✍ Exploring 3 Satisfying Tech Pens: Rotring, Staedtler, Koh-i-Noor
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Here's a review of three different brands of technical pens, a type of pen often used for drafting, and well known for their precise and consistent line quality. However, the term "tech pen" is not exact, here is a good article from JetPens with a broader review of more types: www.jetpens.com/blog/the-best...
Here are links to find the pens, Amazon links are referral links:
Rotring Isograph 0.35mm: www.amazon.com/dp/B0007OEB1I?...
Staedtler Mars Matic 0.35mm: www.amazon.com/dp/B001U40M0S?...
Koh-i-Noor Rapidograph 0/.35: www.mcmaster.com/drafting-equ...
Closeup Rotring tip image by: commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Fi...
My new book Dayfever: amzn.to/2WWIFuK
The rest of my books: www.amazon.com/-/e/B00HVOQ27S
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Rotrings were a status symbol in my old days. Having a complete set of pens was like owning a sports car…
$30. "Laughs in fountain pen"
Ye but at least they are metal and very high quality plastic like the lamy safari
@@abitlostbutigotit1576 Yeah a lot of fountain pens like the Lamy Safari have higher quality plastic I would love to see these tech pens made of
Listen, I'd buy a $200 high quality acetate or metal technical pen body in an instant. Signed, also a FP person
You got to pay it. A cheap fountain pen is a guaranteed disaster.
@Peter Draws
interesting... here, the isographs cost around $12, while the staedtler mars matic costs around $16.
I’ve used them all. The Rotring Isopraphs,Staedtler Marsmatics,Fabre Castels,K and E,Koh I Noor Rapidograph, and the the newer ones (although the
name escapes me). I can honestly say I almost always use the Koh I Noors ,as I have the full 13 pen set also in the Staedtler and the K and E sets. I have switched the Koh I Noor tips to jewels and have the Rotating Humidor. My Fabre Castel set is only 7 pens. The Koh I Noor and Staedtler sets are in my opinion the smoothest and simplest to break down and clean. I do have the Staedtler ultrasonic with the pen stand to clean them. The humidor is awesome if you keep the inner sponge damp just a few drops a day. I appreciate your video and your opinions on these pens. A lot of people are missing out by going straight to fiber tip tech pens as these will teach and demand discipline to use consistently. Paired with Koh I Noor Ultradraw ink on 300 series Strathmore Bristol board is nothing short of amazing. Yes I do use the angled pen holders and the old style lettering sets too. They do let you freehand sketch or doodle at about a 20 degree angle any further they become inconsistent. The last thing is that they really shine at stippling and drawing architecture or machinery. Once again thank you for the time you spent making this video. Very helpful especially for those wanting to try them out.
Even in a chill manner you've been brutally honest about the desing flaws of tools that have quite the reputation and cost a good amount of cash, and that's based.
“Drawing something is better than drawing nothing” is the best advice. That’s more important than what tools anybody uses.
You could contact the brands directly to work out a better higher quality body. Brands do limited editions from time to time.
They might be interested considering your name and following. The plastic wearing out is something I noticed as well on the rotrings I used to use. So I'm sure there's demand for it.
On a side note, if you're bored with what you're doing right now, go back to real life references and draw whatever appeals to you, that usually helps me not get stuck in the same shapes over and over again.
Stephanie I am a huge fan of yours, I especially appreciate your ecologically metaphorical sculptures, the ones made using old tin cans and other refuse, and of course that you share so much here on TH-cam!
I love seeing my favourite artists supporting each other like this :) so cool!
FYI, I have used Koh I noor for many years never had any issues with the bodies cracking or spiting. Something to consider next time a Rotring pen cracks on you.
@@lilbohbeat5785 :) thank you!
@@britshell that's good to know!
Rotring cracks come when you tighten the cap without holding the coloured ring
When you said, “Far off center,” the disappointment in your voice reminded me of Gordon Ramsay getting food he doesn’t like.
