Kaweco Frosted Sport Soft Mandarine Ballpoint Pen Review

(Jeff Abbott is a regular contributor at The Pen Addict. You can find more from Jeff online at Draft Evolution and Twitter.)

The new collection of Frosted colors from Kaweco this year has been a fantastic edition that probably has many people scrambling to collect them all. The semi-translucent pastel body colors are perfect for spring and summer, and I doubt they'll be around long.

The particular model I have is the Soft Mandarine ballpoint, which is also available in five other colors. The Kaweco Sport ballpoint has been around for quite a while in all the regular colors and materials that you expect, but the soft pastel colors are refreshing. If you haven't used or seen one of these before, they're about the same size as a closed Kaweco Sport fountain pen, and feature a soft click mechanism at the top of the pen. The overall diameter is the same as the cap of a Sport fountain pen, but it's the same diameter for nearly the entire length of the pen, save the click button and cone. As you can imagine, writing with a chunky pen like this can take some getting used to. For the most part, it's a really comfortable writing experience, but I did find it to be slightly uncomfortable after a little while due to the short length. I like a bit more material on the pen to rest on my hand while I write, but this will vary from hand to hand.

The pen is very light, which makes it comfortable for short writing sprints, and I found it fairly easy to control even with the short body. Even though this pen is comparable in size to its fountain pen cousin, you have to factor in the cap on the fountain pen variant. Posting the cap gives you a good amount of extra length that makes it more comfortable to use and easier to control when writing. That's not to say that the ballpoint is difficult or uncomfortable, but they are much different writing experiences.

The included refill with this pen is a decent 1.0mm ballpoint with blue ink. It does skip a little and the lines aren't as crisp as I like, but it flows smoothly and always starts writing quickly after being unused for a while. As far as traditional ballpoints go, it's great. But, let's say you aren't a fan of ballpoints. That's okay, because I'm not either. Luckily, the Kaweco Sport ballpoint line uses a common refill format: the D1. This opens up your refill options by a lot, with over 60 choices on JetPens as of this writing. With that amount of variety, you can find a good combination of tip size and color to fit your writing needs.

Replacing the refill is an easy process, and I really enjoyed discovering the unique refill mount system on this pen. Instead of the traditional method of a spring in the tip of the pen that works directly against the refill to provide resistance, the spring is built into the nock mechanism. This means that there isn't a spring in the nose of the pen that is either stuck to the refill or can fall out when you remove the refill. I've never had good luck finding a lost spring on a carpet floor. The D1 refill is friction-fit into the nock mechanism, and requires a good amount of force to remove and replace. This is good because it means the refill won't fall out by accident in your pocket or bag.

Overall, I've really enjoyed using the Kaweco Ballpoint. It's a solid little pen that fits in a lot of small spaces, but is just big enough to be comfortable and usable. It's not something I'd use for long writing sessions, but it's a fun pen to use every now and then. On top of the that, the Frosted color options are so much fun. The translucent pastels are pretty and the price is very fair. And, the addition of using the popular D1 system means you have lots of color and size options!

The Kaweco Frosted Sport Ballpoint is available in Blush Pitaya, Light Blueberry, Natural Coconut, Soft Mandarine, Sweet Banana, and Fine Lime, and each one costs about $22. These make great gifts and personal treats, but once you have one, you'll want all six colors!

(JetPens provided this product at no charge to The Pen Addict for review purposes.)

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Caran d’Ache 849 Claim Your Style Ballpoint Pen Review

I love a good ballpoint pen. There is something about its ease of use. Mainly, it's ability to function well in more situations than other pens. That makes me reach for one more than you think.

Ballpoint pens get a bad rap, and rightfully so on many occasions. Over the years I've figured out some of the good ones. The ones that I enjoy picking up and using. The ones I keep coming back to. The Caran d’Ache 849 is one of them.

I'll never forget the first time I used an 849. Not because it knocked my socks off and changed everything, but because I hated it. Specifically, I hated the refill. The Caran d’Ache Goliath ballpoint refill is supposed to be a big selling point, and mine was a turnoff based on its performance.

At the time, readers assured me I had a bad refill, and it turns out they were right. I've used the Goliath many times since and it works wonderfully. It happens sometimes, and I'm always open to second chances, especially when it seems like an outlier.

What made me stick with the 849 was the style of the pen. That's what drew me in, and that's what keeps me coming back.

The 849 is perfectly sized for all-day, every-day use. The aluminum body gives it a sturdy, yet lightweight, feel, and the knock mechanism works smoothly and quietly.

The Caran d’Ache 849 Claim Your Style ballpoint was created to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of their famous ballpoint. To allow these pens to standout from the other 849 pens, the Claim Your Style models are available in six colorways, each featuring an eclectic mix of shades on every part of the pen.

