Rotring Tikky Ballpoint Review

March 4, 2019

Rotring Tikky Ballpoint Review: A “best” ballpoint pen

Introduction:

The Rotring Tikky Ballpoint pen has been a welcomed surprise.

I purchased my first Tikky’s in pursuit of a daily writer.

Out of the box, it seemed like a basic retractable ballpoint pen and nothing special.

But I soon found I could use this pen all day everyday without hand fatigue and realized I had discovered an essential daily writer.

A Thoughtful Design:

—Overall—

The Rotring Tikky Ballpoint has a harmonious utilitarian aesthetic that bears a somewhat classy functionalism that extends every aspect of its design into the writing experience.

It’s predominantly plastic which keeps the pen lightweight reducing hand fatigue, yet it’s durable and not too light.

—Section—

The metal tip adds a nice slight bottom weight and balance.

The section is straight, slightly thin, yet unique, comprised of separate smooth plastic segments interspersed between a hard rubber. The smooth plastic segments have a flat surface area for the ridges of the fingers to grip more easily, the hard rubber helps prevent slipping without becoming gummy, and they combine to optimize the grip for long writing sessions.

—Barrel—

The barrel is also unique. Beyond the trademark "red ring" above of the circular section the barrel gradually transitions up into a triangular shape. This increases the stability of the pen where it rests in the hand and also helps it to lie still where you set it down.

The metal clip is durable, springy, yet secures smoothly and without scraping, and it helps to add a slight weight to the pen.

The spring and clicking mechanism are solid, basic, and work as expected.

Refills/Writing experience:

—Pros—

What completes this pen and makes it an essential daily writer for me is its use of Parker Style Refills.

It does come with a basic Blue Rotring Ballpoint refill, but I purchase Rotring Tikky's to use with two specific Hybrid Ink refills:

Schmidt Easyfow9000’s
Uni SXR-600’s

I can use these refills on cheap paper with no bleed through. They write very smoothly, dependably, with fine lines, and nearly as effortless as Fountain Pens.

Ironically enough, Hybrid inks tend to show through more and bleed through with small spots on 52 gsm Tomoe River Paper (my favorite). However, I find the SXR-600’s less prone to such and I use them with my 52 gsm TRP Nanami Notebooks, and with a hint more feedback the SXR-600's offer a beautiful writing experience if you don't mind show-through.

—Cons—

The only drawback I’ve had with the Rotring Tikky is the occasional Tip-Tapping. 3 out of my 5 rOtring Tikky’s don’t have this problem, while 1 does completely and the other does half the time depending on how its rotated in my hand. I go to jetpens.com because they check the pens for me.

Conclusion:

The writing experience achieved by the sub $10 Rotring Tikky using the relatively affordable hybrid ink refills is remarkable.

I didn’t expect much from this pen, but it surprised me and became the first pen I could use all day every day without hand fatigue.

In my pursuit for a daily writer among ballpoints, rollerballs, and fountain pens from $5-$250, this Rotring Tikky has become my Essential Daily Writer.

March 4, 2019

Nice review. I had once a rOtring Tikky, but I don't remember what happened with it.

I'm curious, what is that red and blue cord attached to the pen?

March 4, 2019

Nice review. I had once a rOtring Tikky, but I don't remember what happened with it.

I'm curious, what is that red and blue cord attached to the pen?

Thank you : )

That's just a string to differentiate same color pens with different refills.

The Rotring Tikky does come in many different colors, but I prefer to stick with the Black version because the hard rubber on the section is darker and shows dirt less over time.

March 5, 2019

Great review! Good to see the Tikky get such praise. It is definitely a well designed affordable writing instrument.

March 6, 2019

Great review! Good to see the Tikky get such praise. It is definitely a well designed affordable writing instrument.

I started out with Pilot G2's, but they fatigue my hand after a while.

I researched to find something better, and landed on the Schmidt Easyflow9000 refill I first tested in a Parker Jotter. It's a great combo, but the pen isn't comfortable for long writing sessions.

So I searched for a Daily Writer which delved me into fountain pens.

But $100+ FP's deep into my fountain pen Journey, I didn't find anything that was as easy to write with as the Schmidt Easyflow9000, particularly for Long Writing Sessions, and especially for fast writing, so I decided to search for a better Pen body to fit the Easyflow9000 in.

