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Hi, I don't know if anyone here can help, but I am trying to track down any information I can about Rotring ArtPens SF and EF that I purchased it in Australia at least twenty years ago. They are identical in form but unlike other pens in the ArtPen series they have technical pen nibs (similar to isograph or rapidograph pens) . I have been unable to locate any references or pictures of them on the web so I am hoping someone may be able to help. Thanks for any help anyone can provide.

Dear FPNers, This is a review of two mechanical pencils - rotring 800 and the lesser known pilot s20. Both are very different in both design and make and I have not compared them in anything apart from their dimensions. In case you face any problem with the pictures, please feel free to read the same in the below link: http://iwonder-thecartographer.blogspot.in/2014/12/review-of-pilot-s20-rotring-800.html A mechanical pencil was a totally utilitarian thing during my engineering days, be it for drafting engineering drawings or making graphs. Shortly after, their utility started diminishing when AutoCAD and other drawing software could address most of the design elements, although their luxury value started beaming. Like fountain pens. Sparsely used but heavily sought after. That reminds me that I am still typing this post on a laptop rather than using one of my FPs. Mechanical pencils can delve from cheap plastic to rugged metal to precious wooden designs. In my view, metal designs seem to showcase more of modern industrial utility whereas wooden designs foray more into the aesthetics part of it.Mechanical Pencils A brief history in timeAccording to wikipedia, the earliest form of a mechanical pencil was found in a ship-wreck (British ship HMS Pandora) in 1791. However, the first patent was filed in 1822 by Mordan & Hawkins in Great Britain. Later Mordan started manufacturing mechanical pencils under the company – “S.MORDAN & CO”. Leads upto 0.9 mm wide became popular by this time. By 1915, Japanese were into it and Tokuji Hayakawa started a company to manufacture mechanical pencils, which later came to be known as “Sharp” due to its first product – ‘Ever-Sharp mechanical pencil’. After the entire pencil division was destroyed in 1923, by the Great Kanto Earthquake, Sharp relocated to Osaka and forayed into electronics industry.Pilot S20 – 0.5 mmA maple wood contoured design with a deep brown colour renders a very natural feel with a classical wooden look. The entire end cap section is made out of aluminium with a steel lead sleeve, till the seamlessly finished wooden grip section comes up. The grip section gradually gains diameter going upwards from the end-cap (0.8 – 1.1 mm) till it reaches a small aluminium band which says ‘S20’ and ‘JAPAN’ on opposite sides of the band. Then, it narrows down towards the push-button section, till it comes across a pilot branded aluminium clip and finally ends up with the aluminium(+ plastic) push-button. http://s25.postimg.org/as4nm48tr/DSC_1089.jpghttp://s25.postimg.org/gzbg8jf73/DSC_1093.jpghttp://s25.postimg.org/3rgntc71r/IMG_2806.jpgThere is a lead-indicator in the push-button. To set the lead indicator, you have to remove the push-button which reveals an ubiquitous mechanical pencil’s eraser and rotate the pipe end of the push-button. The eraser section once removed shows a hosted clean-out rod. Design does seem minimalistic with a subtle emphasis on simplicity. The weight feels quite evenly distributed and the length of around 15 cm is quite comfortable to write or draw for extended periods. Sweaty slips at the grip section should be quite rare or even a non-occurrence. The grip section feels very firm.The pencil itself comes in two wooden variants – Red and Brown.http://static1.jetpens.com/images/a/000/021/21865.JPG The mechanism operates with a audible click sound at the push-button and is quite error free. It’s quite comfortable to use for long writing or drawing sessions. As per my experience, putting additional 4-6 leads inside the lead reservoir tube will not cause any blocking problems at the sleeve end. The S20 ends with comfortable aesthetics.For the disassembly part, the end-cap with the sleeve can be easily unscrewed from the barrel and the push-button and eraser-sections can be pulled out easily. I did not attempt any further disassembly, as the parts of the barrel seemed tightly fixed.Rotring 800 – 0.5 mm http://s25.postimg.org/86z2yljfz/DSC_1100.jpg As evident from the above picture, the lead sleeve does not come out unless you rotate the top knurled section which rests just below the gold-trim of the push button. So a completely retractable mechanical pencil with an all metal construction. Mostly constituted out of coated brass, the 800 has a weight of around 25 g compared to S20’s 18 g. To draw a comparison, both of them will be heavier than a Pelikan M400 or a Sailor-Pro gear slim fountain pen. It is available in two themes – silver and black. Design seems utilitarian, industrial with a subtle emphasis on its high-end design. It’s somehow evidenced by the gold trims to differentiate it from a 600. The sleeve comes out smoothly on half a rotation of the knurled switch. With a feeling of balanced heaviness and assurance, the pencil seems superior to many. The hexagonal cross section of the barrel prevents it from slipping from inclined planes and the knurled grip does the same for your fingertips. The tip apparently can wiggle a bit compared to other fixed sleeve-pencils (like 600), but does not really do so while in use. http://s25.postimg.org/pizfk1cxb/DSC_1096.jpg Very uniform yet very attractive to use. The pencil can be disassembled easily by removing the knurled grip section to reveal the inner tube. Cleaning can be done if required. The eraser cap and eraser section can be pulled out. The clip mentions ‘rotring’ while the backside of the hexagonal body says ‘JAPAN’ quite elusively. http://s25.postimg.org/7ccjckblb/IMG_2805.jpg In ConclusionA mechanical pencil will typically cost around 50 cents in my part of the world. But these two are beyond just mechanical pencils, perhaps a work of art and even a draftsman dream . Writing http://s25.postimg.org/qrnb5o4vj/DSC_1103.jpg FeaturePilot S20 Rotring 800Additional CommentsLengthPilot S20Fixed Sleeve ~ 14.6 cmRotring 800Retracted Sleeve ~ 13.5 cmExtended Sleeve ~ 14.3 cmQuite Comfortable with respect to both length and weightWeightPilot S2018 gRotring 80025 gDesignPilot S20Maple wood and aluminium construction with Lead Grade Indicator at top cap- Red and Brown VariantsRotring 800Brass construction, Gold Trim, Matte Finish with hexagonal anti-slip faces on barrel, Knurled grip- Black and Silver Variants- Both are ‘Made in Japan’ by the wayBarrelPilot S20Contoured Wood – 0.8 – 1.1 cmRotring 800Knurled brass – 0.8 cm diameter- Both engage the writer in a non-slip(y) wayTipPilot S20Fixed Sleeve, Loud Click, Aluminium/Steel lead sleeveRotring 800Retractable Sleeve, Gold trimmed sleeve MechanismPilot S20 Hard ClickSoft Click Lead CapacityPilot S20~ 6 -8 without blockingRotring 800~ 10 without blocking Economic ValuePilot S20 Retails at $33, can be obtained at around $ 20-25 with shipRotring 800 Retails at $70, can be obtained around $60 from ebay-sellers- You can get a mechanical pencil at 50 cents!!- However, these are more than just mechanical pencils, perhaps a draftsman’s dreamBoxPilot S20- Pilot BoxRotring 800 - A triangular cardboard box Thank you for going through the review.

