Rotring Pens

[Briar Lee]

Almost thirty years ago in Kansas City I splurged nearly a hundred dollars on a German made black metal ballpoint pen. A good pen is as subjective as a good pipe, but my Rotring was a favorite until I lost it about twenty years ago.

I recently saw and bought a modern Rotring black metal pen on eBay for only $30 and it arrived today.

It’s called the Dubai model, and seems to be an improved version of my old black Rotring with a better clip, chevrons for gripping, and it uses the universally available Parker G2 refill (P-13 Monteverde).

The refill is made in France, the pen is unmarked as to origin, likely China.

It does seem to have all the same high dollar German pixie dust sprinkled over it as the German originals had. You need to use it to appreciate why these used to cost almost a hundred dollars thirty years ago.

My old one never showed any wear to the black barrel. We’ll see how well the new one resists scratches.

If you’d like a weighty, substantial pen try one of these:

 

[RobNYC]

I've never used a Rotring ballpoint but I do quite enjoy their pencils on the rare occasion that I use a pencil.

 

[yanoJL]

That's a lovely pen. I wonder if the Pilot G2 is compatible with the Parker G2? I prefer the rollerball G2 from Pilot as the ink is seemingly thinner than the thicker/pasty ballpoint ink, and the flow and feel are smoother to me.

 

[Briar Lee]

I’m remembering now a little of the sales pitch about them, I got at this glorious pen shop in Crown Center in Kansas City.

First, this was about 1995, before the Pilot G-2 pens came out. The Parker G-2 is a very old standard, but Pilot G-2 refills do NOT interchange. Close, but not quite.

Rotring has made top of the line mechanical drawing pencils for a very long time.

What I remember was the salesman claiming the black metal clicking Rotring was made like a gun barrel, except for the clip that had to be made of spring steel.

The pen has a fully machined tip and clicker button. The body is a machined steel tube, but is then swaged and covered by a special whiz bang black ceramic coated steel tube with a Rotring red circle, guaranteed not to chip or scratch, and which is “grippy”.



My 1995 pen had a much cruder spring steel clip, and no chevrons to show off the polished steel underneath, and took some proprietary refill, I probably still have in a drawer.

Here’s a good article on the differences between a ball point, a gel pen, and a rollerball.

Ballpoint, Rollerball, or Gel Pens?

The Ultimate Guide to Ballpoint Rollerball and Gel Pens Includes Info on the Different Ink Types & How They Stack Up Against Each Other.

penvibe.com

The Monteverde P-13 fits a bunch of good pens and is the size of the Parker G-2. If these don’t scratch your itch for a nice pen refill you are very hard to please.

 

[AppalachianPipe92]

I keep Rotring pencils in my truck and field binder. Never got into their pens, as I'm too big a fan of others. Quality is not lacking, though I haven't bought a new one in quite some time now.

 

[markus]

I lose and replace too many pens for me to appreciate this particular $30 pen.

 

[UB 40]

The mechanical pencils and tubular drawing pens made by Rotring are excellent. Some of their pens of the past are built for eternity but too heavy for daily use for me.

The best pen for everyday use I ever, ever had (and I tried a lot from noname to expensive Lamy etc.) is the Schneider Slider Rave XB with improved viscoglide technology. Light and smooth. Ok, the design is not much to sign a million contract.



And you can’t break the clip.

 

[chilllucky]

I use an excellent Rotring compas set in the woodshop. Mechanical pencil and everything.

 

[captpat]

I have a NOS Rotring Pen and Pencil Set, in black, complete with the original plastic display box. I really like their mechanical pencils they are a nice contrast to the flimsy plastic versions offered by BIC and others.

 

[Hillcrest]

Nice pen ! Also - The Rotring 600 and 800 series have always been popular with the EDC/Self Defense afficianados.

Reissue of the rOtring 600 Ballpoint - Return of an Icon — The Clicky Post

If you’ve followed the blog for a few years, you’ll know that for a period I had somewhat of a rOtring obsession. (putting it mildly actually…) “New” rOtring products didn’t quite fit my fancy, but more of the “vintage” variety of the discontinued 600 series ballpoint, rollerball, fountain, and mult

clickypost.com

I am always amazed at the price of ballpen refills and ink ... it fluctuates and is directly related to the CMV of oil !

Enjoy your pen !

 

[ssjones]

I used an inexpensive Pilot Dr Grip pen for work, with a fine point.

The only "heavy" pen I owned was this Gerber Tactical pen. For some reason, last year, it caught the eye of the TSA in Baltimore and they wouldn't let me fly with it.

TSA Guy - holding my pen: "What the purpose for this?".
Me: Well, since it is a pen, for writing. For example, writing complaint letters about the TSA in Baltimore (I knew it was already gone).
They took it.
I said no worries, I'll just buy it back from you on Ebay in a couple of days.
Then, my wife made me leave, so I wouldn't get kicked out of the airport. (she's wise like that).
It was not a cheap pen, still pisses me off everytime I fly thru BWI (like Wednesday...)

