600 Mechanical Pencil, 0.5mm Lead, Red Metal Barrel

I got it when amazon lowered the price to $12 about two years ago now, I believe, maybe even further back. This thing is absolutely beautiful, I wasn't sure if it was worth buying at $60, but believe me even at that price I'd say this pencil is absolutely worth it! It's got a bit of heft to it, but the changing hardnesses at the end, the ergonomic feel (the pattern near the tip is textured in such a way that it almost *sticks* to your hands sometimes), even things you would never even consider in a regular pencil such as weight distribution, it's taken all of these into account and made a damn fine instrument. I've tried some of the cheaper versions of the rotring and more expensive ones, I'd like to say this one is the most "balanced" as in anyone would pick one up and be happy with it, in regular use, writing essays, designing blueprints, etc. It can achieve all of the tasks you might think to. My only advice: don't drop it! The metal tip is very durable, but the weight behind the pencil conquers the durability of the tip. I dropped it from about 4 feet, it landed directly on the tip and it bent at an ugly 45 degrees. I was able to bend mine back (perfectly straight, or at least to the point that the naked eye can't tell the difference) but that was only after a LOT of tinkering. If it falls on any other point, you should be fine, you might get a scratch, but that'd only occur if you dropped it at a height of at least 3 feet on to something rough such as concrete. This pencil really doesn't like to compromise at all. (I have no idea why I'm so excited about this pencil, I guess I just wish I got one earlier, and hope this review convinces you to try it out)

Has very nice weight to it. Strong clip that won’t break off like the plastic ones. Everything but the eraser is metal. Can be adjusted to accept every 0.5MM lead rotring makes. It appears to be nearly bulletproof compared any other pencil on the market. The grip is great from the texture on the metal. Comes with 4 pieces of lead. Worth every penny.

The knurling is perfect. It's really grippy, but without being pokey. The weight is also really great. But it isn't without a couple of flaws. There is a little metal sleeve that sticks out of the end and surrounds the lead near the tip, and the way that the pencil is designed, there's not really anything to prevent that sleeve from getting bent. If it stays at your desk, no sweat, it won't be an issue. But if you take it with you from place to place, it really should be in a hard case of some kind. I kept mine in my backpack, in one of the pen holders in the built in organizer in the front zipper pocket (which is soft-sided). Somehow, that little sleeve got bent slightly. It wasn't enough for me to notice at first, but the lead would keep breaking. Fortunately, it was slight enough that I was able to fix it using the pliers on my Leatherman. My backpack also has a hard-sided pocket (it's a Hazard4 Patrol Pack), and since I've been keeping the pencils in the hard-sided pocket, I haven't had any issues. The other thing is that the internals seem a little cheap. The whole outside is metal (brass, I believe), but when you take it apart, you see that some of the working parts are actually plastic. Specifically, the housing for the mechanism that advances the lead is made of plastic. The plastic housing is threaded, and screws into the metal tip (including the knurled grip). Then the metal barrel screws into the metal tip. It's well protected enough that I don't think it'll be an issue, but I kinda wish it was aluminum or something instead. Then again, I don't really know what sort of things the housing needs to do. If it needs to be able to deform a little, then return to it's normal shape, then plastic probably really is the way to go. Then the amount of lead that it spits out each click isn't always consistent. Every once in awhile, it will spit out too much lead, and I'll have to push the lead back in and try again. It doesn't happen often, but when it does, it will happen several times in a row. I'm thinking this is an issue with the quality of the lead I'm using though (standard cheap pentel HB lead), since it's a fairly rare occurrence otherwise. But the more expensive Rotring lead that came with it tended to smear more, so I'm okay with the trade off. Overall, it's very good, and knowing what I know now, I'd still have gladly bought it. But if you don't really have $25 to spend on a pencil, but you do so anyway thinking that it will be perfect in every way, then you will be disappointed. It still gets 5 stars because none of these flaws are severe enough to warrant docking a star. I have both the 0.5mm and 0.7mm versions. If you would like the 0.5mm, but are considering the 0.7mm version because you don't want to deal with lead breaking all the time, go ahead and get the 0.5mm. After using the 0.5mm to write probably around 75 pages of notes and homework, I have yet to experience lead breaking (except due to a bent sleeve, which is mentioned above).