Can somebody ID this rOtring mechanical pencil? Found it when I was going through some old stuff. Don't remember where or when I got it. Markings are : "rOtring", "Germany" and "0.7". When you click it lightly, the pencil lead advances. When you click it harder, the lead sleeve retracts/extends. Does anybody know how it was(is) called? And from when to when it was made? Can't seem to find it on the timelinethingy on the rOtring website. http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb269/Blastmaster1972/Tijdelijk/IMG_1200-rotr-ed_zpsbqmf3lvn.jpg http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb269/Blastmaster1972/Tijdelijk/IMG_1201-rotr-ed_zpsb3ct5itz.jpg http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb269/Blastmaster1972/Tijdelijk/IMG_1204-rotr-ed_zpshidc5aho.jpg The lead sleeve retracts: http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb269/Blastmaster1972/Tijdelijk/IMG_1206-rotr-ed_zpswk5ezuvq.jpg http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb269/Blastmaster1972/Tijdelijk/IMG_1208-rotr-ed_zpsqv4vksa7.jpg Thanks in advance. Kind regards, Jos

I was hoping you might know the answer to a question that has me stumped? I have a Rotring fountain pen and I have been trying to find cartridges that fit with no luck. Standard universal short cartridges are loose and the piece of the pen that punctures the cartridges isn't long enough to puncture the cartridge. Would you have any idea which cartridges fit this pen? The image attached is the only online image I have found of the pen, it was on ebay and they claimed it was from around 1982. Thanks Kevin

I frequently drop my mechanical pencils and my rotring 600 just died a few days ago from a severly bent sleeve. Is the rotring rapid pro with the retractable sleeve safe against drops? If not, could anyone please suggest a mechanical pencil that is heavy enough but safe against drops?

a question for those with technical pen knowledge -- i remember futzing around with some old school plastic rotring technical pens when i was a kid visiting some older cousins. i would mostly just draw/sketch/doodle with them, and it wasn't until years later when i got into fountain pens that i started reading up on rotring. these days, rotring remains a favorite partly because of this nostalgia, but i'm really more interested in their fountain/ballpoint/rollerballs. i remain curious about those technical pens, though. can someone tell me what they were originally made for? i've read online that they are for architecture/design/technical drawings, but i think my cousins were only in high school, or maybe college. also, what's the difference is between rapidographs and isographs? it is simply that one uses cartridges and the other refills from ink bottles? thanks!