Amazon.com

 

[didimauw]

I used an inexpensive Pilot Dr Grip pen for work, with a fine point.

The only "heavy" pen I owned was this Gerber Tactical pen. For some reason, last year, it caught the eye of the TSA in Baltimore and they wouldn't let me fly with it.

TSA Guy - holding my pen: "What the purpose for this?".
Me: Well, since it is a pen, for writing. For example, writing complaint letters about the TSA in Baltimore (I knew it was already gone).
They took it.
I said no worries, I'll just buy it back from you on Ebay in a couple of days.
Then, my wife made me leave, so I wouldn't get kicked out of the airport. (she's wise like that).
It was not a cheap pen, still pisses me off everytime I fly thru BWI (like Wednesday...)

Amazon.com

View attachment 251385

Geez, what were you trying to accomplish with a dangerous weapon like that? I know you are a watch guy, so I hope you weren't wearing a f91w....

 

[Briar Lee]

Nice pen ! Also - The Rotring 600 and 800 series have always been popular with the EDC/Self Defense afficianados.

Reissue of the rOtring 600 Ballpoint - Return of an Icon — The Clicky Post

If you’ve followed the blog for a few years, you’ll know that for a period I had somewhat of a rOtring obsession. (putting it mildly actually…) “New” rOtring products didn’t quite fit my fancy, but more of the “vintage” variety of the discontinued 600 series ballpoint, rollerball, fountain, and mult

clickypost.com

I am always amazed at the price of ballpen refills and ink ... it fluctuates and is directly related to the CMV of oil !

Enjoy your pen !

Now that you mention it, the lawyer I was with when he showed me the pen shop was THE most “self defense” oriented man I ever met.

1. He personally knew Col Jeff Cooper

2. Owned Lenard Wood’s Serial #9 1911 presented him by Colt

3. Ex mercenaries from the Rhodesian Self Defense Forces regularly hung out in his office

4. Had a custom 25-06 he used to fly to South Africa to hunt baboons

5. Collected pre 45 German uniforms

6. Bought an expensive condo in the neck of Idaho and became acquainted thereby with Mark Furhman

7. Owned five select fire NFA weapons

8. When his mother died I didn’t know he ever had a mother. His wife and I cried, we were the only mourners, and he hung his head, but not one tear glistened.

9. Once when showing me his firearms collection, I asked him if he owned even one gun he could take hunting and wasn’t para military. He produced a Remington 870 and a Remington 550-1 .22 he got as presents as a child. They appeared unfired.

10. He carried a custom pen that indeed doubled as a stiletto. He looked at my Rotring and admired the matte black finish.

When the Las Vegas massacre happened in 2017 my wife and I watched in horror.

My phone rang and another lawyer that knew my friend asked, are you thinking what I am?

I said he’s not evil. A sociopath yes, but evil no.

But if he was evil they’d never catch him.

The same friend called me a couple of years later and said our mutual friend had died. I said what of, and he said the last trace of goodness left him, and he just died.

His wife had him cremated. No funeral.

His sons got all his toys.

 

[lraisch]

Now that you mention it, the lawyer I was with when he showed me the pen shop was THE most “self defense” oriented man I ever met.

1. He personally knew Col Jeff Cooper

2. Owned Lenard Wood’s Serial #9 1911 presented him by Colt

3. Ex mercenaries from the Rhodesian Self Defense Forces regularly hung out in his office

4. Had a custom 25-06 he used to fly to South Africa to hunt baboons

5. Collected pre 45 German uniforms

6. Bought an expensive condo in the neck of Idaho and became acquainted thereby with Mark Furhman

7. Owned five select fire NFA weapons

8. When his mother died I didn’t know he ever had a mother. His wife and I cried, we were the only mourners, and he hung his head, but not one tear glistened.

9. Once when showing me his firearms collection, I asked him if he owned even one gun he could take hunting and wasn’t para military. He produced a Remington 870 and a Remington 550-1 .22 he got as presents as a child. They appeared unfired.

10. He carried a custom pen that indeed doubled as a stiletto. He looked at my Rotring and admired the matte black finish.

When the Las Vegas massacre happened in 2017 my wife and I watched in horror.

My phone rang and another lawyer that knew my friend asked, are you thinking what I am?

I said he’s not evil. A sociopath yes, but evil no.

But if he was evil they’d never catch him.

The same friend called me a couple of years later and said our mutual friend had died. I said what of, and he said the last trace of goodness left him, and he just died.

His wife had him cremated. No funeral.

His sons got all his toys.

Doesn't sound like the kind of person I would want for a neighbor.

 

[Hillcrest]

I used an inexpensive Pilot Dr Grip pen for work, with a fine point.