A Thing Of Beauty: The Rotring 600 0.5mm ....:::::: U P D A T E - Y E A R T W O ::::::.... I love the Rotring 600 so much, I am actually updating a review. I don't think that I've ever done that. Anyway, my initial 5 star review was a glowing, no doubt about it, buy this pencil now type of review. Well after 2 years of literal daily use it still looks new (check the pic, i put an updated one out there). Along with my AIN Stein 4B (Mmmmm Dark and soft...) lead, this pencil has been amazingly consistent. It's never had a lead jam. The tip is still straight (I have been extremely careful too.) There is nothing negative that I could say about this pencil. Multiple Pentel Graphgears, Kuru Toga's and even an Alvin Draftmatic all tried their best to unseat King Rotring. All failed. There are very few sure things in this world. But I know what to expect when I pick up the 600.... [original review] Finally got my Rotring 600 0.5mm. With all the problems that I’ve read about with the Rotring 800+, it seems that the 600 is the way to go. Before the Rotring arrived, the Pentel Graph Gear 1000 was my current favorite pencil that I own. On its arrival, the Rotring delegated it to 2nd place before I could even get the pencil completely out of its box (excellent packaging, is just one of many "little things" this product gets right) .It is everything that I hoped it would be. The Black Rotring 600 is easily to coolest looking mech pencil out there. It has an ominous Darth Vader-y feeling to it. To say it’s solidly built is an understatement. Quality German industrial design and construction. You think it looks good though, its performance is even better. The balance is PERFECT for my writing style. It feels so much better than anything else that I have tried before. No wobble at all in the tip. A nice crisp, audible click for lead extension. Signs of good craftsmanship are noted sometimes by the little, almost unnoticed aspects of design. Like the 600’s lead grade indicator. It would be fine if this were just a part of the pencil that indicated the type of lead inside the pencil. But the Rotring takes it a step further making this portion of the pencil knurled metal (same as the grip employs) and tops it like a cherry with its iconic red ring "logo". So yes, it's a lead grade indicator... A lead grade indicator WITH STYLE! Is this a requirement? Certainly not, but it’s these little touches that make me appreciate the thought and care that went into this pencils design. I’m not going to get into a bulleted list of pro's and con's, simply because there are no cons. I can't find one thing negative about this product. I love the reviews that say "the non-retractable tip is fragile" and then proceed to ding it a star. I'm sorry, but it's obvious that this is a finely engineered product, a certain amount of care is required. Because you are careless enough to drop it is not Rotrings fault. Take proper care, and your tip won't get bent. Simple. (Of course, I have now jinxed myself so that by the end of the day, I’m fairly certain that I will have dropped mine by days end). In such cases, it’s comforting to know you can get a replacement tip for around 11 bucks. Other people say, "The eraser is crappy". Guess what Skippy, every eraser in every mechanical pencil sucks. EVERY one. If you use a mechanical pencil without having a dedicated eraser at the ready (my personal fav is the Uniball Boxy, it's also very Darth Vader-y) you won't using mechanical pencils for much longer. It's just something that you have to do when using a mechanical pencil. Bottom line. While the Rotring 600 0.5mm is a very expensive pencil. It's worth every penny in my opinion. I can't say it any better than the Amazon product description does: "An iconic tool, meant for a lifetime of use." Now I need to grab the silver one so I have a pair right??....

The rOtring 600 feels incredibly solid and well-made. The full-metal body gives it a premium weight without feeling too heavy, and the grip makes it comfortable for longer writing sessions. The 0.7mm lead glides smoothly and is perfect for both note-taking and precise work. Definitely a high-quality mechanical pencil that feels built to last.

