Rotring800 Retractable Metal Mechanical Pencil, 0.5mm, Black Barrel, Perfect for Drafting, Engineering, Architecture Professionals

i bought two of the rOtring 800 pencils and personally i think that they’re solid writing tools. they are made with solid brass and you can tell the first time you pick it up, especially with the knurling where you’re supposed to hold it. the writing is just like any other mechanical pencil but i like the knurling a lot because of the grip and it’s a little weird writing with at first because of how slender the pencil is compared to normal ones. it’s easy to tell that this is really a tool rather than just a mechanical pencil. for example, pressing the lead advance button or retracting the tip just feels like it is well-made and it’s quite fidgetable if that is something of value to you. now there are cons, albeit one that is just minor design issues. there is a little bit of a “gap” when you press down on the lead advance button, and it’s not really a dealbreaker to me but i feel like that could’ve been improved, and in general how sensitive the tip is but it’s at least retractable (still have to be careful with that). now the biggest con is the very high price, but i find it pays itself off since you wont be using any of those cheap almost disposable mechanical pencils that i myself used to use. and i hear a lot about how some engineering students and such have kept it for years. in short, this is a solid choice for a reliable, tough and nearly unbreakable pen (emphasis on nearly, but the retractability checks itself out) and if you’re willing to get by the high price, i think that this is a good choice for anyone that needs a rugged and reliable mechanical pencil.

This is a great writing instrument. Feels great in the hand and the construction is superb. The tip being able to retract is great for stowing it in you bag. Little pricy but in my opinion it was well worth it.

I love the Pentel Sharp P205/P207/P209 and often keep one with me, but they poke through many shirt pockets. Nerdy, I know. But anyway, I wanted something with a similar feel and ran into the Rotring 600. The 600 is a great pencil that feels a lot like the P200 series, but with a heavier metal body and a great knurled grip. However it is pretty much just as pokey, and if you bend the tip on the Rotring 600, you are out a whole lot more money.The Rotring 800 solves most of the issues. It’s not QUITE as solid feeling as the Pentel Sharps or the Rotring 600 because of the retracting tip, but it gets most of the way there with a huge design benefit with the ability to carry it in a shirt pocket and not worry as much about the tip getting broken.

I bought 2 Rotring 800, 0.5mm mechanical pencils for drawing and note taking. I use these, as well as a number of the less expensive 500's with multiple colors of leads and keep them at hand in a 3D holder I designed and printed.The retractable barrel is brilliant as you can easily keep it in your pocket without retracting the lead (or poking holes in your shirt). The barrel extends with the lead exactly where you left it, which sounds like a small thing until you do it a few hundred times. The retraction mechanism is also easily managed with your writing hand (one-handed), and spring-loaded.The build quality is excellent, and I imagine that these are made to last a lifetime. The pencil is much heavier than the hybrid metal/plastic models, but I find the weight to be a major advantage for throwing steady lines and arcs, owing to the additional inertia.The "micro" knurling around the grip area is small enough to be comfortable, yet sharp enough to create a positive no-slip hold.The visibility around the point is perfect for precision drawing and also allows for accurate alignment when used with drawing tools (triangles, t-squares, circle and elipse templates, etc.).In terms of finish, I have read some criticism of the durability, and I have a couple of nicks here and there, but I would attribute this to my handling of the instrument and not a failing of the design. To me, it is minor and only adds to the character. If you want to keep this pencil pristine, then you should keep it in a holder and not loose in among other pencils or objects that will chip or mar the finish. That's part of why I designed and printed the holder - so that I could protect the pencil and have it close at hand.If someone knows of a better mechanical pencil. Please post a link to it!

This is the best pencil I’ve ever used it has a good weight and it is full metal I will never buy a different pencil it helped my handwriting 100% would buy again

It's a rotring instrument and of the highest quality you can get. Granted it better be very high quality for the price. The retraction mechanism is nice and crisp, very fidgety. The mechanism for the lead is also very good. The cap over the eraser is a nice touch and comes off easily but does not fall off on its own. The black coating on the pencil is very robust and has not gotten a single scratch despite the pencil living in my bag with no protection. All things said, this is one of the best mechanical pencils money can buy, but that's to be expected from a rotring.

I bought this pencil for the retractable tip and wanted to run it throughthe paces. I enjoy a good quality drafting pencil. However, I spend a fair amount of time on production lines with concrete floors and have destroyed the tips of numerous pencils over the years with a careless drop. The pencil is well built with a good texture for grip. I will buy again in the future.