Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Rotring 600 Ballpoint Pen

shellshore.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

71–80 of 206 posts

Re: Rotring 600 Ballpoint Pen

#71

Post by Telemakhos »

neilfrndes wrote: post #37
TheSilva wrote: post #30

I am going to derail the conversation from the pen and into the refills. As a left-handed that refuses to twist their hand to avoid smudging everything: what refills brands offer the best dry time to avoid black or blue smudges?

I found iroshizuku inks faster drying than the other brands I've tried. Paper matters a lot too, I've experimented with many and finally settled on Rhodia.

I’m a fan of Parker’s iroshizuku inks too. I don’t know why, but ink from a bottle seems to end up not drying inside the pen like cartridges do.

Re: Rotring 600 Ballpoint Pen

#72

Post by christophilus »

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.

Or if you occasionally spill coffee or any other liquid ever. I sometimes hand-write recipes. Fountain pens + sloppy kitchen meal prep are a bad combo.

Re: Rotring 600 Ballpoint Pen

#73

Post by mrob »

I think the Rotring 500 pencils are better than the 600s. They're very similar except instead of a full metal body, only the grip is metal, and the rest plastic. This makes them lighter, and moves the center of gravity closer to the tip, which makes them easier to control.

Re: Rotring 600 Ballpoint Pen

#74

Post by _Wintermute »

christophilus wrote: post #72
radicalbyte wrote: post #34

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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

Or if you occasionally spill coffee or any other liquid ever. I sometimes hand-write recipes. Fountain pens + sloppy kitchen meal prep are a bad combo.

You can get some very permanent water-proof inks. Platinum Carbon black is my favourite.

Re: Rotring 600 Ballpoint Pen

#75

Post by mrob »

christophilus wrote: post #72
radicalbyte wrote: post #34

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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

Or if you occasionally spill coffee or any other liquid ever. I sometimes hand-write recipes. Fountain pens + sloppy kitchen meal prep are a bad combo.

You can get fountain pen inks that chemically react with cellulose for complete water resistance (there may still be a little smudging from unreacted ink washing off the paper). Noodler's Black is a famous example. I like this kind of ink, although it's not without its drawbacks, because cotton/rayon/other plant fiber clothing is also mostly cellulose and will be stained just as permanently.

Re: Rotring 600 Ballpoint Pen

#76

Post by navigate8310 »

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…

Oh if you like Jetstream, you'll love Uni Zento even more

Re: Rotring 600 Ballpoint Pen

#77

Post by sudhirb »

someothherguyy wrote: post #66
tiniuclx wrote: post #59

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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?

I think the budget play is to get a cheap refillable fountain pen and some cheap fountain pen ink (I bought some Diamine bottled ink about 10 years ago and I've still got plenty left).

More expensive fountain pens are indeed luxury products - replicas are often available on places like aliexpress.

I think it probably feels like bullshit if you don't think you'll gain any satisfaction or derive any pleasure from the act of writing or the aesthetics of your writing instrument.

Re: Rotring 600 Ballpoint Pen

#78

Post by triknomeister »

avian wrote: post #54
radicalbyte wrote: post #34

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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

As a counter example, I'm left handed and write hundreds of pages per year in a left-to-right language and don't have issues with smudging lines with my palm. Maybe the inks I use dry fast enough (Parker Quink or Pelikan 4001) or it's the way I learned to write back in school.

I'm right handed and used to smudge ink, don't ask me how. Only now, with my notebooks at 90 degree angle can I write properly without smudging.

Re: Rotring 600 Ballpoint Pen

#79

Post by triknomeister »

avian wrote: post #31
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.

> 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…

Parker Vectors were cheap Parkers in my experience. They were like the 40 dollar nikes that you used to get. More money was spent in the brand than the quality.

I got a Parker Sonnet as a prize in a competition. It is still good, even though I rarely use it nowadays.

Re: Rotring 600 Ballpoint Pen

#80

Post by nelox »

mk_stjames wrote: post #68
radicalbyte wrote: post #34

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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…

I wonder if those issues similarly affect the right handers among the 2 billon or so users of right-to-left writing systems?
Post reply on HN