---
title: "Koh-I-Noor Rapidograph: Point Sizes, Ink and Care"
canonical: "https://stationerytimes.com/guides/koh-i-noor-rapidograph/"
description: "Koh-I-Noor Rapidograph 3165 technical pen explained: 10 point sizes from 0.13 to 1.20 mm, refillable ink, cleaning, who makes it now, and where it's made."
category: "Pens"
type: "Technical pen"
published: 2026-10-21
updated: 2026-10-21
author: "Ellis Penhale"
publisher: "Stationery Times"
sources: 9
products:
  - name: "Koh-I-Noor Rapidograph 3165 technical pen (4x0, 0.18 mm)"
    brand: "Koh-I-Noor"
    brand_origin: "United States"
    made_in: "United States"
    material: "White plastic barrel and ink reservoir, stainless steel point (tungsten carbide optional in three sizes)"
    price_band: "$$$ ($20–75 per pen (multi-packs divided by the count), typical US retail, October 2026)"
    manufacturer: "Chartpak, Inc. (Leeds, Massachusetts)"
    model: "3165"
    mpn: "3165.4Z"
    gtin: "085857023709"
    url: "https://www.kohinoorusa.com/rapidograph"
---

# Koh-I-Noor Rapidograph: Point Sizes, Ink and Care

> The Koh-I-Noor Rapidograph 3165 is a refillable technical pen with a stainless steel tubular point that draws a line of constant width. It comes in 10 sizes, from 6x0 (0.13 mm) to 4 (1.20 mm), each with a color-coded cap. Chartpak makes it in Leeds, Massachusetts, and recommends only Koh-I-Noor inks.

- URL: https://stationerytimes.com/guides/koh-i-noor-rapidograph/
- Category: Pens
- Author: Ellis Penhale
- Published: 2026-10-21
- Updated: 2026-10-21

![White Koh-I-Noor Rapidograph technical pen with a pink 4x0 color-code ring and a thin stainless steel tubular point, drawn in proportion; inset: the tubular point with its fine wire](https://stationerytimes.com/images/raster/koh-i-noor-rapidograph-16x9.png)

*The Rapidograph 3165 in the 4x0 (0.18 mm) size, drawn in proportion.* Original drawing (SVG): https://stationerytimes.com/images/koh-i-noor-rapidograph-cover.svg. Drawings © 2026 Stationery Times, reusable with credit under CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).

## Product facts

| Product | Brand | Brand origin | Made in | Material | Released | Price range (typical US retail, October 2026) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Koh-I-Noor Rapidograph 3165 technical pen (4x0, 0.18 mm) | Koh-I-Noor (by Chartpak, Inc. (Leeds, Massachusetts)) | United States | United States | White plastic barrel and ink reservoir, stainless steel point (tungsten carbide optional in three sizes) | – | $$$: $20–75 per pen (multi-packs divided by the count) |

- Made in (Koh-I-Noor Rapidograph 3165 technical pen (4x0, 0.18 mm)): United States. Koh-I-Noor USA's Rapidograph page says "Made in Leeds, Massachusetts, USA", and the 3165 pen care guide says "Made & serviced in the USA". Brand origin is given as the United States because the North American Koh-I-Noor brand is Chartpak's; it began as the US branch of the Czech pencil maker KOH-I-NOOR HARDTMUTH, which is a separate company today. Source: https://www.kohinoorusa.com/rapidograph

## Key takeaways

- Koh-I-Noor USA lists 10 point sizes: 6x0, 4x0, 3x0, 00, 0, 1, 2, 2.5, 3 and 4, or 0.13 to 1.20 mm (0.005 to 0.047 in).
- Pens come empty: you fill a refillable ink reservoir to a line about 1/4 in (6 mm) from the top, per the 3165 pen care guide.
- Points are stainless steel; tungsten carbide points, which Koh-I-Noor says are twice as strong, come in 3x0, 00 and 0.
- The 7-pen Slim Pack holds 3x0, 00, 0, 1, 2, 3 and 4, plus a bottle of ink, according to Blick.
- Koh-I-Noor USA marks the Rapidograph "Made in Leeds, Massachusetts, USA"; Chartpak, which owns the brand in North America, is based there.

## What is the Koh-I-Noor Rapidograph?

**The Koh-I-Noor Rapidograph is a refillable technical pen: a steel tube with a fine wire inside draws a line of the same width every time, in any direction.** It is the pen of hand-drafted plans, and today mostly of comics inkers, illustrators and stipple artists. Koh-I-Noor USA says it "works best on a smooth surface", because textured paper can make the finest points skip.

