The Numbers:
Weight: 13g
Length (capped): 136mm
Length (uncapped): 123mm Length of cap: 63.3mm
Price: SGD$18 from fellow fountain pen lover
Material: Plastic
Filling Mechanism: Piston
Colours: Available in burgundy, grey and blue
Intro:
Super Rotax is a German made piston filler fountain pen. I had a chance to buy the Super Rotax as a new old stock fountain pen at a pen meet. The Super Rotax comes in 3 colours. It wasn't much as far as options go but what more could you ask for from a SGD$15 piston filler fountain pen? I have a feeling that this might have been a fountain pen made for students but I have nothing by the way of evidence or information.
Appearence:
The shape of the Super Rotax is interesting. It is a square on both ends of the pen which tapers to a round body for easy grip. The entire pen is made of plastic and it doesn't feel very durable when I hold it in my hand, unlike a Lamy Safari. It feel light, thin and fragile so be careful with it. I doubt it can stand up to being sat on.
The Super Rotax has a screw on cap securing it to the barrel. Its shiny silver cap comes with a gold coloured servicable clip. The clip doesn't shift left and right like the TWSBI Diamond 580 does but it seems like it would break easily if it is treated roughly.
The Super Rotax has a continueous barrel that stretches from the integrated feed to the piston knob at the end of the pen. The barrel has the brand Super Rotax and the words "Made in Germany" emblazoned in gold. The Super Rotax is seems to be a closed system. I don't see any seams at the grip section that allows the pen to be disassembled. I am not sure if the pen can be disassembled from the other end though. The piston moves smoothly inside the barrel. However with no way that I can see to dissemble the pen it wouldn't stay that way forever. The piston wouldn't get re-grease the piston with more silicone grease when it becomes necessary later on. The barrel tends towards the narrower side for its girth. It fits my girly hand perfectly.
The grip section is made of the same material as the rest of the barrel. The threads at the grip section is smooth and doesn't bother me when I write with the Super Rotax. It takes almost 2 full turns to uncap the Super Rotax. It's a minor detail but it might bother those who need the pen to be ready for use at a moment's notice.
Performance:
The nib is a iridium tipped nib. The line width that the Super Rotax produces is really rather surprisingly fine. It is finer than the Sailor ProColour 500 F nib that I have reviewed previously. This is surprising to me especially knowning that the Super Rotax is a germany made fountain pen.
It writes relatively smoothly considering the line width it produces. The nib is as hard as a nail so there is absolutely no line variation possible with this nib. The nib is gets the job done but it is not particularly enjoyable to write with it.
One thing to note is as the ink level get lower I experience some skipping. Remember I say lower but not low. The ink level is just barely at the half way mark. There is no reason why it should act this way. I'll be chalking it up to it not liking Noodler's 54th Massachusetts for now.
Conclusion:
The Super Rotax is a affordable vintage piston filler with an extremely fine nib. Those who enjoy a juicy wet nib can skip the Super Rotax, at least the one that I have. I have read in the forum for now. ) of the pen breaking when dropped so take care when using it.
Pros:
- Affordable
- Piston Filler
- Light
Cons:
- Fragile
- Can it be disassembled?
