Caran d'Ache + Nespresso 6th Edition Collaboration

New Arrivals: Caran d'Ache + Nespresso 6th Edition, Plus a Pencil Restock

June 4, 2024

New arrivals in the shop this week include the latest collaboration between Caran d’Ache and Nespresso: the 6th Edition 849 Ballpoint featuring recycled aluminum derived from the midnight blue Kazaar capsule. The Caran d’Ache + Nespresso collaborations were one of the very first special edition lines we chose to stock in the shop, so they have a special place in my rotation and I always look forward to these annual releases! This pen features a matte midnight blue barrel with matching monochromoatic knock and clip, and ships with a medium black “Goliath” refill.

Caran d'Ache + Nespresso 6th Edition 849 Ballpoint

We generally carry all of the Caran d’Ache special releases and most of the standard line products, including the 4th Edition Nespresso Swiss Wood Pencils, the gradient-inspired “Blue Lagoon” 849 ballpoint and mechanical pencil set, a couple remaining Keith Haring 849s, and the Rylsee Special Edition Fixpencil Lettering Sets. This latest shipment also included a full restock on Caran d’Ache pencils, including the Swiss Wood series, eraser-tipped office pencils, and the red, blue or green Fixpencil 884!

The Gentleman Stationer is an authorized retailer of Caran d’Ache Products.

Caran d'Ache Swiss Wood Pencils — The Swiss Wood pencil will always be an iconic favorite!

Caran d'Ache 849 Blue Lagoon Set: Ballpoint and Mechanical Pencil

Thursday Drops: Caran d'Ache 849 "Blue Lagoon", The Return of the Kaweco Sketch-Up, Art Sports, and More!

February 29, 2024

It’s all about the gradients these days, and the latest release from Caran d’Ache is a gorgeous blue-grey-white 849 ballpoint and mechanical pencil set, which they’ve dubbed “Blue Lagoon” to reflect the colors of the polar lagoons that inspired it. It’s been a while since we’ve seen a limited 849, and this one follows up the Keith Haring and Paul Smith special releases from late last year, of which we still have some in stock!

We’ve also received more Kaweco Sketch-Up Clutch Pencils, which you can find in our dedicated pencil store! These can be used with standard leads, highlighter leads, or even with the Kakimori Dip Nib to create a portable ink sampling tool.

A Pen Show Weekend Clearance Special

While we’re disappointed that we can’t make this weekend’s Baltimore Pen Show, we always like to offer some sort of special offer for pen show weekends! This week, we’re in the process of listing a bunch of new arrivals (as you’ll see below), and noticed that a fairly significant amount of shelf/storage space is being taken up by older items of which we only have 1 or 2 pieces remaining in stock. I’ve created a “Clearance” tag in the Pens, Notebooks/Paper, and Desk/Reading Accessories sections, for those items which won’t be coming back so take advantage of your last chance. Discounts of up to 25% available! We don’t do clearance sales very often, so now’s your chance….

Caran d’Ache “Blue Lagoon” Ballpoint and Mechanical Pencil Set. It’s been a bit since we’ve seen a new special release 849 from Caran d’Ache, and this one is all about the gradients! Each set includes a Caran d’Ache 849 ballpoint pen, as well as a matching .7mm mechanical pencil. (I say “matching” in that they feature the same colors, though the gradients are slightly different.)
Lamy Studio “Glacier” Fountain Pen. While we’re on an “Arctic Blue” theme, why not pair the “Blue Lagoon” Ballpoint and Mechanical Pencil Set with a Lamy “Glacier” Fountain Pen? These were an older special release so I’m not sure how long they will stick around.
Kaweco Art Sport Fountain Pens. Did you miss out on the Kaweco Art Sport fountain pens the first time around? We have more, including the Terrazzo and Hickory Brown, which sold quite fast.
Kaweco Sketch-Up Clutch Pencils. It’s not just for drawing anymore! Many people use the Kaweco Sketch-Up clutch pencil as a nibholder for their Kakimori Brass and Stainless Steel Dip Nibs, which you can now purchase directly from us. For more info on how to make that work, check out this post here.
Lamy Safari Special Edition Fountain Pens and Rollerballs. The new Lamy Safari “Pink Cliff” and “Violet Blackberry” are in stock and ready to ship!
Lamy “Noto” Ballpoints in Deep Blue and Chocolate. I’ve been writing all week with the triangular “Noto” ballpoint pens, and after going back and forth, I finally selected a “Deep Blue” version as my personal pen, so it’s going into the pen case.
Lamy “econ” Ballpoint Pens. Characterized by their bright colors and matte textured grip, the round “econ” ballpoint features the same M16 refill as the Lamy 2000 ballpoint, the Noto, and others!
Lamy Notebooks. Lamy’s proprietary ruling is quite unique, featuring a mix of grid, lines, and dots. The paper is absorbent, so it dries relatively quickly compared to many other fountain pen friendly options.
Nahvalur Nautilus “Ruby Koi” Fountain Pens. We have two remaining “Ruby Koi” special release fountain pens, including one gold and one stainless steel nib version.
M+R Brass Pencil Sharpeners. We received a full restock of M+R Brass Pencil sharpeners in all the various forms, including replacement blades!

