Rotring Display

One Dozen Red Roses Rings

This week on the desk display, twelve of my Rotrings.

The first stand.

Top to Bottom

• 800
• Rapid Pro
• 600 - version without "Rotring 600" printed on the body.
• 500
• TS Slide 0.3mm - not made in Japan or Germany, but rather West Germany :) A reminder that innovative sleeves and mechanisms to enhance the usability of 0.3mm lead have been around for over 30 years.  
• 300 - 2mm leadholder

and on the other stand.

Top to bottom

• 900 - a "side knock" body bend mechanism.
• Newton Trio multi pen/pencil.
• Trio multi pencil - 0.35/0.5/0.7mm.
• Side Knock - like the 900, a "side knock" body bend mechanism, but unlike the 900 it is a Rotring without a rot ring.
• Initial
• Core Tecnor - psychedelic rubber madness.

Some more views.

And the other rack

Rotring 800 Mechanical Pencil Review

Rotring 800 Mechanical Pencil Review

A little while ago the retailer Pen Heaven contacted me and suggested that since a review of the Rotring 800 mechanical pencil was missing from my blog they would like to fill that gap by sending me one to review, and so here we are.

When it comes to technical writing instruments few if any brands carry the weight of Rotring. Since being taken over by Sanford, (part of Newell Brands) back in 1998, Rotring has had its fair share of changes with many products being discontinued or converted to other Sanford brands. Luckily for us fans of mechanical pencils, Rotring have continued to sell a good range of high quality technical or drafting mechanical pencils, although they are now mostly Made in Japan rather than Germany.

Rotring. Life long favourite of many an architect, artist, designer and engineer.

The Rotring 800 really looks the part - hexagonal body with round sections at each end, red printing on black with gold highlights…very technical, efficient and classy looking. In the hand it feels as you would expect – heavy, hefty and solid, but well balanced. That’s the all-metal body for you. If you like a heavy mechanical pencil, then the 800 is your sort of pencil.

The 800 is also available in silver, and a 800+ variant which features a touch screen stylus. Note the clear model identification and lead size

Down at the sharp end the 800 has a standard technical drawing style 4mm lead sleeve. The whole tip section is retractable. To extend or retract the tip you twist the knurled section up at the other end, just above the pocket clip. It is quite a positive twist action, clicking firmly into place, and springing back when released.

The grip zone is 8.2mm diameter so a reasonably average thickness and it is knurled to enhance grip. The knurling is very fine, about as fine as you will find on any writing instrument. Personally I find this sort of knurling the best. It’s easy to make coarse rough knurling that will rip your skin with extended use, so Rotrings super fine knurling should provide excellent grip without skin irritation over many hours of use.

A good grip is always important.

The lead advance mechanism is a standard push top ratchet, and ten clicks will advance about 7mm of 0.5mm lead. However, the first click basically doesn’t count as virtually no lead will ever appear out of the sleeve with your first click. The other aspect worth mentioning is that the clicking is a very squishy one, definitely not a sharp precise experience. The first millimetre of the action is without resistance and you are pushing the entire mechanism and tip forward until they meet their end-stop, and then the lead clutch mechanism is engaged by your continued push. As I said, it is a very squishy experience. Those of you who like a good solid and audible click will not like the 800 experience.

When the tip is retracted, the lead advance mechanism is disabled.

Beneath the push top button is a small emergency use eraser. There is also a lead clearance rod which is an increasingly rare accessory these days, so good on you Rotring for including one. You remove the eraser to access the lead refill magazine.

Rotring and WeißerPunkt?

The Rotring 800 mechanical pencil has been around for a while now, and whenever it comes to discussion of its features there is a heffalump sitting quietly in the corner… tip wobble.

