A d'Ache above the rest (the 849 Fountain Pen)

Caran d’Ache (note: small ‘d’ big ‘A’).

Increasingly this brand seems to be making an appearance in the admiration columns of stationary appreciation aficionados. Their pencils (looove the Swiss Wood 348), their pencil sharpener (OMG!) their ball point 849s that have been ridiculously popular and colourful, and now, at last, the 849 Fountain pen.

I first saw an orange 849 Fountainpen previewed by Goldspot pens (no affiliation).  Hmmm, I thought to myself. Love that colour, sooo bright; but I’m not sure.

Then Pen Chalet (still no affiliation) had a pre-order deal for US$52; and my next challenge was only to decide the colour.

I ummed and ahhed on the colour. I couldn’t see one in person so the website pics were all I had to work with. I like the orange and green; but I wasn't sure how it would go with a black section; so what about the white or black? I decided to go for the simplicity of the one colour unit and, black decided, the order was placed.

FIRST IMPRESSIONS!

Box open (Box is nothing too extraordinary, but functional).

It IS thin.

It’s long too.

But I like that look; a sort of industrial meets traditional. Yep, looks fine so far.

7/10

APPEARANCE AND DESIGN

If you like the 849 ball point, you will like the look of its fountain pen bigger cousin.

It’s the same design – just a little wider and a little longer.

It’s still slender for a fountain pen; and I’m not yet sure how it will go for long sessions; however, it has some nice features and remains an attractive writing vehicle.

Firstly, there’s the finial.

I really like the look of this Caran d’Ache laser-etched hexagon. Simple and yet striking. And it appears again on the nib:

I like how the ink has nicely emerged to reinforce the brand hexagon.

The clip is the same design again as the ballpoint 849, and the same length but wider. The clip is nice and sturdy, looks very modern in that “industrial” sort of way (which I like) and that works well with the overall look of the pen and its Hexagonal shape (no rolling off the desk!). 

The brand and model are discretely placed beneath the clip (same as the ballpoint) which is another nice design feature. I’m especially pleased that they include the model number as so few pen companies seem inclined to let you know which model of their pen you are using (pet peeve).

The cap clips securely to the pen, allowing the six sides to nicely align (it can spin around; but only if you’re fiddling with it – and what’s wrong with a little fidgeting?) Closed there is a lovely artistic balance from the silver finial on the top, to the slightly protruding silver piece at the end of the barrel (is that called a finial too?).

I am a poster (haha, yes the ‘t’ is meant to be there!); and this pen attempts to smile kindly on posters. Remove the cap and you’ll notice that there is a small reduction in circumference at its end that is silver rather than the main colour of the pen (in my case black). That silver section is designed very nicely to meet with the little silver end piece (finial?) so that the cap posts securely and (although very long) neatly hides the silver and gives the posted pen a long, slim and continuous silhouette. Clever. More on this later.

I haven’t yet mentioned the section. If you are like most Quillophyles and hold your fountain pen at the section (near the nib) then you will notice quite a drop in circumference between the body and the section. On my very rough calculation, the circumference of the 849’s body is around 1cm. The circumference of the section is only about 6mm. That’s quite small. As it happens, I hold my pens quite high, so I have no issue with the section. If you have larger hands however, and hold your pens closer to the nib, you are likely to find this quite small.

While we’re on the section, as I mentioned, I bought this pen in black because I noticed the section on all pens is black while the bodies are white, black, blue, pink, orange, yellow and green. 

Photo borrowed from Pen Chalet web site (hope that's OK)

The pen’s body is metal. It looks and feels good. The pen’s section is plastic. The plastic is glossier than the metal (not ridiculously so; but you notice it); and it feels lighter and, well, plastic. If you buy a pen in a colour other than the black, then the section stands out in contrast. You may like this, you may not; my internal jury is still out on this one. In the black, it's a non-issue. Additionally, the threads inside the barrel of the pen are metal while the threads on the section are plastic. Over time, this may mean that the metal wears down the plastic threads and you’ll need to get another cap (or pen – they’re not ridiculously expensive).

7/10

WEIGHT AND DIMENSIONS

Due to the metal in the 849, there is a nice weight to this slender pen making it feel about the same weight as a Lamy Safari. Comfortable.

Capped, the 849 measures almost the same size as a Lamy Safari too, around 14cm. Uncapped, that length reduces to around 12.3cm  (a Lamy Safari uncapped is about 13cm).

Posted the 849 extends to a massive 17.7cm (a Safari would be around 17cm but it's a much wider pen so more in proportion). 

Posted, the cap is secure but has a little wobble/spin factor which is annoying and distracting. In any case, when the pen is that long it does tend to be unbalanced and make it less enjoyable to write with so I would recommend that it be written with unposted.

6.5/10

NIB AND PERFORMANCE

The nib (steel) on the 849 is a little unusual. In width it’s about a number 5; but, just as it’s body is lithe, so too is its nib tall and skinny.

That said, the nib size and look complements the whole pen perfectly.

Now let’s talk about writing.

I bought a Medium, put pen to paper and what a gusher! It writes beautifully, smoothly and very, very wet. 