The T.G.S. Curated Shop is an authorized retailer. The Gentleman Stationer is supported entirely by purchases from the T.G.S. Curated Shop and pledges via the T.G.S. Patreon Program.

Caran d'Ache 849 Needle-Tip Ballpoint — Is that a Caran d’Ache 849 with a needle-tip ballpoint refill?

Refill Hacks: Alternatives for the Caran d'Ache 849 Ballpoint

May 3, 2023

While I personally think the Caran d’Ache 849 “Goliath” refill that ships with every Caran d’Ache 849 ballpoint pen is a smooth, reliable, relatively dark refill that lasts a long time and, at the end of the day, gets the job done just fine, I understand that many of you are left wanting a different option for Caran d’Ache’s iconic click pen. The Goliath, however, is a proprietary refill with a slightly odd shape that makes it tricky to replace. Over the past few weeks, I’ve experimented and come away with three alternatives that work reasonably well.

Note: The hacks discussed below are just that, “hacks,” and not in any way a modification authorized by the manufacturer. While I’d personally consider the risk extremely low - especially with a ballpoint - if you break any pen by modifying the mechanism or using a non-standard refill, you will likely void your warranty. The same goes for modifying or grinding fountain pen nibs, feeds, etc. Proceed at your own risk!

Option 1: The Caran d’Ache 849 Rollerball Refill

Many people were thrilled to see Caran d’Ache release a larger rollerball pen in the classic 849 profile. The best part about it? The 849 Rollerball uses a Parker-style rollerball refill - and a really good one at that - which comes in both .5mm and .7mm sizes, in black or blue ink. (The 849 Rollerball pen itself ships with a .7mm black rollerball cartridge.) While you can turn the 849 Rollerball into a larger ballpoint using any Parker-style refill, I’ve had very good luck with the inverse - the Caran d’Ache Parker-style rollerball cartridge also appears to fit the standard 849 ballpoint pen without much, if any, modification.

Caran d'Ache 849 Parker-Style Ballpoint Hack — Parker-Style refills such as the Jetstream SXR (in the yellow pen) and the Schmidt P900 (pictured here) can be made to work with a simple trick.

Option 2: The Jetstream SXR (and Most Other Parker-Style Ballpoint Refills)

One of my favorite ballpoint refills of all-time is the Uniball Jetstream SXR - a Parker-style low viscosity ballpoint refill that serves as one of my go-to Parker-style refills when I’m looking for an ultra-fine tip ballpoint that dries quickly. While it took a bit of work to get this particular cartridge to work in the standard Caran d’Ache 849 ballpoint pen, here’s what I did:

Step One: Unscrew the knock at the back of the Caran d’Ache 849 and remove the Goliath refill.
Step Two: Insert the Jetstream SXR (or Schmidt P900 or Easyflow 9000 or other Parker-style ballpoint refill of your choice).
Step Three: Replace the knock and screw it all the way down until you reach the end of the threads. You will likely have one of two issues: (1) when you retract the refill, the tip still extends past the end of the barrel, since the refill is too long; and/or (2) when you try to depress the knock, the refill won’t “catch” and stay in writing mode. To fix both of these problems, I typically unscrew the knock one or two turns, which pulls the tip of the refill back into the barrel without affecting the stability of the knock or causing rattling. (You may have to experiment a bit, depending on the refill you’re working with.)