High end metal bodied Rotrings like the 800 are heavy pencils and whilst 4mm long lead sleeves are strong, if you drop your Rotring from a reasonable height onto a hard floor then there is a good chance that your long slim 4mm lead sleeve is not going to be straight anymore and that’s probably the end of your mechanical pencil. The retractable tip, or vanishing point mechanism as I like to call it, is then the Rotring 800’s standout feature. Retracting the tip makes the pencil pocket safe and far less likely to have its lead sleeve accidentally damaged. But, there is a price to pay. A retractable mechanism is a moving mechanism, and movement generally means things are not as rigidly fixed as they could be, so the 800’s standout positive feature is also its standout negative talking point. So, how much tip wobble is there? Well, there is certainly some, enough to be noticeable if you are aware of it but perhaps not enough that you would notice it if you did not know about it in the first place. Various forums discuss this matter at length, and possible ways to reduce wobble using tape, etc. For me personally it is not that big a deal, but some people value extreme rigidity and precision, and so for them, it is.

The pocket clip is very strong, possibly too strong for easy clipping to paper. The hexagonal body and pocket clip combine to limit rolling on your desk.

Rotring, for designers now and into the future. If you look really hard you can find the word "Japan" on your pencil.

In summary then, the Rotring 800 mechanical pencil is a worthy member of the Rotring pantheon. If you like a heavy metal bodied pencil, like the idea of a vanishing point mechanism and do not place extreme importance on tip rigidity or positive clicking, then the 800 is most definitely worthy of your consideration.

•    Best Points – Vanishing point mechanism
•    Not So Good Points – Tip wobble
•    Price Range – Mid
•    Does this pencil make it into the Top 5? – It’s a contender, but No

Dimensions – Length 143mm extended, diameter 8.2mm across the grip section. Balance point about 75mm up from the tip.

Disclaimer: For the purposes of this review, the retailer Pen Heaven provided this Rotring 800 mechanical pencil to me free of charge.

Rotring Rapid Pro 2mm Mechanical Pencil

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.

Rotring Rapid Pro Mechanical Pencil Review

Rotring Rapid Pro Mechanical Pencil Review

The Rotring 600 mechanical pencil is a classic icon in the pantheon of writing instruments. In recent times Rotring released a new pencil which has some similarities to the venerable 600. I refer of course to the Rotring Rapid Pro mechanical pencil. Back in June last year I held a giveaway on this blog for a Rapid Pro, and now it’s time for a review…well actually more than one review, and all three of them are guest reviews…a trifecta of Rotring champions, if you like.

So, here we have the Rotring Rapid Pro family of mechanical pencils - 0.5mm, 0.7mm and 2.0mm, all stylistically the same. The 2mm is a ratchet advance mechanical pencil just like the others. It’s not a clutch pencil.

The winners of my giveaway were Spuddybuddy and Rhonda Eudaly so I present their two reviews here, and the third triumvir is none other than Ovidiu who previously reviewed the mighty Rotring 600 here on this blog. We shall see what he has to say about its new brother, the Rapid Pro.

We will start the tri-review with Spuddybuddy, and in a first for DMP we have a video review.

Yep, no more reading, just sit back, get comortable and enjoy the Spuddybuddy Rotring Rapid Pro Movie below.

Well then, now for a more traditional review, here we have Ovidiu's written review.
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Rotring Rapid Pro Mechanical Pencil Review - words and images by Ovidiu

The Rotring Rapid Pro is the newest release from the Hamburg based company, part of Sanford, who is also part of Newell Rubbermaid Company. And unlike the Rotring 600 or Rotring 800, officially available only in Japan, the Rapid Pro seems to have worldwide availability and also can be seen on Rotring homepage and also Rotring Catalog from 2010. I really commend Rotring for this bold decision to release, after so many years, a high quality mechanical pencil, that is, as they say, “the perfect professional tool for all sketching, writing and drawing applications”. We really needed a comeback from Rotring. There are three versions of Rotring Rapid Pro available, the 0.5mm, 0.7mm and 2mm and there is only one color available so far, silver, for all of them. The nice thing about the 2mm model is that it features an automatic mechanical pencil mechanism, rather than the standard clutch mechanism usually found in the classic leadholders.

