Rotring600 Mechanical Pencil, 0.5 mm, Black - Perfect for Writing, Drafting, Engineering, Architecture Professionals

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.

Excellent mechanical pencil. It's heavy and feels substantial in hand, which I find helps with writing / note taking. Be careful of drops, since that weight could be a disadvantage if dropped directly on the point. I have others - Pentels (several models), and Uni Togas and those are fine - but they are very light in comparison to this model. This one lets me write longer with less fatigue - in short it makes the writing more enjoyable. Well worth the price to me. The leads are quality too - though I will probably refill with Pentel Ain .5 2B. Cons - well, dropping it could be a problem. The leads are held in by the eraser, which is pretty common. A little pricey for a pencil so if you tend to lose them, maybe consider that.

The rotring 800 is the pinnacle of mechanical pencils. Prior to this, I was mostly using cheap plastic mechanical pencils that would cause lead breakage and would often leave me stranded in times of drafting or writing needs. That all changed when I picked this up. The metal construction does give the pencil a certain weight, but its hand feel and performance is not compromised. The tip does wiggle around a little, but this also does not affect the writing quality. The convenience offered by the retractable tip much outweighs the wiggly tip. This pencil makes it effortless to draft and write precisely, and when combined with rotring lead, I have very rarely broken any. Yes, it is quite expensive in the realm of mechanical pencils, but this is not your average one. You really do get what you pay for. The only minor complaint I have is the eraser, which is almost too small to even use! This is easily circumvented by the use of a small square eraser though, and all higher quality mechanical pencils also have this issue, so I won’t count it as a major ding against this one.

If you have been drafting in your career, like I have for the passed 45 years, then you will know that 0.5mm lead usually breaks all the time while trying to draw.The 0.7mm diameter lead and the knurling on the area that you hold the pencil, all metal, are the best feature of this clutch pencil.

Rotring 600s are awesome. Cheaper than the 800 series. Only negative is the exposed tip. You drop it and it's toast. This one doesn't flake off at all, my red 600 0.5 and 0.7 do...I love the knurling. Others frequently attempt to liberate this from me.

I have been using mechanical pencils for years, mostly vintage metal/plastic drafting pencils from a well known brand. I prefer this style of pencil with a very long knurled metal grip since it allows for the full range of grips. This is my first metal bodied pencil in this style.The grip on this one is a bit more gentle than the grips found in competing brands, but it still offers very good traction. The tip falls away from the grip nicely to a long point. This makes it very easy to figure out where your line will appear.The body is very solid, being made of metal. The finish is not flawless. There are some streaks in the silver. I think the black version has a finish similar to that of the 800. Side by side, the 800 is a hair longer. If you have need of the retracting mechanism, then the 800 is the way to go. Otherwise the 600 gives you similarly tough construction, simpler (and apparently more study) internals, plus the rotating lead gauge indicator. (This is a big deal for me as I use many different leads).You'll find a similarity to some of the metal/plastic pencils on the market. The internals on this one are going to be superior. The question is whether the cost is worth the metal body and rugged construction quality. The extra weight is definitely a factor.

The heft of the rotring's are always the best. I love the pen's quality and heavy feeling making it feel premium. The writing with the pencil is smooth and depending on the lead I am using, makes it feel like butter when I write or use it for modeling.

Why did you pick this product vs others?:I can’t remember when i bought this (probably more than 5 years ago) but i still have it and it still works perfectly