I found the Tikky, which wasn't mentioned in many people's "Top Pens" list, overshadowed by the likes of its heaver cousins, the 600's and Rapid Pro, as well as other trendy heavy metal EDC pens, and also the likes of the Cheaper less effective Pilot G2's and what not.

So I tried out the Tikky, popped in an Easyflow9000, and it wrote great on most FP paper (bled through 52 gsm TRP in spots with much showthrough), Cheap paper, and kept my hand from fatiguing, and as a bonus it doesn't look bad at all, and I much prefer its aesthetics to the Jetstreams and Pilot G2's.

Recently, I was very happy to hear about the release of the Uni SXR-600 Refills with their Hybrid Ink, since I like they way uni-ball pens write, especially on 52 gsm TRP, but find them uncomfortable.

I still love Fountain Pens, and have especially honed in on Pilot Gold nibbed pens, which I find are great Daily Writers for me, but the Tikky is still my essential daily writer.

Edited March 6, 2019 by Mongoosey

March 9, 2019

I have to disagree with the glowing praise of the Tikky ballpoints. I purchased two (one black, one white) from Jet Pens a few years ago. The white pen operates well, with the only issues being the just adequate stock Rotring refill, and the tenacious residue from the barcode label that is sticky and collects grime on an otherwise attractive white finish.

OTOH, the first black Tikky's operating mechanism refuses to advance the refill properly. It requires a click and a press of the refill tip on a hard surface to position the refill at the right position. Useable but very annoying for frequent daily use. Retracting the refill is another two step effort. The problem is not in the refill or the nozzle of the pen, but in the mechanism inside the upper barrel. My personal belief is that the press-fit clip was affixed to the pen with too much pressure, causing the works to bind up.

JetPens graciously sent me a second black Tikky at no cost, but this pen has exactly the same issue. So I have a 33 percent satisfaction rate with this pen. Not good.

I still enjoy my other Rotrings, and may try another Tikky at some point. Since then, I have gotten far greater use and satisfaction from the Pilot EasyTouch Pro (now the Acroball Pro) ballpoint. A better refill, better advance mechanism, less expensive and very reliable. The Tikky just disappoints.

WriteAway

March 9, 2019

I have to disagree with the glowing praise of the Tikky ballpoints. I purchased two (one black, one white) from Jet Pens a few years ago. The white pen operates well, with the only issues being the just adequate stock Rotring refill, and the tenacious residue from the barcode label that is sticky and collects grime on an otherwise attractive white finish.

OTOH, the first black Tikky's operating mechanism refuses to advance the refill properly. It requires a click and a press of the refill tip on a hard surface to position the refill at the right position. Useable but very annoying for frequent daily use. Retracting the refill is another two step effort. The problem is not in the refill or the nozzle of the pen, but in the mechanism inside the upper barrel. My personal belief is that the press-fit clip was affixed to the pen with too much pressure, causing the works to bind up.

JetPens graciously sent me a second black Tikky at no cost, but this pen has exactly the same issue. So I have a 33 percent satisfaction rate with this pen. Not good.

I still enjoy my other Rotrings, and may try another Tikky at some point. Since then, I have gotten far greater use and satisfaction from the Pilot EasyTouch Pro (now the Acroball Pro) ballpoint. A better refill, better advance mechanism, less expensive and very reliable. The Tikky just disappoints.

WriteAway

Getting the residue off of the pen isn't hard at all. There's tricks out there with Baking powder or something like that if it's a challenge for you.

I've never had a problem with any clicking mechanism on my Tikky's. I've had nothing but success.

I've been using my Tikky's for well over a year and they have been beat up as much as any pen I've used and are still excellent work horses.

Yes, the original refill isn't that great, but I don't find any normal ballpoints great TBH. Upon getting my Tikky's I immediately remove the rOtring refill and swap in a Hybrid ink refill.

March 10, 2019

My review of the Tikky on JetPens' site back in 2011:

"Overall, a nice pen - I really like the style, shape and feel of the body, while the refill is smooth and easily replaced. However, I have 3 of these pens, and the refill "clicker" on one does not work at all. A second pen's clicker works, but not as well or as smoothly as the third pen. Other than that inconsistency, it's a very good pen with a so-so click mechanism."

My experience based on my individual pens. YMMV

I doubt Jet Pens "checked for refill tip rattle" before mailing yours. Not a problem on any of my three examples. Just bad clickers.