Each pen has a white plastic barrel, a refillable ink reservoir and a cap color-coded by size. Koh-I-Noor calls the double-seal cap airtight, to keep the point from drying out between sessions.

## Koh-I-Noor Rapidograph specs

| Spec | Value |
|---|---|
| Model | 3165 series (e.g. 3165.4Z = 4x0) |
| Point sizes | 10: 0.13 to 1.20 mm (0.005 to 0.047 in) |
| Point | Stainless steel; tungsten carbide in 3x0, 00 and 0 |
| Replacement points | 72D series, all sizes |
| Ink | Refillable reservoir; Koh-I-Noor inks only |
| Barrel | White plastic, color-coded cap and ring |
| Sold | Empty (no ink) |
| Maker | Chartpak, Inc., Leeds, Massachusetts |

Koh-I-Noor gives only the package size, 7.00 × 2.25 × 0.50 in, not the pen's own length, so our cover is drawn in proportion.

## What point sizes does the Rapidograph come in?

**Koh-I-Noor lists 10 sizes, from the hairline 6x0 (0.13 mm) to the broad 4 (1.20 mm).** The old American labels (4x0, 3x0, 00…) appear next to the metric width on every pen.

![Rapidograph point sizes with lines at 10 times: 6x0 0.13 mm, 4x0 0.18 mm, 3x0 0.25 mm, 00 0.30 mm, 0 0.35 mm, 1 0.50 mm, 2 0.60 mm, 2.5 0.70 mm, 3 0.80 mm and 4 1.20 mm](https://stationerytimes.com/images/koh-i-noor-rapidograph-point-sizes.svg)

*The 10 Rapidograph sizes from Koh-I-Noor's pen care guide, drawn at 10×.*

For a first pen, a 0 (0.35 mm) or 1 (0.50 mm) handles most outlines and lettering. The 6x0 and 4x0 are the fussiest: Koh-I-Noor warns that tapping them too hard to start the ink can damage the point. The 7-pen Slim Pack sold at Blick covers 3x0, 00, 0, 1, 2, 3 and 4.

## How do you fill and clean a Rapidograph?

**You unscrew the holder, pull out the reservoir, fill it to the line about 1/4 in from the top, and press the pen body back in with a slight twist.** To start the flow, hold the pen point down and tap the back of the holder gently, then draw on scrap paper.

Cleaning is the part people dread. Koh-I-Noor recommends cleaning before each refill, or whenever ink will sit for more than two weeks:

1. Take the pen apart and wipe residual ink with Rapido-Eze cleaner.
2. Unscrew the point with the nib key.
3. Flush it with water, then Rapido-Eze, then water again, using a pressure-bulb syringe.
4. Reassemble finger-tight; don't tighten with the key.

An overnight soak, or an ultrasonic cleaner for no more than 2 minutes at a time, can rescue a clogged point. Chartpak also repairs pens sent to its Leeds service department, for a minimum charge plus parts.


## Is the Rapidograph made by Rotring or Koh-I-Noor?

**Both brands have used the Rapidograph name, and today the Koh-I-Noor version is made by Chartpak in Massachusetts.** Rotring introduced the Rapidograph in Germany in 1953, and a US company, Rapidograph Inc., followed a year later, per Wikipedia's Rotring history. SIGGRAPH's 1986 exhibitor list describes Koh-I-Noor Rapidograph, Inc. of Bloomsbury, New Jersey, as a Rotring company.

Chartpak says it bought Koh-I-Noor North America in 1999 and makes the Rapidograph in its own US plants. Rotring, now part of Newell Brands, still sells pens under the Rapidograph name in other markets; Wikipedia says that version takes ink cartridges, while the Koh-I-Noor pen keeps a refillable reservoir.

The Koh-I-Noor name itself goes back to the Czech pencil maker KOH-I-NOOR HARDTMUTH, whose US branch was split off around World War II, per Chartpak. The Czech company makes the [KOH-I-NOOR 1500](https://stationerytimes.com/guides/koh-i-noor-1500/) pencil and is a separate business today.

## How does the Rapidograph compare to a fineliner?

**A Rapidograph draws a crisper, more exact line in permanent drawing ink, but a disposable fineliner needs no care at all.**

| | Koh-I-Noor Rapidograph | [Sakura Pigma Micron](https://stationerytimes.com/guides/sakura-pigma-micron/) | [Staedtler triplus fineliner](https://stationerytimes.com/guides/staedtler-triplus-fineliner/) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tip | Steel tube with wire | Fiber tip | Metal-clad fiber tip |
| Refill | Bottled ink | Disposable | Disposable |
| Line widths | 10 (0.13–1.20 mm) | Several | One (0.3 mm) |
| Upkeep | Regular cleaning | None | None |
| Price band | $$$ | $ | $ |

Choose the Rapidograph for stippling, exact technical line work or a line that doesn't widen as the tip wears. For sketching on the go, a fiber-tip pen is the easier tool.

