Rotring 500
Jul 26, 2014 0:37:26 GMT -8
Post by DerekVerbrugge on Jul 26, 2014 0:37:26 GMT -8
I'll kick things off with a review! Finally, some content. *sigh of relief*
This is the Rotring 500:
The Rotring 500 is the cheaper sibling of the Rotring 600. Unlike the Rotring 600, the Rotring 500 does not have an all metal body. The hexagonal upper portion of the pencil uses a very durable, somewhat glossy, but not shiny plastic.
The grip of the Rotring 500 has a very comfortable knurl, and is a shade of black that matches the rest of the pencil. The tip is clean and easy to look down. (The tip has an odd shape because it was designed to be used with a scriber.)
Unscrewing the tip reveals the big 3 jawed brass clutch that securely holds and dispenses lead. The clutch is fitted into the body and cannot be removed as far as I can tell. Lead does not wiggle or give at all. It fits tightly in the 4mm tube at the end of the pencil.
At the other end of the pencil, a tight but usable clip, finished in a matte black texture, clings to the body. The clip has "rotring" pressed into it in a very stylish way. The knurled lead indicator does not click, but is very tight and shows no signs of getting loose anytime soon. It has all of the degrees between 2B and 4H marked on it. Holding the lead indicator onto the end of the pencil is the red ring that Rotring is known for. The cap is finished in the same black texture as the clip.
Underneath the cap is a very good plastic eraser that does not smudge and produces thin strings that are easy to remove from a writing surface. The eraser is small. Astonishingly, it is actually smaller than the average eraser supplied with Pentel drafting pencils. The lead chamber is metal, like just about everything else.
For kicks and giggles, here's the Rotring 500's evil twin. The Koh-I-Noor Rapidomatic 563X series pencils (where X is the pencil lead diameter) was mostly made in Japan. Early versions were made in Germany, and late versions were made in China with a disappointing plastic mechanism.
The biggest difference externally is the lack of the red ring that Rotring branded the 500 (and everything else Rotring) with. The Koh-I-Noor's cap has the lead size pressed into it, while the Rotring has a hole that reveals the eraser instead.
Credit: leadholder.com
The Koh-I-Noor does not have the cool texture on it's metal fittings that the Rotring has, but a quick glance at leadholder.com reveals that early Rotring 500s were a totally awesome shade of brown with chrome fittings, much like the Koh-I-Noor.
The Koh-I-Noor is internally similar, but ever so slightly different. The clutch screws into the tip, which allows the entire pencil to disassemble easily, while still being just as rigid and tight. Looking down the top of the lead chamber of the Rotring 500 reveals that the lead chamber has a choke point that is thinner than the rest of the chamber that helps contain lead in the pencil when removing the cap and eraser. The Koh-I-Noor lacks this interesting feature.
The Rotring 500 writes like a fine instrument, due to it's solid clutch and tight mechanism. It is balanced precisely at the middle of the pencil, making it easy to handle for long periods of time. It's not too heavy, but it isn't so light that it feels cheap. The click is very clean and defined. The metal construction makes each click feel mechanical and precise despite the fact that there is a bit more travel required to click the pencil than with most. All in all, it's a great pencil.
This is the Rotring 500:
The Rotring 500 is the cheaper sibling of the Rotring 600. Unlike the Rotring 600, the Rotring 500 does not have an all metal body. The hexagonal upper portion of the pencil uses a very durable, somewhat glossy, but not shiny plastic.
The grip of the Rotring 500 has a very comfortable knurl, and is a shade of black that matches the rest of the pencil. The tip is clean and easy to look down. (The tip has an odd shape because it was designed to be used with a scriber.)
Unscrewing the tip reveals the big 3 jawed brass clutch that securely holds and dispenses lead. The clutch is fitted into the body and cannot be removed as far as I can tell. Lead does not wiggle or give at all. It fits tightly in the 4mm tube at the end of the pencil.
At the other end of the pencil, a tight but usable clip, finished in a matte black texture, clings to the body. The clip has "rotring" pressed into it in a very stylish way. The knurled lead indicator does not click, but is very tight and shows no signs of getting loose anytime soon. It has all of the degrees between 2B and 4H marked on it. Holding the lead indicator onto the end of the pencil is the red ring that Rotring is known for. The cap is finished in the same black texture as the clip.
Underneath the cap is a very good plastic eraser that does not smudge and produces thin strings that are easy to remove from a writing surface. The eraser is small. Astonishingly, it is actually smaller than the average eraser supplied with Pentel drafting pencils. The lead chamber is metal, like just about everything else.
For kicks and giggles, here's the Rotring 500's evil twin. The Koh-I-Noor Rapidomatic 563X series pencils (where X is the pencil lead diameter) was mostly made in Japan. Early versions were made in Germany, and late versions were made in China with a disappointing plastic mechanism.
The biggest difference externally is the lack of the red ring that Rotring branded the 500 (and everything else Rotring) with. The Koh-I-Noor's cap has the lead size pressed into it, while the Rotring has a hole that reveals the eraser instead.
Credit: leadholder.com
The Koh-I-Noor does not have the cool texture on it's metal fittings that the Rotring has, but a quick glance at leadholder.com reveals that early Rotring 500s were a totally awesome shade of brown with chrome fittings, much like the Koh-I-Noor.
The Koh-I-Noor is internally similar, but ever so slightly different. The clutch screws into the tip, which allows the entire pencil to disassemble easily, while still being just as rigid and tight. Looking down the top of the lead chamber of the Rotring 500 reveals that the lead chamber has a choke point that is thinner than the rest of the chamber that helps contain lead in the pencil when removing the cap and eraser. The Koh-I-Noor lacks this interesting feature.
The Rotring 500 writes like a fine instrument, due to it's solid clutch and tight mechanism. It is balanced precisely at the middle of the pencil, making it easy to handle for long periods of time. It's not too heavy, but it isn't so light that it feels cheap. The click is very clean and defined. The metal construction makes each click feel mechanical and precise despite the fact that there is a bit more travel required to click the pencil than with most. All in all, it's a great pencil.