The packaging consists from a grey cardboard box that slides into another which has the word “Rotring” embossed on it. You receive a lot more “package” than with the Rotring 600 for example. Of course, no true professional mechanical pencil comes without the mandatory user manual, in fact a folded sheet of paper, which, in this case, doesn’t refer to the Rapid Pro at all, but to it’s Japanese relatives, Rotring 800 and 600. This could be to the fact the pencil was bought from Japan and it’s quite possible that this manual could differ for other countries.

For sure, the Rotring Rapid Pro is a very nice pencil. Almost all the body is made of brushed metal, with some shiny polished surfaces on the tip of the pencil and the pocket clip. I usually don’t like shiny surfaces on pencils, especially on drafting pencils that I always consider should look more “serious” than the regular ones, but on the Rapid Pro, those touches really look good.

Side by side : Rotring Rapid Pro and Rotring Rapid

The name alone suggests a resemblance with the Rotring Rapid, an interesting, plastic body / rubber grip pencil with a “vanishing point” mechanism and a very long eraser hidden under the cap.


But in the end, these two pencils don’t have too much in common, besides the fact that both are pocket safe. The Rapid Pro looks more like a Rotring 600 relative than Rapid’s one.

Rotring Rapid Pro flanked by two nice Rotring 600

The Rapid Pro is a very solid, well-made pencil. Writing with it I didn’t fell any play in the parts of the mechanism, which is quite rare these days, even with “pro” pencils. The grip is standard for a drafting pencil with a laser cut diamond like pattern. As you can see from the picture, the grip’s texture is much denser than the one from Rotring 600 and this really feels in use, especially if your fingers get a little sweaty, the Rapid Pro tends to slip much easier. Unlike the Rotring 600, Rapid Pro uses a so called sliding sleeve, which can be hidden inside the body for pocket safety, when the pencil is not in use. This is in fact not the only advantage of this kind of mechanism, because on long writing sessions the sleeve cushions inside the body while the lead consumes itself so this way you don’t need to push the pencil’s cap that often to advance the lead. The sleeve’s length is around 3mm and seems pretty sturdy, without too much play.

The grip texture difference between Rotring 600 and Rotring Rapid Pro

The body is hexagonal, finely brushed, but where the 600’s edges were quite sharp, here are a little rounded. As with the grip, I also find the barrel to be a little too slippery for my liking and since this isn’t a very light pencil, it’s quite a challenge to keep it stable in hand after you write with it for some time. The Rotring trademark, the red ring, is positioned this time between the grip and the barrel. Also, on the barrel the text “Rotring Rapid Pro 0.5” is written in black. There is no indication about the country where it was made anywhere on the pencil.

The shiny things : pocket clip, eraser, the cap, and the lead magazine

The pocket clip looks the same as the one found in Rotring 600, only this time it is polished and shiny. It is also removable.

The cap is also polished and has a small hole on top of it. The eraser is probably identical to the one in Rotring 600… small but functional if you have nothing else on hand. It sits on top of the lead magazine, which is made of metal.

The mechanism is a standard, automatic one, pushing the button the lead is advancing in small steps. The click is a quiet but audible one. Ten clicks will give you around 7mm of lead, just like with the Rotring 600. As you can see there is a fair amount of plastic used.


I was writing with the Rapid Pro for about one month and the impressions are mostly positive, but this should be expected since it resembles in many ways the Rotring 600. The grip is just a little thicker which is good, the sliding sleeve is a very nice and useful addition, since it helps you keep up in long writing sessions without the need to push the button to advance the lead. The build quality is as expected – very good, as it should be on an instrument of this kind.


In the end, probably the greatest thing is that Rotring finally re-opened to the world and decided to continue their rich tradition in producing high quality writing instruments.


Best points : Classic design, very good built quality, sliding sleeve
Not so good points : Rotring was a little overzealous with the grip and barrel, a little too slippery for my liking.


Dimensions :
Length : 145mm
Thickness : 8mm (the barrel – between the points), 8mm for the grip.
Price Range : Medium.