With all of the great options, claiming my style proved to be a difficult task. I would have been happy with any of them, but I was able to narrow it down to two before claiming the Turquoise model for myself over the Green. I’ve been very happy with that choice. And no, I don't need a second one.

In fact, this is the only true 849 I own right now. Others have crossed my desk, and I made sure to send them out into the world as gifts or giveaways because I want others to experience this excellent pen. For me, I upgraded to the fancier silver-plated Ecridor model. Same 849 shape, more Caran d’Ache classic style.

With the Ecridor, I use the medium blue Goliath refill with great success. For my Turquoise 849 I swapped out the stock Goliath refill for the Jetstream SXR-600-07. I knew they were somewhat compatible, but I thought I would have to trim down the end of the Jetstream for a good fit. I didn't. It fit perfectly with no modification whatsoever.

Swiss-made Caran d’Ache products fall under the luxury stationery category, with price tags to match. Standard model 849’s are around $25, with this special edition Claim Your Style priced at $38. Other editions run the pricing gamut depending on materials and availability. And, if you get hooked on the Goliath refill, those will set you back anther $9 a pop.

I'm ok with all of this. The 849 is an enjoyable pen for me, and I use it frequently. With the addition of the Claim Your Style models, I can match my aesthetic to my writing experience even more. I love this pen.

(Goldspot provided this product at no charge to The Pen Addict for review purposes.)

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Lamy Safari Fountain Pen Mint Glaze Review

Lamy's pretty, new pastel colors for 2019 are a big hit with me. So fresh! So airy! I had trouble deciding which one I wanted. I was just leaning toward the inevitable Mint Green, when Brad sent that very pen for me to review. Delight! But how do I review a Lamy Safari? Surely we've reviewed it a dozen times already. I thought maybe I had even reviewed it! So I went back to check, and--nope. It has only been reviewed here once, ELEVEN years ago, by Brad, when he got one as his "first non-disposable fountain pen." He starts his review: "So many readers of this blog are fountain pen fans and have been trying to get me on the bandwagon for the longest time." Hey, good job, crew! I think it worked!

So, what has changed with the Lamy Safari in the last eleven years? Nothing! Or only very subtle things. If it ain't broke, don't fix it. The Safari has been a staple and a classic of the fountain pen world since 1980. They are many people's (including Brad's) first fountain pen and are therefore responsible for a lot of the world's pen addiction. For that alone, they are due reverence, but they're also just a really good pen.

I'll admit upfront that I prefer the AL-star (sorry, Brad), but I don't think they could get this beautiful soft color on an aluminum barrel, and I LOVE this color, so my allegiance may be slipping a bit.

The plastic is durable and sturdy. It doesn't feel cheap, brittle or disposable. It does show some scratches and wear after a long time of use, but it does it in a way that looks loved rather than worn. The self-springing aluminum clip is very well designed. It slides onto paper or fabric easily but holds firmly, and the continuous loop shape means it never snags on anything. The body has a handy ink window so you can see when you're due for a refill.

The cap snaps to close and posts well, though it is also nicely balanced when unposted.

The nib is steel, and quality can be a bit hit or miss with them, but I've never had one that needed much. This one is an extra fine and had a bit of snag-and-drag on left-to-right strokes, but was perfect after 20 seconds of smoothing.

The pen takes proprietary cartridges or a converter. It comes with one cartridge. Lamy cartridges are generous and hold a ton of ink, but I really wish pens would come with converters. The color line for cartridges, even with the added Monteverde for Lamy colors, is pretty limited, so it's worth picking up one of the $5 converters.

Probably the most contested element of the Safari is its grip section. It was designed under the philosophy that there is a correct way to hold a pen and its shape is molded to corral you into that grip. Which of course does not work for everyone, because there are lots of ways to hold a pen and several of them don't work at all with this grip section. And with a molded grip, you don't really know if it's going to be comfortable for you unless you try it, and trying it can be a barrier to entry for many folks who don't live near pen access. Lamy does have a large distribution, so if you're curious about trying one, it's worth inquiring about nearby retailers.

JetPens has their lovely Safaris for $29.60. The color is limited edition, as are the other pretty pastels this season, so be sure to grab one or all of them quickly. And if you're not yet a fountain pen user but think you might like to be, this is a great place to start. Just don't think too hard about where you might be eleven years from now if you jump down this rabbit hole with us.

(JetPens provided this product at no charge to The Pen Addict for review purposes.)

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Enjoy reading The Pen Addict? Then consider becoming a member to receive additional weekly content, giveaways, and discounts in The Pen Addict shop. Plus, you support me and the site directly, for which I am very grateful.

Membership starts at just $5/month, with a discounted annual option available. To find out more about membership click here and join us!