Rotring Freeway

January 8, 2007

I finally received my first fountain pen. I went with the Rotring Freeway. Wanted to post a quick review of it after using it for a few hours. Overall I like the pen, it's a simple fountain pen. You probably wouldn't even know it's a fountain pen unless you uncapped it, which I like a lot. It only come in a medium nib, but that seems to work out good for me. I so far have only used the cartridge that came with it, which seems like a blue/purple color. It is definitely a dry pen.

Added bonus is it writes in my moleskine notebook with no bleedthrough or feathering. Initially there was some scratchiness, but even after a few hours it has seemed to have smoothed out, and I'm sure will the more I use it. For the price and if you can find one, it seems to be a pretty basic good fountain pen. Sorry if the review seems jumbled, it's my first one.

I've included some pictures, but you can probably tell right off the bat I'm no photog so excuse the crappiness!

http://i119.photobucket.com/albums/o139/pellizzitj03/uncapped.jpg

http://i119.photobucket.com/albums/o139/pellizzitj03/posted.jpg

http://i119.photobucket.com/albums/o139/pellizzitj03/capped.jpg

http://i119.photobucket.com/albums/o139/pellizzitj03/ink.jpg

January 8, 2007

I bought a black Freeway with medium nib a few week ago and I really enjoy writing with it. It's a nice, solid pen, nothing fancy but perfect for bringing to work with me.

Rotring are rarer in Canada everyday and my local brick and mortar have no clue if they will get more. I wrote to Sanford a while ago, they said they are bringing the Rotring line back in 2007, but no clue on the exact date.

If you see a Rotring, don't hesitate, just buy it.

January 9, 2007

Yeah that's what I found out too. Next on the list is a possible Rotring 600 Old style Silver rollerball. Oh and a Namiki Vanishing Point.

May 6, 2009

I got one of those in black F, almost 8 years ago. It was my first "expensive" FP. Unfortunately it had some tendency to skip, start bad, and being very picky with nib position on paper. Anyway, every of the (classic) Esprits I acquired later with the same nib had similar behavior, and yet, they're my daily workhorses.

After these years, I've lent her to a big friend of mine, to recover some of the fun which is using a FP. The polished finish didn't sustain much pocket use, the light scratches are easily noticed, and the biggest problem is the top piece over the red ring in the cap. Only by being capped a lot of time and softly rubbing inside a pocket, the finish in that part looks now matte and flaked, progressively leaving the brass brass naked.

August 21, 2009

nice FP you got there

i'm also into rotring pens but i guess here in Canada the rotring brand is as rare as an earthquake. :roflmho:

i'm thinking of getting a freeway fountain pen. are there only 2 nib sizes, Fine and Medium?

and where to buy it, possibly online shops, not ebay.

or local stores in Toronto maybe..

March 2, 2010

As of today it is my only FP. Very reliable, but posted it is a bit heavy, and my converter doesn't fit it perfectly, staining my hand now and then.

March 3, 2010

Nice pen and nice review, thanks.

April 14, 2010

Since now I have my Cross Century II, I have sort of a comparison. The Freeway is very smooth, but it is also quite wet. I'd say even wetter than the CII. The details I don't like of the Freeway is its rather poor balance when posted (the BP is also very tail-heavy) and the angle between the barrel and the handle, which is a nuisance when writing. But I insist with its smoothness, and its ink flow is reliable. Good luck finding the good converter!

August 21, 2011

I bought my Freeway yesterday from New Delhi, India. It is a burgandy red with matt finish steel trims. I could find only the fine nib, which is not to my liking. Since the model is not being ptoduced any more, I picked it up nevertheless. I love the nice weighty body and the fine balance. The writing quality is also very nice and smooth. I am currently using the cartridge that came with it. It is good that they use standard international short cartiidges. That means I do not have to maintin a new set of cartidges. Rotring 600 old style is also now out of production and if the prices on ebay are any indications, the pen is a collectors item. It is next on my wish list.

September 20, 2013

I have a rotring freeway which I purchased in Mumbai. I am facing once issue that what i feel is that the ink flow is not smooth. like if i write slow then i get ink flow and when i write fast then it seems the pen has hard time catching up with the ink flow.. very annoying if i need to sign something in a hurry,

I washed the pen in running water... tried it again hoping that it was due to some dried up ink left in the feeder. But no avail.

But when i put it on paper a give a test write. It is smooth.. but has a few points of scratchiness.

Any tips on the above points is highly appreciated.

My review of the Roting Freeway is https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/index.php/topic/229564-my-first-step-in-collecting-fps-part-2-of-the-epic-saga/?view=findpost&p=2460771

September 22, 2013

Thanks for the writing sample. Wish they would make a writing sample a necessary part of all pen reviews.

October 1, 2013

it is a new series of rotring?

I DONNT THINK I HEARD THIS SERIES BEFORE, ANYWAY ROTRING IS ONE OF MY FAVOR BRAND.

I PREFER THE 600 SERIES

October 1, 2013

it is a new series of rotring?
I DONNT THINK I HEARD THIS SERIES BEFORE, ANYWAY ROTRING IS ONE OF MY FAVOR BRAND.
I PREFER THE 600 SERIES

Not new new it was a latter 2000-2006ish model one of the last one before they discontinued fp's. It quite a nice pen however it's not quite as good as my amazing old style Esprit which is my favourite fp of all time.