The comparison I have done here, shows that this medium is broader than both my Sailor medium (perhaps to be expected) and my OMAS medium (less expected). In either case, I am not unhappy about this. The Caran d’Ache 849 is a very nice writer. Although it is more balanced unposted, if you choose to write that way and trust yourself not to lose the cap, this is a lovely writing pen.

7/10

FILLING SYSTEM

The 849 does not come with a converter, but will take one. Mine came with a cartridge, although I chose to use another I already had. The body is long enough to take most cartridges; but with metal threads in the body could not be an eyedropper.

I always prefer piston fillers; nevertheless this is efficient enough and does the job admirably.

8/10

COST AND VALUE

There are cheaper, Chinese and Taiwanese pens around. There are more expensive Japanese and European pens around. If you can cope with the narrow stature of this pen however, the Caran d’Ache really is a good deal. The design is clever and cool. The colours are awesome and individual. The steel nib is a pleasant surprise; and the overall package is very satisfying and quite affordable.

7/10

CONCLUSION

Caran d’Ache have done a fabulous job converting their very popular ballpoint pen to a real one (come on, challenge me!!) This is a pen I am enjoying writing with, that looks clever and different and “now”, that performs well, feels solid and is available in an attainable price range. Now, if Caran d’Ache made this pen about 5mm wider… now there would be a pen!

71/100

00-50	To be avoided at all costs
51-60	It’s cheap and you don’t really care
61-70	A nice pen with the makings of something better (just don’t spend too much)
71-80	A better than average pen with just a few flaws that stop it from being really good.
81-90	A good pen, a keeper, only a few minor places off being great
91-95	Now THIS is a pen! If you can get it: keep it, love it, cherish it, and keep it away from the dog
96-100	GRAIL

In praise of Robert Oster inks - Koala-ty in a bottle!

I don't really write ink reviews. So if you're looking for water tests, chromatic paper variations, wetness tests, viscosity et al; do not look here.

I do however, like USING inks; lots of them (although I maintain I'm not a collector, just an accumulator). 

For me, it's the colours, the shading and the sheen (OK, and occasionally the glitter) that draws me to an ink (pun intended). It is these factors that have lead Robert Oster Signature inks into my fountain pens and up to the top of my list of preferred ink manufacturers.


The label on at least one of my Robert Oster inks reads:

and enjoy we do! Firstly here in Australia, but now all over the world, all over social media, I read consistent and fervent desire and for and love of Oster inks colours, shades, sheens and variety.

It seems not so long ago, Robert Oster was chatting to a group of us on the Fountain Pens Australia (FPA) Facebook page about a few inks he had created. At that time I bought my first (and still favourite) Oster ink - Bondi Blue, and a few others (Australian Sky and Turquoise) that he sent in his fabulous gold foil, glitter paper together with a bonus Jinhao fountain pen. 

Now, there are something like 81 or more shades of Robert Oster Signature inks gracing the shelves and pens of quilliphyles across the globe! That's 81+ opportunities to excite! 

I said before that I was not an ink collector; and just to prove a point I have only 14 examples of this cornucopia of colour (although I DO wonder, just how many shades of blue do you really need?). Do I want more? Of course! But what is it that makes these inks so special? Well for me there are four things:

1. The variety. 81 plus colours. If you can't find a colour you      love here, you just don't like colour! 

2. Sheening. I just love sheening! What is sheening? It's the      appearance of a second colour in areas where the ink            pools up. Here is an example:

Not every Oster Ink sheens; but the ones that do are legendary! Bondi Blue, Fire and Ice, Peppermint, River of Fire are all examples of inks that ooze personality and surprise.

3. Robert Oster. Robert is not faceless manufacturer. He is      an active member of the fountain pen community.

Robert was contributing to conversations from almost the beginning of FPA. He provided free ink samples to the Melbourne Pen Show, he creates inks in response to questions and suggestions from individual users (the NG Special '16 and the FPA Kada Kada colours are great examples of this); and he remains active on major social media platforms and fountain pen hangouts (instagram, Facebook, etc) where he shows his inks, thanks people for their comments (whether positive or negative) and shares his views.

4. It's Australian! Yes I know, but it's difficult not to feel a touch of national pride when you live in a relatively small nation and one of your own starts to make a positive impact on a global stage (he's the Hugh Jackman of the Pen world!!)

Note the gold glitter from the packaging!

I don't love every Robert Oster ink; just as, unsurprisingly, I don't love every colour. 

Robert recently sent me a new ink of his: lipstick red, and, while it has a lipstick look, I have very little use for a red ink, and this one didn't really float my boat. But that is the joy of choice. In Oster inks there is truly something for everybody!

Lipstick Red

The quality and consistency of Oster inks is superb. They have filled and washed out of my pens with ease. The flow too has been perfect and, as I have said, the colours divine.

Which leads me finally to a brief showcase of my current favourites (understanding that there will be more; always more):

From top, left to right: Emerald (who needs MB Irsh Green?), Bondi Blue, Fire and Ice, Turquoise (more like a teal), Khaki, Australian sky, Peach and NG Special '16 (an alternate to Noodlers Apache Sunset?)
These samples were on Color-ring paper. I have found that this paper is true to colour; but not so effective at demonstrating sheen. See the next pic for a better idea of sheen in Bondi Blue.

NB. I have never met and do not know, or have any business dealings with Robert Oster. This is just the ramblings of an honestly ensnared admirer of his work.