Seinen Kunden und vor allem deren Daumen machte Faber-Castell im Jahr 1979 das Leben leichter.
Anzeige1 im Magazin „DER SPIEGEL“ (1979)
Und worin bestand die Erleichterung?
Musste man beim herkömmlichen Feinminenstift den Drücker betätigen, um die Mine vorzuschieben, so bot der TK-matic einen automatischen Minenvorschub. Dazu saß das Minenführungsröhrchen beim Schreiben auf dem Papier und glitt mit abnehmender Mine in den Stift zurück. Hob man den Stift ab, fuhr das Röhrchen wieder heraus und löste dabei den Vorschub aus, der die Mine bis an die Spitze transportierte (so ragte sie auch nie aus dem Röhrchen und war dadurch vor Bruch geschützt). – Da es zusätzlich einen Drücker gab, konnte man die Mine auch wie gewohnt transportieren; mit knapp 1,4 mm pro Druck war der Vorschub allerdings recht groß.
Nach dem TK-matic2 gab es von Faber-Castell den sehr ähnlichen alpha-matic, der im Gegensatz zu ersterem eine konische Spitze hatte3. Soweit ich weiß, war der TK-matic nur in den beiden hier gezeigten Varianten, der alpha-matic jedoch mit schwarzem Kunststoffschaft und in mehreren Metallausführungen erhältlich. Alle hatten die gleiche charakteristische Rändelung des Griffstücks und wurden nur für 0,5-mm-Minen mm angeboten.
Dem TK-matic und dem alpha-matic folgten viele weitere automatische Feinminenstifte (eine interessante Übersicht gibt es unter „Comprehensive list of Auto-Advance Pencils“ bei Knockology). Zu den aktuell erhältlichen Modellen gehören der Pilot S30 mit Holzschaft, der Pentel orenznero, den es für drei Minendurchmesser gibt, sowie der Mitsubishi/uni Kuru Toga Dive, der als einziger ohne aufsitzendes Minenführungsröhrchen auskommt, da der in diesem Modell verwendete Kuru-Toga-Mechanismus die Mine nicht nur dreht, sondern auch vorschiebt. Der Faber-Castell TK-matic – vor allem die L-Variante mit dem Metallschaft – bleibt jedoch einzigartig und ist heute nicht ohne Grund sehr gesucht.
- Ja, „TK“ (für „Techniker und Künstler“) ist tatsächlich eine für Zeichenstifte geschützte Wortmarke von Faber-Castell; sie wurde 1969 eingetragen. – Bei ihr handelt es sich übrigens eine sog. verkehrsdurchgesetzte Marke, d. h. es bestand eigentlich ein Schutzhindernis gemäß Markenschutzrecht, doch da sie lange benutzt und schließlich mit einem Unternehmen verbunden wurde, war sie schutzwürdig.↩
- Das Patent für den TK-matic, „Füllminenstift mit automatischem Minenvorschub und Nachschub der Folgemine“, wurde 1978 angemeldet und 1980 offengelegt. Hier lohnt der Blick auf die Zeichnungen!↩
- „TK-matic“ wurde 1979 als Wort-/Bildmarke eingetragen und 1987 folgte „alpha-matic“.↩
Not long ago, I was pursuing one of these pencils for my stash but then, I figured that I really didn’t liked auto-feed pencils that much. Orenznero was a huge disappointment for me for this very feature, and the Pilot Automac (which I managed to buy before getting discontinued) don’t really suit me either.
I prefer simpler mechanism such as that of the original Orenz or that of the early Faber Castell mechanical pencils. Yet, the Alpha pencil looks absolutely stunning in metal.
Thank you for sharing your experience. I’m not very happy with this type of auto-feed either because I don’t like the sleeve dragging across the paper. However, it depends much on the sleeve’s shape is made; if the edges are properly rounded it’s OK. The only auto-feed pencil I enjoy using is the Mitsubishi/uni Kuru Toga Dive because no part has to touch the paper. – Do you still have the Pilot Automac? If yes, is it really that heavy? Some complain about the weight of this pencil.