Ive really enjoyed technical pens having around 30 at one point. My favorite was the kohinoor because really it just worked. That extra ring means being able to just toss the pen in a bag and treat it like a regular pen than anything special without an issue of the ink resevoir coming off which can happen. My only issue is the cap had come unscrewed once and the nib did get bent in the bag but I put in another nib and its fine. If I can just offer some suggestions instead of shaking the pen nib down try turning it upside down tapping the back end gently on a notebook and for me it got the ink flowing quicker and better. You also arent slamming the piston system against itself like with nib down which increases the wear and reduces life of the nib. There are some with jeweled nibs for use with drafting film because the regular steel nibs have in the past sort of melted from the friction of using them on drafting film but most you see these days arent jeweled but standard steel nibs. With cleaning hot water and qtips do wonders better than any caustic cleaners. Ive actually cleaned and fixed 14+ of them and most are fairly easy to clean. The biggest problem ive had is where the ink dries around the needle so when you pull the piston part out the ink pulls out the needle rendering the nib virtually useless. As for the tools to remove the nib dont bother they arent made precise enough which can cause problems so use pliers and gently ease the nib out or in instead. Just trying to help. Ive got lots of experience dealing with these so I thought id try to pass on some helpful knowledge.
Yesterday, I took out my rotring isographs for cleaning and checking if it still works. It's been in my storage unused for 7yrs atleast. I used to do professional works of architectural working drawing and Building services portfolios, in bulk. Now everything has moved to CAD😢😢😢
All my technical pens were handed down by my seniors 😊😊😊. All of my pens are old, Sir J J architecture hostel heirloom I must say, they have changed many hands... I only bought 2bottles of ink throughout those years and I don't have the entire collection. Since I stayed in a hostel for Architecture students, I had access to endless supply of stationaries 😁😁😁😁I just had to ask.
These pens are great pieces of engineering, but for the asking price-the body really feels cheap, the prints won't be there after years of usage. The plastic of the body is so bad that I have seen brand new pens with broken bodies and specially flaying of the barrel due to overthreading while screwing in with the grip section 😅😅😅
An Indian company called Isomars makes knock-offs of Rotring isograph series and they did a better job with the body plastic at less than half the price of one!!!!
But even that would have the same issue as it's a flaw with the design. They just have to redesign the barrel to fix this.
I never liked the Rotrings, but I still have my Staedtlers, from high school drafting 35 years ago, and they still work. Use them for making animation cels.
Bear in mind these are technical pens made for technical drawing. They are supposed to be used perpendicular to the paper. When you press down on the pen, the wire in the tip raises a plunger to release the ink. The best way to move the plunger up and down is with a perpendicular action. When using at an angle you firstly run the risk of bending the wire in the tip, you also have to push it slightly to raise the plunger. When using vertically, the weight of the pen is almost enough to raise the plunger. I don't do freehand drawing, but if I did, I think I would use a dip pen with a nib.
03:20 The most original way to talk about a sponsor so far. Good job!
When I was studying Architecture in the late eighties / early nineties, there was quite a rivalry between Rotring and Faber Castell.
It appeared to me that whichever pen was your first one, that is the brand you believed was superior and you stuck with it for life.
Even once you started working, you had to buy your own drafting pens, and you stuck to your brand.
Interesting to note that the colour bands that differentiate the different pen thicknesses survided the transition to CAD. Most people still use those colours, to define the line thicknesses in CAD. For instance yellow lines print as 0.35mm thick black lines, same as the 0.35mm thick nib on the yellow banded pen.
I fell in love with the Koh-I-Noor pens since 1990! I purchased a full set that came in a box. Each size is color coded, which made it easy for me to switch from one size to next while stippling portraits I was working on. Through out the years, the pen body did crack when screwing them on. I still have all but one from that set. The plastic has yellowed a bit, but they still work well. I’ve had to replace the nib on the two that I used the most. For me, it felt the best in my hand when drawing. Cleaning was fairly easy, specially after I learned that it should be done at the end of the day. I recently purchased a small second set because I’m getting back into my stippling my life away.😊
I found a box full of these in my shed, my mom is an art teacher so she has a whole bunch of pens in a box haha, I’m excited to try them
I can't believe two years later I just messaged the same thing XD
I used to be a draftsman 35+ years ago and used both koh-i-noor and rotring. The koh-i-noor was a far superior pen in my opinion. One difference I don't see in your video was a jeweled tipped nib, these are much smoother to write with. Thanks for comparing these, it brought back some good memories!
there's a youtube channel called this old tony who's a skilled machinist, maybe he could make you a pen body
That's another addictive channel!
I'd LOVE THIS! Oh man... how cool would that be?
