Originally published at: https://boingboing.net/2020/01/10/great-deal-on-the-rotring-500.html
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As I don’t need fine lines anymore I have come to want 0.9 or bigger for my lead and get frustrated with 0.5.
That said this is an excellent mechanical pencil and that is indeed a nice deal.
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I do NOT understand why, to this day, those wholly inadequate miniature erasers are such a persistent trend. Ironically, the dude features his other favorite (also mine), the Pentel twist erase, which has a properly girthy eraser that won’t run out prematurely. Strangely, Pentel is one of the few mechanical pencils that offer that style of eraser. Why anyone settles for those little bud erasers, even despite other sexy aesthetics and grip features is beyond me.
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I expect that users of a specialized mechanical pencil would be likely to also have a preferred type of eraser that they would purchase separately. The little nub would just be for small or unimportant mistakes.
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specialized? A good mechanical pencil feels good in the hand, looks decent, and is reliable.
So far, my Pentel Kerry hasn’t failed me. That’s something that I can’t say for my Staedler 925, which stoped advancing the lead a couple months after purchase.
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I know. “Specialized” is the wrong word, but I struggled to find a better one. It’s not fancy, it’s just…nice, in that way that says “I know it’s more expensive than a bic, but it has a certain quality that I like.” I would expect that person to hold the same opinions about erasers, and lead, and the paper they use, etc.
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That is nice. But if you can bring yourself to spend a little more on a rotring 600 (full metal), you won’t regret it. Or maybe I am only a mechanical pencil fetishist ?
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You are correct. In addition to your mechanical pencil, you would have a Pink Pearl eraser, and a…I know this is going to sound funny, a “skumbag.”
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I wouldn’t mind the nub erasers at all if it was easy to get replacements – and furthermore replacements for the caps. Missing eraser caps are a tragedy.
Also, if this pencil doesn’t have an equivalent of the Kuru Toga, there’s no way I’m switching.
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Yeah, I was going to mention the Uni Kuru Toga, too. It’s simply the best mechanical pencil, I got one after reading that article, and I guess I’ll never use another one.
The pair of Uni Kuru Toga I ordered came with 3-4 replacement erasers, which is nice, but in my experience good stationery shops carry a variety of those small erasers anyway.
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I have a Rotring mechanical pencil with a triple-lead system that I’ve had for many years, must be getting on forty years, if not more. I used it a lot, I worked in print and publishing, doing design and finished artwork, and my Rotring had 0.3, 0.5 and 0.7mm leads, I used a blue 0.5mm lead for construction lines before using my Rotring pens for finishing the artwork, the light blue didn’t show up when photographed with lith film.
Lovely piece of kit, that Rotring, brass body with black finish, all metal construction, they don’t seem to do a triple pencil now, only a pen and two pencils, which is a shame.
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I am forever beholden to the Steadtler Mars Micro series of pencils. I have bought up old stock and stashed them away. All sizes. I try to not lose them, but it happens.
Love them for their durability, springy lead system, and the retractable point. Yes, useless erasers. But thats why I always have a good nylon one around.
I may pick this Rotring up, have kids, want them to have good tools. And not use mine.
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Can’t see the name Rotring without getting cold sweats and flashbacks to my abortive architecture degree.
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Oh yes I completely forgot about that other layer of completely unnecessary design flaw stupidity! The cap for that almost useful eraser. Almost on par with the destined-to-be-instantly-lost single apple air pod.
Better deal:
# Pentel GraphGear 500 Automatic Drafting Pencil Black (PG525A) at Amazon for $3.96
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I like the Faber Castell Grip Plus pencils for drawing. It has a big chunky retractable eraser.
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