Sad to see Rotring fade away

[Splicer]

ok- so here i am with a load of rapidographs that i used in college. they are replacement cartridge one- and i find that it is next to impossible to get new cartridges.

question- can i refill the used cartridges with the koh-i-noor ultra draw or the universal ink? as if i had the now available kohinoor rapidographs that refill with a bottle of ink? or am i stuck?

btw- whats the diff between the ultradraw and the universal inks?

jesss

 

I think that you should be able to refill a cartridge, but I wouldn't recommend it. The advantage of the cartridges is not the convenience, as with ink cartridges in fountain pens, but rather that the air helix is built in to the ink cartridge. If you keep on using those cartridges, eventually they will get clogged up and they'll be nearly impossible to clean. Also, the ink in the cartridges is a different formula than the ultradraw or the universal inks.

 

Universal and Rapidraw are both fast-drying inks. Ultradraw is a slower-drying ink intended for newbies who leave the caps off their rapidgraphs. I've never noticed a difference in the blackness or durability of the universal or ultradraw inks, but to tell the truth I don't think I've really compared.

 

Where do you live? You should be able to get hold of those cartridges. I can get them in at least two B&M stores here in San Francisco, and there are lots of places online that carry them. Dillo here on FPN will probably sell them to you. In the UK, CultPens.com has them, too.

 

 

Thanks Sanford, you guys ain't got a clue.

 

Not to nitpick, but I don't believe that Sanford has management independent of Newell/Rubbermaid. It's an acquired 'brand' like Rotring; it just is the one that Newell/Rubbermaid uses as an umbrella for all their graphic arts stuff.

 

And I concur. Newell/Rubbermaid has killed three great pen companies. Two of them just haven't died yet. If Newell/Rubbermaid has their way, fountain pen use in the US will be a thing of the past. Parker and Waterman are now far too short-sighted and self-destructive to last.

[Bernie0104]

ok- so here i am with a load of rapidographs that i used in college. they are replacement cartridge one- and i find that it is next to impossible to get new cartridges.

question- can i refill the used cartridges with the koh-i-noor ultra draw or the universal ink? as if i had the now available kohinoor rapidographs that refill with a bottle of ink? or am i stuck?

btw- whats the diff between the ultradraw and the universal inks?

jesss

 

I think that you should be able to refill a cartridge, but I wouldn't recommend it. The advantage of the cartridges is not the convenience, as with ink cartridges in fountain pens, but rather that the air helix is built in to the ink cartridge. If you keep on using those cartridges, eventually they will get clogged up and they'll be nearly impossible to clean. Also, the ink in the cartridges is a different formula than the ultradraw or the universal inks.

 

Universal and Rapidraw are both fast-drying inks. Ultradraw is a slower-drying ink intended for newbies who leave the caps off their rapidgraphs. I've never noticed a difference in the blackness or durability of the universal or ultradraw inks, but to tell the truth I don't think I've really compared.

 

Where do you live? You should be able to get hold of those cartridges. I can get them in at least two B&M stores here in San Francisco, and there are lots of places online that carry them. Dillo here on FPN will probably sell them to you. In the UK, CultPens.com has them, too.

 

 

Thanks Sanford, you guys ain't got a clue.

 

Not to nitpick, but I don't believe that Sanford has management independent of Newell/Rubbermaid. It's an acquired 'brand' like Rotring; it just is the one that Newell/Rubbermaid uses as an umbrella for all their graphic arts stuff.

 

And I concur. Newell/Rubbermaid has killed three great pen companies. Two of them just haven't died yet. If Newell/Rubbermaid has their way, fountain pen use in the US will be a thing of the past. Parker and Waterman are now far too short-sighted and self-destructive to last.

 

 

Splicer,

 

Sadly, I think you are most probably right.

 

Bernie.

[Sallent]

Yes, the poor quality and cheapness of most modern Parkers and Watermans have turned me off of them completely, except for a few vintage models. What a huge difference between what they produced then vs now. I don't see Parker or Waterman lasting much longer.

 

The only companies that will still be around that still make somewhat inspiring models with interesting variety and a little bit of "vintage spirit" are Pelikan and Sailor, and maybe one or two Mont Blanc models.

 

Its a sad day to see Rotring go, I'll be honest in saying i don't own a Rotring, but judging from all the good things said about them, they were one of the few "greats" still left. R.I.P Rotring

[Have Fun]

Rotring have been part of my adult life for the past 40+ years so it's sad to see the brand go

 

I used Rapidographs in the main together with pencils & felt tips. Never used a Rotring Fountain pen or seen one in the flesh. To be honest I preferred using Faber Castell for Technical Drawing pens but I still have a grand collection of red with a few black barrels. I was a late starter on CAD drawing so for the past 8 years I don't think I've inked up any tech pen. I suppose the computer & CAD is a lot to blame for Pen Manuf's demise.

 

The saviour in this is within People adopting an Anti Throwaway policy ~ which is the reason for my current & refound interest in Fountain Pens.

[Splicer]

Just to clarify, it's my understanding that the Rapidographs and Isographs will continue under the Rotring name, as will the ArtPen, Rotring's compasses, and so on.

