Mechanical pencils Archives - Page 3 of 14

Holbein x Rotring 600 3 in 1 120th anniversary pen

1 Comment / Mechanical pencils, Rotring / 9 April 2021 / Holbein, multipen, Rotring, Rotring 600

Holbein was celebrating its 120^th anniversary in 2020. They are the Japanese stationery manufacturer that imported Rotring into Japan and they took on an ever bigger role after Rotring was bought by Sanford and manufacturing was moved out of Germany.

Holbein became a manufacturer in 1946, so you tend to see 1946 being mentioned as their starting date, but their origins lie in 1900 (as a retailer) and to celebrate their 120^th anniversary this 3 in 1 Rotring 600 was released last year.

It comes in matt white, which looks very special, probably mainly because that’s not a typical Rotring colour. The 600 3 in 1 is a recent addition to the Rotring lineup and features a black and red ballpoint pen as well as a mechanical pencil.

You change the pen/colour by twisting the knurled top part of the 600. You’ll find more information about this pen in my video.

Holbein x Rotring 600 3 in 1 120th anniversary pen Read More »

Traces of graphite – Massimo Fecchi update 2020

5 Comments / Mechanical pencils, Rotring, Traces of graphite / 28 September 2020 / Massimo Fecchi, Rotring, Rotring 500, traces of graphite

I have a small update for my 2016 blog post about Massimo Fecchi, the Italian artist who draws comics with the, in my opinion, best proportions, shapes and lines with beautiful variations.

Massimo Fecchi drawing with his Rotring 500 — Fecchi with a Rotring 300 (Image © Massimo Fecchi)

When I asked Massimo about his pencils in 2016 he used a Rotring Tikky II for his initial drawings. Recently, he posted a photo of himself drawing for fans at the Comic Con in Wels, Austria. In this photo, he has switched pencils, or rather pencil models, not the pencil brand. When I asked him he told me that he is now usually using a Rotring 500 in either 0.5 mm or 0.7 mm. He described it as being lighter and more precise than the Tikky II.

Rotring 500 on a Fecchi drawing — Not quite fake news, but this is my Rotring on Massimo’s drawing – not his Rotring

I find it astonishing that even though most of us amateurs associate heavier pens, including mechanical pencils, with a more luxurious pen or better quality, while the professionals, in this case, Massimo, who use pencils as tools to get work done value lightness, probably to stop them from getting some sort of finger fatigue.

Massimo Fecchi's Comic Con Austria sign — Comic Con Wels (Image © Massimo Fecchi)

I believe that the use of this Massimo Fecchi’s photos falls under “fair dealing” as described by the UK Copyright service.

Traces of graphite – Massimo Fecchi update 2020 Read More »

2019 contest and 2020 wishes

Leave a Comment / Mechanical pencils / 31 December 2019 / BIC, Caran d'Ache, Faber-Castell, Lamy, mechanical pencil, stationery.wiki

Bleistift Blog is wishing you all the best for 2020.

If you want to start the new year with new mechanical pencils (from Caran d’Ache, Faber-Castell, Lamy and BIC) you still have a few days left to take part in the Stationery Wiki:Mechanical Pencil Day Contest 2019 (..if you read this blogpost on the day it was published).

The pencils that make up our prize for the mechanical pencil day contest

All you need to do is to improve an article or maybe even create a new article to have a chance of winning.

Good Luck – for 2020 and for the contest.

2019 contest and 2020 wishes Read More »

Pencil prize

Leave a Comment / Mechanical pencils / 6 December 2019 / BIC, Caran d'Ache, Faber-Castell, Lamy, stationery.wiki

Previously, I mentioned the start of Stationery.wiki‘s Mechanical Pencil Day Contest 2019, running until ~~7 January 2020~~ extended until 31 January 2020.

It’s time to show what’s up for grabs: one Swiss-made, two German-made and one Japanese-made mechanical pencil.

Please take part!

Pencil prize Read More »

Mechanical Pencil Day Winner

1 Comment / Caran d'Ache, Cleo Skribent, Faber-Castell, Mechanical pencils / 17 July 2019 / Caran d'Ache, Cleo Skribent, Cult Pens, Faber-Castell, giveaway, mechanical pencil

…and we have a winner! id00092 wrote the winning comment:

are you sure that Gessner is not a Ninja weapon??
id00092

Congratulations! Please contact me by email within a week (by 23 July 2019). My email address can be found on the ‘About’ page. You’ll need to let me know whether you want to win the Gessner or the other mechanical pencils (i.e. all of them except the Gessner).

To help you with that decision: Here’s a video about the Caran d’Ache 888 Infinite:

and one about the Faber-Castell TK-Fine 2315:

If you want to go back the the origins and prefer the Gessner then you’ll find some more information about the Gessner and the company behind it here:

Mechanical Pencil Day Winner Read More »