I just left a comment on ToT's most recent video with a link to this video. Maybe if enough people do the same he'll reach out to Peter! :)
Or maybe this guy, He's made an aluminum pen, but it looks a bit chunky for Peter.. .th-cam.com/video/eNIHy0hH7Js/w-d-xo.html
or even this guy. These look very nice...
th-cam.com/video/NMB3Vc-qgLs/w-d-xo.html
Hey Peter, try contacting “this old Tony” he’s a great machinist here on youtube that has colabed with other youtubers before. Maybe he can help you out with the aluminum body for rotring?
That would be cool
I just left a comment on ToT's most recent video with a link to this video. Maybe if enough people do the same he'll reach out to Peter! :)
oh yes, a "this old peter" collab would be the best thing ever
What an unexpected crossover
Oh my god thisoldtony would be a fantastic guybto contact! He's so chill, and loves collabs. I love thisoldtony!!!!!! Peter reach out man
The type of pen these are ist called a "stylograph" they were originally designed to create uniform lines with india ink (the moving wire in the tube stops the waterproof ink from gumming up the flow). Rapidographs were the gold standard. In the 80s they introduced the Rotring, which was supposed to be easier to maintain. They always had a bit of a problem with the barrels!
You might be able to find old, jewel pointed rapidograph nibs, which actually have a tiny ruby ring on the tip around the wire. These pens were used for ruling lines on blueprints and things like that, doing mile after mile of lines, so the steel nibs eventually wore down while the jewel point made a difference. (FWIW, I bought my first rapidograph in the mid 70s for $8! I can't believe how much they cost now!)
Damn, you field-stripped that Isograph like a pro.
One of the cool things about this style of pen is the hinge joint attachment, which lets you hold the barrel at an angle while the nib remains perpendicular to the drawing surface. Staedtler sold theirs separately and all the used sets I looked at on ebay were missing it (with a little slip in the box that says 'reserved for [hinge model #]'). Sets of rapidographs usually have it included in the box, provided the previous owner didn't lose it. idk how much of a deal break that is for people but it's one of the major advantages of this type of pen. Rapidographs can be refilled, but it's a little more cumbersome, they also have a slightly different mechanism for how the inkflow works compared to the isograph.
Hey Peter I liked this ad layout were you drew something about them and then showed the product made it a lot more appealing keep creating I love your vids
I'll have to go out to the garage and get out my old Koh-I-Noor pens. (There might be some Leroy-branded pens in that box and maybe some K+E as well. I can't remember.) My career started as a design-drafter and I used (gasp) technical pens on linen and then mylar. Lettering was either hand-lettered or Leroy templates were used. The 0-size nib probably got the most use. I had pens from a 4 down to 4x0, which is a very fine line.
When I started using mylar, I found that it ate stainless steel nibs. I would burn through those 0-size nibs in a few weeks of use. So, enter the jewel-tipped nibs. That bit of sapphire on the tip did two things -- increased the lifespan of the tool (a lot and that's good because they were EXPENSIVE) and had a lot less tooth on the drawing material.
These pens don't have a very good seal in the cap and will dry out. It is worse with the finer nibs and care is required with the fine nibs because the wire is very fine. As you said, soaking overnight will help loosen the dried ink and I think a mild ammonia solution will improve freeing the dried ink from the nib. I also use fountain pens and have a small ultrasonic cleaner that is used with particularly bad situations. A few cycles with some warm water and a bit of pen cleaner or ammonia will usually clear up the mess. So the best way to care for them is prophylactic... don't leave them inked if they are not going to be used for a few days or more.
I've been meaning to retrieve those old pens from storage and see if they will still write. I have no doubt they will because they were cleaned before being stored. I've been using fountain pens for a decade now to write in my journals and in my Bullet Journal. I've become a pen and paper snob. ;)
I'm quite fond of those old technical pens. They paid a lot of bills for me when I was working through university. I did a lot of technical drafting to produce camera-ready copy for professors and graduate students at my university. That was a good part of my life and I cherish it.
Thanks for the video and it's good to learn a bit about the current production of technical pens. I'm a little disappointed by what you shared. It's a pity that this technology is lost.
A few years back, I found a Staedtler Marsmatic 700 set of about eight or nine different sized technical pens at my community college. New old stock. Never used. Paid 20 bucks for it. I knew they were worth alot more but being broke at the time, and not really needing them, I just bought one pack. There were maybe ten or twelve packages. About a week later I decided to buy the rest of them but they were all gone by then. I still have them and use them every once in a while. Good pens.
