rOtring logo branded pens

February 11, 2008

Hello everyone,

I wanted to ask if anyone knew why rOtring

Newton 600 range of pens seemed to have

suddenly become ashamed of their logo

embossed on the side of their pens ?

Is this something to do with the companies

takeover or was it a design decision ?

Was it to do with different markets and

branding awareness ?

Anyone know what happened ?

It seems the value and scarcity of logo emblazoned

pens means they sell for far more than the ashamed

logo-less variety.

Thanks !

Edited February 11, 2008 by penaching

February 11, 2008

I don't know if it was "sudden" - I suppose to consumers it was. . . here one day, gone the next. However, I am sure that within the machinations of the marketing department, the decision was not so sudden.

However, if you mean "recent" - well, the change was not so recent. AFAIK, it happened at least four years ago. Maybe five.

I have spent the past few days lamenting the discontinuance of the 600. Especially the Trio.

February 11, 2008

I don't know if it was "sudden" - I suppose to consumers it was. . . here one day, gone the next. However, I am sure that within the machinations of the marketing department, the decision was not so sudden.

However, if you mean "recent" - well, the change was not so recent. AFAIK, it happened at least four years ago. Maybe five.

I have spent the past few days lamenting the discontinuance of the 600. Especially the Trio.

I think the logo came off the 600 more like 10 years ago. My "knurled ends" 600 has no logo emblazoned on the side. I would guess that removing the logo was a design decision rather than something having to do with the Sanford takeover. The 600 is a stark, utilitarian, even severe design that is not improved by slapping a billboard on the side. That's just my opinion though. But I'd suspect the corporate overlords would be more likely to add the logo than remove it.

The logo may be a rarity and therefore more valuable from a collectibility standpoint, but if OP is right about it being the original configuration it's limited to the "knurled ends" variety. The "knurled ends" 600 is already more highly sought after because it's the original design, although once again I'll inject my opinion: though the differences are subtle, I think the "plain ends" 600 is the better pen, and it is at least the more durable pen. Though the differences are minor and certainly the "knurled ends" variety is an excellent pen, I wouldn't pay extra for the knurled ends and certainly wouldn't pay extra for the logo unless I planned to put it in a display case.

February 11, 2008

Thank you both for replying. I am grateful for your thoughts.

I miss the logo and when I use the non-branded variety I feel

the pens a little naked - Like the kings clothes. I also wonder if

it wasn't market lead, pens from the far east usually don't have

a logo.

I agree about the 'feel' of the smooth finger grip compared to

the knurled/gnarled style. Yet I know that from a purely visual

perspective the knurled/gnarled is a design classic and the series

looks wrong without it. I don't know why Sanford would take a

company an push it into a very dark corner. Why rOtring isn't

more in the open like LAMY is a complete mystery.

I cannot believe that a true classic of the last 15 years or so is

no longer sold. I recently purchased my son a non-branded

Newton 600 rollerball and he loves it. It's such a solid chuck

of great industrial design. Apart from the P3110 TecFlex, it's

the most masculine pen on the market.

February 11, 2008

Hello everyone,

I wanted to ask if anyone knew why rOtring
Newton 600 range of pens seemed to have
suddenly become ashamed of their logo
embossed on the side of their pens ?

But they still have their namesake on the cap- a red ring (rot ring) on each one!

Kurt