rOtring 600 Silver Fountain Pen - M Nib

There are a few pens that I would consider to be on my "Holy Grail" list, and at the moment many of them are rOtrings.  Many of the older models on the list fetch a pretty penny, so they'll have to come in stages. 

The rOtring 600 fountain pen with the knurled ends and grip is one of these pens and from the minute I laid eyes on these I knew someday I would need to just go for it and get one. 

I found what I would consider to be a reasonably good deal (not a steal) on a NOS silver barreled 600 that came with an M nib.  I won't tell you the price, but it was enough to definitely make me weary when making the purchase.  I had never used one before as they are really no longer in pen shops and I didn't directly know anyone that owned one that I could try out.

Boy, oh boy am I glad I did.  Seriously waiting for the pen was killing me, but when it arrived it was literally like my birthday as well as any other holiday where presents are involved combined...and like I had won the lottery on a small scale.  Needless to say I was a bit excited about it.

As I've mentioned before, one can assume that the build quality on these beauties is going to be superb and it is.  The design of these pens I seriously cannot get enough of.  I love the hexagonal barrel, how it transitions to round parts, how the barrel and cap interlock and line up, the knurling of the grip section.  I'm not going to go as far as to say it is perfection, but there isn't a thing about this pen that I don't like, and that isn't just the price talking either.  It is simply such a unique and special design and part of pen history; it is iconic in it's own right and nobody can diminish it's place in the pen world.  Like a gull wing Mercedes 300SL, 1954 Corvette, or an E-Type Jaguar in the world of the automobile.

The nib is a good writer and started up quick.  The M nib lays down a nice line and I look forward to getting myself some different ink; something really nice and blue to go into this beauty.  I've been eying the Pilot Iroshizuku Kon-Peki for awhile and have seen the numerous reviews of it and need to pull the trigger on a bottle.  The nib isn't as smooth as others, but I didn't find it bothersome to use.  

Like other rOtring 600s and Newtons, the cap posts onto the barrel in a way that is pretty neat.  They engineered some teeth for it to lock into so the facets line up.  It takes some getting used to in finding the sweet spot of being able to close the pen quickly, but it is a cool feature. 

I seriously can't say enough how much I've completely fallen for the 600 series.  The ballpoints, rollerballs, pencils, fountain pens; you name it, I like it.  The design of it is so striking, and the weight and feel of the pen is awesome.  Even though I've now acquired a few 600 models, I find myself getting into "collector mode" on these and over time would like to expand my set. 

As said before, this is a pen that I'd never written with before I ordered mine, so I was anxious and nervous for it to come, but I love it.  Now, these pens may or may not be for everyone as they are pricey.  If you wanted to buy one on a whim and without finding a good deal plan on spending $200+ (some priced upwards of $300+ which is well out of my league) on one of these, but that could get you one NOS.  They sure are tempting...  

The Pen Project - New Black Model - GIVEAWAY!

Tis' almost the season I suppose, but it sure seems like The Clicky Post is a happening place for giveaways as of this past month.  The thing is, there are still more to come! 

This particular giveaway is sponsored by Ian Schon of The Pen Project.  Ian launched a successful Kickstarter campaign for these little beauties back in August of 2012 and has been featured on numerous sites including Cool Material (see Pens of Kickstarter article), Huckberry, Gear Hungry, and others.  For a small pen it sure has gotten some big props from many sources.   

I reviewed the original silver aluminum pen just a short time ago, but Ian has been cooking up a new look and is offering a limited run in a black anodized finish.  He has provided one of these babies to giveaway to a reader of The Clicky Post; lucky people... 

I sung praises to this pen in my review, and the black is particularly cool.  If you recall, it is a small pocket pen designed around the popular (and durable) Fisher Space Pen refill and is a compact, but effective workhorse.  A great EDC pen for sure.