## Where is the Koh-I-Noor Rapidograph made?

**Koh-I-Noor USA marks the Rapidograph "Made in Leeds, Massachusetts, USA."** The pen care guide adds "Made & serviced in the USA". Chartpak has been based at 1 River Road in Leeds since 1957, per its company history.

## Frequently asked questions

### What sizes does the Koh-I-Noor Rapidograph come in?

Ten: 6x0 (0.13 mm), 4x0 (0.18 mm), 3x0 (0.25 mm), 00 (0.30 mm), 0 (0.35 mm), 1 (0.50 mm), 2 (0.60 mm), 2.5 (0.70 mm), 3 (0.80 mm) and 4 (1.20 mm). Each size has its own cap color.

### What ink should I use in a Rapidograph?

Koh-I-Noor says to fill it only with Koh-I-Noor inks, such as Rapidograph Universal or Ultradraw, because other inks may clog or damage the pen. Fountain pen ink and acrylic inks are not what the pen is designed for.

### How do you clean a clogged Rapidograph?

Take the pen apart, unscrew the point with the nib key, and flush it with water, then Rapido-Eze cleaner, then water again using a pressure-bulb syringe. Koh-I-Noor says an overnight soak or up to 2 minutes in an ultrasonic cleaner can help.

### Is the Rapidograph made by Rotring or Koh-I-Noor?

Both brands have used the name. Rotring introduced its Rapidograph in 1953, and the US Koh-I-Noor Rapidograph company was once part of Rotring; today Chartpak makes the Koh-I-Noor Rapidograph in Massachusetts, while Rotring sells its own cartridge version.

### Does the Rapidograph come filled with ink?

No. Koh-I-Noor and Blick both say the pens are sold empty. Ink is a separate bottle, except in sets such as the 7-pen Slim Pack, which includes one.

### Can you replace a Rapidograph point?

Yes. Koh-I-Noor sells 72D series replacement points for every size, and they fit the 3165 pens. Unscrew the old point with the nib key and tighten the new one finger-tight.

### Rapidograph or a disposable fineliner: which is better?

A Rapidograph gives a crisper, constant line in waterproof ink and lasts for years with care, but it needs filling and cleaning. A disposable fineliner such as the Pigma Micron is cheaper to start and needs no maintenance.

### Where is the Koh-I-Noor Rapidograph made?

In Leeds, Massachusetts, USA, according to Koh-I-Noor USA. Chartpak also services the pens there.

## Sources

- [Koh-I-Noor USA: Rapidograph pens (10 sizes, stainless steel and tungsten carbide points, Made in Leeds, Massachusetts, USA, part numbers)](https://www.kohinoorusa.com/rapidograph)
- [Koh-I-Noor USA: Rapidograph Technical Pen Series 3165 pen care guide (PDF: point size chart, filling, cleaning, service, made in USA)](https://www.kohinoorusa.com/_files/ugd/30027f_54c60141b30f4e9b917cce55bdd72428.pdf)
- [Chartpak: Koh-I-Noor brand history (Bloomsbury, New Jersey branch, 1999 acquisition, Rapidograph made in US plants)](https://www.chartpak.com/kin)
- [Chartpak: our history (Leeds, Massachusetts since 1957)](https://www.chartpak.com/tradition)
- [Blick: Koh-I-Noor Rapidograph pens and sets (sizes, Slim Pack contents, 4.4 stars from 211 reviews, UPCs)](https://www.dickblick.com/products/koh-i-noor-rapidograph-pens/)
- [OnTime Supplies: Koh-I-Noor 3165 Rapidograph 4x0, 0.18 mm, white/pink barrel](https://www.ontimesupplies.com/koh31654z-3165-series-rapidograph-technical-drawing-fountain-pen-4x0-018-mm-white-pink-barrel.html)
- [Wikipedia: Rotring (Rapidograph of 1953, Rapidograph Inc. in the US, Rapidograph and Isograph)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rotring)
- [Wikipedia: Technical pen (US makers, size labels)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Technical_pen)
- [ACM SIGGRAPH History Archives: Koh-I-Noor Rapidograph, Inc., Bloomsbury, New Jersey (1986 and 1987 exhibitor listings)](https://history.siggraph.org/?p=185162)