of products (the horrible core, the skynn, etc.). The only pen that I could presently buy is the Initial, maybe I should effectively buy one, before it is too late :unsure: .

 

Fortunately it seems that my 600 will resist other 20 years, I have only to take another in stainless steel with fine nib (the one that I have is in black).

 

Genny

http://i178.photobucket.com/albums/w253/gennyesposito/IMGP1034.jpg

Edited by genny
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Hi,

 

Hmm..genny, nice calculator--I use a HP 49G+

 

Rotring made good pens when they did. Quite reliable and consistent in quality. I used to have an 800, an Artpen, and a pair of tikky mechanical pencils. Right now, all that's left is a Tri-pencil.

 

Dillon

Stolen: Aurora Optima Demonstrator Red ends Medium nib. Serial number 1216 and Aurora 98 Cartridge/Converter Black bark finish (Archivi Storici) with gold cap. Reward if found. Please contact me if you have seen these pens.

Please send vial orders and other messages to fpninkvials funny-round-mark-thing gmail strange-mark-thing com. My shop is open once again if you need help with your pen.

Will someone with the name of "Jay" who emailed me through the email system provide me an email address? There was no email address provided, so I can't write back.

Dillon

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Hi,

 

Hmm..genny, nice calculator--I use a HP 49G+

 

Dillon

 

As it happens with pens, at this point I found myself using very few time a calculator at work, with a computer always on is very simple to perform also simple calculations with matlab :mellow:

 

Genny

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I agree with brands that go away..some marketing genius somewhere doesnt give too muc creedence to the Rotring name. Ive never even had one or written with one.

It's a small world......but I'd hate to paint it. -Stephen Wright

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I agree with brands that go away..some marketing genius somewhere doesnt give too muc creedence to the Rotring name. Ive never even had one or written with one.

 

Well, the modern ones are, for lack of a better description, kind of German Techno Engineertype bluntly post bauhaus and unattractive to most of the buying public. They have their loyal supporters, hence this thread, but after having a 600 BP/MP set for over a year I am pretty sure I wouldn't buy another. They work fine, but they are just so unattractive and there are so many other more attractive writing instruments out there.

 

If you are really serious about this stuff you can write the CEO at Newell Rubbermaid. They are the ones who can bring them back.

YMMV

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Sort of. The Rapidograph was introduced in 1953 as what we fountain-pen people would call an eyedropper-filler.

 

Actually, as far as I'm aware the eyedropper-filled-cartridge rapidographs are a more modern invention. Rotring started with the Tintenkuli as a lever-filler (briefly) and then a piston filler. The 1953 version that introduced the Rapidograph name was a piston filler as was the Koh-i-noor American version that appeared at about the same time. Koh-i-noor switched to dropper-filled cartridges with thinner, non-tapered barrels in the mid-70s; i'm not sure when the Rotring version switched to those, or when they started using the capillary cartridges.

 

I could be completely wrong. I'm trying to research a definitive history of Rapidographs and it appears I'm going to need German language lessons and a time machine to get to the bottom of it.

 

I also draw with Rapidographs - I've been using the piston fillers lately because they have better ergonomics than the modern versions, and have the benefit of a built-in starting and cleaning system.

 

See also:

 

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/in...showtopic=30724

 

BTW, Splicer, I read your article and spent a couple of hours reading the rest of your blog! Nice work.

Edited by mmoncur

Michael Moncur

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Thanks mmoncur!

 

Interesting. I know I was going on incomplete information. I thought it was strange that I was unable to find more historical information about the Rapidographs and had been thinking about doing some real actual research instead of just googling, as I had been.

 

If you've done a lot of work on the research already and I'm a johnny-come-lately, I'll back away, but I'm guessing we could do more good pooling our efforts. Seems we're on similar paths.

 

Now you've got me thinking about finding some old piston-fillers. I've been using eyedropper-fillers (Koh-I-Noor or for all practical purposes Rotring's New Jersey office) my whole career.

Edited by Splicer

Who are the pen shops in your neighborhood? Find out or tell us where they are, at http://penshops.info/

Blog: http://splicer.com/

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