Rotring 600 Design History? (Knurled Vs. Un-Knurled)

[Danist]

Good evening,

 

I own a Rotring 600 set (a Fine Point Fountain Pen, Roller Ball, and .05 Mechanical Pencil) which I've had since my undergrad college years (~01-04). These all have sentimental value, so I'd rather retire them as "in house" pens.

 

However, I have not found a more rugged pen, which can so tolerate abuse... and be used in hand-to-hand combat, should the need ever arise. My solution to this problem: buy another Rotring 600 Fountain Pen that doesn't have sentimental value, and proceed to abuse the heck out of it!

 

What I'm seeing on the market, however, is a bit different from my Fountain Pen -- these have a knurled grip and red lettering on the body, whereas mine has a smooth grip, and stamped lettering on the clip.

 

So -- to any Rotring fans out there -- I'm wondering when the design changed, and which design is older.

[attika89]

Good evening,

 

I own a Rotring 600 set (a Fine Point Fountain Pen, Roller Ball, and .05 Mechanical Pencil) which I've had since my undergrad college years (~01-04). These all have sentimental value, so I'd rather retire them as "in house" pens.

 

However, I have not found a more rugged pen, which can so tolerate abuse... and be used in hand-to-hand combat, should the need ever arise. My solution to this problem: buy another Rotring 600 Fountain Pen that doesn't have sentimental value, and proceed to abuse the heck out of it!

 

What I'm seeing on the market, however, is a bit different from my Fountain Pen -- these have a knurled grip and red lettering on the body, whereas mine has a smooth grip, and stamped lettering on the clip.

 

So -- to any Rotring fans out there -- I'm wondering when the design changed, and which design is older.

 

Hi,

 

I'm not an expert, but here is what I know:

 

The oldest series have knurled grip, knurled section at the end of the body and the end of the cap where the nib/lead size dial is. There is also a rubber(ish) ring at the end of the body to hold the cap when it is posted;

 

There are models what are basically the same as above, but they have two metal clips on the knurled grip to help to keep the cap closed..These are somewhat "between series" models..

 

The newer one don't have knurling anywhere, there are two clips to hold the cap when closed, and there isn't any rubber ring to hold the cap when posted, no nib size dial...

As I saw these models are somewhat shorter than the older series..

 

The newest is the Newton, what is nothing like the 600, but they call it as a newer model....

Rotring has stopped producing fountain pens, because the demand was too small on them...

 

Here is a bit blurry image of them: (not mine)

http://splicer.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/09/dsc_2994.jpg

[penmanila]

just to help, here's another pic of what's being discussed, two 600s from my collection. afaik, the knurled version came before the smooth one, and is now almost impossible to find in stores.

 

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3266/2692763942_98170bdfe1_z.jpg

[atypical]

Quite interesting is Lawrence Gottlieb's Rotring 600 model overview here [Google docs] or here [sribd].

[Danist]

Quite interesting is Lawrence Gottlieb's Rotring 600 model overview here [Google docs] or here [sribd].

 

Excellent! Thank you.

 

I'm guessing that the "series" designations are based on observation, rather than a Rotring convention.

 

And thanks for the images from my other responders -- I can conclude that my college set is a later series (than the barrel-inscribed knurled versions).

 

And yes, I fully intend to acquire and abuse older Rotrings in the place of my newer sentimental set. If I were an old Rotring, I'd want to go out "holding the line."

[mana]

I'm guessing that the "series" designations are based on observation, rather than a Rotring convention.

 

Yup. recycling an older post I made on the subject (trade names used by Rotring):

 

- rOtring 600 : production began mid 80s', discontinued when rOtring Newton was introduced. Also includes the later introduced luxury line 600G with gold nibs, trimmings and retractable tip mechanism for mechanical pencils. Mechanical pencils of 600 and 600G line were later produced in Japan under license as the 600 and 800. The external appearance was true to the originals but new products were introduced (namely the 2mm clutch pencils) and the internal mechanisms (and also function) differed from the originals (I recall someone mentioning that the 600G and 800 series pens retraction mechanisms function in a slightly different way).

 

- rOtring Newton : the original 600 series re-engineered/updated (often referred to as rOtring 600 Newton). Launched mid 90s. Has both steel/chrome and gold/gold versions and also includes the later introduced Newton Lava. First recorded internet appearance can be found here > (Apr 04, 1997). It disappears from the rotring.de site in conjunction with the introduction of the new NEWTON, last recorded internet appearance > Apr 18, 2006.

 

- the 2006 introduced new NEWTON: Launched under Sanford ownership. That model has about as much to do with the first two generations as the VW New Beetle has with the original VW Beetle. First recorded internet appearance can be found here > Jun 13, 2006