I could look at one of your doodles for hours and see something new every few minutes...
Thanks for the great vid. Been using Koh-i-Noor for 30+ years and never thought to try another brand. They are phenomenal instruments. For all the precision engineering that goes into each nib, and the fact that they'll last a lifetime, I actually consider them cheap! I can see from this comparison that my brand loyalty could easily have been towards any of the other pens... just worked out that this was my first. Two side notes: individual rapidographs used to come in a plastic box, the lid of which would act as the wrench. Also, and I believe this would work for all these brands, if ink dries out in a nib, soak it overnight in windex (not an off brand, and original formula only) Works every time. Oh, and that was a killer drawing by the way!
Well, we're a couple years out on this, but I can add a few things, I think. I've been using these pens for a long time. A LONG time. My first were tips that could be held in a holder (pen body), compass, or lettering scribe. The business end is two parts: A cup with the tip, and the wire/valve plunger. Assembled, the open cup on hte top is where you drop the ink. A lot like using a ruling pen, in that respect, but fixed line width and you can go in any direction. The old holders allowed the angle of the tip to be adjusted so you didn't need to hold it straight up and down to get a good line (Ridgeway 2162 has a nice feel). Of course, the parts were plain steel, so rust was a concern.
The internal part isn't a piston. It is a valve. The bottom face where the wire is insert makes a seal. The wire lifts the valve to let ink flow. For the most consistent line, the face of the tip shouldn't quite touch the paper, but should ride on a film of ink. This is easier with a lettering scribe (they have an adjusting post to set the clearance), but, when working by hand with instruments, a light touch does it. Freehand drawing? Do what you will. It'll be consistent enough, much more so than any other option.
I haven't used all of the "modern' makes, but my go to are Koh-I-Noor and some older Alvin. My K-I-N are mostly the same as the current design (maybe early 1980's, IIRC), but a little higher quality. The holder ("pen body") has the same cracking problem since the design was introduced. They also yellow. The oldest use a piston in the body with a screw to draw ink from bottle to fill. No dropper, but messy. The bodies on these are nicer than the modern ones, shaped in a 1940's bullet style. These don't fail, in my experience, at all. They were made in Germany. (hard rubber, like old fountain pens) Note that K-I-N is two companies. K-I-N (Hardtmuth) in Bavaria (Czech, now) and US, separated at WW-II. The German made pens may be Waterman, as they made some K-I-N fountain pens. Inserting the tips should be finger snug. Removal with pliers is fine, but parallel-jaw type is best (Sargent/Bernard style) to avoid distorting the plastic and causing a leak or knocking the tip out of line.
The modern K-I-N have different polymers for the threaded rings and internals than the body and cap. It seems that only the body and cap fail as they lose the plasticizers. No need to unscrew the body, just separate the color ring from the black one when filling. If the body gets bad enough, the threads are 13/32-36 (imperial special, but taps are readily available) for the rings and body. You can make your own. The cap is different, but you don't want to make that due to the internal seal setup. If you find the older pens with the clear (rather than black) tip body, it is likely to leak. They are pretty, so frame it, maybe. Still used for the lower priced line, and they still craze and leak after a few years.
I gotta say, watching you draw while you talked about your sponsor actually had me watch the whole ad, because your drawing was so satisfying
Many years ago I put a piece of Scotch tape around the top of my Rotring which had cracked to hold it together so it fitted tight on the screw thread. It barely shows, isn't annoying in use and is still there. It has a much longer life than the barrel of the pen!
I first fell in love with Rotrings some 30 years ago.
Later, I moved on to painting with oils and me and the Rotrings went our own separate ways...
Now, thanks to Peter, that old passion has been rekindled. I have managed to find a used set (0.35, 0.50, 0.70) online for $10 (postage included!)
Thanks for that Peter, and thanks for your very inspirational videos.
I feel like there's potential for a Clickspring or This Old Tony collab making that metal technical pen. It'd be an interesting challenge for either, I'm sure.
