Rotring 600 Drafting Pencil - 0.7 mm - Silver Body

Just got a new Rotring 600 for Father's Day! I'm so excited to finally have one, but so scared to use it at the same time! Everything about the pencil is awesome; it's just that sleeve that is oh so fragile that has me watching every move with this pencil.

The weight is a little more than I'm used to with my other plastic barreled pencils, but I'm getting used to it. I absolutely love the metal knurled grip. The pencil is a little thinner than I thought it would be which is a bonus, because I love thin barreled pencils!

All in all this pencil takes the cake. Precision engineering and design, with a quality name.

It's a shame that all the good quality pencils are made and sold in other countries; and all the sloppy plastic crap is sold here in the U.S. I'm so glad Jetpens is there to bridge that gap for us American pen/pencil fanatics.

Keep up the good work JetPens!

Creates instant jealousy from coworkers and fellow students. Holds lead firmly, and feels like it was made with the same precision and attention given to a rifle. Lead extension is solid and consistent, and makes me actually want to do my homework because I get to use it!

Only complaint is the eraser size, but i just carry around a Pentel click erase, and that takes care of that.

Also, i thought is pencil was bigger than it actually is. it's pretty small.

all that said i would buy it again in a heartbeat

Summary:
Overall, I'm extremely satisfied with the Rotring 600. For my preferences, it hits all the right notes. If you're interested enough in your writing supplies to go a specialty website, then the extra bit of money is worth it for a practically heirloom quality pencil. Great construction, weight, and feel.

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I've been using Pentel GraphGear 500 for the last three years at university, since the coating was starting to deteriorate, I upgraded to the GraphGear 1000 (GG1000). The GG1000 is a solid pencil, and I'm sure some people would prefer it, but I was somewhat dissatisfied. Aside from an old Staedtler Micro, these are the only drafting pencils I have for comparison.

The reasons that I bought the Rotring 600 and enjoy using it boil down to:
- Construction: The pencil is all metal and has a solid construction. If you want a pencil that you can give to your children, then the R600 will fulfill that role.
- Weight: The R600 is a comparatively heavy pencil, but since it's balanced, the weighty nature gives it a precise feel. It is meant to be a drafting pencil, not something that you would free-hand a 100 page monograph in. After using it for a while on physics notes and homework, the weight has become one of my favorite aspects of the pencil.
- Size: Since the R600 is all metal, the balance is very near the center. This feels just right to me, and despite it's weight, and makes it comfortable to hold. I like that the 600 is shorter (about a centimeter shorter than the GG 1000), but I have smaller hands.
- Grip Area: What I especially disliked the GG1000 for was the rubber pads inlaid in the grip, they felt cheap and out of place; I just wanted a pure metal grip area. The grip on the R600 is about a centimeter closer to the lead sleeve than the GG's, and feels more comfortable if you grip the pencil closer in. The grip area doesn't feel sharp or slippery -- about as comfortable metal can be.
- Aesthetic: Come on, the things the Excalibur of pencils. Sometimes I just look at it and think, "Damn."

The lead advance is the one thing that bothers me about the R600. Maybe it gets smoother in time, Maybe mines missed quality control, but it binds somewhat and is noticeably un-smooth. The length of the lead advance is about a millimeter I wish that it was like the GG1000 where it was the same as the lead diameter (0.5 mm).

I just received my black 600 today. I ordered it as soon as I noticed they were back in stock a few days ago. Just got it yesterday! Super fast shipping (I used the free standard).

As for the pencil itself, it's lovely. I disagree with those that said it was too heavy for extended writing and work. I just worked 5 hours of differential equations homework and it was a joy to use. Don't get me wrong, it's not a lightweight pencil, but it sits very comfortably in my hand. It's very solid, and I can just tell it's going to last me years.

I like the finish of the black. It's not smooth metal, it has almost a powdercoat feeling, a slightly rough matte feel. The grip is not overly-rough in my opinion. The points of the knurling are flat, and it feels solidly planted in my hand.

I use Pentel Ain High-Polymer lead in it (HB) and it performs flawlessly. Nice and dark and no breakage. It feeds nice, with a satisfying "snick" as the lead advances. The mechanism feels very solid, and advances consistently.

A quality pencil well worth the money. The only down side I can see would be the guide pipe possibly breaking (as others have said.) I am careful with my things, however, and this shouldn't be a problem.

Oh my, this is an absolutely lovely pencil. Writing with it is pure joy. Really. It's weighted beautifully, it works like a dream. It feels amazing in the hand. It looks sharp. The only problem with the pen is that I'm paranoid about the tip. I leave it in my office and don't carry it with me very often because I would hate (HATE!) to have this tip damaged. I haven't been able to justify the expense of the 800 with a retractable tip yet, but I love this pencil so much that I suspect that at some point I will. Really, if you don't plan on carrying this around in your pocket all the time, you can't do better. This makes every other drafting pencil I have ever used seem like a toy in comparison.