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Last then, but not least, we have the third part of our tri-review. It's by Rhonda Eudaly and is posted on her own blog. So, no point in duplicating here, this is the link to Rhonda’s Rotring Rapid Pro mechanical pencil review. Head over for a browse.

Well, that’s about it. I think we are all Rotring Rapid Pro’d out. It’s a fine pencil, a worthy addition to the Rotring stable…but will it reach the status of the 600…time will tell.

Please join with me in thanking all three guest reviewers for their sterling efforts, and wish them many years of Rapid Pro enjoyment.

Follow up article on Rotring Rapid Pro 2mm mechanical pencil.

Rotring Side Knock Mechanical Pencil Review

Rotring Side Knock Mechanical Pencil Review

Here’s an unusual one for you, the Rotring Side Knock mechanical pencil.

First off, I’m not really sure of its current status. The ballpoint pen in black with chrome trims is available on the Newell Rubbermaid ⁽¹⁾ B2B (business to business) website for corporate non-retail customers, i.e. corporate promotional sales. A small number of B2B and retail websites also have the BP and/or MP in polished or matt chrome. Overall though it has a rather scarce presence on the web, and really appears to be part of Rotrings corporate customer offering rather than their retail offering.

Second I’m not sure of its relationship to the Rotring 900 Side Knock. I don’t have one of those but it would appear to use the same mechanism so I would guess it’s internally the same, just a different body.

Third, it’s a Rotring but it doesn’t have a Rot Ring (Red Ring). [As an aside, how about you German speakers suggest some suitable names for Rotring-less Rotrings.] Some websites do though show the Side Knock with a red ring. Even the Newell Rubbermaid website has images with and without the red ring. I also found it described as the Rotring Side Knock by Parker!

Fourth, an indication of country of origin is conspicuously absent. That “side knock” terminology is suspiciously Japanese, so I’d suspect it is another one of the many Japanese manufactured Rotrings. I wonder, do Rotring actually make any mechanical pencils themselves these days?

Right then, enough of what I don’t know, let’s get on with the review. On the one hand the Side Knock in matt chrome is a fairly plain looking mechanical pencil. It doesn’t have any trims or other embellishments that stand out. On the other hand it has classical lines and the metallic look is not unattractive, just a bit plain. When you pick the Side Knock up, that metallic look certainly combines with the weight (25 grams) to send a clear message that this is a writing instrument of substance.

The Side Knock is a general writing pencil. The matt chrome body is smooth, so the grip is not fantastic, but not too bad for a pencil without any specific grip zone or enhancements. The short lead sleeve is fixed so it’s not pocket safe. There is a small emergency use only eraser – you unscrew the very top section of the body to access it. A bit of a rigmarole quite frankly.

The pocket clip is solid and functional.

The main feature of the Side Knock is clearly its unusual method of advancing the lead. The actual lead advance mechanism is a standard everyday ratchet mechanism, but the means of activating it is quite unusual. As you can see from the little leaflet below the lead advance mechanism is activated by bending the pencil in the middle. Roughly about 15 degrees. The whole bend in the middle thing seems rather strange and I imagined it all being a bit unnatural, very much a forced pose,

Rotring Side Knock leaflet

but I’ve got to admit, I got used to it very quickly and quite liked it. I’m not usually a fan of side-clicker buttons on mechanical pencils. The side button may get in the way of where you want to grip the pencil, you cannot rotate the pencil at will, the button often isn’t particularly pleasing to my eye, etc. The bend in the middle concept of the Side Knock though eliminates all those negatives – you can grip the pencil wherever you like, rotate it at will as the pencil bends in any direction, and there’s no ugly button sticking out the side. You can just write away and when the lead wears down you just press inwards with your thumb to bend the body and ‘Hey presto’, more lead. It’s a very minimal interruption to your writing if you want it to be. Alternatively if it’s time for a little pause and contemplation then the bending action can provide a welcome interlude. If you like side button clickers then you will probably love the Rotring Side Knock.