The only "heavy" pen I owned was this Gerber Tactical pen. For some reason, last year, it caught the eye of the TSA in Baltimore and they wouldn't let me fly with it.

TSA Guy - holding my pen: "What the purpose for this?".
Me: Well, since it is a pen, for writing. For example, writing complaint letters about the TSA in Baltimore (I knew it was already gone).
They took it.
I said no worries, I'll just buy it back from you on Ebay in a couple of days.
Then, my wife made me leave, so I wouldn't get kicked out of the airport. (she's wise like that).
It was not a cheap pen, still pisses me off everytime I fly thru BWI (like Wednesday...)

Amazon.com

View attachment 251385

Your mistake is that it says Gerber on it. You can get a similar metal pen without the nonsense that they won't take. The whole concept comes from the Japanese bodyguard for president Nixon who trained the Secret Service. He designed a whole self defense method based on pressure points using nothing more than a Cross ballpoint pen. I can't find the link currently.

 

[Hillcrest]

Now that you mention it, the lawyer I was with when he showed me the pen shop was THE most “self defense” oriented man I ever met.

1. He personally knew Col Jeff Cooper

2. Owned Lenard Wood’s Serial #9 1911 presented him by Colt

3. Ex mercenaries from the Rhodesian Self Defense Forces regularly hung out in his office

4. Had a custom 25-06 he used to fly to South Africa to hunt baboons

5. Collected pre 45 German uniforms

6. Bought an expensive condo in the neck of Idaho and became acquainted thereby with Mark Furhman

7. Owned five select fire NFA weapons

8. When his mother died I didn’t know he ever had a mother. His wife and I cried, we were the only mourners, and he hung his head, but not one tear glistened.

9. Once when showing me his firearms collection, I asked him if he owned even one gun he could take hunting and wasn’t para military. He produced a Remington 870 and a Remington 550-1 .22 he got as presents as a child. They appeared unfired.

10. He carried a custom pen that indeed doubled as a stiletto. He looked at my Rotring and admired the matte black finish.

When the Las Vegas massacre happened in 2017 my wife and I watched in horror.

My phone rang and another lawyer that knew my friend asked, are you thinking what I am?

I said he’s not evil. A sociopath yes, but evil no.

But if he was evil they’d never catch him.

The same friend called me a couple of years later and said our mutual friend had died. I said what of, and he said the last trace of goodness left him, and he just died.

His wife had him cremated. No funeral.

His sons got all his toys.

I am not a gun collector but what you describe is a mere pittance to a true military arms collector. The largest collection in the United States was purchased by the NRA musuem for a cool $27.5 million. It included every military machine gun of WWI & II of every country including howitzers, twin 50 cals, mortars, m60's, browning machine guns etc. You describe the man as a sociopath ... I assume that is based on personal knowledge you have other than his small collection. There are other collections out there as large but you'll never hear about them for obvious reasons.

 

[bullet08]

Only pen I'll ever need. US made solid brass pen with space pen refill. Japanese and rOtring pencils behind it.

 

[HRPufnstuf]

"He killed three men with a pencil..."

 

[Briar Lee]

I am not a gun collector but what you describe is a mere pittance to a true military arms collector. The largest collection in the United States was purchased by the NRA musuem for a cool $27.5 million. It included every military machine gun of WWI & II of every country including howitzers, twin 50 cals, mortars, m60's, browning machine guns etc. You describe the man as a sociopath ... I assume that is based on personal knowledge you have other than his small collection. There are other collections out there as large but you'll never hear about them for obvious reasons.

The majority of his practice was representing a multi billionaire who lived across the street in a positively enormous, huge mansion, but my friend had a rather modest ranch style brick home. I referred him large personal injury cases and he’d split half with me.

He was an utter genius.

He drove his Porche 911 or BMW with nitrous oxide or his Jeep Wrangler at insane speeds wherever we went. He’d donated enough money to a small town police department they made him a Captain, and he used those credentials to avoid arrest when caught.

Once we shot through a little town at over a hundred miles an hour with three legal machine guns in the trunk, and I remarked how disturbed the local police might be if they caught us on radar.

My friend never got excited or angry or sad or happy. He had no emotions I ever saw. All he said was

Do you see any elephants?

I said no, what the hell, there aren’t any elephants around here.

He said in perfect dead pan, the elephant control officer is doing a perfect job.


I think I know what he meant, and he was rather fond of saying the elephant control officer was doing a perfect job, when we’d scream through some little wide spot in the road.

He was never mean.

But he was ice cold, all the time.

 

[Briar Lee]

Why not to spend hundreds of dollars on high dollar used pens, illustrated.

These were $21 each. In the illustrations you can’t see any trademarks. The description says Luxury 163 Resin Series.


They take genuine refills, but I use Monterverde refills with great results.

The profit margin on genuine ones must be astronomical. These are perfect in every way, just gorgeous pens.




The wholesale price is less than $7 for these, but the caption reads they can’t be shipped to the selected country.