The Esprit was my first cartridge filler fountain pen, brought to me by one of our dadas (respectable like an elder brother) belonging to the same native place. It was his store from where we (as students) used to buy notebooks, refills and other inexpensive fountain pens of pilot, pentel and ball points pens of mitsubishi. Those days, there were no internet shops and bays and of course no money . I always used to think of how awesome his connects were, coming from a small city where I oncer grew up and he used to narrate numerous tales of his adventurous pen trips to Delhi & Calcutta (Now Kolkata). Feel I owe him quite a bit of my fountain pen addiction. Another recent review by Vig reminded me of my rotring Esprit, resting inside one of the drawers. Of course this is not the old one from 1998-99. I have bought this one as a souvenir Thought I would post a review of this one. Link to blogpost is below: Short Review of the Rotring Esprit For those of you who like slim and light pens, the Esprit is really quite a nice pen. And it happily fits your MTN Pen holder. The Esprit was released as the next avatar to the numbered models, rotring 400 in this case. It was a finite displacement for the haloed red-ring from the section of 400 to its cap end, apart from the flattened ends. The fountain pen comes with a standard steel nib. A corresponding rollerball, ballpoint and a mechanical pencil were also released. The smaller sized telescoping Esprit Mini series came later and became Parker Esprit, soon after acquisition. Lamy CP1 pen does bear some common characteristics with the Esprit. DESIGN (5/6) The Esprit comes in anodised aluminium make with steel and plastic fittings. Till now I have seen two finishes of this - Tourmaline Green and Black. The minis came with a lot more colour options. http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rxT4p9F5VM8/Ve7eEAHaA0I/AAAAAAAAFcA/oyaJ_Jz4_WQ/s1600/DSC_6148.jpg The pen is a slender cylinder with a lovely red ring at the finial. Once you pull the cap, it does come off with an audible click, and you have a ribbed metallic section. The grip section has a tapered end, and there rests the rotring steel nib. http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-u4WsfHL9OQc/Ve7eFHt799I/AAAAAAAAFcM/Rq_YPxfsk1g/s1600/DSC_6150.jpg The cap is light with a snap-on mechanism. A tension fit clip starts with the trademarked red ring at the finial. The clip carries the rotring brand name. http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-QM4leBC2cSQ/Ve7eMJXendI/AAAAAAAAFc4/FtmVWY6dt-E/s1600/cap.jpg FILLING SYSTEM (5/6) It’s an international cartridge converter system. The construction is good with a steel insert inside the section and another runs the threads for the aluminium barrel. http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jPv669j1WCM/Ve7eEZM2yQI/AAAAAAAAFcE/HB1iHdVFY5Q/s1600/DSC_6164.jpg A Schmidt/FCD or a rotring converter will fit snugly into the section vis-a-vis other standard international converters like Waterman. http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RB48Bb8OFzk/Ve7eINspkmI/AAAAAAAAFco/8reR_aEb_nI/s1600/DSC_6168.jpg NIB - ALL THAT MATTERS (5/6) The nib is made of stainless steel and comes in a standard rotring design. I came across only F & M widths for this pen. All these nibs have been wet and generally smooth. A no-frills design of the nib sans any breather hole gives it a characteristic industrial look, besides the metallic make of the pen. http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-NJUe5RVoEfc/Ve7eHohDpUI/AAAAAAAAFcg/XMsuGGbf6Og/s1600/DSC_6177.jpg The branding and nib specifications are imprinted on either sides of the nib. http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-T99tcjVwm_0/Ve7eHLWzRDI/AAAAAAAAFcY/e7-BGhnTY2Q/s1600/DSC_6181.jpg A standard black plastic feed sans any fins and a big feeder hole define its minimalism. http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-lmvBaJ8uRqM/Ve7eIWKja4I/AAAAAAAAFcs/7J6h2qQmUeY/s1600/DSC_6185.jpg PHYSICS OF IT (4/6) – RELATIVELY SPEAKING The pen is light and slim. You can post the pen as well and it does not feel any more heavier than 15g. The grip section tapers away from the barrel cross section as it becomes relatively thinner. I feel that I am used to thicker sections for quite some time now. Uncapped Length ~ 12.7 cmPosted Length ~ 17.3 cmNib Leverage ~ 1.6 cmUncapped and posted pictures of the Esprit beside a ruler run below for your reference. http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-FgzODfCK1yw/Ve7eMoWXAWI/AAAAAAAAFdA/cLjc8X8hmCU/s1600/physics.jpg ECONOMIC VALUE(6/6) I have no idea of its original retail price. I had bought the pen at a cost of USD 12 off ebay. Since it has been now discontinued, some stationery stores in Mumbai carry at least a few pieces of Esprit or a similar looking 400 model. OVERALL (5/6) This steel nib has a hint of feedback with a nice wet flow. The medium nib is stiff and does not have any line variation among horizontal and vertical strokes. These wet lines take almost 35 secs to dry a wet Diamine majestic blue on MD paper. And I find some of the fine nibs running as wide as the mediums. http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Vtq1uViWKIM/Ve7eM49eNsI/AAAAAAAAFdE/ZKmCLhyTJWU/s1600/DSC_6194.jpg Thank you for going through the review. You can find some more pen and paraphernalia reviews here. REFERENCES rOtring Timeline Tiku 600 series Newell Rubbermaid Inc Rotring 400

Rotring generally doesn't seem to get a lot of love in FPN. Engineers and architects swear by their clutch pencils like Tikky and Isograph. Their design philosophy is minimalistic and somehow Rotring's writing instruments bring out their "germanness" better than Lamy IMO. The present model I got is a NOS Rotring Esprit in M nib. I had got this from ebay.in. Rotring calls this colour- "Tourmaline Green". It has a nice sleek design. This is a thin pen and grip section is ribbed for better gripping. The whole pen is made up of metal(probably aluminium) and is very light Some approximate measurements: Pen Length(capped):140mmPen Length(uncapped):126mmPen Length(posted):172mmBarrel diameter:11mm The nib is very plain looking and has M written on the side of the nib and the feed is also plain looking. The nib puts down a wet M line and writes as hard as a nail. The pen comes with a standard international short cartridge filled with blue ink. I am using it with a spare jinhao converter which fits very nicely with this pen. This pen is a no fuss pen which can be used for long writing sessions. Some people might be put off due to its slender nature. Caveat Emptor: In India, this pen is seeing a revival of sorts. I believe a lot of NOS Rotrings were brought by Indian sellers and is now sold by many Indian sellers on ebay. I had brought this from Indian ebay for the lowest possible cost available and some people mentioned that even with lowest price available on ebay, I had overpaid by almost twice as much. The only saving grace is that the pen performs very well. So, as a word of caution for FPNers, while looking for this pen, keep in mind that most probably the prices are jacked up by unscruplous sellers.

Recently got a Rotring Core Fountain Pen from the Bay. It's a hard starter and skips frequently. Would like to work on nib to improve ink flow but need advice on removal. Rotring Core has a most unusual feed and section. I don't dare mess with it until I get some informed suggestions. Already searched on FPN and did not find anything that appeared to address this well. Thanks for any recommendations.

