Rotring 600 Drafting Pencil - 0.35 mm - Black Body

Years ago I had a Japanese made .3mm Koh-i-Noor and it was the most amazing pencil I had ever used - it traveled with me for many years. Sadly, I dropped it and the Chinese made Koh-i-Noor was absolutely no comparison. In the years since then, I have used old .5mm and .9mm Koh-i-Noors (both Japanese) and struggled my way through.

I never sought to replace the pencil after the initial Chinese failings because I had serviceable (though not wholly enjoyable) replacements and my job requirements took me from pen and ink to keys and mice.

Now, I spend amazing amounts of time with paper in hand: I needed a replacement! So...I threw caution to the wind and with fear, I plopped down the $33 for the pencil.

Now, I said all of that to provide context for my commentary: Wow! The feel of the pencil in-hand is awesome. If you are a "wooden pencil" kind of person, this beast will not satisfy. The balance is awesome. If you have delicate hands, this pencil may not satisfy. The feed is precise and doesn't gum-up with 2B (which can be a problem with other .3mm pencils). For me, the combination of the .3mm size and the super soft 2B allows me to use a feather-light touch to get precise, tiny and dark lines.

If you are a drafting pencil junky, you need this pencil. But...you probably already know that. (-:

I meant to say that The platinum pro-use II looks much thicker than my rotring's grip, which I why I just ordered one. But still I really enjoy the look and feel of the silver .35 rotring.

I have the .35 mm Rotring 600 in black and silver. One thing to note is that the finish on the silver Rotring is much smoother. Also, the my black knurled grip tends to get noticeably dirtier than the silver grip, although this is a minor nuance. The pencil itself is very solid with little play. I've even taken a lit match to the body of both Rotrings (don't ask).

It is by far the heaviest writing utensil I own, and I wish the grip was a bit thicker. I find my hand cramping a bit after extended use.....like the Platinum Pro-Use II which I just ordered. Otherwise, this pencil is very cool yet professional looking, and should be great for drafting. Personally, I've used it for detailed Japanese and math work. I don't even bother with the tiny eraser, as the Mitsubishi boxy eraser does an amazing job.

Overall, this pencil is clean and modern with some serious craftmanship...I'm hoping to compare it to the Steadtler 925 and Platinum Pro-Use II very soon. In other words, you should probably get it.

this pencil is not all that it claims to be... i do not see the difference between the 600 and 500, which i have experienced for my self. I gues the performance is okay, nut the knurled grip can hurt after long periods of time. I do technical work and prefer the Graphgear 500 for more weight toward the tip. this instrument is also guite pricey

I have had this pencil for a few years now and really enjoy it. The weight is great. It is a solid piece. The tip is strong and precise. The lead has no slide problems. For the $ it\'s a great price. I paid 40+ for mine on another site sometime ago.