The histories of Rotring and Koh-I-Noor USA are kind of tangled and interesting. Apparently Koh-I-Noor Europe and Koh-I-Noor USA split into independent companies during World War II, with Koh-I-Noor USA focusing on drafting and technical materials, while Koh-I-Noor Europe di more fine art supplies. The Rapidograph was actually invented and trademarked by Rotring in 1951, but Rotring used Koh-I-Noor USA as their US distributor, so Rapidographs have always been distributed by Koh-I-Noor in the states. In 1970, Rotring and PELIKAN jointly bought Koh-I-Noor USA, and Rotring bought out the rest of Koh-I-Noor USA from PELIKAN in 1982 and created "Koh-I-Noor Rapidograph." In 1998, Sanford bought Rotring and sold Koh-I-Noor Rapidograph to Chartpak. So today, Koh-I-Noor USA actually owns the Rapidograph trademark, at least in the US.
I've always been mesmerized by watching you draw and the ease in which your hand flows across the page.
I'll bet Koh-i-noor was pleased that they held on to their early 90's era packaging graphics long enough to have them be cool again.
I am not proud to admit that my first taste of technical pens were two that I stole from the local craft store in my much younger days, which is now out of business. I still feel guilty every time I go past the Michael's that replaced it. I do still love a traditional technical pen though.
I came here looking for a tech pens comparative (trying to decide between Rotring and Staedtler)... I stayed here to see you finish your drawing, so satisfying! Thanks for the review and for the visual candy!
This video was the last drop. I could not resist the urge to by rotring anymore. Now I am happily doodling. This pen is amazing. The line is consistent, and the tactile sensation is something extraordinary. I tried many different pens, and this one is like nothing else.
Thank you a lot for inspiration and ideas. I think I started doodling again because of your videos about a year ago.
You got me hooked on Rotring Isographs and for that I thank you.
You really make pens sound interesting.
Just found your video so relaxing.
Huh. I was really surprised by the Koh-i-Noor pen. You see - I am Czech myself, and here the pen looks completely different. It's a different colour, a different type of plastic, has a wrench in the handle and the additional ring isn't there. It's weird.
yes, I was very surpriesed too, but I noticed Made in U.S.A. , so I had to instpect this, I found in the about section of kohinoorusa.com:
...With World War II came the division of *Koh-I-Noor North America* and *Koh-I-Noor Europe*. Over time, the two companies *developed different art materials* - Koh-I-Noor Europe manufactured fine art materials such as pencils and paints, along with office and school supplies. *Meanwhile, Koh-I-Noor USA had developed some of the finest technical drawing supplies on the market.* _Yes, but actually no_
...In 1999, Steven W. Roth, president of Chartpak Inc., acquired Koh-I-Noor North America - famous for its world-renowned Rapidograph® Technical pens which *are made in our plants in the United States*, and partnered once again with Koh-I-Noor Europe and the Breeza family to bring a cohesive line of professional drawing materials to the USA, Canada and South America. The Koh-I-Noor line of drawing pencils has expanded from the classic graphite pencil to over 20 degrees of graphite, colored and aquarell pencils, pastels, blocks, watercolors, and a plethora of drawing accessories. _so they are 2 different companies, although they are cooperating again since 1999
"koh-i-noor" means the "mountain of radiance" or "sunlight mountain" or "enlightenment mountain" in persian (i speak a bit of pashto, not farsi fyi) edit: literally the first entry on google has a wikipedia page for it. my comment is dumb and i was clearly just offering pointless information to make me seem cool. my bad
Hey peter I tried a drawing fountain pen for the first time in my life and I'm hooked, I love how easily the ink flows out
I have used Koh-I-Noor for over 40 years. Love the doodle. Not into computer graphics nothing beats the feel, emotion and process of drawing. Have a BFA from Kendall School of Design.
Peter! Thankyou so much for the compelling in depth review of these three technical pens. Much appreciated!! Have a Great Day!!!
I loved how you described the pens and the tone of your voice, very soothing. I'm pleasantly surprises for this inquiry to be such a treat to my ears with my morning coffee ♡
I liked that you said ‘something is better than nothing’ - that’s my motto for the year
Holy crap, watching you draw reminded me of how we all used to stare in amazement at pen plotters in Architecture school 20 years ago. This is ASMR on a whole nother level for me!
i bought a rotring because of you and i love it. best pen iv'e tried
Thanks for the insights! I've been looking into technical pens, leaning to rOtring, but will look some more.
