Caran D'ache 849 Ballpoint Review

A Pen Addict reader requested months ago that I review a pen from the Caran d'Ache 849 series, and I was more than happy to oblige. I had my eyes on this pen for a while, and it didn't take much for me to hit the buy button.

I ordered the Black Metal version from Amazon and the photos don't do justice to how great looking this pen is. And honestly, I didn't expect anything less from a company that manufactures very high end pens. The 849 series is a way for us common folk to get in on a well-made and highly-respected Swiss pen.

The hexagonal aluminum barrel enhances the clean lines of the pen, and the chrome clip and knock add a sharp touch. My only issue with the design is that I would prefer more feedback from the knock. Maybe it is a Swiss thing, but there is no audible feedback when engaging or retracting. It is more of a squish-down, squish-up feeling and I would like to hear a more solid click when the ballpoint is engaged.

About that ballpoint ink cartridge - it is terrible. The tip is scratchy and there is a lot of white space in the line. That is normal ballpoint cartridge performance, but I expect more from a company like Caran d'Ache. I will be looking for a suitable replacement soon because this barrel deserves to be used.

One sentence review: The barrel is built to last but swap out the refill to protect your sanity.

Kaweco AL Sport Ballpoint Review

Everyone knows I am a big Kaweco fan, especially of the AL Sport Fountain Pen which I currently own four of. Its close relative, the AL Sport Ballpoint, had been on my wish list for ages until I finally bought one a few months back. I was really excited when I first got it, but that excitement waned quickly for a few reasons.

I knew going into it that the ballpoint refill was going to be poor. That's fine, and was actually a big selling point to me because it takes D1 refills, meaning I can load it with the Zebra Sharbo X 0.4 mm gel ink refills that I like so much. The hand written review above is done with the stock refill. The best compliment I can give it is that it is usable. The lines and tip are clean, but the ink color is far too light - you can tell how hard I was pressing in an effort to darken it up.

It is also a loud pen. This is a product of the combination of aluminum construction materials and the retractable mechanism. The moving parts and the metal on metal areas of the pen cause some noise when writing. Lots of click-clack going on. What really did not work for me with the Kaweco AL Sport Ballpoint is the barrel length. It comes up about 1/4" short of where I am comfortable writing with it for any length of time. Unfortunately for me, the stylus-equipped version of this pen showed up online about a week after I received my standard model. I think the extra length would have made all the difference in my opinion of this pen. As it stands, it made the "Truly Disappointed" list in Episode 32 of the podcast.

It all worked out in the end though, as I was able to trade this pen to a Pen Addict reader for an EF nib unit for my Vanishing Point. The Kaweco AL Sport Ballpoint is working out very well for him and just goes to show you how a pen that doesn't work so well for you can work great for someone else.

Dong-A Cronix Hybrid Ink Ballpoint Review

I’m not up on my Korean, but does Cronix translate to “Jetstream” in English? Apparently, Dong-A would like you to believe so because the Dong-A Cronix is awfully similar looking to the black Uni-ball Jetstream Basic Series. Turn the grey grip into black and adjust the markings a bit and you are right there. The should have just gone ahead and called it the Dong-A Jetcloud or Dong-A Rocketstream for goodness sakes.

Too bad they couldn’t mimic the writing performance - that would have been an impressive feat! The Jetstream is widely known for its smooth, solid lines and its hybrid ballpoint ink is a personal favorite of mine. I tested out the blue Cronix for this review and while it is not a terrible pen by any stretch, everything about it is a notch below the Jetstream.

The ink is smooth, but not as smooth. The lines are solid, but not as solid. The ink is blue, but not as blue. The barrel is sturdy, but not as sturdy. The Dong-A Cronix is a good pen, but not as good as the Uni-ball Jetstream.

Why not spend .40 cents more and get the best?