Check out the bend

Ahhh, but nothing is perfect. A mechanical pencil that is designed to bend in the middle…well it’s not exactly going to win an award for sturdy rigidity is it. There are times when you can feel the pencil flex, particularly if you grip it fairly high up. Those folk who grip their pencil really tightly might have some extra problems. I personally noticed the flex most often when I just grabbed the pencil off the desk, gripping it fairly high up and intending to just tick a couple of boxes or scribble a couple of numbers down. The flex can be rather disconcerting, particularly to a new user. I should emphasise though that the flex was never enough to inadvertently advance the lead.

So, how exactly does bending the body make more lead come out the tip? Well, like I said, the mechanism is a normal everyday one just like in your everyday push top button mechanical pencil. The difference is in the activation. How does it work? In simple terms, inside the body of the mechanical pencil, the rod that would normally be pushed down by the top button has a cap on it which rests against a curved face. As the pencil body is bent to one side the rod slides against the face and is pushed downwards by the curve thus activating the lead advance mechanism just as if a button had been pushed down on the top of the pencil.

One question is how long will the curved face and rod last? Over time will the rod and/or the face wear to such an extent that it affects the action of the pencil. That’s something I can’t tell you after a few weeks use. However, a couple of people who have had pencils with this type of mechanism have contacted me over the years and mentioned that there was some wear and/or failure over time, but I think they also felt they got an acceptable lifespan out of the pencil.

Ten bends of the pencil will get you 7mm of the 0.5mm lead. To refill the lead chamber you unscrew the top half of the pencil to reveal the push rod.

Then you pull that metal cap off the rod. Note the lead clearance needle.

The word “Rotring” just above the centre joint is the only marking on the pencil. That’s a little disappointing. If ever a pencil could do with a name or model number on it, this it.

In summary then, I didn’t really expect to like this mechanical pencil all that much, but it really surprised me. It is a worthy addition to any collection of writing instruments, and if you have read this far you should go shopping now.
• Best Points – it gets a lot of points for the unusual mechanism.
• Not So Good Points – a touch of colour wouldn’t hurt…like for instance a red ring. Non-retractable lead sleeve.
• Price Range – Mid.
• Does this pencil make it into the Top 5? – Hmmmm…difficult. This is a very interesting pencil. OK, I need to go back to the beginning. The main criteria for the Top 5 is, “If I was starting from scratch and could only buy five pencils, would it be one of them?” So, let’s compare it to the existing Top 5. Sharp Kerry is safe, Scribble is safe, Tasche is…not, 925 25 is safe, Accugraph is…not. The buildings on fire, Tasche, Accugraph and Side Knock are on the desk…only got time to grab two…which one gets left behind? Arrrrgghhh, an agonising choice…but…sorry Tasche. So, Ohto Tasche is removed from the Top 5 and replaced by Rotring Side Knock.
Dimensions – Length 135mm, diameter 9mm. Balance point about 60mm up from the tip.

Notes:
1 – Sanford LP, a company of Newell Rubbermaid of the USA. Sanford's brands include Paper Mate, Parker, Waterman, Rotring, Sensa, Sharpie, Berol and Reynolds

Rotring 600 Mechanical Pencil Review

Rotring 600 Mechanical Pencil Review

For a while now I have been in contact with Ovidiu from Romania who is a fellow collector of mechanical pencils. I’ve been twisting his arm to write a guest review for my blog, and eventually he succumbed to the pressure, and so, here is his review of the Rotring 600 mechanical pencil.

For some years after I got into collecting mechanical pencils, the Rotring 600 was something of a myth for me. Very hard to find at that time and quite expensive, this pencil was and still is considered by many, the definition of a drafting, professional mechanical pencil.

My pencil was bought from Japan and it arrived in a small, black cardboard box, along with a sheet of paper that quite amusing is entitled “Manual”. In fact, Rotring and Manual are the only words intelligible to me, because the actual instructions are written in Japanese. This manual seems to apply also to the cheaper Rotring 500 and Rotring 300 models and explains, as I figured from the picture, how you can insert the leads into the mechanical pencil’s inner tube.

