The Pen That Started It All

(Kimberly (she/her) took the express train down the fountain pen/stationery rabbit hole and doesn't want to be rescued. She can be found on Instagram @allthehobbies because there really are many, many hobbies!.)

Some of you may know that my FP journey started with the Pilot Metropolitan, Platinum Preppies (yes, all 7 of them cuz I couldn’t pick a color) and Lamy Safari – all arriving on May 31, 2017. But did you know I’ve been a pen fan long before that? Yup, it’s true! Ever since I was a kid, I loved the Sanrio store (I was a My Melody and Little Twin Stars girl), as well as any office supply store, or heck, even the stationery aisle at the grocery or local drug store! In fact, I once got in deep trouble for stealing coins out of my older brother’s piggy bank just so I could buy pens and pretty paper at the Sanrio store - I didn’t do that again!

At some point in middle school, I got a Sheaffer calligraphy kit, which I used until it eventually ran out of ink (so you just popped in a different color cartridge) or until it just stopped writing altogether. They weren’t nearly as exciting as the cute Sanrio pens that I used to get, and they didn’t write as well either! So that was the end of fountain pens for me (or so I thought, ha!), but not the end of my love for pens and paper!

All throughout college, I loved buying notebooks that had my school logo and in lots of different colors. And at my various jobs, I would always raid the supply closet looking for the best pens and the sticky notes in all the different sizes. At some point after college, I stumbled across a Levenger catalog. Oh my gosh! A catalog of pens and papers and binders and desk accessories!! I was in heaven! Of course I was shocked at how much pens cost, but this was like discovering a Victoria’s Secret catalog but for pen and stationery geeks like me! I don’t remember any of the other pens in the catalog because I was only fixated on one pen.

It was a ballpoint.

Gasp!!! Yeah, that’s right. Not a fountain pen, not even a gel pen or rollerball. And no, it wasn’t a Bic Cristal! I fell in love with the Rotring Newton! Something about the faceted metal barrel and the little red ring (did you know that “Rot ring” means “red ring” in German?) just hit all the buttons! And I remember that it took me months to be comfortable spending $30 on a pen. Shocking, I know! I loved the pen once I got it but I was afraid to use it at work because it was so expensive so it stayed at home where I would only use it occasionally. I’ve lost and found it many times over the course of several moves and was so relieved to have found it again while cleaning the garage recently.

Rotring Newton with Private Reserve Parker-style refill in Purple on Hobonichi Weeks, 52 gsm Tomoe River paper.

I have long since replaced the original refill but now that I’ve found it again, I keep it within arm’s reach at my desk. It makes me happy knowing that this has survived so many moves and drops on the floor, and I can still click this pen to my heart’s content. This pen will always have a special place in my heart as being the pen that started it all.

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Rotring 500 0.5 mm Drafting Pencil Review

As a fan of the brand, it doesn’t take much for me to test out anything from Rotring. So, why did it take so long for me to review the Rotring 500? The simple fact that the Rotring 600 exists.

The 600 is the best mechanical pencil on the market, and one of the great stationery products of all-time. If there were a Stationery Hall of Fame, the 600 gets in on the first ballot, without question. There is no better in my book.

Rotring may want you to believe that the much pricier 800 model is better, with its retractable lead pipe and fancy gold trim, but no, the rock-solid 600 is better. Don’t @ me.

The 500 takes an alternate path as the entry level Rotring drafting pencil. At less than half the price of the 600 ($14 vs. $31,) the main difference is that plastic is used for the center barrel in the 500, compared to brass in the 600.

For some writers, that may be preferred. Why? Balance. Most mechanical pencils that get classified under the “Drafting” category have a low center of gravity for better control when writing small details on the page. The 500 uses the classic metal knurled Rotring grip, and in conjunction with the plastic barrel, the weight is moved towards the tip. The full metal barrel of the 600 is more balanced throughout the length of the pencil.

