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Rotring 600 Ballpoint Pen

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Re: Rotring 600 Ballpoint Pen

#91

Post by sudhirb »

triknomeister wrote: post #79
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…

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.

I've had an ancient Parker 51 for a good decade or so now which I use almost daily, that originally belonged to my great-grandmother.

I'd expect there to be a reasonable amount of variation in how long these pens last due to differences in usage, machining tolerances, ink types and materials - though mine has done very well considering how many times I've chucked it into a bag, dropped it on hard floors, etc. (I've probably just been lucky so far).

Re: Rotring 600 Ballpoint Pen

#92

Post by jbd0 »

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.

You can always write in reverse like Leonardo DaVinci did.

Re: Rotring 600 Ballpoint Pen

#93

Post by quatonion »

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.

Totally agree. I used a fountain pen all the way through school and university.

My all time favourite was the Parker 25 in stainless steel, with a medium nib and blue-black ink. Sometimes I would go for purple if I was feeling a bit raunchy.

I know a lot of people liked the 105, and I had one, and a bunch of others, but there is something about the utilitarian functionality of the 25 that I really have a soft spot for.

I think there was a year or two where I may have flirted with ballpens, but not seriously.

Also even used Rotring and Staedtler Mars technical drawing pens on and off for regular writing. That was always fun in the middle of a lecture with ink everywhere.

It's such a shame I don't get to write on paper that much these days. No real need. Such a beautiful experience though.

Re: Rotring 600 Ballpoint Pen

#94

Post by Biganon »

orlp wrote: post #60

My favorite pens are the Frixxion pens. You can erase them, and it actually works well.

The ink from Frixxion pens disappears with time. I found out the hard way when I went to re-read my MLaw notes a few years after writing them.

Re: Rotring 600 Ballpoint Pen

#95

Post by xeonmc »

ethersteeds wrote: post #86
xeonmc wrote: post #21

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You can buy a Uniball One-F (the premium body) and put Jetstream refills in there as a drop-in replacement. Note though that for longevity in engineering notebooks I don’t like to use Jetstreams because of the yellowing seepage problem over time. But for everyday throwaway writing this setup is the ideal best of both worlds.

Since you're kindly offering recommendations, what do you use for longevity in engineering notebooks?

Unironically, my favourite is the standard Bic Cristal medium 1.0mm in black, but placed inside a Bic Round Stic body that I’ve reused for many years (I prefer a plain gripless thin body, since I use a gentle finger-leverage posture for applying pressure variations which I learned from the Palmer script method)

Or, for gel-based, the Uniball Signo black ink is my second choice. I particularly like using the Signo GelStick 0.7mm which I can make line variations from hairlines to super broad strokes (again, the leverage-based force application is key for effortless pressure variation techniques)

Re: Rotring 600 Ballpoint Pen

#96

Post by WillAdams »

Still raging that a Rotring Quattro is the only pen which I have lost (twice!) since I was a junior in high school over four decades ago. Did finally manage to get a replacement for the second one I lost, but if anyone ever sees a special edition Rotring Quattro as sold by Levenger w/ rubber coating for sale, let me know.

That said, these days I just carry a Skilcraft B3 Aviator as a slimmer, more pocketable multi-pen option (though I'm on my second, broke the clip of the first and haven't worked out how to disassemble and replace it).

Re: Rotring 600 Ballpoint Pen

#97

Post by numpad0 »

Biganon wrote: post #94
orlp wrote: post #60

My favorite pens are the Frixxion pens. You can erase them, and it actually works well.

The ink from Frixxion pens disappears with time. I found out the hard way when I went to re-read my MLaw notes a few years after writing them.

I've heard that they sometimes reappear when frozen, though not sure if that applies to natural discolorations as well.

Re: Rotring 600 Ballpoint Pen

#98

Post by WillAdams »

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.

Well, there are the bottles ink comes in --- I left behind a drawerful of empty Sheaffer bottles at a previous job which I've always regretted.

Agreed, except I have _not_ been able to get my Aurora Hastil to write/fill reliably for a couple of years now, despite cleaning, and I can't send it in to the manufacturer since the tip was ground to a chisel italic by Gretta Lostkemper (who used to oversee custom grinding at Sheaffer). Guess I need to get an ultrasonic cleaner and try that....

Re: Rotring 600 Ballpoint Pen

#99

Post by WillAdams »

neilfrndes wrote: post #27
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 agree :) My daily driver is a Pilot Vanishing Point. It's a fountain pen with a form factor of a clickable ball point pen.

I wish I could find a faceted VP --- still kicking myself for not buying one when I had a chance a couple of years ago.

Re: Rotring 600 Ballpoint Pen

#100

Post by WillAdams »

dist-epoch wrote: post #62
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.

That happens on inexpensive nibs which lack iridium (or some similar metal/alloy) tipping.

A tipped fountain pen will be incredibly resistant to wear --- while I did significantly wear down the inexpensive Platignum (British brand, but despite the name untipped steel) fountain pen I had when I was younger after a couple of decades, when I finally switched to using more expensive pens with nibs for tipping, haven't had to replace a nib since.

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