Product Profile: Caran d'Ache Frosty and 849 Pens

Yesterday, we took a look at the Caran d’Ache pencil sharpening machine, the first crank sharpener we’ve offered on Pencils.com. Today, we’re going to take a look at another Pencils.com first from Caran d’Ache: pens.

Frosty Pens

First up is Caran d’Ache’s entry-level pen, the Caran d’Ache Frosty pen. This model sports a semi-translucent, colored plastic casing (available in orange and blue), chrome tip and button, and a hexagonal shape that should feel familiar to pencil users. The plastic used to construct these pens has some heft to it, giving the Frosty a much higher-quality feel than an everyday pen.

Writing with a Frosty is smooth and natural, and the ink laydown is even without having to apply much pressure. They come loaded with blue ink but, unlike most plastic pens, the cartridge in the Caran d’Ache Frosty is replaceable, and available in blue and black varieties.

849 Ballpoint Pens

Next up on our list is the Caran d’Ache 849 ballpoint pen. The 849 features a colored metal body (available in black, blue, orange, grey, and white), chrome clip and button, and the hexagonal shape we all love. It also utilizes Caran d’Ache’s famous replaceable Goliath ink cartridge, renowned for its longevity and ink quality. It’s easy to see how this pen has built up a cult-like following.

What stands out the most about this pen, however, are the tiny details. The model and brand are unintrusively printed beneath the clip, and the “Swiss Made” seal is stamped proudly, but elegantly, at the top of the barrel. The button features the Caran d’Ache logo subtly etched into its surface, but the pen’s unibody barrel is completely devoid of any other branding. This, combined with pen’s balanced weight, give it a sophisticated look and feel that is not often found in a ballpoint pen.

849 ballpoint pens are available by themselves, or in specially-designed tin cases. There is also a Swiss flag edition of the 849, available both as a standalone pen and in a Swiss flag tin case, and a Goldbar edition, which is only available in its matching gold box.