Excellent video, Peter! Though done with three different pens, the resultant artwork is a precise example of your style and forte. Very enjoyable watching it evolve from the pens. Thank you..
My dad gave me his staedtler mars 700 which he used in the 80s and I needed to replace the nib. It was cheaper to buy a whole new pen than just the nib and when it came, the new body of the pen looked so cheap compared to the old pen. The old pen's body really does look built to last.
its definitely a less cheap plastic than rotring, and it shows on how thicker it is
i have a friend who has the newer staedtler pens from the 2010s and unlike the isographs he has, the bodies dont have this cracking problem when screwing and unscrewing for long periods of time. i too personally own staedtler pens, and they definitely feel more robust than the isographs (which is why they're slightly more expensive)
First of all, these pens are not designed to be used for drawing on paper. These pens are designed to use pigment inks so, when you draw on paper, the tiny fibers come of the paper and clog the nib (they collect between that needle and the opening). These pens are used for drawing on translucent paper and the pigment ink is used so it doesn't soak in the paper so you can scratch it with safety razor blade if you make a mistake or you have to correct something in your drawing. Also, you are supposed to draw with them by having them perpendicular to the surface of the paper as this is when they produce the designated width. This is very important is ISO drafting standard - 0.5 is used for visible edges of the object, 0.25 for invisible edges in isometric projections (you use dotted lines for that) and 0.35 is used for axis and text.
True. This advice was also given by our teachers in art school.
Woah how do you know this
@@clownpaint20 I was studying mechanical engineering in the 80's. That knowledge was a part of learning curve.
@@ceticmilan wow I was studying cad drafting back in my early 20s I’m 26 right now, but I’ll be dammed, it feels like all that knowledge you have isn’t taught in schools any more what a shame
Back then , even if you were using CAD (and it was just starting to get traction), when you needed to print your drawings, you used to use plotters with pens. So you had same drafting pens like these with adapters for plotting on translucent paper and felt tip ones for paper drawings. And you had to clean drafting pens after use so they don't get clogged, especially on Friday and especially for 0.25. 0.35 and 0.5 you could just shake a little bit and they would start working again but in 0.25mm ones the ink would dry so hard you needed to disassemble them to clean them or use the ultrasonic bath if you had one.
having abused the koh i noor barrel over about a year, i can say that the plastic does hold up far better than the rotring has for me
This is you best video. To the point plus your wit and humor. Loved it mate.
I totally forgot how easy it is to listen to you talk while I draw. thanks for the video.
I used a full set of Rotring Rapidographs back in the mid 1960s for doing technical illustrations and they had the same refillable reservoir that the one you have here does. Years later I bought a 3-pen + a pencil set and it is the cartridge type (which I don't really like). I'm in the UK though, so maybe it was different in the USA.
It would be cool if you did a technical pen vs fountain pen video!
Flex: FP a little; Tech pen oh dear!
Always a fan of your voice and videos Peter!
Best ad for a company I’ve seen and I actually remember the name, unlike every other ad I’ve EVER seen!!!! Squarespace. Peter Rocks!! Thanks for video
Funny to me that this is one of my favorite drawings you’ve done. I think it’s due to seeing how you brought the three panels together. Love it.
Just the video i was looking for! Thanks once again Peter, i was about thinking about get Tech pens, and now i know which one i'll buy!
Hi Peter, when I got my last Rotring, I took a couple turns of tape (I think it was electrical tape) around the plastic body where it screws into the nib and (so far) that has worked to stop me over tightening it and breaking the plastic. Plus the blackness of the tape kinda makes ot look like part of the design 👍
I love these pens use this back in the 80’s and still using these on my artworks. Great pens one thing missing here is the black body Rotring.
Tip for anyone trying out this kind of technical pens for the first time! When reassembling the pen after cleaning it, don't tighten the feed cover into the feed section too much, you should be able to hear the "needle" and small weight going up and down freely to avoid ink flow issues. This is specially true for the finest ones: my favorite size is 0.1 and I cursed so much the first time I tried to use it cause the ink wouldn't flow no matter how much I dipped it into water/pen cleaner solution to troubleshoot it 😅
Oh man sounds painful. I just want my pens to work ! Lol. But I want to try these
@@aicirtkciub9167 If you already enjoy disposable metal tip pens like the Sakura Microns, this is probably up your alley! And like Peter says, if you enjoy tinkering with things, they are very satisfying to take apart and reassemble. I have like 7 or 8 different Steadtler Mars Matic 700 sizes, and so far so good. They are indeed plastic but at least to me they feel sturdy and I haven't had any problems with any of them in all the years I've had them 😁
I always liked the scratchiness of the Rapidograph too. It kind of reminds me of an old-fashioned nib pen.
you had me at the stories, like the ones behind the meaning of Latin specie names... and being lluminated by a "mountain of light" with narrative & drawings is just sooo rare. Thank you Peter.
