1980s | Rotring | ArtPen | calligraphy set | made in Germany | 1989

Vintage 1989 rotring ArtPen Calligraphy Set – 3 ArtPens, 1.1 / 1.5 / 1.9 Nibs, Original Box, Made in Germany

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Era and identification:

Estimated production year 1989.

This is a vintage rotring ArtPen Calligraphy Set, marked as Calligraphy Set – 3 ArtPens with article number Art. 250 290 2 on the packaging.

One of the included printed leaflets is marked “Printed in W. Germany 1/89”, placing the printed material in January 1989. The box also carries the older company/address marking “rotring-werke Riepe KG, D-2000 Hamburg 54”, together with Made in Germany. The “D-2000 Hamburg” format is from the older German postal-code era, making this a very nice late-West-Germany-period rotring set.

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Material:

The set consists of three black rotring ArtPens with long tapered pen bodies, red rotring accent rings, black grip sections, metal calligraphy nibs, and white end caps.

The original presentation case is a plastic tray inside a printed cardboard retail box, with a clear plastic lid. Original printed instruction / product leaflets are included. The packaging graphics feature the rotring ArtPen branding, calligraphy examples, and a quill-style pen illustration connecting the modern ArtPen to traditional writing instruments.

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Nib sizes and use:

The set includes three calligraphy ArtPens with the following nib sizes:

* 1.1 mm
* 1.5 mm
* 1.9 mm

These are flat-cut calligraphy / italic-style nibs, designed to create line variation depending on writing angle and stroke direction. They are intended for calligraphy, lettering, decorative writing, sketching, invitations, headings, and graphic design work rather than ordinary round-nib handwriting.

The packaging itself shows the intended use categories: Calligraphy, Lettering, and Sketch.

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Design:

The rotring ArtPen has one of the more distinctive pen forms of the late 20th century: a long, slim, tapered body inspired by the silhouette of a traditional dip pen or quill. This design was very different from ordinary fountain pens and was aimed at artists, calligraphers, designers, students, and people interested in expressive handwriting.

The black body with the small red rotring ring gives it the classic rotring visual identity, strongly associated with technical drawing, drafting tools, graphic design, and professional writing instruments.

This set is especially attractive because it is not just the pens alone, but a boxed calligraphy set with the original case, printed backing card, multilingual product text, and period leaflets.

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Included:

Included in this lot:

* 3 rotring ArtPens
* Nib sizes: 1.1 mm, 1.5 mm, 1.9 mm
* Original plastic tray / case
* Original cardboard box
* Original printed leaflets / instruction material

Ink cartridges are not included.

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Condition and wear:

Used vintage condition with age-related wear.

The pens are present with visible signs of age and handling. The original box has wear, creasing, marks, and some damage / tearing to the cardboard, especially around the edges and opening areas. The plastic case and tray show normal age and storage wear.

The original packaging is still very displayable and gives the set much of its collector appeal, but please note that the box is not mint.

Ink is not included, so the buyer should provide suitable cartridges / ink before use. Function has not been fully tested with ink.

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History:

rotring is one of the most important German names in technical drawing and writing instruments. The brand became especially known for precision drafting tools, technical pens, and design-oriented writing equipment used by architects, engineers, illustrators, designers, and students.

The included rotring leaflet refers to the brand’s famous Rapidograph, the tubular technical pen system that became a classic tool for technical drawing and graphic work. This background is important because the ArtPen belongs to the same broader rotring world: precise, modular, design-focused instruments for people who write, draw, sketch, or create visual work by hand.

The leaflet also shows other rotring products of the period, including Tikky Special mechanical pencils and a rotring 400 model, giving a useful snapshot of rotring’s late-1980s product ecosystem. The mention of “Printed in W. Germany 1/89” makes this set particularly nice for collectors of German stationery, pre-reunification-era design objects, and vintage drafting / calligraphy tools.

The ArtPen itself reflects a period when hand lettering, calligraphy, graphic design, and technical drawing still had a strong physical tool culture before digital design fully took over. It is both a usable writing set and a collectible design object from the late 1980s.

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Size:

Please see photos with measuring tape for approximate box size.

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Important vintage note:

This is a vintage second-hand item with age, use, and history. Age-related wear, imperfections, box damage, storage marks, and colour variation from lighting or screen settings should be expected. These are not grounds for post-purchase discounts or claims. Please purchase only if you are comfortable with the nature of vintage items. If you are looking for a perfect, mint condition item, please avoid this.

26G6