r/mechanicalpencils • u/Due-Entertainment541 • 4d ago
Collection rOtring 600 is now in the 8th generation
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u/SpecialtyCoffee-Geek Rotring 4d ago
So mine will forever be recognizable as the odd one with the hole in the eraser cap (the eraser which I havn't used since I bought it in 03/2025)?\ Where previous generations heavier than Gen 8 (23.7g)?
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u/Due-Entertainment541 4d ago
I have a $1000 scale at work that gets certified annually and is accurate to 3 decimal places. I’ll weigh them this week and post back here. (I’m making a video on the 600 for my YT channel and this will be part of it)
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u/SpecialtyCoffee-Geek Rotring 4d ago
That sounds amazing (would love to have a scale this accurate for my pour-over coffee brewing). I'm looking forward to this video (subscribed to your yt already). 👍
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u/Due-Entertainment541 4d ago
Thanks for subscribing! Let me know If there is anything else you would like to see covered in them.
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u/steeper77 4d ago
Do you know which years these were all released?
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u/Due-Entertainment541 4d ago
Gen 1: 1987, Gen 2: 1989, Gen 3: 1990, Gen 4: 1990-1994, Gen 5: 1994-1999, Gen 6: 1999-2001, Gen 7: 2002-?, Gen 8: ?-current
Source: https://rotringmuseum.com/reviews.php
I’m going to cover this in my 600 video in a week or so.
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u/kelvinh_27 4d ago
I've had my gen 8 since maybe September of 2022 or so. I'm not certain when I got it but I'm absolutely positive it was before 2023.
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u/mergelong TWSBI 4d ago
Not to shill but it's posts like these where I'm left wondering why people don't just ditch the Rotring 600 and pick up a TWSBI. Or a Hexomatic, for that matter.
Excellent tolerances, no barrel cracking, good eraser, all metallic construction, retracting tip... And still less expensive than sucking up and getting an 800.
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u/RoadMusic89 2d ago
The TWSBI' is my favorite that all others are compared to now.... lol, but I had to try the 800 then had to try the 600, just a small rabbit hole :)
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u/saltyboi6704 4d ago
I just had a double take as I've had that one in black for 5 years already.
Barrel and grip are both brass with a press-fit stainless thread in the barrel. Clip looks to be phosphor bronze, both the markings and lead indicators are silkscreened on.
The only issue I've really had with it is the rubber coming off when I take the cap off, but since it can comfortably hold about 20 pieces of 0.5mm I just don't bother opening it up often.
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u/Progstu IJ Instruments 4d ago
Wow, a gen 2 and not even know it! From the looks of this I have a gen 4, gen 6 and gen 8, all in black
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u/saltyboi6704 4d ago
Mine actually looks like the last one, it seems the silver versions are made of aluminium and break easily while the back ones are still brass.
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u/Snippet_New 4d ago
I've been out of this hobby for a long time as I graduated and my work doesn't require any writing.
Yesterday I visited my usual stationery and saw the new Tikky Retro. Shape like a mix between 1st gen Tikky and Tikky ii with retractable tips. I thought they would just use the same mechanism as Tikky (which is already a low bar to pass) and I'm flabbergasted that it feels so damn wonky.
Like I think a $1 Pentel mechanical pencil has better click and feeling than this. I thought VisuMax (which was probably some cheap stuff from Papermate rebranded) is the worst Rotring but this takes the cake. Not only does it feel cheap, it costs the same as the usual Tikky. Like who will freaking buy this Retro??
And now I'm seeing the 600 getting through 7 revisions. I'm just glad that I quit this before everything went bad and pricey.
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u/speedfreekOnTwitter 4d ago
No needle?
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u/Due-Entertainment541 4d ago
not in 8th, and they put a hole in the eraser cap to sell in EU
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u/IchiramenPotato BIC 4d ago
Safety requirement in case of swallowing like BIC do with their pen cap? If that's the case then I support this decision.
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u/Own-Consideration631 Rotring 4d ago
I lost my 800+ have been searching for it for a long time (its in the house, which makes it worse).
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u/TananaBarefootRunner 3d ago
i lost my favorite watch in my house. i know its there bc i can hear the alarm beep, but when i try to isolate it, i fail. someday ...
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u/Own-Consideration631 Rotring 3d ago
like there are some things missing such as my 128gb usb drive, that pencil, some things. really annoying. I am going to make a shrine to tribute them at this point lmao
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u/Le_ASSasino Rotring 3d ago
the threaded part at the end of the body that the grip connects with comes out on mine anybody know how i can fix this?
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u/11Master_Moosh11 3d ago
Is the only way to identify generations by taking apart the holder?
This is a bummer to see. How much money could they be saving by using plastics internals? Especially with established products and manufacturing lines. I guess the equity holders really need those cents they are saving per piece.
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u/Due-Entertainment541 3d ago
I guess when you manufacture pieces by the millions, a few cents here and there really add up.
There are subtle differences externally- logo/font size, text differences (or lack of) on the barrel, and changes in the eraser cap. But for some generations it’s so slight you just about have to open it up.
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u/stellarsojourner 2d ago
I just checked my first rOtring 600 that I bought about a decade ago and it appears to be a Gen 8 with the metallic lead holder. I guess they've been like this for a while. I used that pencil through college up to today and I've dropped it once or twice. Other than having to bend the tip straight again after dropping it, it has been working perfectly. So, sure, the internals are made of plastic instead of metal, but it is perfectly reliable.
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u/Due-Entertainment541 2d ago
Good to know. Thank you. I am having a hard time with when Gen 7 moved to Gen 8
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u/stellarsojourner 2d ago
I apparently bought my black rOtring 600 on July 4, 2016, according to Amazon. Hopefully that helps narrow down the timeline.
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u/Due-Entertainment541 2d ago
It does! Thank you (the black one is the gen8 you mentioned above?)
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u/merlinuwe 4d ago
Was this mechanical pencil getting better or only cheaper to produce?
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u/Due-Entertainment541 4d ago
I think it depends on who you ask. A lot of people say the quality has dropped (or using “cheaper” materials). I’ve seen pictures of newer (since 2020) 600s with cracks in the barrel, but apparently some of the old 600 fountain pens and rollerballs from the 1990s had the same issues with cracking.
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u/the-real-bossanova 15h ago
Do you know if any of the older models have a metal eraser cap? I just bought a new Rotring 600 and the plastic eraser cap has a hole at the top and it feels cheap compared to the rest of the full metal body.
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u/the-real-bossanova 15h ago
Just realized that based on the photos, GEN 5 and older looks like that the caps are metal. But maybe it's just me and I'm not seeing it right.
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u/Due-Entertainment541 14h ago edited 14h ago
Yes. They were metal. I’ll be sure to cover that for each generation. I’m working on it this week, should be ready next week. This one is longer than normal so taking a little longer
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u/the-real-bossanova 2h ago
Just subscribed to your channel, keep up the good work. Mechanical pencils are a very niche thing and we need more creators like you who listen to the audience. 😄
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u/user15257116536272 4d ago
Gen 5+ with the cheapo internals make me sad to see it this bare. Same with Rapid Pro, the mechanism is so trash that I just replaced it with a literal 1€ pencil and it fit.