The first amazingly smooth German fountain pen I had was a rotring (besides lamy). Actually, I did get quite a few freeways over a period of time and gifted them to friends and relatives. Below is a blog link to the review: Rotring Freeway Review Rotring is a German company that never seems to need any introduction. Just for the sake of this post I am devoting a few lines of history. It was started in 1928 with a tubular tipped stylographic fountain pen commonly known as Tiku and was incorporated as Titenkuli Handels GmbH. Later in the 1984, the calligraphic ArtPen was introduced, which was followed by the more famous and most sought after 600 series fountain pens (the architect’s fountain pen). There were a few changes in name in between and you can find their historical timeline here. In 1998, it was taken over by Sanford US, a part of Newell Rubbermaid Inc which also owns brands like Parker and Waterman. Rotring stopped manufacturing fountain pens soon after this acquisition. And yes of course, rot ring literally translates into red ring, which can be seen in almost all its writing instruments. The Freeway was one such pen which was released when the company had already started diversifying into writing instruments. It is equipped with a rotring standard steel nib. A corresponding rollerball, ballpoint and a mechanical pencil were also released. DESIGN - THE BRUSHED METALLICS (5/6) The Freeway comes in four different colours, all in matte finish - blue, ruby red, silver and black. http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ahMcHrjxpHU/Vc4Cxj0RLCI/AAAAAAAAFGQ/hdGStfiIMsk/s1600/freeway-bp_1.jpg An aluminium body renders substantial weight to this pen. The pen has a cigar shape with a rather conspicuous red ring at the finial. http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-q2Yt0utD9do/Vc4CEV8tiQI/AAAAAAAAFFQ/UWkf_wwsemI/s1600/DSC_5108.jpg Once you pull the cap, it does come off with an audible click, and you have a beautifully brushed metallic grip section. The grip section is slightly tapered and at the end rests a stainless steel insert along with a steel nib. http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fGwHxkvyx4k/Vc4CBe_Oz3I/AAAAAAAAFFI/DNa_8R9YwBY/s1600/DSC_5111.jpg The cap is substantial with a snap-on mechanism. A tension fit clip starts with the trademarked red ring at the finial. It has an engraved ellipse (no idea why!) with rOtring branding below. I had purchased a few freeways over a period of time and one of them had a slightly wiggly clip. A satin chrome trim gives the cap band some aesthetics. http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Qwl3VMik-jk/Vc4B1TSfXJI/AAAAAAAAFFA/CqO8YT75fXE/s1600/Cap.jpg The colours are really attractive but they can fade, come off over a period of time. FILLING SYSTEM (4/6) Nothing spectacular here as it’s an international cartridge converter system. A brass insert inside the section houses the feed system. The construction is simply solid. A Schmidt or rotring converter fits quite snugly with the freeway section vis-a-vis other standard international converters. http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-hjB-hWdYeNw/Vc4CGBUk9AI/AAAAAAAAFFY/8JxweP_hzdg/s1600/DSC_5133.jpg NIB - ALL THAT MATTERS (6/6) The nib is made of stainless steel and comes in a standard rotring design. I came across only F & M widths for the freeway. I never found any other nib widths for this pen, though the same nib had a wider variety of widths for the 600. All the nibs have been wet and smooth. A no-frills design of the nib sans any breather hole gives it a characteristic industrial look, besides the metallic parts of the pen. http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Eq5qlvGNOFs/Vc4CTsDFzjI/AAAAAAAAFFg/3d__r_wMJJw/s1600/DSC_5139.jpg The branding and nib specifications are imprinted on either sides of the nib. http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-D5fdcDkmd4Q/Vc4CV9L2XJI/AAAAAAAAFFs/SkQAcnhRW-4/s1600/DSC_5143.jpg A standard black plastic feed sans any fins and a big feeder hole define the minimalistic design. http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-MOOkskXEUbc/Vc4CV5tw2MI/AAAAAAAAFFw/LRBTt-kEPNk/s1600/DSC_5141.jpg PHYSICS OF IT (4/6) – RELATIVELY SPEAKING The pen feels substantial by itself but posting it makes it difficult to wield. It might feel a bit short of length. Uncapped Length ~ 12.5 cm Posted Length ~ 15.5 cm Nib Leverage ~ 1.6 cm Overall Weight ~ 35-40 g Capped, uncapped and posted comparisons with a m200 runs below for your reference. http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-mIc6W7WZeJg/Vc4CucUchZI/AAAAAAAAFF4/JP5LuOppvWY/s1600/DSC_5164.jpg http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xS_tWIVgIuQ/Vc4CvlC-HDI/AAAAAAAAFGA/P1CuRcz1wcY/s1600/DSC_5170.jpghttp://2.bp.blogspot.com/-UP4kzpA10f4/Vc4Cw_m_4nI/AAAAAAAAFGM/thw10orCA7I/s1600/DSC_5173.jpg ECONOMIC VALUE(6/6) I have no idea of its original retail price. I had bought the first pen at a cost of USD 6, and the subsequent ones at even lower prices! Since it has been discontinued, a lot of offline pen stores in Mumbai carry at least a few pieces of the Freeway and the Espirit. OVERALL (5/6) This steel nib is a winner and is very smooth with a wet flow. The fine nib is stiff and does not have any line variation among the horizontal and vertical strokes. These wet lines take almost 35 secs to dry a Pilot blue black ink on MD paper. http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-bOrhL209blY/Vc4C8UKIZ8I/AAAAAAAAFGY/dvaGZ9OCJHk/s1600/DSC_5189.jpg Thank you for going through the review. You can find some more pen and paraphernalia reviews here. REFERENCES rOtring Timeline Tiku 600 series Newell Rubbermaid Inc

I was just going to Rotring's site (which I have no affiliation to... as this involuntarily becomes a plug there is some slight but not too glaring of an marketing romance narrative around it, Bahaus this pop revolution that etc.) on an entirely different note, but found this somewhat interesting: http://www.rotring.com/en/heritage A historical timeline and pictorial with some interesting factual tidbits. Including pictures of adverts and schematics, and pens. The SKYYN fp and chrome body gold trim LE ArtPen were certainly new to me.

Good morning from Ottawa! I have lurked on the site for quite awhile now and have even posted a couple of times, I decided it was high time I introduced myself in a more formal manner. I am a researcher in photonics/optics and originally was draw to fountain pens for the access to bottled ink as I was using preloaded ballpoints/gel pens at an alarming rate. I picked up a Lamy Safari demonstrator as a test and a bottle of blue waterman ink and then I suppose like most of us on here the bug bit and I have not really stopped. While I started with Lamy I quickly branched out and have not really settled on one brand, my only real trend is towards fine nibs as I use them extensively for equations and derivations. While I "collect" pens I do not see myself as a collector per say as all of my pens are in the regular inking rotation and I try to make a point of using everything I have and only buying something I want to use. With this being said in addition to one of my Safaris my Faber-Castell Mondoro, Mont Blanc UNICEF Le Grand, Kaweco Sport and Esterbrook do seem to be inked more often than others. In the interest of completeness below you will find my current collection of pens/inks. I look forward to being part of the community and seeing what everyone has to say. Pens Cerruti 1881 - Unidentified Esterbrook: - Black J Double Jewels (9460 Nib (Rigid Medium / Manifold Medium), 9555 Nib (Gregg Shorthand - F), 2314 B Nib (Relief Broad Stub))Faber-Castell - Mondoro (Orange) -EFFaber-Castell - e-motion (Black Parquet) - MKaweco - Sport (Black) - EFKaweco - Sport (Maroon) - FLamy Nibs including M, F, 1.1 ItalicLamy - Accent MatteLamy - Al-star (Blue)Lamy - Al-star (Copper/Orange)Lamy - Nexx (grey/Green)Lamy - Safari (Demonstrator)Lamy - Safari (Black)Noodler Ahab (Green)Rotring - Core (Grey/Orange - Awaiting arrival)Schaeffer - Taranis - FSchaeffer - 300 (Red Iridescent) - MScaheffer - Unidentified - MWaterman - Kultur (Blue Demonstrator) - MWaterman - Phileas (Purple/Blue Marble) - FWaterman - Hemisphere (All metal) - MInk J. Herbin - Eclat de SaphirJ. Herbin - Orange IndienJ. Herbin - Perle NoireJ. Herbin - Rouge OperaLamy - Copper OrangeMont Blanc - Oyster GreyMont Blanc - Lavender /PurpleNoodlers - Bulletproof BlackPilot Iroshizuku - Kiri-samePrivate Reserve - AvacadoPrivate Reserve - Black CherrySailor - Blue/BLackWaterman - Intense Black

