(Sarah Read is an author, editor, yarn artist, and pen/paper/ink addict. You can find more about her at her website and on Bluesky. And her latest book, The Atropine Tree, is now available!)
Having lived in Switzerland, I have a soft spot in my heart for Caran d'Ache. As a Swiss brand, it dominated the stationery store, and I had no complaints about it. I've admired their special editions a lot--they're all gorgeous--so I was very excited to try out this lovely 849 Germanier Ballpoint.
The pen comes in an aluminum presentation box with the colorful pearl pattern on it. The box has a hinged lid and the pen sits in a cardstock cubby inside. The pen itself is also aluminum. It is an eye-searing neon green color decorated all over with the signature pearl design of Swiss fashion designer Kevin Germanier. The collaboration has a number of exciting designs (designer-bedazzled pencil sharpener, anyone? Um, yes), with this ballpoint as one of the more accessible features.
The lilac pearls on the bright green background highlight the blend of natural and futuristic elements in Germanier's aesthetic. The overall effect, for me, reminds me of eco-horror science fiction like Jeff Vandermeer's Area X series, which is one of my all-time favorite reads. It's like space lichen. I mean that in the most complimentary way.
As an art object, it's fantastic. As a pen, it's decent. The body has the hexagonal shape of all Caran d'Ache pens, with its angular metal clip and silent click-nock. The refill is the medium black Goliath cartridge. It writes like a typical ballpoint. The ink is not a deep black, but the charcoal grey of most ballpoint black inks. It also does that glob-smudge thing when the ball shifts directions. The globs have a tendency to smear. But the ballpoint ink writes on darn near everything and never bleeds, so it's perfect for coated papers like receipts or sticky notes, or on thin or fibrous papers that would be incompatible with liquid inks.
While the writing experience runs more practical than fun, the pen design is way more fun than practical. It's a good balance, in the end. The Caran d'Ache 849 Germanier Ballpoint pen sells for $70 at Dromgoole's, which is more than twice what the standard Caran d'Ache 849 ballpoints cost. That's a pretty steep premium for the limited edition, even if it is a fabulous design. It's definitely eye-catching. I've had it clipped to my shirt collar at work, and it gets lots of comments! It's a great design on a good pen, though it is a bit overpriced. The blinged-out pencil sharpener doesn't even have a price listed on it. It's priceless.
(This product was purchased from Dromgoole’s at regular price.)
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