BTW, food grade mineral oil quickly removed all the sticker residue completely. An old "trick" that does not destroy a gloss finish.

Edited March 10, 2019 by WriteAway

March 10, 2019

My review of the Tikky on JetPens' site back in 2011:

"Overall, a nice pen - I really like the style, shape and feel of the body, while the refill is smooth and easily replaced. However, I have 3 of these pens, and the refill "clicker" on one does not work at all. A second pen's clicker works, but not as well or as smoothly as the third pen. Other than that inconsistency, it's a very good pen with a so-so click mechanism."

My experience based on my individual pens. YMMV

I doubt Jet Pens "checked for refill tip rattle" before mailing yours. Not a problem on any of my three examples. Just bad clickers.

BTW, food grade mineral oil quickly removed all the sticker residue completely. An old "trick" that does not destroy a gloss finish.

JetPens does check for Tip-Tapping because I personally request it and their customer service is excellent.

And actually the one that did have complete tip-tapping I was able to fix simply by reversing the orientation of the spring upside down, so now I'm even happier.

___________________________

I've read the reviews of the Tikky Ballpoint on Jetpens and Amazon prior to purchasing and your experience is statistically an extreme outlier with an extremely low probability of occurrence.

The only negative reviews I've read besides your singular experience have been people who dislike the original refill or dislike the fact that it's lightweight and believe quality positively correlates with grams, yet describe no defectiveness in functionality.

I'm sorry you had an unfortunate experience with your Tikky's, but it's clearly not representative of the pen nor shared by any reviewer on Amazon nor Jetpens.

___________________________

...And to readers who wish to try the rOtring Tikky: I sincerely recommend it. It is an inexpensive pen that offers a versatile capacity that allows for Hybrid Ink Refills which offer an exceptional writing experience with a comfortable lightweight body.

If one doesn't mind show through, the experience of the Uni SXR-600 Refills on 52 gsm Tomoe River Paper is sublime.

I also recommend purchasing from Jetpens.com (Amazon's good, too) because I'm sure they will work to prevent any repeat occurrence of the experience purported by WriteAway written in review on their website lol. And from my own experience, Jetpens.com is exceptionally reliable with their customer service, especially when communicating directly with them, which is one of the reasons I purchase from them and recommend them.

I think even with the singular incident described above, the Quality Control success rate of the Tikky is very high. In my own experience it is superb.

Edited March 10, 2019 by Mongoosey

March 11, 2019

The Facts:

I received two faulty Rotring Tikky pens in 2011. I reviewed the pens honestly on the seller's website. I have not been questioned about its' accuracy by anyone else until this member questioned my honesty. I responded with facts.

He continued.

I responded.

The End.

BTW - I do like the Tikky, I just have two sets of spare parts.

WriteAway

Edited March 12, 2019 by WriteAway

March 12, 2019

Well, I think it's a good opportunity to possibly give the Tikky another shot and get something positive out of this. But I'm with other reviewers in saying that I'm not a big fan of the original Rotring Ballpoint, though I'm not a big fan of any basic ballpoint TBH.

I always recommend Tikky's with the Hybrid Ink Refills: Easyflow9000's and SXR-600's. In fact, half of my enthusiasm and praise for the Tikky comes from the Hybrid Ink Refills I use them with.

________________________________

I only found the Tikky because I was looking for a pen that would fit the Schmidt Easyflow9000. And only in the past year were the SXR-600's released. There's other pens that fit them, but so many are heavy or not well suited for long writing sessions.

But sadly I went on amazon only to find the price of Schmidt Easyflow9000's double!! I paid $8 for a 4 pack of Easyflow9000's last year and now they are twice that price : ( Though you can still get them at a value price if you purchase a 12-pack, but that's still a good chunk of change : ( .... Still worth it though IMO and still a value since they do last a long time!

________________________________

But as far as Schmidt Easyflow9000 (Parker Style Refill) compatible pens are concerned, I do have a Pelikan K200 on my list, but I always find myself purchasing a Fountain Pen or Nanami Seven Seas Notebooks when my wallet fills up enough. I like how Pelikan made the K200 with Resin, but with some descent weight I honestly wish the Tikky had. I'd love to see rOtring make a sturdier version of the Tikky, but still keep the resin design. I'd pay more for that.

I'd also love to see rOtring make an Aluminum version of the 600 model. The weight of that brass pen wears my hand out so fast : ( But it's such a great design!