If you ever found yourself within the mechanical pencil / stationery sphere online, you’ll most likely heard of the coveted rotring 600. It sits on the desks and in the pencil cases of many enthusiasts, engineers and artists, and is praised for its design.

But why exactly?

I’ve been using it for several weeks now and am here to give my thoughts on this classic pen.

The first thing to note is that this pen is a considerate jump in price in comparison to other drafting pencils. I got mine for 46AUD. For comparison, most good drafting pencils are priced around within the 10 – 20 dollar range.

With a price increase like this you expect a substantial increase in quality somewhere in the pen. In the case of the rotring, it’s the pencils body, constructed from bass.  It’s robust and sturdy, weighing around 22 grams. Significantly much more than any other pencil I’ve ever owned. As such the body should be much more durable and hold up longer than other plastic constructed pencils. The barrel type is hexagonal, designed to stop rolling on drafting tables when angled.  Near the tip is a metal knurled grip for extra grip.

These combinations of features make it a well weighted and balanced pencil, which never slips from hand. The sudden jump in weight in your hand does take some time to get used to. Once you get used to this, you’re left with writing experience that is smooth and precise, something exactly a draftsman would need when drafting plans. 

One of the main gripes of the pen often mentioned is its non retractable sleeve/tip, a common breakable point for these pens. As opposed to its newer counterpart the 800 or a graphgear 1000, the tip is completely fixed. As such, it has a higher chance of bending or snapping off if not stored properly.

My verdict:

It’s true. The rotring 600 is really fantastic to use. Everything about the pen works well. As of writing this, it’s my go to mechanical pencil. It feels great in my hand and looks great on my desk. Although the high price point would deter many from purchasing, the joy I get with writing this makes it definitely worth it. 

As mentioned previously, the rotring 800 has a retractable sleeve. The rotring 500 is also a good option if you prefer a lighter pencil which has the weight closer to the tip of the pen. (A pen more suitable for extensive writing sessions).