I cant believe you just casually drew something that looks so complex and doesnt seem to end(?) so easily. I always wondered where artists who draw mechas and such art start and end, it amazes me how u kept going back and forth like it really didnt matter and u can endlessly built on it
I really like this in depth look at the pens. Thank you for touching on material quality of the pen
Thanks for the detailed demonstrations
Used Rapidograph exclusively in my graphic arts degree (1982-1986). The set of four had both pre-filled cartridges and empty tube to fill with your own ink. Remember using sonic pen washer to clean the nibs when they clogged up after lying open after an all-nighter.
You're videos are very calming for me. I enjoy the information but when I'm moving a little too fast, a PeterDraws vid helps me de-clutter the mind. Thank you.
This was so satisfying to watch
I think the jewel tips were for when technical drawings were made on frosted Mylar. It wore the metal needle down quickly. Super satisfying to draw on that stuff and easy to trace too.
Thank you for the really interesting video. I enjoyed your review very much. And your drawing is amazing. Cheers!
I could listen to you for hours! You should do voice overs! You have that really good narrator voice! I must not forget you carefree drawing style also. Been a fan for years now! Thanks for sharing your talents!
I would LOVE for Peter to partner with a pen manufacturer and create the Peter Draws Technical Pen one day. It has to be a pen that solves all of the problems Peter talks about, and have all of the features he loves the most. THAT is the technical pen I MOST want to buy! 💞💞💞
wonderful...thank you ever so much...i just got one for christmas and i haven't used it yet...i forgot how to take them apart
This was a really satisfying video. I think the drawing turned out nicely too.
How awesome, thanks for the comparison!
I used Rotring pens back when I was in art school. Yes, they do have the cracking problem, but other than that, regular maintenance and a few precautions was all I did to keep them in working condition. For the cracking problem, I would wind 3 to 4 rounds of scotch tape which helped the body withstand against cracking. I still have one (0.2) in working condition after 32 years of usage. :)
you could always reach out to the 3d print community to get a good model and files for a custom rotring body then send those over to a compony that can 3d print metal. might be interesting to see how well it works
Loads of info on these pens, I agree if this is a pen for life or well ten years I expect the plastic to last, if you say it cracks then we watching know this is a problem. Still a part of me wants one, your drawings are so amazing. Thanks for the look and I’m loving how two come built in with tools to open the pens up.
I remember telling you abuot the Staedtler on Twitch a long, long time ago when I just bought my first one, and you teached me a little about how technical pens work in general :) At the time I had not realized I needed to shake the pen. Fun to see you try them now. The reason I use them is honestly because they are so much more available for me here in Sweden.
Peter, if you basically want a company to make you something like a metal version of your Rotring, you might want to talk to Karas Kustoms. They have never made a pen quite like that before, but they do lots of limited-run editions of ballpoints, rollerballs, and fountain pens. Maybe they would be interested in making a pen to your specifications as a kind of collaboration that they’d then offer a small batch of to their customers. They’ve done collaborations before, so it’s possible that they’d be into the idea.
I thought i was the only one that was into pens pens like this haha. My man. No one ever watched my videos though. Your a lucky nerd
As an old and dynamic engineer who still uses Technical pens now and then (Staedler Mars and Rotring) , I am willing to share my comment/opnion.
Technical pens were designed for technical people. They use(d) to draw along rulers and templates, basically on translucent paper-like material (tracing paper)which has a hard and smooth surface. By doing so, the pen is to be held vertical, instead of the angled use in free hand drawing. Consistency in line size is only achieved by holding the pen vertical. Here plays the nib a role. It has a recess in order to keep ink from the ruler, the size of it in relation to the line width can have an influence in free hand drawing. The inner needle generate the capillarity for the ink flow. If the needle sticks out too far (thinner line sizes) the more "scratchiness" can occur.