I recently had an opportunity to see a Rotring Core owned by a fellow pen enthusiast and while I understand some people find the design a bit .... off putting, I really liked it. I decided that I wanted one and started checking around online for these pens and I am a touch confused on the apparent broad range in pricing. On ebay I have found prices from $7-8 USD plus ~$18 shipping all the way into the hundreds. Even here on FPN I have found some people claiming to have picked them up for $10 while others say $40. At first I thought that perhaps some colors are more collectable than others, like the Lamy's, but have not seen a pattern of this nature. All this to say that I m in the market to acquire one and have no idea what is the going rate these days. Anyone have some insight / quotes? To the moderators, I was not sure where to put this as I am technically asking for pricing information, if this should go to a market place like part of the Forums could you please make the proper adjustments?

When I cap this Rotring Newton FP, the pen gives an audible "click." However, just slight pressure such as attempting to clip the pen to your pocket results in the cap popping off the pen. The cap stays in place when posted, so the problem is with the section, where there are two small square "pins" (can't think of a better word) which extend above the surface of the section and hold the cap in place. One of these pins seems to be less pronounced than the other, which is causing the problem in my opinion. I don't know how to get this pin to protrude more. Has anyone run into this problem before, and can you suggest how I can get this one working properly? Thanks. Dale

No model on the barrel, just brand name.

Hi, A year or two ago I bought a second hand Rotring 600 fountain pen with a fine nib. I LOVE this pen and do all of my creative writing with it. It writes like a dream, isn't too wet, flows perfectly across the page, has a nice weight, everything is perfect. Until about two months ago. The pen has always had a 'singing nib' that I learned to ignore, but then it seemed to spring a leak just underneath the grip. I always manage to get ink on my hands when I write but I would find the crease in between my thumb and forefinger absolutely black. Similarly, when leaving the pen with the cap on, the inside of the cap would be wet when I took it off. I sent it off to a repairman and he managed to fix the singing nib but, after several tries, could not fix the leak. He recommended I get a replacement part. However, as many of you will know, the Rotring 600 is no longer in production and replacement parts are extremely rare. I have contacted Rotring themselves and they gave me a list of repair guys, but I wanted to know if any of you wonderful people might know where I can get a replacement part. I've attached a photo to show where the leak is (just above the screw thread). If anybody can help it would be massively appreciated. Thanks.