If you want me to continue to list out the differences between the 500 and 600, well, you will be disappointed to know that is it. Plastic barrel in the 500, metal in the 600. That’s the list. In reality, you should be excited, because every other part of this pencil is the same as its much more popular pencil partner, while being much cheaper. Same grip, same clip, same lead indicator, same eraser and cap. It’s fantastic.

Now, if you think I’m about to tell you I would pick the 500 over my beloved 600, you would be wrong. The brass barrel makes the 600 what it is for me personally. But the 500 is a fantastic choice, right up there with the Uni-ball Kuru Toga and Uni Shift Pipe Lock as favorites in the $10-$20 price range. And, if this Red barrel is any indicator (along with Blue and Green,) maybe Rotring is ready branch out like they have with the 600 over the last several years.

Whatever Rotring is going to do, I’ll be here for it.

(JetPens provided this product at no charge to The Pen Addict for review purposes.)

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Rotring 600 3-in-1 Multi Pen Review

It doesn’t take much from Rotring to get me excited. The 600 Mechanical Pencil is a first-ballot Stationery Hall of Fame product, and, while their product line is not enormous, their updated colors are so nice I’ll buy the pencil twice!

While their stand-alone ballpoint pens and multi pens don’t move the needle as much as the classic 600 drafting pencil, the same Rotring design language and quality is found in each product.

The Rotring 600 3-in-1 Multi Pen is my first experience with this model, despite it being around in various iterations for years. The new barrel colors caught my eye, specifically Iron Blue with the classic red Rotring markings.

To access the refills, grab the knurled section near the top of the pen and pull this entire section out.

While the name is officially 3-in-1, I consider this multi pen a 2 + 1 model, meaning there are two ballpoint refills (black and red-both 0.5 mm,) plus an 0.5 mm width mechanical pencil insert. This is the classic all-in-one setup as far as I am concerned, with one difference being the choice of 0.5 mm ink refills instead of a the more standard 0.7 mm found in similar multi pens.

To add more pencil graphite, slide the sticks into the metal sleeve protruding from the barrel, and then replace the pencil mechanism.

To deploy your preferred writing tip, simply twist the knurled section near the top of the barrel. It will rotate through them until your choice is made. When choosing the pencil, use the click on the back of the barrel to extend or retract the lead.

The lines of both refills are excellent, leaving fine, clean lines on the page. The fineness isn’t for everyone, so know that they are standard D1 refills and easily replaceable if you like the barrel but not the line. Rotring pencil lead is average, so I advise replacing it with something better over the long term.

The knock advances the lead when the pencil mechanism is deployed. It’s not removable, so therefore there is no eraser found underneath.

How do I personally use multi pens, especially the + 1 pencil varieties? I use the base ink color, in this case black, as my main writing choice, and the secondary color for markup, notations, highlights, etc. The pencil is more of a mood thing, performing the same tasks that the base ink color does, while also being a good sketching or drawing option.

The grip diameter is comfortable to hold when writing, and the classic Rotring knurling provides just enough grip without digging into your fingers.

The main question to ask is why spend $46 on a multi pen when similar ones can be had in the $10 range? I’m the last person to argue against those less expensive pens, as they are some of my favorites. That said, I didn’t blink when I saw this price for the Rotring, given their place in the market. In fact, I would have guessed it would have been more.

I’m glad it’s not, because as Rotring has started to expand their color offerings from Black and Silver to Camouflage Green and Iron Blue (plus even more colors in other product lineups,) they are widening their stationery reach beyond the drafting and engineering focus of the brand.

As long as the quality remains at the same high Rotring standard, which it is, I am here for everything the current version of the brand is doing.

(JetPens provided this product at no charge to The Pen Addict for review purposes.)

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Enjoy reading The Pen Addict? Then consider becoming a member to receive additional weekly content, giveaways, and discounts in The Pen Addict shop. Plus, you support me and the site directly, for which I am very grateful.

Membership starts at just $5/month, with a discounted annual option available. To find out more about membership click here and join us!