Rotring's black version pens were of good plastic material, I still have workable ones of 50 years old. The red isograph is made of worse material and are mend to store in a box with a wet sponge underneath. That is why the cover doesn't have to fit, they were stored at the same box.
Rotring worked fine on paper based translucent tracing paper. Drawback is you have to use them regularly, otherwise they clogged up easily. Staedler-Mars tends to scratch on paper based translucent paper, but works the best on the polyester based ones, where Rotring seems to wear out faster. The Staedler Mars is less vulnerable to clog and is in most cases easier and better to clean. (different inner design of the pen). For those who want to use ultrasonic cleaners: be aware the bath warms-up and could easily damage your investment.
The Koh-I-Noor shown looks like a remake of a very old Rotring, they needed also a separate wheel to dismantle them and the inner part looks identical. Perhaps an old pen in a new jacket.
Great work Peter. I am trying to warm up after 6 days of freezing weather in central Texas. Hope you are well.
Great drawing! So satisfying to watch it.
Haven't seen the video, but whatever you are about to make, it looks amazing already!
FACT.
I still have a set of Rotring rapidiographs from the early 90's. They are still working pretty well. Great vid, Great drawing!
Peter, I have used technical pens - Kohinor and Faber Castell for decades 70s-2020. The tips wear from use, even the jewel tips. I draw on watercolor and printmaking paper with Higgins inks. I have gone through many many nib replacements and they cost a lot especially now as they are somewhat rare. Just be advised.
Shawn Newton at Newton Pens has designed a unit that will fit on fountain pens that can hold the technical/rapidograph unit. I’m on hold now for one. (His que is two years). Contact him he can help you.
Hi Peter, the inconsistencies in the line width might come from the way your holding them, doesn't have to be that, but it's possible. As a technical draftsmen your taught to use them perpendicular to the paper to get consistent lines. Holding it like you normaly would while drawing can lead to "unwanted" variation.
I was gifted a set of isographs when I finished my engineering apprenticeship. Great pens. Just one tip if you ever try to do any "drafting" style art (which I think you should try), is to hold the pen as vertical as you can, it's how they're intended to be used and is strongly expected for them to be used vertically when drawing. Helps the ink to flow and be as precise and equal line width as possible. I really would like to see you try some art where you use very accuratly straight and angled lines to make art, it's a real challenge but the end results sre very satisfying!
Good afternoon Peter! Keep up the good work!
Thank you. Thorough and interesting.
Good stuff Peter!
Cracking handles.
So I got a Koh-i-Noor when I was in collage, & I also had cracking issues. I hand it tapped up to fix it, but I recently decided to try fixing it with sugru, this would look nicer & would also give a better grip. I also got a a pack of staedtler pens & now I'm thinking I should Sugru all my tech pens's handles for prevention, seeing how cracking is so common.
It's a shame, I was looking at them on amazon, & they don't sell replacement grips.
I have the faint memory of some technical drawing teacher at school telling us not to fill the catridge entirely, only 3/4, and the reason I think is not to spill. In Greece rotring is the technical pen, I remember about 25 years ago another brand witch I can't remember the name, it was shorter than rotring and thick. It was the most beautiful techical pen I have ever seen but they had flaws. They had the best cap , a red accordeon that removed the air and kept the tip moist for long time. The body was transparent as far as I remember, I wish I could remember the name!
I'd been given an older Rotring at one point (sadly lost to the mists of time.) Friend knew I liked pens.
I think that it's a matter of cost reduction that is cheapening the quality of many things. Gone are the days of realistically priced pens that have decent quality.
To get an equivalent to say an older Esterbrook, which cost $35ish in today's money, it's at least $100+. And then you may still have issues with getting them to write. Both the ballpoint pen and cheaper quality plastic really helped kill off some otherwise great pens.
Newell-Rubbermaid: parent company to even Parker and Waterman, as well as storage containers. And I think that Chartpak is a distributor for the United States for several pen companies.
Great comparisons of these technical pens! Thanks!
Great drawing as usual! 👍🏻🖊
Wow that .35 Rotring brings back memories. Same colors and looks just it did in the 70s
Love your videos....because of you I've begun 'doodling' and it isn't as easy as you make it look 🤣🤣👍 But its fun 👍 Big fan of rotring and Lamy Safari 😍