Hi There! Following on from my (very) recent review of the CS Belliver Bracket Brown, I thought I would have a little fun and have a go at reviewing a much cheaper and much older pen from my collection pen, one that I have had in my possession for just a touch over 25 years now. Please please please do not take this review TOO seriously, I don't intend to try and get hordes of people going out to buy the pen, but I feel that after all these years, it needed a little review. I have found doing reviews are quite fun if not taken too seriously. Introducing the.... Rotring Art-Pen with 1.1 nib. Oh, where has everyone gone? :-) Purchase Experience 7/10 Trying to remember 25 years back IS a pain, but I remember the stationary shop, not the name. It had two assistants, both indifferent, possibly bored, who knows. I have marked the experience as 7 as I was not put off and nobody stopped me or moaned when I asked to open the box to look inside. Money changed hands, a whole £5 at the time. The extravagance eh? Opening the box 7/10 Having gone from the process of going to school, using any pen one can lay their hands on, pens in blister packs, cheap ballpoint pens and the one parker 25 that was saved slavishly for, as an adult, this came as a nice surprise. A tin box lined with card. Please note that this is NOT the original box, it is from a newer example of the pen (1.5 nib) but have snapped it for show and tell. Inside was a matt black, but very long almost attractive instrument along with a couple of unmarked cartridges. Anyhow, if it is in a box that is worth keeping, 7 is a good start. The pen itself (looks) 7/10 I wasn't too fussy about looks, I did think it was a little bland, but quite attractive in a quirky way compared to fountain pens of the time, but what upped the score was the fact it was quite slender, sleek and old fashioned (I thought it looked like an old fashioned dip pen). Black with a red ring and shiny stainless cap, matt black finish, white end cap. Yep. Not bad at all. The pen in the hand 6/10 Urgh. Too thin on the section, just that bit too thin for my liking. At the time, it was sort of “ok” but not being too experienced in these matters, trying to look back, there was not a lot better at that price point. The length, its light and being so is not off balance, but it just isn't really lighting any fires. The grip section has a series of ribs the section being quite lengthy so the finger position can move up and down for a more comfy writing position. Not perfect but it does the job. It does post, but it looks all wrong, I mean just silly. It also kills the balance dead. Don't do it. Taking the cap off: 7/10 As mentioned above, the grip section has an aha! Factor, but the nib is bland looking. Stamped steel plate, no breather, but shiny and I presumed made of stainless steel. It isn't ugly, it isn't stunning it is quite functional in appearance and it did look as if it would work. A £50 Parker of the time just was not anywhere in my sights, neither was £50 available to spend on a pen! Size: 7/10 Too thin for big fingers, too long to be taken seriously, there really is no need, even for an art pen to be so long. Consider this. If the fingers are huge, then the section is too small in diameter. Which means the length will not help any way shape or form. Or one can just ignore all of that, and do like I did at the time, rushed home, inked it and started writing and didn't give the appearance another thought. I had a new pen and I wanted to write a letter. Fill the pen! 10/10 Cartridge converter, small international cartridges, one in the business end, with one reversed and stored in the body. Brilliant idea, so simple. Never used the converter with it, despite getting one to try it, it just worked perfectly so left it alone. Totally fuss free and hasn't leaked in 25 years. Current ink in use: 10/10 Rotring black cartridges. Have tried others, all are fine, as a pen should be, fuss free. It doesn't seem bothered what diet of ink it is fed, it just lays down ink reliably, never remember it either skipping or flooding. Have only ever cleaned it or flushed it when changing inks and then only with water, other than that it just gets to stay inked. Paper compatibility: 10/10 Now we are getting interesting. This old, basic and inexpensive pen will write on anything except the shiny side of brown paper (did it just to try it). Copier paper, Moleskine, Rhodia, Oxford paper, it lays a line down on all of them. Overall writing experience: 8/10 During it's lifetime, I have always considered this to be a 10/10. However, in the last few years I have been totally spoilt by the introduction of new, higher end pens with various gorgeous nibs etc, so armed with this knowledge, I have to (probably quite unfairly) knock a couple of points off. Had I never had my first ever “posh pen” which was the MB Starwalker Mystery Black, it would have to have been a 10. If we were to then consider again the price point here and lined it up against what one can get for the same money now (writing experience nothing else) then it would better than anything currently out there. Forget the quirky looks, it writes a damned good line and writes on anything. Impressions after use: 10/10 With nostalgia, with reliability, with the fact it has never let me down, despite there being pens out there worth hundreds of pounds with gold nibs etc etc etc, this for me, and has been for a large number of years my go-to pen. It is no longer matte black, it has gone shiny with use. The nib is crying out for its first ever strip down and clean, but it is still shiny! The cap still click into place, the clutch still works, although a lot lighter these days. The nib has no sharpness associated with 1.1 italics, it is literally worn smooth on the corners. It has a nice sweet spot and is forgiving. The pen gets thrown into my work bag or dropped into my top drawer, not abused just laid wherever it may be needed. It is in my regular rotation alongside my new Conway Stewarts, my Lamy Safari etc etc. Epilogue (before I get lots of comments and questions) I bought my partner a new Rotring 1.1 and tried it out. The nib seemed to be of thinner material but it isn't to the naked eye. It seems scratchy at the corners which I never remember on mine. The plastic feels cheaper, the mouldings have a little edge to them, but they are not worn down after 25 years use. Overall it does feel a little cheaper but the price is still in the £15 - £20 region. Not cheap anymore but it is aimed at artists (I think). However. Opening my journal and starting slowly so as not to scare the poor thing. It laid down a line. A black, sharp line. On all the paper I tried. No stalling, no skipping... Welcome to the family “Junior”.

I need to repair a Rotring 600 / Newton mechanical pencil. I am not sure exactly where the piece went missing, but the other day I came across the pencil that I had stashed away awhile ago. I realized I had tucked it away because it is missing one of the top parts. I was probably unscrewing and disassembling the pencil at some point and misplaced the part. Calls and emails to Newell are unsuccessful as they do not have any repair parts available. So now it's time to fabricate the part myself. Does anyone have a Newton 600 pencil, and a set of calipers as well? It is the newer old style and the part I am looking for is described in the pictures. I really only need the thread dimensions, I can figure out the rest based on what I have. Any help would be appreciated!

As a new user let me first say hello to everyone on the Fountain Pen network. I have been a long time lurker and have finally decided to partake in your colorful and informative community. Now down to my problem, my wife bought me a beautiful Rotring Initial while on a trip to Portugal and aesthtically it is a real joy. However, it skips quite badly on the initial stroke requiring a slightly firm hand to start the flow. I have scoured the internet, including this forum, trying to diagnose the problem with no luck. If the problem I describe below has been documented I appologize. Symptoms: Almost always skipps on initial stroke, 100% skips if it is a down stroke.I have also just observed that while it skips when writing with it properly, it works 100% of the time if I write with it inverted, i.e. top of the nib towards paper, thought understandably scratchy. Diagnostic steps: Initially it was cleaned in an ultrasonic as I do with all of my new pens.Flushed it with ink (used Waterman's Florida Blue)Tried different inks (fully cleaning and drying in between)Waterman - Florida BluePilot Iroshizuku - Kiri-SameJ. Herbin - Eclat De Saphir (Blue)Sailor - Blue BlackMont Blanc - Oyster GreyI have inspected the nib using a loupeThe tines appear aligned and well placed both vertically and horizontallyWhile I do not have the brass sheets for checking spacing, the gap does not appear abnormal when compared to any of my other pens. Once it does write the pen is quite wet.The ball does have a flatter area towards the end of the nibOther than the flat area on the ball, overgrinding?, I am honestly at a loss with this pen. The fact that I can write easily with the pen upside down seems to indicate it is not a general flow problem but specifically with ball on the nib. Any advice or insight would be greatly appreciated. Thank you Scott P.S. If pictures are required I can see how well I can do with some of my macro lenses.

Dear All, Here is the last part of my Rotring Fountain pen inventory. The four models shown in the photo is unknown to me. Please feel free to tell the models if you know any of them. Cheers!