I also generally prefer simpler mechanisms and have sold my Alpha-matics and one TK-matic many years ago and kept only the two shown here.
Yes, Automac is kinda heavy (26.28g) thou not as heavy as the current Rotring 600 Trio at 32.62g!
What about the KT Dive, is it really worth spending that much on it? The only mechanical pencil that makes me want to pull the trigger today is Leuchtturm’s Drehgriffel Nr2, but the fact that it hides a Schmidt mechanism inside, kinda puts the mood down. I mean, for what its worth, I was expecting a bit more engineering, not a body with a mass-produced soul.
Nothing against Schmidt; I’ve used their mechanical pencil innards to convert jewels like my 50’s Gilbert Criterium biro into a mechanical pencil and also one of my Pelikan Colani ballpoints.
Oh – that’s quite heavy!
Of course I’m also one of those who paid much more than the list price for the Kuru Toga Dive but there is no other way to get it outside Japan. Nevertheless, I don’t regret buying it – it’s an excellent mechanical pencil, and both the rotation mechanism and the automatic feed work perfectly. It’s really ingenious! By the way, I can also recommend the Kuru Toga Metal. It uses the engine from the KS, i. e. the one with the least axial play of all Kuru Togas – you hardly notice it. And if you fancy a Metal 0.3 you can swap the mechanism.
I think I can understand your attitude towards the Schmidt mechanism – “body with a mass-produced soul” is very apt. Have you ever looked at the mechanical pencils from Kaweco’s Special series? I think they are among the highest quality mechanical pencils currently being produced. And they don’t have a Schmidt mechanism ;-)
50’s Gilbert Criterium biro, Pelikan Colani ballpoints – you have some very exciting writing instruments! Speaking of converting: A very simple solution is to use the Zebra Sarasa Select mechanical pencil components. They are available for three lead diameters, have a plastic tube which can be cut to size and are cheap.
Just found out that the KT Dive is not metal-bodied. I would have sweared it was judging from the pictures and the magnetic cap. Yes, I might give the KT Metal a try. Of the two Kuru Togas I own, I like the Advance Upgrade version a lot. BTW have you ever noticed that the KT Roulette and the Zebra Delguard LX are pretty much the same pencil?
As for the Kaweco Special series, I do own the 0.9mm pencil, and love it for the most part. The only thing that I simply dislike about it, is that the tip is plastic. I would have expect it to be metal as is the rest of the body. Love their Sport series pens, thou (might even give a try to their new piston-filler). Want the Special 2mm lead holder.
Thanks for the Zebra Sarasa component lead. I can think of a couple pens that might benefit from them.
The Kuru Toga Dive’s body isn’t metal but I think that was a good decision – otherwise it would be too heavy. Some say that this pencil looks odd, and there is something to it. But I think that describes all the disadvantages ;-) So far I haven’t regret the purchase. – I haven’t noticed the similarities of the KT Roulette and the Zebra Delguard LX yet. I don’t have the latter but by looking at some photos I can see that they have a few things in common. Maybe they are both made by Kotobuki ;-)
Yes, the tips of the Kaweco Special pencils are plastic but I think they are very well made and don’t look like a foreign object. – The Special 2 mm leadholder looks really great but I would have preferred a clutch mechanism.
I’m curious to hear what you say about the Zebra Sarasa pencil component!
It does look a bit weird to me (KT Dive), but what really makes me think twice about getting one, is the hefty price tag. But maybe when all the rage is gone, I’ll join the club.
And yes, those pencils (KT vs Delguard) might as well be manufactured under contract. Got both and was incredibly impressed by the similarities. I enjoy my other Delguard pencils a lot, so I was hoping the LX would be more Zebra-like (thicker barrel for instance), but turned out to be a huge disappointment.
As for the Special, it looks good, but when I see the tips of the Fixpencil or the Criterium on their all-aluminum barrels, I wish Kaweco could have produced something more integral. Got a brass SketchUp 5.6, for example, that has not one bit made out of plastic.
Thank you for letting me know about the auto-advance mechanism in the Special lead holder. Not a fan of auto-advance lead holders either. Too bad!
