Professional Confidence in Your Hands

The rOtring 500 premium light-weight mechanical drafting pencil is the perfect sketching tool for designers

Rogue Script
3 min readApr 22, 2020
The rOtring 500 is an elegant tool for the modern designer.
The rOting 500 is lightweight, yet feels solid and is comfortable to hold.

When you first pick up the rOtring 500 you’ll feel its robust quality. Light yet solid, the hexagonal design is ergonomic, and the metallic knurled grip prevents slipping, so you can focus on your tasks. This ergonomic wonder of technology is a work of art, for artists — a tool you’ll hold on to, and not easily discardable like inferior mechanical pencils. Think of it as a state of mind. When you own a rOtring, you mean business.

Top features

The following demonstrates why this mechanical pencil is the perfect illustration tool and a must-have for graphic designers.

Innovative technology

Precision brass mechanism for lead advancement. Fixed lead guidance sleeve prevents breaking, and offers a clear view for precise sharp lines.

Ergonomic design

Lightweight plastic barrel ensures less fatigue in your hand. The hexagonal frame prevents rolling or sliding when set down on surfaces.

Metal grip

Industrial knurled grip ensures a steady comfort and confidence when drawing or writing.

Lead hardness indicator

The slot displays seven grade selections for quick indentification:
4H, 2H, H, F, HB, B, 2B.

The rOtring 500 is the perfect entry level model to test the quality of the brand, and to use for sketching or to elaborate on ideas. Professional designers know that sketching ideas saves time, from a tiny mobile ad banner to a full-size landing page. With a swipe of the eraser and a flick of the wrist, you can quickly alter your designs and offer alternatives to meet your art director’s demands. It’s a timeless solution that digital software can’t immitate: working with your hands uses a different set of physical and mental gears; it’s an excellent creative exercise.

Sketch of designs on graph paper with the pencil and eraser displayed.
The rOtring 500 makes sketching and designing more enjoyable.
Closeup image of 0.7mm thick lines.
The lines are thick and sharp at 0.7mm.

The rOtring 500 is coated with a magnificent elegant, black matte finish. The knurled grip and grade indicator knob have the same texture and are made of brass, as is the eraser cap. The plastic body and metallic elements meld to provide evenly distributed harmony and balance — no shaky or loose play in any part of the mechanism, it just feels right.

The tip and clip are made of stainless steel. The latter snaps and secures the pencil firmly in place. The red ring at the top end of the body is an asthetic trademark of the brand: rotring means red ring in German. With quality that’s meant to last a lifetime, the rOtring 500 drafting mechanical pencil is what you might call a keeper.

Manufacturer:

rOtring (Hamburg, Germany | made in Japan)
Comes in .05mm and .07mm lead thickness.

Cost:

$12–15 + Tax

Where to buy:

Amazon Jetpens Jacksonsart

Rating:

9 / 10

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Rogue Script
Rogue Script

Written by Rogue Script

Writer and editor of features, interviews and brand content with an emphasis on creative storytelling.

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