Dear Fellow Penthusiasts, As a great fan of Rotring Fountain Pens, I am trying to keep an inventory. I started it earlier so this 4th part will be an addition to it. Previous parts https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/index.php/topic/255984-rotring-fountain-pens-part-i/ https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/index.php/topic/256768-rotring-fountain-pens-part-ii/ https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/index.php/topic/256977-rotring-fountain-pens-part-3/ And here is the Art pen, 400 and primus

I've taken advantage of a big piece of practice for my calligraphy class (the one I go to, that is - I don't teach it, far from it!) to do a review of the various calligraphy pens in my collection - Lamy Joy, Rotring Artpen, Sheaffer Nononsense, Reform calligraphy pen and Calligraph (yes, those are two different pens: as Facebook says, "it's complicated"), Pelikan Graphos, Pilot Parallel and Online 'nuwood' calligraphy pen (a bit of a Waterman Serenité knockoff. Or hommage. Or something). Winner, for me, was the Lamy Joy. I love its looks, particularly the contrast of black and red, the shininess of its plastic, and the little touches like the red accent on the 'tail' end, and the ink window (the same as in the Safari). I also find the triangular grip really comfortable to use, and it prevents the pen rotating slightly in my fingers and spoiling the 45 degree angle of the nib - something that sometimes happens with my dip pens. http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-buK-13rPdhA/U-0AMtPbh7I/AAAAAAAABTs/cqJe5tijOQ4/s1600/lamy%2Bjoy%2Bpen.jpg Joint second is the Rotring Artpen - a very wet writer, and as easy to use as the Lamy, but aesthetically, not quite as pleasing. It just doesn't have quite that Bauhaus style. But it's a really lovely writer and very comfortable to use. However, I hate the ridges on the section, not because they're uncomfortable - they're not - but because somehow, they always manage to retain a bit of ink however much I wipe, so I can never use this pen without getting my hands dirty. http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ESvcpdCxEQs/U-z-YW_BZvI/AAAAAAAABTM/S_LJ7ha0ZZ8/s1600/rotring%2Bartpen.jpg And the other joint second is the Reform Calligraph - looks like a Pelikan, and is a smart little black and gold piston filler which contains a really good load of ink. I particularly like it as unlike the Lamy and Rotring, it will fit in a regular pen case. Nice and crisp writer. I would love to find out more about this pen - for instance, when was it produced? I got mine at a car boot sale, in a rather fetching box with a second Calligraph (this one's 1.1m, can't remember offhand what the other one was); they do pop up occasionally on ebay. http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6GWjlxQmgf4/U-0CNRLkT2I/AAAAAAAABUQ/CptHEcSEdUs/s1600/reform%2Bcalligraph%2Bpen.jpg The Pilot Parallel is a lovely pen, but at 2.4mm just a bit too big to use in regular calligraphy, though it's my go-to pen for swash capitals. It's a very modern style and to my mind the design does properly what the Reform calligraphy pen (below) did badly - a very simple, vividly coloured cap, long tapered body, injection moulded components. The collector, I suspect, is the single thing that affects its quality the most - the flow of ink is wonderfully even across the width of the nib. http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dWQP1DnVsM4/U-0Bq0l4ZmI/AAAAAAAABT8/uPuGyNwGL7Y/s1600/pilot%2Bparallel%2Bpen.jpg The Online 'nuwood' calligraphy pen is one that I bought with three interchangeable nib sections. It's a stunning looking pen in stripy wood, with a triangular cross-section to barrel and cap, and the curved looks of a Japanese katana or, more to the point, the Waterman Serenité. However... it doesn't quite live up to its looks. The section keeps unscrewing itself when I cap or uncap the pen. The section is really short, and thin, and there's a pronounced sharp shoulder between barrel and section, which make it quite uncomfortable to use. However, the nibs are good - reasonably wet writing with nice crisp edges and good line variation. http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-PPGEOzsVTZc/U-0DaX_0JoI/AAAAAAAABUk/SSF2AO7BBjI/s1600/online%2Bnuwood.jpg The Pelikan Graphos is horrible. Maybe I would get good results out of it if I devoted about a week to learning how to use it properly. Then again, maybe I wouldn't. It's not really a calligraphy pen anyway, it's a technical pen that was also used for lettering. A pity, because it is aesthetically very appealing in its functional and simple way. http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-CbCR4NxTA4w/U-0EiGwRt3I/AAAAAAAABUs/ct83g8iUlRo/s1600/pelikan%2Bgraphos%2Bpen.jpg The Reform Calligraphy pen is also just nasty. It is very cheap in construction, and the nib is both dry and scratchy. Move along, nothing to see here. http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-77uxMzST-U8/U-z_5aoeg6I/AAAAAAAABTk/57V1o2ZDE54/s1600/reform%2Bcalligraphy%2Bpen.jpg It really did amaze me how great the difference was between the two Reform pens. Even looking at the nibs, it's apparent - the Calligraph has a rather lovely nib with good tipping and two breather holes, the Calligraphy pen has a bit of brass sheet with a slit in it. Finally the Sheaffer NoNonsense, transparent red with a rubber section and 'M' nib. I find it a bit annoying that they don't tell you how wide the nib is; everyone else does! I found this rather a dry writer, though perfectly adequate and quite comfortable to use. It's a nice robust pen for an EDC. http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SUC8zHf8e-E/U-0Evo6zZJI/AAAAAAAABU8/RuWkgnVESrY/s1600/sheaffer%2Bnononsense.jpg I do want to try to get hold of a couple of other calligraphy pens to try out; Kaweco Sport calligraphy set, andPelikan Script (which I understand has now been discontinued by Pelikan).Apologies for the very poor calligraphy. I'm practising the French style of ecriture ronde, and apart from a couple of alphabets, can't find any extensive examples to follow. You'd think there'd be a few pages of decent writing on the internet somewhere, wouldn't you? Of course my textbooks, all being English or American, are no help here! The full version of the review, with more pictures, is at my blog, Fountain Pen Love.