Yes, the price is hefty, but I don’t think it will come down significantly in the foreseeable future. On the contrary – I wouldn’t be surprised if the current series is discontinued (which will cause the prices to soar) and a new one follows, even if it only differs in colour.
Speaking of Zebra: Do you also like the Tect 2way? If yes, the Hi-Note Karakaze01 could be of interest to you.
Yes, the all-metal barrel of the Fixpencil and the Criterium is beautiful but both pencils have other aspects to criticise – the first has now a plastic tube inside and the latter has a clutch with a strange colour that looks off to me.
The Kaweco Special 2 mm doesn’t have an automatic feed like e. g. the TK-matic but an incremental feed like the thin lead pencils. By the way, I have a few with that mechanism (including the STAEDTLER 925 25 20, the Rotring Rapid Pro and the now highly-sought after Rotring 800) but after my initial enthusiasm faded I don’t use them anymore.
Never really used a Tect 2 Way. Wanted to order one for a while but never did. Do you have one? Any good?
I also have the Staedtler (navy blue version) and the Rapid Pro but never got around to buy the 800. So you own an 800, aside from the fact it is an incremental advance lead holder, do you find it any good?
In my case, I prefer the more traditional clutch pencil lead holders. They work better for my artistic purposes.
I like the Zebra Tect 2way very much and have several variants, both the regular and the light version in 0.3 and 0.5 mm. It has one of the smoothest mechanisms I have ever experienced in a mechanical pencil, and the shaker mechanism works perfectly too. The latter can be locked, and if the weight is near the tip when locked the pencil has a low centre of gravity. The rubber rings sit in recesses which makes it comfortable to handle even for those who are not big fans of rubber grips. For some unknown reason this pencil doesn’t get the attention it deserves! – By the way, Zebra has also OEM’d a shaker pencil for MUJI which is very similar to the transparent Hi-Note Karakaze01 except for the button.
I have only used the 800 / 2.0 briefly so far but I really like it. It’s build like a tank, and there is no wobble in the tip (as in many other Rotring 600 and 800). However, it is comparatively heavy. The centre of gravity is roughly in the middle of the pencil and the lead feed is around 13 mm with ten clicks. I can understand why the 800 / 2.0 is very popular with collectors but I wouldn’t pay the current prices. And if I had to choose I’d prefer the 600 / 2.0 because it’s lighter and easier to use, especially when sharpening the lead.
Gonna give the Zebra a try. After buying their Delguard LX, kind of decided to hold on purchasing the Tect 2way, but after your recommendation might as well give it a try.
Pilot’s Neox lead still your favorite?
Yes, go for it – you won’t regret it. Some versions of the Zebra Tect 2way are also cheap and easy to get so it wouldn’t be too much of a loss if you don’t like that pencil after all.
The Pilot Neox Graphite are still my favourite leads (I use mostly 2B but also B and HB). About a year ago I made the last comparison so far, with the new Pentel Ain leads. These are really good but they couldn’t get me away from the Pilot leads either.
Will order one soon. What is the difference between the light and normal version?
Haven’t tried the new Ain leads yet. But have the newer Uni smudge-free, and just as you, I keep on being a Neox fan. Truly love those leads. BTW do you own’s Uni metal lead case? What’s your take on it?
Just got mine this week, and I did really like it. Planning to substitute leads with Neox, thou!
The Zebra Tect 2way light has a plastic grip instead of a metal one and weighs 16 g instead of 23 g. Besides that, it is available in nice translucent colours.
For me, the uni metal case is well made but ultimately an overpriced toy with no added value compared to the plastic cases.
Great to hear that you also like the Pilot Neox Graphite leads!
Someone recently suggested me to try the Rotring 500 so I’ve been using my KIN Rapidograph 5633 these last few days. What a great pencil it is! Have you ever used either of these? What are your thoughts?
Do you happen to like Kokuyo or Platinum leads?
As for the Uni metal lead case, totally agree. But then again, these days, people seem more than willing to pay a lot for expensive toys.
The Rotring 500 is amazing! It’s lighter than the 600, and with the metal grip and the plastic barrel it has a lower centre of gravity which I prefer (unfortunately the 0.3 mm variants are now discontinued). Many years ago I had the Rapidograph 5635 but sold it because I found the knurling too aggressive. Is your 5633 made in Japan or China? Some reviews complain that the latter is rather poorly made.