This is a nicely made, well-balanced mechanical pencil with a lead hardness indicator. It lends itself well to drafting tasks and precise detailed work. But from a personal preference standpoint, I find its angular construction, multiple edges, and the inorganic transitions between the knurled grip and the hexagonal barrel to be a bit harsh. Certainly not recommended for extended writing sessions. I don't reach for it often, but I don't do a lot of drafting these days since I started using CAD.

This is a great mechanical pencil. I bought it after it was one of Michael’s recommendations from a may episode of “The Rest is Science” podcast. It has a nice weight to it, nicer than others on his list, and I haven’t found anything to dislike about it. Would definitely buy again.

This is absolutely the best mechanical pencil I have ever written with. I have many, many, mechanical pencils, as this is a hobby of mine. This is my favorite to use in most situations. The barrel is made of high quality, enameled brass, and is a high quality, professional grade instrument. PROs: - Superior quality. It is so pleasurable to write with. It feels amazing in-hand. - Precision and line co trol are unmatched, with longer lead sleeve and fantastic, knurled grip. - The click action is rock-solid with no play or slip. Perfection. CONS: - The lead sleeve is NOT retractable, and would bend/snap if dropped on its tip. Not likely repairable. - This lack of a retracting point and subsequent risk of breakage if dropped makes it less ideal for every day/pocket carry. I tend to leave it at my desk. OVERALL: I love this pencil and would buy another one if this one were lost or broken. It's just that good. Drop the $20, buy some 2B or 3B leads and never look back.

Este lapicero Rotring me sorprendió gratamente cuando vi que estan fabricados en Japón, ya que estoy coleccionando portaminas hasta ahora tengo 18 lapiceros todos japonéses, entre ellos marcas como Pentel, Zebra, Staedtler(tambien hecho en JP) y ahora se une este Rotring. Aunque la marca sea alemana como Staedtler se fabrican en JP. Esto es un sinónimo de gran calidad en construcción, es una pieza impecable de manufactura. Ahora hablando del diseño, si eres de los que ocasionalmente tomas el lapicero de la parte media, la diferencia entre la parte cilíndrica y la hexagonal tendrán algo de incomodidad. En la parte del agarre es algo raro, está muy delgado (parte cilíndrica con textura) en la foto donde la comparo con otros 2, verán esto que les menciono. En lo personal es cómoda para escribir, es pesada(pro/contra para algunos), todas las partes exteriores son de aluminio, aunque solo hay un pero, si eres de los que giran el lapicero para escribir/dibujar el clip puede estorbar algunas ocasiones, ya que su posición está más baja que de costumbre(por el indicador de dureza). El color azul me agrado mucho ya que por lo regular los portaminas premium son color aluminio, algo de color para que la colección sea mas colorida. El azul es anodizado, por lo que se ve color azul metálico (en mi opinión se ve hermoso contraste perfecto con la serigrafia roja de la marca y modelo). El precio se me hace algo elevado, 500 pesos(en descuento) creo que es algo elevado su precio, la de color aluminio la he visto en 400 algo mas acorde del producto. Un ejemplo de calidad precio son los Pentel Graphgear 1000 puedes encontrarlas desde 150 pesos y la calidad de construcción es la misma que esta Rotring. Otro aspecto importante es que tiene la graduación de dureza de las minas.

Portaminas con un peso ideal para escribir horas y horas sin cansarte demasiado mano y muñeca. La calidad de construcción es perfecta. Lo volvería a comprar.

A rOtring 600 tem o corpo metálico hexagonal clássico, bem resistente e confortável na mão, além de um mecanismo super preciso. O peso dela passa uma sensação de qualidade e dá bastante controle tanto pra desenho quanto pra escrita no dia a dia. É uma lapiseira feita pra durar muitos anos.

Per me, il miglior porta mine in metallo. Leggero, maneggevole e resistente

Nice pin pen, heavy and precise as should be.