http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5486/11212311914_7359238036_n.jpg http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7388/11212359506_7ce0bc2ca8_n.jpg I’ve been used multipens for many years when I was in school, but after schools finished I’ve abandon them. Recently I found one of my old multipen made by rOtring and then I’ve bought couple of vintages multipens from EBay to play around with them. Despite the fact this is a fountain pen forum, there are still many guys n’ girls who still using different writing instruments, witch lead me to do a review of multipens using D1 standard refills. This rOtring multipen is a discontinued model, possibly from the 90’s. It’s using an advanced click mechanism based on gravity to choose the selected colour. There are vintages multipens using levers to select colour you want to use. Most of multipens are made from metal make them a bit heavy, also metals creating a rattle sound by internal mechanism using spring, tubes and levers. http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5541/11212468863_f6d35048c0_n.jpg http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2855/11212342954_563f89e8df_n.jpg The appearance of this rOtring in neat and slim looking like a regular ballpoint pen, but the smart design is hiding 4 different colour refills inside the barrel. The actually difference between a normal ballpoint pen and this one is the plunger bit longer. Another difference is the little colour icon correspond to each colour of the refill, located near the clip and plunger. I think this pen is a premium version because of the stripes along the barrel. A bit heavy, is well balanced, but is too slim for my liking (1cm diameter) and 14 cm long. It is well built and looks like will last many years, even if is a subject of heavy abuses, drops, falls or scratches. In terms of maintenance just clean the barrel from time to time, also try to avoid leaking of refills. This will be very difficult to clean after. http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3796/11212356606_5cd249c68e_n.jpg http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3680/11212352926_e21fc4071c_n.jpg http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7360/11212322996_857cde0586_n.jpg The versatility of multipens makes them able to use a lot of different type of refills: ballpoint, gel, mechanical pencil, PDA stylus and highlighter. Now the tricky part is to determinate what your need and preferences are, then replace the refill accordingly. There’s coloured ballpoint from rOtring, gels from Pilot, pencil from Lamy, stylus from Faber-Castel or highlighter from Parker. Also ballpoints refills can be pressurized to use in very difficult conditions, made by Fisher, Schmidt or Tombow. D1 refills will last less then regular ballpoints refills like Parker standard G2 or Sheaffer K mainly because of their size, 67mm long and 2.3mm diameter. Another factor is the tip of the refill, fine or medium or even broad will make them last longer or shorter; usually the medium can write 4-5 A4 pages. The D1 refills have a particularity by using a coloured mark on the tip of refill, again showing what colour is selected. Only black refills don’t use any marking…don’t know why. These refills came in a variety of colours: Black Blue Red Green Brown Orange Purple Pink Turquoise or Blue-Black. http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7328/11212430363_df21a276a0_n.jpg http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5513/11212437213_075f1a2081_n.jpg http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3691/11212317244_d493eafa48_n.jpg http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7452/11212438253_c2188dc590_n.jpg http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2884/11212431743_b322a8b903_n.jpg http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2835/11212415063_f2f6d9bc77_n.jpg http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5550/11212273954_27d62bc534_n.jpg http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5524/11212309654_2303147e1e_n.jpg Before explaining how to change the refill I think is better if I describe the internal mechanism. All of these D1 multipens is using small tubes connected with springs to a plunger or lever to action/retract the refills. The back of the refill is inserted by force into small tube. To change a refill just action the plunger or lever, hold it like that when the refill is out, grab with your fingers and pull it out of the pen. Now the replacement have to be inserted back into the small tube until is secure. To do that again keep pushed the plunger or lever. When ready just release the plunger, if not falling free is mean you done a good job, securing the refill into the tube. This rOtring is using a complex system of gravity to action/retract the refill. To select the colour you want to use is recommended to hold the pen horizontally, facing the colour icon and press the plunger. To change the colour you need again to hold the pen horizontally with the icon facing to you. The levers on vintage multipens are even more easy to use. Just action the lever with the colour you want. Cost of these types of pens could be higher; also the refills are not on the cheap side. On the market there are a lot of other multipens; some of them using proprietary refills. I just made a review for D1 standard refills type. http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7320/11212265365_d99c72e51d_n.jpg http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3712/11212275304_c7347e685b_n.jpg http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3695/11212272654_4f32185c72_n.jpg http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3827/11212294554_b8ef968dab_n.jpg http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2809/11212282355_86257d7a9a_n.jpg http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7292/11212313464_f0ebf1d3ee_n.jpg In conclusion these pens are very versatile, a bit expensive but very good if you meet your expectation. Maybe these pens are more suitable for active guys or girls who take a lot of notes during daily activity, or just want to doodle around. You can find many brands selling these multipens, refills, all depending on your preferences: vintage vs. new, expensive vs. cheap, metal vs. plastic. I will try to picture every aspect of this review. If you have more info’s about D1 refills feel free to add it here. This is a list with compatible refills: Cross 8518-4 Faber-Castell Multifunction Ballpen Refill Faber-Castell Multifunction Pen Stylus Refill Lamy M21 Ballpen Refill Lamy M55 Tripen Marker Refill Lamy M70 IT Refill Lamy Z60 Multipen Lead Mechanism - PENCIL Monteverde Soft Roll Mini Ballpoint Refill Extra-Broad D15 Monteverde Soft Roll Mini Ballpoint Refill Medium D13 OHTO Needlepoint Multipen Refill Fine R-4C7NP Parker Multipen Highlighter Refill Parker Multipen Stylus Refill Parker multipen ballpoint refill Pelikan 38 Ballpoint Pen Refill Pilot Hi-Tec-C 0.4mm D1 Gel Refill Platinum SBSP-120S Hybrid Ink Ballpoint Refill rOtring Multipen Refill Schmidt 620M Megaline Pressurised Compact Ballpoint Pen Refill Schmidt S 635 Mini Ballpoint Pen Refill Schneider Express 56 Pen Refill Tombow BR-VS Ballpoint Pen Refill Tombow Outdoor Pen Refill BR-VMP Tombow BR-VBH Highlighter Refill for Multipens Zebra 4C Ballpoint Pen Refill Zebra JSB Gel Refill 0.5mm Zebra Sharbo Refill Set http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3765/11212355513_b6a5285c1d_n.jpg http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2839/11212247265_c37526dc0d_n.jpg

Massdrop (a deals site, you'll need an account to order but they're quick to make and free) has the Rotring 800 mechanical pencil on sale for $42 plus shipping, if you want one I think this is a decent deal, here's a direct link: https://www.massdrop.com/buy/rotring-800-mechanical-pencil

I have a Rotring skynn, bought several years ago, and am sentimentally attached to it. Had not used it for a while, and despite flushing and generally gently trying to persuade, it still is very scratchy to write with, and the ink barely flows: I really don't want to lean or press any harder. Any suggestions very welcome