Caran d'Ache 849 Jetstream Refill Too Long — Note that the tip of this Jetstream SXR refill is slightly too long when the pen is retracted. You can fix this problem by unscrewing the knock one, maybe two, turns to reach your preferred length. I have not found that unscrewing the knock in this way affects the usability of the pen.

Option 3: Ohto “Flash Dry” .5mm Needle-Tip Gel Refill

The third option I plan to discuss requires the most work, though it’s still a pretty easy hack. The Ohto “Flash Dry” refill has garnered a well-deserved reputation as an excellent, relatively fast-drying needle-tip gel option that is compatible with Parker-style ballpoint pens. The problem? It’s too long to fit the standard 849 ballpoint without modification. While you might be able to adjust the refill length using the trick described above (unscrewing the knock), you can also modify the refill by shaving off a bit of the clear plastic tubing using a craft knife or sharp scissors. GO SLOWLY. You only need to shave off .5-1mm, but if you take off too much you can add back length by wrapping a small piece of washi tape around the end of the cartridge. (This one will likely take some experimentation).

The unmodified Ohto Flash-Dry refill (left)

To reduce the length of the refill, pull off the black plastic cap and cut a small sliver off the clear refill tubing. Replace the black plastic cap and the refill should work. If you find that you cut too much (i.e., the tip doesn’t extend all the way through the opening when the knock is depressed), simply wrap a small piece of washi tape around the end of the refill to add back length.

Note that if you don’t want to mess around with hacking the Ohto Flash Dry refill to fit in the Caran d’Ache 849 ballpoint, this refill fits the 849 Rollerball without modification, and also has it’s own Ohto Fast-Dry click-pen, which is inexpensive and which we stock in the shop.

Again, I have to emphasize that although The Gentleman Stationer is an authorized Caran d’Ache retailer, hacks like these are NOT authorized and we obviously can’t guarantee that any modifications will work in all pens, due to slight variations in refill size (and even the various editions of the 849). Proceed at your own (admittedly low) risk, and have fun making your pens work for you!

New Arrivals: Paul Smith x Caran d'Ache Edition No. 4!

May 2, 2023

They’re here! Finally, we get a follow-up to the wildly successful release that helped us kick off the T.G.S. Curated Shop all the way back in 2020. This new collaboration between designer Paul Smith and Swiss brand Caran d’Ache features the iconic Caran d’Ache 849 ballpoint in six color combinations: Racing Green + Navy, Warm Red + Melrose Pink, Cobalt + Emerald, Sky Blue + Lavender, Chartreuse + Rose, and Cyan + Steel. Available now for purchase, though some colors are going fast and we will restock more soon.

We carry a wide range of Caran d’Ache products in our shop, including the 849 ballpoints, the larger 849 Rollerball, and - recently arrived - the full range of Chromatics fountain pen inks.

The T.G.S. Curated Shop is an authorized retailer of all brands sold, including Caran d’Ache.

New in the Curated Shop: Caran d'Ache 849 Mechanical Pencils in Black Code, Gold Bar, and Brut Rosé Finishes

May 10, 2022

For the longest time, I found myself wishing that Caran d’Ache released matching mechanical pencils in their premium finishes, but apart from the Ecridor Racing series, this wasn’t a possibility. Until now. Caran d’Ache recently announced the release of the 849 “Black Code”, “Gold Bar,” and “Brut Rosé” .7mm mechanical pencils, which complement the existing ballpoints. Personally, the Gold Bar is fast becoming my favorite - surprisingly, perhaps, given my love for all things matte black.

Caran d'Ache Gold Bar Mechanical Pencil — The Gold Bar finish is criminally underappreciated, IMHO.

These Caran d’Ache “Pop Line” mechanical pencils are priced at $42, the same as the ballpoint, and currently available for purchase in the Caran d’Ache section of the T.G.S. Curated Shop. If you’re looking for a matching set, purchasing both automatically qualifies for free shipping, with no coupon code necessary at checkout.

The T.G.S. Curated Shop is an authorized retailer of Caran d’Ache and all other brands we carry.