On the box it’s written Sanford GmbH – Hamburg, Germany, so this pencil is surely made after 1998, when Sanford bought Rotring. This text is the only thing that betrays the German connection of the Rotring 600, because, as far as I know, this pencil is only available in Japan stores and most likely it is also Japan made.

The first impression when you hold the Rotring 600 for the first time is how well it is made, is like a solid block of metal, with no wobbling parts. The body is brushed silver aluminium (there is also a black model), with the traditional (for drafting pencils) knurled grip with rhombus pattern and continues with the 4mm fixed sleeve, so we can’t talk about pocket safety here. The grip itself is nice, not too rough to hurt your fingers with long term use and also provides a pretty good grip. The central part of the body has a hexagonal shape, in a design effort to link somehow this modern pencil with the older wooden pencils. The hexagonal body also gives this pencil more stability when you write with it. The body is continued with a rounded part where the clip and the lead hardness indicator are located. The clip itself is nice and sturdy, made from the same brushed aluminium as the pencil with the Rotring inscription embossed, another nice touch, that gives class and elegance. The lead hardness indicator is in fact a knurled ring and is the standard twist mechanism that helps you choose the hardness of the leads you are using. You have enough values to choose from : 4H, 2H, H, F, HB, B, 2B. Around the top, it’s the classic red ring, a trademark of the Rotring writing instruments.

The cap is standard, also made of brushed aluminium like the rest of the pencil and it hides a small eraser. It also has the information about the lead size embossed on the top. I was surprised not to see a needle under the eraser, but I then I have never had problems with lead jams so far.

The mechanism is a standard push top ratchet advance, with a very positive, loud “click” which I like. Ten clicks will give you around 7mm of lead which I think is an ideal length for 0.5mm lead.

I have used the Rotring 600 many times, for writing mostly and very rarely for quick drawing. The feeling is that of a solid instrument, one that won’t let you down. It is very well put together, you don’t feel any play in the mechanism. The weight is very well distributed, with the center of gravity somewhere around the centre of the pencil. Personally, I prefer the weight to be distributed towards the grip, but that’s just me… that’s probably why I like Ohto Super Promecha so much. The grip can feel a little slippery after long periods of writing sessions. The brushed texture of the body guarantees that the pencil will remain scratch free for a long period of time, with minimal care.

All in all a fantastic, almost perfect pencil with a technical, robust and simple design, a real trendsetter at the time it was launched, and one that I highly recommend.

• Best points: The design and build quality, the history behind it.
• Not so good points: You have to be very picky to find something wrong with it, but honestly I wished a thicker grip.

Dimensions:
Length: 142mm
Thickness: 9 mm (the hexagonal barrel across points), 7mm diameter for the grip.

Price range: Medium

OK, thanks Ovidiu. I’ll look forward to something about the Ohto Super Promecha in the future :-)

Link to Rotring 600 Model Identification
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Rotring 600 Model Identification

Like many writing instruments, the Rotring 600 has undergone many changes over the years. Here’s a link to a document attempting to identify and categorise the various changes undergone by the Rotring 600 series of pens and mechanical pencils.

Click Rotring 600 Model Identification

The document was compiled by Lawrence Gottlieb with the help of many pen friends. If you have any additional information then please leave a comment here so Lawrence can add it into the document.

Rotring Tikky Mechanical Pencil Review

Rotring Tikky Mechanical Pencil Review

The German company Rotring is one with a proud heritage, a name that has long been synonymous with superior technical drafting equipment, including mechanical pencils. In more recent times though they have become one of the Sanford brands and undergone some changes that have at times left many onlookers confused and surprised. A large number of their products have been discontinued but one of the survivors is the subject of this review, the Rotring Tikky mechanical pencil. In the Rotring 2008 catalogue, aside from the Rotring 300 clutch pencil, the Tikky is the only mechanical pencil featured and in fact it is shown logoed as the “Papermate Tikky by Rotring”. As at the time of writing this review the Tikky and the 300 are the only mechanical pencils on the Rotring website. Unlike the catalogue, on the website the Tikky is shown branded solely as Rotring. If you search the web you will also find what certainly appears to be the Tikky available as the “Papermate Precision” mechanical pencil. Like I say, a mix when it comes to Rotring.