Do you know the Koh-I-Noor 5617 Select-O-Matic leadholder with its innovative hardness indicator? It was sold until around 1984 and was followed by the Koh-I-Noor 5614 Select-O-Matic II leadholder which introduced the knurled hardness indicator. This design was later used for the Rapidograph 563x and Rotring 500/600 pencils so the 5614 Select-O-Matic II is the archetype (and for me one of the most amazing leadholders).
I have never used Kokuyo or Platinum leads. Have you?
Expensive toys always sell well ;-)
Mine is the Japanese version. It’s from the late 90’s or early 2000. Before the suggestion, it was more of collection item as I pressed way hard for the tiny 0.3mm lead. Nowadays, I’ve trained my hand to exercise far less pressure and now I have been finding it amazing. Thinking of ordering a current 0.5mm version of R500 in green/black. Thou the R600 weight is not much of an issue for me (use them for drawing mainly), I do find mechanical pencils with metal grips + plastic barrels quite satisfying to use.
Wasn’t aware of the 5617 or 5614 to be honest. They both seem to be quite rare as they have never popped on my radar before. And I’ve been looking for KIN lead holders, believe me!
Thanks for bringing it to my attention!
Yes, I own a couple of Kokuyo lead packs and a few Platinum leads. Kokuyo makes buttery smooth leads that are a pleasure to use for calligraphy/ lettering (got 0.7/ 0.9/ 1.3mm) while Platinum is not as smooth, but it quite a pleasure to use. Again, not as good as Neox, but much more satisfying than the old Ain Stein and the Uni offerings. The ones I own were shared to me by a friend that went to Japan last year. Never seen them for sale outside of Japan.
Then you are very lucky to have the Japanese version of the 5633! It’s almost impossible to find one these days.
When using 0.3 mm leads not only the writing pressure is important but also a low-play lead guide. Thicker leads are more break-resistant and more forgiving, but with 0.3 mm leads, play in the lead guide tube increases the risk of breakage.
I’m curious to know what you think about the Rotring 500!
The Koh-I-Noor 5617 and 5614 have become quite rare (although you will find a battered specimen now and then). But it’s worth looking for, especially for the 5614.
Thank you for the details on the Kokuyo and Platinum leads!
Wasn’t aware of its popularity. And yes, using 0.3mm leads is quite a challenge. Oddly enough, when I started writing with my right-hand (am a leftie), I used to put less pressure on the tip. These days, it appears to be reverted. Also when using fountain pens, I produce thinner lines with my left than with my right.
Will report as soon as I get it. Also, ordered another Pilot S10 along with another S20… do you know where this is heading?
Will open my eyes for one of those KIN 5614. Do you own those?
So you write and draw with both hands? That’s impressive! And your observations are remarkable.
I don’t know where this is heading but maybe it will lead you to a Pilot S15 ;-)
Yes, I have a 5614, but I haven’t used it for a long time.
Finally got my hands on the Rotring 500. It looks quite nice in dark green with black grip and lead indicator but you immediately notice a difference between this and the KIN Rapidomatic (Japanese=made, circa 90’s or early ‘00). The KIN weights 15.53g, whereas the R500 is 12.92. Even if its a minuscule difference, it does translate to the hand. I presume the difference lies in the innards of each pencil, the KIN must be brass; Rotring’s plastic. Just as in the 600, the early editions have a coarser grip than the newer ones. The lead indicator’s knurling remains the same on both.
Will let you know my thoughts as I use it more extensively.
Also, got you on the different aspects that can lead to breakage. I was using a Paper Mate all-plastic Chinese-made pencil the other day and I detected a bit of wobbling on the tip, which was weird since this pencil didn’t even had a sliding sleeve. As I started using it to fill a diary entry, I noticed I was breaking the 0.5mm lead pretty often. I switched hands, and still the same was happening. Did another test with an Steadtler 779 and never broke the lead a single time on either hand. Meaning the poor construction of the pencil doesn’t provide the lead with proper support and this results on frequent lead breakage. So yeah, it’s not only a factor of lead-width.
