FP Newbie

I was drawn to this pen (pun intended) from the first time I saw it. Not only does it have a uniquely sporty and elegant design unlike any other pen, but it’s a way to get a Swiss made pen without having to mortgage your house – something you cannot say about the many of Caran d’Ache’s offerings. This is the second 849 that I’ve owned – the first one was a fine point nib which I felt was too fine so I bought the medium nib, which is slightly too bold. This is not unusual for me and I wish every manufacturer would make a Fine/Medium nib, but part of the fun of collecting fountain pens is trying to find that perfect writing experience.

Caran d’Ache was founded in Geneva, Switzerland in 1915, which is pretty much a “drop-the-mic” statement on its own. The name Caran d’Ache comes from the nickname of a French cartoonist, who got the name from the Russian word for pencil, karandash. They are also in the Guinness Book of World Records for the most expensive pen in the world, the Modernista Diamonds pen, valued at around $265,000. I’ll stick with the $50 model, thank you.

This is the first pen that I liked enough to buy a second pen. It feels great in my hand, writes fairly smooth with an acceptable amount of resistance. Most of all, it looks great and is a great “every day” pen.