The Rotring Tikky mechanical pencil is currently available in four different lead diameters, labelled as 0.35mm, 0.5mm, 0.7mm and 1.0mm. Don’t be confused by these lead diameters, Rotring are using some less common designations and the 0.35mm is the lead that most others call 0.3mm, and the 1.0mm is what is usually called 0.9mm. So to re-state that, the Tikky is available in 0.3mm, 0.5mm, 0.7mm and 0.9mm, despite what’s printed on the pencil itself, and what the true diameters of the leads are.

As well as selling by the individual pencil, Rotring offer a Tikky three-pack of 0.35/0.5/0.7mm which is what I have for this review. As you might expect, the pricing on the three-pack is advantageous compared to the singles. Now that I’ve become aware of this three-pack I think it’s a pretty good marketing idea and I’m surprised other brands don’t offer something similar.

The Tikky is a fairly attractive looking pencil. The base colour is black, but it’s got a hint of brown in it in some lights. The whole package of chrome appointments, glossy black/brown upper body, white logo printing, red Rotring ring and interesting grip section all combine to make a visually pleasing whole. For those of you who like lighter colours, some versions of the Tikky are also available in a wide selection of other colours.

The grip section is the most eye-catching aspect of the Tikky. It is a hard grey rubber, moulded around rectangular sections of the body. Overall the traditional Rotring Tikky wave profile is kept but a rather visually intriguing pattern is created. The grey rubber is very hard and not particularly grippy, so whilst the grip looks good, it is only average in actual use. Weighing in at about 12 grams, the Tikky is a medium weight pencil but it is balanced towards the tip. The weight, balance and grip zone combine to make it feel quite good in the hand.

The pocket clip on the Tikky is a rather impressive affair. It is very firm clip that won’t be coming accidently loose from whatever you attach it to. I really like the clips long flowing profile. The clip is attached to the body by two wings that are folded around and onto the body – it’s a class act that shows some genuine quality of manufacture.

The lead diameter of the Tikky is indicated by a coloured section up near the top of the pencil. Yellow = 0.35mm, brown = 0.5mm, etc. The lead size is also printed on the barrel. Well, the lead dot colour indicator is a nice idea, but I’m not particularly convinced of its practicality. The Tikky is advertised as a “technical writing” pencil so far more useful to me would be a lead hardness indicator, which the Tikky does not have.

The Tikky is a standard push top button ratchet advance mechanism pencil. Ten clicks of the 0.5mm model will get you about 8mm of lead. The lead sleeve is a 4mm thin metal pipe so definitely suitable for draughting work, although I imagine that’s ‘drafting’ in the Sanford lexicon. The Tikky’s sleeve is a fixed non-retractable sleeve, so it’s not pocket safe.

As you might expect, there is a small emergency use eraser under the push top button, and you pull that out to access the lead refill magazine.

Rotring is stamped into the pocket clip.

Markings printed on the body.

Despite the recent changes and other carry on with the Rotring brand, the Tikky is a class act and I’m tempted to think this latest incarnation is an actual improvement on it predecessors. Product evolution as it should be.

• Best Points – It looks good, especially the grip and pocket clip.
• Not So Good Points – Nothing really bad, but I would swap the lead size indicator for a hardness indicator any day of the week.
• Price Range – Low.
• Does this pencil make it into the Top 5? - No.

Dimensions – Length 141mm, diameter 9mm. Balance point about 60mm up from the tip.

Further Reading : Old & new Tikky's - Tikky 1 2 3

The Fine Print
The set of three Rotring Tikky mechanical pencils featured above were given to me by Euroffice, an office supplies specialist in the UK, in exchange for a review of the pencils and this acknowledgement.