Also got me a Faber Castell TK Fine Vario L in 1.0mm. Lovely pencil and solid build. Was hoping for it to be German, but turns out to be Japanese. The soft-hard adjustment seems gimmicky at first hand, but will let you know if it makes a difference long-term. On a candid note, the colors of the Rotring’s 500 barrel and the Vario are the same, just one matte, one shiny!
Have tried this pencil?
Still awaiting for my “parts” for that GS S15 conversion!
Thank you for sharing your impressions of the Rotring 500. I can imagine that this difference in weight is noticeable! However, heavier is not always better, especially with prolonged use.
As far as the knurling is concerned, I’m puzzled by the variants at Rotring. On some pencils it is very sharp and on others (e. g. the silver 800/2.0) it is unusually smooth. I’d love to know how this variation came about!
A wobbly tip is awful, not only because of the lead breakage but also for the writing experience. As far as I know the part of the lead between the clutch and the sleeve is very susceptible to breakage, and that’s why Zebra has put a lot of effort into their Delguard pencils which have a special protection for this part of the lead.
No, I haven’t tried the TK Fine Vario L in 1.0 mm (I haven’t even seen it yet). The colour similarity is nice! – It’s interesting to hear that this pencil was made in Japan. On that occasion: Do you know the Mitsubishi M5-50 Hi-Pitch and the Faber-Castell TK 9555? They both have the same unusual shape, and I have been told that the TK 9555 was made by Mitsubishi. However, since there are OEMs like Kotobuki, Preco and Iwasaki I’m not sure if Mitsubishi is really the manufacturer.
It’s great to hear that you will do the S15 mod too! However, the idea for the S15 didn’t come from me – I learned about it from isu whom I like to call “king of pencil mods”.
Yes I know. Also, plastic isn’t always that bad. The current Rotring 600 for example, has more plastic pieces in its inner workings than my early version. Yet, the click feedback feels much smoother and the newer version is far less noisy than the original.
No idea why Rotring has all these design variations. Quite puzzling as you say.
As for wobbly tips, indeed, those are a nightmare. One of the reasons I barely use the Kuru Toga Roulette.
As for those Mitsu/ Faber pencils turns out the manufacturer was Yosutomo, look here https://bit.ly/3WKhLpg
Some time ago I tried to get an overview of the different versions of the Rotring 600, but unfortunately I didn’t succeed. I also remember a document with an overview, but it contained errors. It’s difficult – there were at least three different versions of the part with the spring alone, and they were in pencils that also differed in other details …
So far I haven’t noticed any wobble in the Kuru Toga Roulette. It has a bit more axial play than other Kuru Toga models but no noticeable radial play which could lead to breakage. – By the way, the Kuru Toga KS has the lowest axial play of all models, and its engine is also used in the Kuru Toga Metal (and it can be swapped so you can make a Kuru Toga Metal in 0.3 mm).
I’m not sure if we’re talking about the same pencil – I was referring to the fifth from the right in this photo (Mitsubishi) and the fifth from the top in this photo (Faber-Castell). But be careful when looking for one – both can suffer from barrel cracks below the button.
Yes, the more I dug into Rotring’s 600 history, the more confusing things got. From a guy from Russia claiming that KIN was the original manufacturer of it, to many, many variations on different parts of the pencil. I once saw a Rotring 600 with a clip marked KIN on it. Once upon a time I used to believe that the earlier versions of the 600 were manufactured in Germany, nowadays am pretty convinced that no such thing exists. All seem to be Japanese, which opens the door to another conjecture, that the design of the pencil came from a Japanese third party manufacturer (Holbein maybe?)
As a candid detail, the cardboard boxes for my early 600 pen and pencil, indicate that Pelikan was the importer for Mexico and my wood-boxed Rotring lettering set, states that the set was manufactured in Mexico by Pelikan. Yet all isographs inside are marked W. Germany!
As for the Roulette, again, if I write cursive with my left hand, it becomes unbearable, the tip wobbles within each stroke. If I use the right, it feels a bit better. Gonna try the Metal KT soon.
