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Rotring 600 Ballpoint Pen

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Re: Rotring 600 Ballpoint Pen

#61

Post by fifticon »

I am probably an uneducated cretin, but I have my preferences anyway. I am in Denmark, and in Denmark, you can get "sharpie pens" () from the brand LYRECO, which I am very fond of, particularly of their high quality and durability. There is a personal story (for me at least..) regarding them. More than a decade ago, I worked for many years for a specific company, which had its good and bad sides. One major upside, was that their employee equipment supply included LYRECO pens. So I basically had free access to black/red/blue LYRECO pens. I am not a career criminal as such, but simply through basic negligence, occasionally one of those pens would wander in my pockets, briefcases or binders, back to my residence, through no active ill will, and be left lying around some random place. Mind you, these are "cheap" sharpie pens, so I am probably not going to jail anytime soon because of this. However you choose to interpret or describe it, in the end some number of those pens, larger than 1, but less than 10, ended up in random places in my house/possession.

Up until now, this is not a particularly ravishing story. But this is about to change (?). The issue is, those MF's won't stop writing! They ended up in my possession by now more than 10 years ago, but when I pull one of them out, they still write! So, a sharpie-style (sort of) pen, that still writes well more than 10 years later!

Of course, they eventually dry out, when I exhaust them of ink through use. But the 10 years of age has not dried them out. And further, they appear very well provisioned with ink. This story could end here, but there is another twist: Of course, I quite love these pens, and I really would like my own supply. But here is the kicker: They are not available to civilians/consumers :-(. LYRECO only wants to trade with companies. So to be able to buy my own, I would have to start or register a company. (In particular, to fill out their online order forms, I have to fill in mandatory fields with numeric codes only companies have). So, at various times, I have filled out most of their online ordering forms, and stared longingly at the empty fields I have no numbers for. I have also, on other websites, started to fill out the registration form to start my own one-man company. But never completed it, both because I don't have a valid business case other than "I'd really like some of those pens, man!", and because having a registerered company requires you to follow certain procedures, like filing specific tax forms regularly, IE I could get into trouble and bother by making a "fake company". The last issue is, that I also am paranoid, speculating that maybe the late-stage capitalism monsters have arrived at LYRECO's offices in the intervening 10 years, and whispered in some guy's ear "You know.. we don't really have to make our pens THAT GOOD, we could ship shit instead and charge the same!"

() I don't know what their actual type is. They are filt pens I guess, with the 'filt' sticking out of what I assume to be a steel tube.

Re: Rotring 600 Ballpoint Pen

#62

Post by dist-epoch »

ktzar wrote: post #24

I still think that fountain pens are the pinnacle of writing stationery. One lasts generations and there's no consumables that need recycling or disposing of, if you use a rechargeable cartridge and buy ink bottles.

I vaguely remember the writing tip getting blunt after a while and needing change.

Re: Rotring 600 Ballpoint Pen

#63

Post by anu7df »

bayindirh wrote: post #46
avian wrote: post #31

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> One lasts generations Multiple Parker Vectors I had typically lasted a few years of use each before the plastic windings between the pen head and the holder wore out or broke. My Pilot Metropolitan did the same just a few months back. I still have the high-end pens my grandfather used that, while mechanically still sound, I am unable to get the ink flowing through them. I love writing with fountain pens, but long l…

I have multiple pens which are a decade old, incl. a Metropolitan and Safari, and write like day one despite being used frequently. I also have a couple ones older than 50. They also work. Clogged ones generally need a good flush with a fountain pen flush.

Also, if you do not want to spend on any specialized fountain pen flush solution, diluted windex works very well. From the smell I am willing to bet that most fountain pen cleaning solutions are exactly that.

Re: Rotring 600 Ballpoint Pen

#64

Post by bayindirh »

anu7df wrote: post #63
bayindirh wrote: post #46

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I have multiple pens which are a decade old, incl. a Metropolitan and Safari, and write like day one despite being used frequently. I also have a couple ones older than 50. They also work. Clogged ones generally need a good flush with a fountain pen flush.

Also, if you do not want to spend on any specialized fountain pen flush solution, diluted windex works very well. From the smell I am willing to bet that most fountain pen cleaning solutions are exactly that.

Thanks! Unfortunately we don't have Windex here. Many of them here contain alcohol, and some others contain lemon juice to remove calc stains from glass. I wouldn't risk that, actually.

I use J. Herbin's flush, which doesn't mind being used over and over. I filled an old Lamy 30ml ink bottle with one, and flush my pens with the same "liquid". From what I feel, it has some soap, some other surfactants, which it doesn't react with the rubber and seals inside the converters and pistons. Alcohol eats them from my experience.

The bottle I have gained interesting properties. It's a green-turquoise hue, which becomes reddish if you shine strong light through it :)

But it cleans like it's never used, which is nice.

Re: Rotring 600 Ballpoint Pen

#65

Post by crinkly »

ktzar wrote: post #24

I still think that fountain pens are the pinnacle of writing stationery. One lasts generations and there's no consumables that need recycling or disposing of, if you use a rechargeable cartridge and buy ink bottles.