 

I don't see the ArtPen on Rotring's site, but Chartpak lists the Rotring ArtPen as one of its products. So the ArtPen may be associated with Koh-I-Noor rather than Newell/Rubbermaid.

[Have Fun]

Understood ... I was really bemoaning that manuf's (technical pens in particular) are becoming vulnerable & may possibly vanish from sight for ever

 

The quality & precision required of the nibs is paramount & needs to be much more consistant than for other pens.

[qownsgur]

 

Hi~ I just have bought rOtring 600 FP.

It's so awesome...

My rOtring 600 is w-germany made, silver and EFnib.

But I have a problem.

My 600 nib is not symmetrical.

(It's 5:5 iridium nib but pair of one is little lifted)

 

But it's very terrific pen... isn't it?

I'm using that equipped with rotring cartridge, and I'll buy coverter.

 

(I'm not very good in English, so help me! I'm korean )

[qownsgur]

Indeed it is very sad. My first fountain pen was a Rotring 600 (the old type), I bought it about 15 years ago and it still is like new. I have also a Rotring 400 and an Esprit mini, I bought the former 10 years ago, while the last was a gift of my wife (together with the pencil and the BP), both are good writers. The Rotring have been my pens of choice after my study, the only ones that was not cheap rollerballs.

When I began to collect FP three months and some money ago), Rotring was the brand I looked first, but I was very disappointed by their current range of products (the horrible core, the skynn, etc.). The only pen that I could presently buy is the Initial, maybe I should effectively buy one, before it is too late .

 

Fortunately it seems that my 600 will resist other 20 years, I have only to take another in stainless steel with fine nib (the one that I have is in black).

 

Genny

http://i178.photobucket.com/albums/w253/gennyesposito/IMGP1034.jpg

 

Yeah... I don't like Sanford. It spoils any stationery company.

...Damn Sanford!!!

 

I have rotring 600 FP, too.

[plantin110]

I have in a very short time acquired a lot of rotring pens. My wife thinks I am mad. I bought a rotring 600 mechanical pencil and I have a fountain pen which looks very similar

but doesn't have the knurled grip. I also bought 6 old piston filler rapidographs from the 50s 2 are brand new in their boxes with blotting paper and instructions (no I am not selling them)

 

I also bought a set of 8 rotring variants (also in their original box and packaging and never used) and about 20 odd old used variants micronorms variographs. laong with a load of lettering stencils. Germany is a good source if you love the Rotring variant as much as I do.

 

But a lot of Germans are allergic to paypal for some reason so it can be a pain paying them on eBay. I should add that I am a graphic designer and have an obsessive love for the rotring

 

My question is does anyone out there know the difference between the variograph, the micronorm, and variant

 

[RevAaron]

Dang, that HP48g and Rotring 600 look right at home with eachother.

 

Can't wait 'til I find a Rotring 600 old style for a good price- they seem to go for $100-200 on eBay, but I've seen them come through at the Marketplace here for $50. But always, always I'm not as quick as I need to be.

 

Aaron

[qownsgur]

I have in a very short time acquired a lot of rotring pens. My wife thinks I am mad. I bought a rotring 600 mechanical pencil and I have a fountain pen which looks very similar

but doesn't have the knurled grip. I also bought 6 old piston filler rapidographs from the 50s 2 are brand new in their boxes with blotting paper and instructions (no I am not selling them)

 

I also bought a set of 8 rotring variants (also in their original box and packaging and never used) and about 20 odd old used variants micronorms variographs. laong with a load of lettering stencils. Germany is a good source if you love the Rotring variant as much as I do.

 

But a lot of Germans are allergic to paypal for some reason so it can be a pain paying them on eBay. I should add that I am a graphic designer and have an obsessive love for the rotring

 

My question is does anyone out there know the difference between the variograph, the micronorm, and variant

If there is no knrled grip, It is newton, not a rotring 600.

rotring 600 mechanicl pencils are also very good...

[Splicer]

If there is no knrled grip, It is newton, not a rotring 600.

 

I'd be happy to be shown I'm wrong about this, but I think that the knurled grip disappeared years prior to the appearance of the name "Newton."

 

I'm under the impression that the name "Newton" was applied to the 600 a year or two before the "new Newton" (which resembles the 600 only vaguely) appeared on the scene, in an attempt to fool people into buying a cheaper pen with the name given to a legendary pen.

 

The box that my NOS lava 600 came in said "600" on the outside and had no mention of the word "Newton." I suppose that it's possible that the shopkeeper switched the boxes, but again, I'd really like to know what years the knurling disappeared and what year the Newton name appeared. I can't pin either of those events to an actual year.

[dogpoet]

I'd be interested to know that myself, Splicer. I've just acquired a couple of Rotring Newtons, and I was also wondering how they differed from the post knurled but pre-Newton 600s. As these were sold as new (packaging, rather nice boxes, dummy cartridges inside, the works) I'm assuming they were the last model made before Sanford/Newell Rubbermaid pulled the plug. The main difference I can see looking at the photos shown here, is that the cap is slanted backwards on these, rather than fitting into the barrel evenly. While this is a nice design touch, having the barrel joining the grip at the same point around the pen's circumference rather than lower on the bottom and higher on the top probably makes for a more comfortable grip.