I’ve been using these for near 9 years now. Still my favorite.

I've had a couple of these, and I loved the first one, which was either the EF or the F nib, that I got about 30 years ago. I like how light it is, and I always figured it thinned out at the end to keep it's meager weight between your fingers for maximum control. My cap could be posted on to the thin end. Way deep down in the cap there was a thinner section that fit onto the thin end of the pen, (maybe you just need to push it harder, or maybe they did away with that) although I never liked to do that because the inside of the cap would get inky and it would transfer ink to white end of the pen, which my OCD could not handle. Also it kinda ruined the balance. I bought a second one about 10 years ago and I've had some of the same issues with weird ink flow that you show here. I would rate my first pen a 10/10, the second one I dunno, it's been hard to get along with. I do miss the Rotring ink in jars. It used to be my favourite ink, it was nice and matte and black when you laid down big swaths of it. I'm sure there are other inks out there that compare but I don't know what they are and keep winding up with stuff that has a coppery sheen.

I’ve had mine for 20+ years, it is definitely not flimsy. The body is solid and definitely not plasticy. There is no way i could squeeze or crush it. Perhaps u get cheap knock offs?? To be honest, havnt used mine in forever, looking to get back to using, and came to see how best to clean etc. my nib is a B.

Rotring and Mont Blanc are my favorites tools for writing... changing video clip!

Funny how times have changed!!! Back in the 80's this pen was THE pen to have for cartoonists... The only other choice was either crowquills or snooty expensive fountain pens. I think perhaps that maybe your style which is more illustrative and refined can't "de-nuance" itself to allow for messy scribbley lines (please don't change!). Also, I seem to remember that their build quality was on a much higher level and not so flimsy... Oh well!😜🙉🍕

I have 3 of these in fine and extra fine and I do love to sketch with them. I also like the fact that they take standard ink cartridges so its easy to switch colours out. The shape feels good in the hand but I don't like that you have to hold the cap while sketching outside and that they are too long for most pencil cases 😕. I also find the cartidges dry out quickly if the pen is not used for some time so the seal is not good. Overall I only end up using it at home when I want to do a fun sketch or use an unusual colour.

I reground a nib to a stub recently. I played around with it so that the reverse is still stub but a smaller width on the down stroke. Had to preserve some tipping material to pull that off.

Yeah, I dug out an Artpen “F” nib I haven’t used in 30+ years. Definitely better made than the pen in your demo. After a thorough cleaning and a few skips it worked fine. I guess they don’t make’um like they used to. Like any other tool, the key is maintenance. Thanks for the video, it’s inspired me to crack open a bottle of Higgins again.

I've used both the muji and the rotring art pen. I own the rotring art pen EF nib and I've had for over 15 years and have to say its the best pen I've had for drawing, as for posting the cap, these types of pens are referred to as desk pens. You need to be careful as far as 15 years ago people started making fake rotring equipment, my father's friend was legit distributer and he had warned me about the counterfeit rotrings.

So far, my favorite stub is the one I got with my first TWSBI Eco, and it was just because that was the only nib I could find with my chosen TWSBI colorway at the time (glow green - I got to it late and in demand). I'm so happy I got it with a stub. I don't use it a ton for when I want to draw with a controlled line quality, but it's awesome for doodling, and fun for loose urban sketches. I find the nib really smooth without being too wet, and the unpredictability is half of the fun. I keep it loaded with Platinum Carbon, and I think I'm going to get a second TWSBI Eco stub and fill it with a warm, waterproof brown.

I have the rotring in broad and it seems to work really good but they weren't kidding about the broad . It is really wet too . I hear the golden ticket is the fine nib , but I can't find one . Did they stop making them ? I think may be the did ....

Experiences are different, I like my Rotring 1.1 Stub since many years. I also cannot confirm any inconsistency, it always wrote reliable and consistent. Imho the material is decent and durable for a cheap pen. Stubs and in particular cursive italic nibs require a consistent writing slant, if this can’t maintained by the user it’s not the pens fault. Modern day users are only used to blob shaped spherical nail nibs which writes in any condition so that all ballpoint barbarians can write with them. Writing with italic and flex nibs has to be learned. Btw. the Rotring Artpen is unfortunately discontinued since more than 2 years by now. So you are lucky to get one. They were under 20€ while still in production, which I considered a good price.

I just found my old rotring fineliners from the 80's and I'm terrified to open the box and see what condition they are in! I don't think I've seen many people draw with a stub, maybe colour in? I second the platinum carbon desk pen love from down in the comments.

Mine is quite old, and may be better made than the one you're showing. I like it, it's not cheap and flimsy at all. It also works reliably, though with no variety of line. It will also take carbon ink, without clogging. However - it's no longer available; Rotring don't make it any more. So - you don't need to stess about it any further! The model I've got may, as I say, be better made than yours - I've no way of knowing; and mine doesn't have a stub nib, either, so it's not a fair comparison. However, if it were still available, I'd buy another - for drawing, for general handwriting, maybe not for calligraphy. The pen I wouldn't buy again is the Lamy Joy - which, for all I know, you may love: but if you want flimsy..... the Lamy Joy really is; and it skips, clogs, won't flow, suddenly will, then won't again. My Rotring Artpen is superior in every way to that.

Mine has W Germany stamped on the clip....i guess that makes it quite old! Either way, i love it!

Just an observation: Rotring actually made special ArtPens for left-handed people. I wonder if one of those would make a difference for you…🤔

nice video.. thx.. this pen I use daily, and love it.. not as wet as you say.. so it made me think you came accross one with some problems.. lovely pen for me.. very successfull, however ı am not an expert as you are.. maybe should try some else to comment.. will watch your videos and see which I should try.. upon your reccomendations.. cheers

I had a similar problem with a pen skipping and being very inconsistent. I then saw a video where the guy said with cheap pens he usually cleans the pen before using it as they frequently have oil in them from the manufacturing, I flush them with ammonia. Stub nibs are notorious for being quite sensitive to the angle you write with them, oblique nibs are even more finicky but when you hit the sweet spot they rock. Both are more for calligraphy than drawing IMHO. If you cleaned it first and were aware about stubs feel free to ignore this. I enjoyed the video.

Me, too. IT SKIPS A LOT. POOR INK FLOW.

Yes, I tried one, it sits unused.

1. I had one of these briefly, XF. It didn't reliably make a consistent line. I tossed it. 2. Desk pens can be great. I swear by my Platinum Carbon Desk Pen, a superlative XF. 3. I use stub and Pilot Parallel nibs to fill in large areas, something I do regularly. And for extra-wide lines.

Mine has been non operating for 24 years. Now does not work. Washed. Taken the feed out. To no avail .

Rotring once made the best fountain pens. Now they make cheap plastic farts and steal money from art students for technical pens. ROtring was once great. Now it’s loathed. (My opinion)