As for the Mitsu/ FC, you are completely right. It’s a different pencil. But the pencil on that thread was also manufactured by Yosutomo for Mitsu and Faber. So maybe, the M5-50 Hi-Pitch and the TK 9555 also come from them.
According to the now defunct Leadholder website the first Rotring 600 were made by Rotring in Germany, and this is also what I was told many years ago by a German store owner. It’s sometimes difficult with pencils on the Internet – in some cases they are “frankenpencils” which consist of parts of different pencils. However, the authors of the photos or the owners of the pencils cannot automatically be blamed for this, as they may have bought the pencil as it is and don’t know its history. Besides that, it is also possible that the retailer gave them the wrong box which makes identification even more difficult. – Someone familiar with the industry confirmed to me that early variants of the 600 were manufactured by Parker in Germany so neither the design nor the early pencils have anything to do with Japan.
It’s interesting to hear that Pelikan was the importer for Mexico. – The marking “W. Germany” means that the Isograph were made before 1989.
I’m sorry to hear about your issues with the Kuru Toga Roulette. I notice a very small radial play with mine, but although I’m actually very picky about it, it doesn’t bother me.
So it’s worth trying to find out more about Yasutomo and their production for Faber-Castell and Mitsubishi! – By the way, I just remembered a Yasutomo ad from 1967 that I showed here 14 years ago.
Interesting details. However I’ve got some observations, by the 80´s Parker was already the property of the employees of their UK parent-company and as far as I know, at the end of the 70’s Parker closed pretty much all their plants worldwide with the exception of England and the USA before selling their pen division, and the buyout of Parker by Newell (owner of Rotring since 1998) occurred in 2000. When the 600 was officially introduced in 1989 but appeared in 1987, Parker had not a single mechanical pencil without a propelling mechanism back then.
Wouldn’t they need the proper tooling to produce a pencil that was completely different from what they manufactured then? Would it make sense to invest in such a venture from a financial stand point when their sales were hardly out of the red and when Rotring wasn’t doing any better? Also, Koh-I-Noor Rapidomatics sold concurrently alongside the early Rotring 600 (some even sporting the KIN brand in catalogs), and those were manufactured in Japan since the early days. KIN US was purchased by Rotring in the 80’s. There is not a single Rapidomatic with a Germany marking on it. Wouldn’t it make sense to manufacture all their pencils in Japan versus having a split-production?
This would only make sense in the Gillette era, but that happened in 1993, well after the 600 introduction.
My Rotrings 600 which were imported to Mexico in the early 90’s doesn’t mention anywhere where they come from. But it’s weird that it doesn’t say Made in Germany anywhere on the box or the import sticker.
BTW Look the clip of the 600 here: https://bit.ly/3SQOGaW
On a more on-topic comment, I might be about to get the deal of a decade on an FC Alpha pencil. Any recommendations to check the health on them?
Thank you for these details! I didn’t get that deep into it, so I can’t comment on it. However, I could imagine that some parts were manufactured abroad and then assembled in Germany with parts manufactured here which would make the question of the place of manufacture even more difficult. – This would certainly be an exciting topic for the Knockology forum because that’s where the experts are.
Thank you for the link! The comments contain a lot of exciting details. And it’s much more complicated than one might think …
Regarding catalogue photos: I am very careful when it comes to accepting them as a reliable source. It was not unusual to edit the photos or to show prototypes so that some of what ended up on the market differed from the pictures.
By the way, do you know the Rotring Museum?
I’m not familiar with the Faber-Castell Alpha-matic. Many years ago I had a few but finally sold them. Again, Knockology is the perfect place to ask.
Yeah, guess we’ll never know what the real history of the 600 came about. Deep rabbit hole. Never heard of that Rotring Museum site before. Thanks for providing me the pointer, will dive deep into it!
Unfortunately the Alpha deal didn’t took place, so no Alphas for me in the meantime.
From my own experience, I know that it’s worth sticking with it, and especially with a brand as well-known as Rotring it should be possible to find out more.
I’m sorry to hear that the deal with the Alpha-Matic didn’t work out!