Oh hell no. I used fountain pens, good ones, for nearly 20 years. They leak, blob all over the place, are difficult to refill, require cleaning, end up with servicing problems when you really need to write immediately. Also difficult to draw complex diagrams with. Absolute self inflicted pain and misery.

I use Muji gel pens now. None of those problems and you can take the cartridges back to them and they recycle them. And the pen bodies themselves last functionally forever.

Re: Rotring 600 Ballpoint Pen

#66

Post by someothherguyy »

tiniuclx wrote: post #59
ktzar wrote: post #24

I still think that fountain pens are the pinnacle of writing stationery. One lasts generations and there's no consumables that need recycling or disposing of, if you use a rechargeable cartridge and buy ink bottles.

My first full time software engineering paycheque went towards a Lamy 2000. I've been using it for many years now and it's never let me down.

That probably costs more than I ever spent on all writing utensils I've ever owned.

What makes this cost that much (other than they are owned by uniball)? The material certainly isn't worth that much? And the function would be replicated in the market for less? So, what makes it not some luxury bullshit?

Re: Rotring 600 Ballpoint Pen

#67

Post by Telemakhos »

bayindirh wrote: post #64
anu7df wrote: post #63

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Also, if you do not want to spend on any specialized fountain pen flush solution, diluted windex works very well. From the smell I am willing to bet that most fountain pen cleaning solutions are exactly that.

Thanks! Unfortunately we don't have Windex here. Many of them here contain alcohol, and some others contain lemon juice to remove calc stains from glass. I wouldn't risk that, actually. I use J. Herbin's flush, which doesn't mind being used over and over. I filled an old Lamy 30ml ink bottle with one, and flush my pens with the same "liquid". From what I feel, it has some soap, some other surfactants, which it doesn'…

Have you tried ultrasonic cleaning with plain water? I got a cheap ultrasonic jewelry cleaner and started cleaning my pens with it, and they work beautifully.

Re: Rotring 600 Ballpoint Pen

#68

Post by mk_stjames »

radicalbyte wrote: post #34
ktzar wrote: post #24

I still think that fountain pens are the pinnacle of writing stationery. One lasts generations and there's no consumables that need recycling or disposing of, if you use a rechargeable cartridge and buy ink bottles.

They're also horrible to use if you're left-handed and writing English or any other left-to-right language.

There was this article posted here on HN about the geodemography of left handedness in the US, and all sorts of discussion about past culture of eschewing LH'ded children in schools and such...

and I was surprised that no one brought up the very real downsides of being left handed in a left-to-right writing system region of the world (which is most of it). Most comments were leaning towards backwards conservatism and straight up malice with regard to students being forced a hand in writing early in school and it seemed no one brought up the very real practical reasons for preferring to write right handed, especially with ink.

And I say this as someone who is completely ambidextrous when writing but does not do the 'hook hand' left hand to write, and thus I usually write right-handed with pens and pencils. I have a left handed friend who does write that way and it just screams RSI/Carpal Tunnel to me.

Re: Rotring 600 Ballpoint Pen

#69

Post by dillydogg »

joshvm wrote: post #7
kstrauser wrote: post #4

That's a very nice pen and I get the appeal. However, I've recently discovered Uni Jetstream pens, and I don't see ever buying anything else. There are nicer pen bodies out there but I've never used a pen that does a better job of putting ink on paper, reliably, every time, without ever skipping in the slightest, not requiring any significant pressure, working on every kind of paper, and drying instantly. For me, it…

Jetstreams are great. Worth pointing out that you can buy refills in various form factors, including Parker style that'll fit the Rotring 600: https://www.jetpens.com/Uni-SXR-600-Jetstream-Ballpoint-Pen-... I also recommend the 800 mechanical pencil which has a very satisfying twist-retract tip.

The discovery of the jotter style refill led me down a path of trying many different inks for my Rotring 600. I ended up liking the OHTO ceramic rollerball quite well, partly for the ink, and also for the appearance of the nib, which I think suits the Rotring 600 nicely

Re: Rotring 600 Ballpoint Pen

#70

Post by bayindirh »

Telemakhos wrote: post #67
bayindirh wrote: post #64

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Thanks! Unfortunately we don't have Windex here. Many of them here contain alcohol, and some others contain lemon juice to remove calc stains from glass. I wouldn't risk that, actually. I use J. Herbin's flush, which doesn't mind being used over and over. I filled an old Lamy 30ml ink bottle with one, and flush my pens with the same "liquid". From what I feel, it has some soap, some other surfactants, which it doesn'…

Have you tried ultrasonic cleaning with plain water? I got a cheap ultrasonic jewelry cleaner and started cleaning my pens with it, and they work beautifully.

I have an ultrasonic cleaner too, but no pens were stubborn enough to necessitate a bath inside it.

I generally "power flush" my pens with a syringe: Get a 50ml syringe, cut the sealed end of a cartridge, fill the syringe, mate the syringe, cartridge, pen, and push the water through. After a couple of times, the pen is thoroughly cleaned. Shake a couple of times, let it dry.

On the other hand, many (if not most) inks have some detergents in it, and keep your pen clean and clog free as long as you use them. Older inks used Solv-X which was more effective but deemed carcinogen and banned in modern inks.

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