Rotring Rapid Pro 2mm Mechanical Pencil
One of the comments on the recently published
Rotring Rapid Pro mechanical pencil review was essentially asking about the differences between the 0.5/0.7mm and the 2mm Rapid Pro mechanical pencils. That’s a good question, and not something really covered in the review, so I will attempt to address it here. In a nut shell, there’s not much difference.
All three lead size models of the Rapid Pro are essentially stylistically and mechanically the same. The only differences are at the ends of the pencils. Lets start at the top.
As you can see the push top buttons have different ends on them. On the 0.5/0.7mm models there is a hole through which you can see the eraser underneath. On the 2mm version there is a black plastic end piece. There is a hole in the black plastic too, you just can’t see it in the photograph. The top button on the 2mm version doubles as a lead sharpener so you stick your lead in through the hole in black plastic, twist and sharpen. I’m not really a 2mm lead user, but the sharpener seems reasonable compared to other integral sharpeners I have tried. Remember the 2mm Rapid Pro is a push top ratchet mechanism mechanical pencil just like the 0.5/0.7mm versions. It is not a traditional clutch pencil with jaws.
If you pull the top buttons off you can see the difference in shape, and that the 2mm version doesn’t have an eraser. Also, the 2mm lead chamber is only big enough to hold one stick of lead at a time so there are no spares. You are writing with the only piece of lead in the pencil.
Now to the other end of the pencil. With lead sleeve retracted the tips look almost identical.
Of course the 0.5/0.7mm versions then have a retractable sliding sleeve whereas with the 2mm version the lead just comes straight out.
So, there we have it. Not much difference at all.
Thanks for this explanation. The 2mm version is really nice. I like the proportions much more than those of the 0.5mm version (the width of the pen just changes too rapidly in the 0.5mm version).
ReplyDeleteHi, I bought that pencil myself on Friday. I definitely like it, but has anyone any idea on how to clean the integrated sharpener?
ReplyDeleteThe only approach I came up with, is smacking the sharpener on something hard upside down. Needless to say that ended in a mess.
Any ideas?
Love the pictures as always! I wonder why the rapid pro doesn't come in a ".35mm" flavor. Or even .3mm. Regardless, I just revieved a .35mm Rotring 600 pencil in the mail and I'm lovin it!
ReplyDeleteJH: instead of "smacking" just keep 'softly' tapping it inside an ashtray or whatever you wish until its guts are empty ;)
ReplyDeleteI use a Rotring 300 / 2.0 mm (clutch) but the post attracts me to get this one too :D
Good writing
There are black RR-pros out now
ReplyDelete-Arne
:)
I have a 2.0mm and would call it one of the best around but body and grip are connected by a piece of red plastic that with time gets a bit of slack inside the shaft of the body — and after that you get a slight displacement of the parts when you're using it. Maybe that doesn't happen in all the pencils but it happens in some of them and it's not good at all. Having a plastic piece connecting two sturdy parts of metal is never a good idea, it's obvious the plastic part is going to give at some point.
ReplyDeleteWhy a big brand with lots of experience like Rotring makes this kind of choice for the assembly process is above my understanding. Maybe they don't want it to last forever because otherwise it probably would (being a 2mm.)