Rotring 600

[Manalto]

It's easy to find comments about the rOtring 600 mechanical pencil, but not nearly as much is out there regarding the fountain pen. The 600 is discontinued and reincarnated in a similar design as the generally-acknowledged-as-inferior Newton. The 600 was available in two matte colors, black or silver, fitted with either a steel or gold nib. I was looking for the increasingly-elusive EF gold nib, so I snatched this pen up when I spotted it for sale.

 

I find the utilitarian design of the 600 aesthetically pleasing, with its hexagonally faceted barrel/cap and the flat, folded clip precisely the width of one of the facets. The clip is the removable spring-grip type. According to the accounts I've read, the "early style" 600 has a knurled section, present on mine. It's a gentle, comfortable texturing of the surface (Princess-and-the-pea or death-gripper complaints notwithstanding), 2" long to accommodate a range of grip habits. The knurling is repeated in a band above the clip, with a window that displays the nib size for quick identification; the band can be rotated to display other sizes to match nib changes. The very top of the cap is a thin disk of gold and between it and the knurling, the trademark red ring. Knurling is once again repeated in a band at the top of the barrel, just above a rubber O-ring that's there for secure posting - if an unbalanced, absurdly long (6 3/4") pen is your thing. At 5" unposted, it's a substantial (but not heavy) extension of the hand, round at the fingertips and round where it rests between index finger and thumb.

 

There is no breather hole in the inflexible, plain nib; "18K 750" is engraved on its face, "rOtring" on one side, and the nib size on the other side of the square fold. Performance is just magical. With an EF nib, I was resigned to some scratchiness, but somehow the Germans made this sharp-pointed pen write as slick as snot on a glass doorknob. The concentrated lubricants in the old, half-evaporated cartridge that came with the pen may partially be the reason, but this is a glorious instrument.

 

When capping, one must line up the facets of cap and barrel or it won't close, an odd annoyance in an otherwise brilliantly-conceived pen. Presumably the professional draftsman would be engaged for extended periods of time, the ritual of capping accompanied by a leisurely glance at the clock; time for lunch. This is a tool that's more at home on a slanted drawing table than a polished mahogany desk, but equally superb in performance, for its purpose, to any luxury pen. With an EF nib this good, I'm tempted to track down a B.

 

Edited April 20, 2015 by Manalto

[Joe in Seattle]

I have a 2nd generation 600 "lava" with fine steel nib. Writes beautifully every time. It was well worth hunting down. Prices even 10 years ago weren't cheap. It's a forever pen for me.

[soapytwist]

A cursory search of this board would have found you one of the most exhaustive threads on a fountain pen there is!

 

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/index.php/topic/248966-rotring-600-visual-guide/

[Manalto]

A cursory search of this board would have found you one of the most exhaustive threads on a fountain pen there is!

 

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/index.php/topic/248966-rotring-600-visual-guide/

I said there were fewer discussions than the mechanical pencil; I didn't say there weren't any.

Edited April 20, 2015 by Manalto

[jkingrph]

I got mine several years ago, first a silver bold and liked it so well I searched out and got another silver in med, and a black in fine. I got them more for users than collectibles.

Edited April 23, 2015 by jkingrph

[Manalto]

I got mine several years ago, first a silver bold and liked it so well I searched out and got another silver in med, and a black in fine. I got them more for users than collectibles.

 

Were the nibs gold or steel? Do you notice a difference? I'm glad you said this; I'm now on the lookout for a nice bold.

 

They are definitely pens to use and enjoy. (But I think that about all of my pens, since I don't have anything older than 1950.) This week I was took my pen with the EF gold nib to work with me and before I knew what was happening, it fell on the floor. My heart sunk. I was lucky that it apparently landed on the barrel and escaped without a scratch. I'm no longer carrying that pen to work with me - too risky.