Ian is always up to cool stuff so I wanted to make sure all of his information was nice and accessible in the post: 

Schon DSGN Website - http://www.schondsgn.com/

Ian's Portfolio Site -  http://ianschon.com/

Instagram and Twitter - @The_schon

Make sure to check out his sites/social media to keep tabs on what he's up to. 

25% Discount Offer at schondsgn.com: 

 And what else?  Ramping up for the holidays, Ian has also offered to provide a 25% discount on his products through November 10th!  25% is huge and these pens would make for a perfect stocking stuffer or holiday gift.  

Visit his store to place an order and at checkout, use the promo code:  clickypost25

 

HOW TO ENTER THE GIVEAWAY

The "Fine Print" (sort of):

 This giveaway is open to US and International readers (woohoo!) and will run through next Saturday, November 9th, until 11:59pm PST (Arizona). 

To enter, complete the form below with your name and email address.  

I will arrange the names in order as received and use a random number generator to pick the winner.  

Upon picking the winner, I will announce it on the blog, email them, and they will have one week to reply with their address information.  After a week goes by if there is no response, I'll pick a new winner.  

 

 

Kaweco Classic Sport M Fountain Pen - Demonstrator

I think I've grown about as fond of Kaweco as I have rOtring... well, almost.  Let's just say it's getting there. 

I absolutely love the Kaweco AL Sport line, but decided to branch out further into the Classic Sport section and pick up a demonstrator fountain pen with a medium nib.  Picked this one up from our friends at JetPens, and the Classic Sports really are a decent price at just around $20 or so. 

On a side note, there is another color of the Classic that I have my eye on too, the Bordeaux, which is more of a maroon/burgundy color.  It seems very vintage to me, so at some point I'll probably own that one too.  

I opted for the demonstrator in this go-round because it seemed cool.  It is a cartridge filler so it doesn't have any neat reservoir to see, but its fun to see the inner workings of a pen.  

The Classic Sport line as opposed to the AL Sport has a lighter, plastic barrel instead of the machined aluminum.  They are very small pens so the plastic versions are REALLY light, but writing with them doesn't seem to be a burden at all.  Granted, the AL feels much more substantial (and a bit nicer), but costs nearly 4x as much.  If you're not sure about jumping straight to an AL or if it would be your first Kaweco, buying the Classic is a great option as they use the exact same nib.  See how it writes for you before dropping about $80 (although worth every penny in my opinion).  

The Sport fountain pen line really is amazing, considering it has withstood time.  What a perfect setup having a small, pocketable fountain pen that writes as well as the Kaweco does.  Although it isn't their most expensive line, the Sport series is sort of the "flagship" for the brand and they've done really well at creating a good variety of options for it. 

This is my first time using an M nib from Kaweco and I must say that I like it.  Great flow like my other Kaweco and starts up great each time.  I loaded it up with the standard Kaweco blue ink which can come out a bit light for some people's tastes.  Once you get the ink flowing, I find it to be plenty dark.    

Now, I'm kind of a fountain pen novice, but I do know that I'm seeing more ink shading with the M than with my EF.  I know that's an ink thing (I think...).  Starting to talk the lingo, but trying not to sound stupid, you know?   

The Sport is designed to have the cap posted as to extend the length of the barrel for a more comfortable grip.  Superb. 

With the demonstrator, one thing I miss is how the light catches the different facets of the cap.  It is octagonal in design and on the AL models (the raw version especially), you find yourself spinning the pen to see the different sides reflect the light back to you.  It really is a beautiful design. 

Now, there is one thing about the Classic Sport line that I do not prefer, that being the gold accents.  I'm not really into gold, and prefer the silver accents of the AL series, but perhaps it will grow on me.  I don't hate it, but gold is never my first choice usually. 

I still stand behind my opinion that the Kaweco Classic Sport is a great little fountain pen.  I'd even say you could honestly have a toss up between it and the Lamy Safari and still come out happy either way.  They both run about the same price and are a great entry pen to get started with.