Caran d’Ache 849 + Line Friends BT21 Edition Giveaway

Swiss brand Caran d’Ache has been involved in some wonderful collaborations over the years, and this latest 849 Line Friends BT21 model is one of the most interesting yet.

Don’t feel bad if you don’t know who the BT21 characters are - I didn’t when I first saw this pen. But it all made sense once it was explained to me. BTS) are a Korean Pop band, and one of the most popular bands in the world. So popular, in fact, that Line, the widely-used messaging app, created a cartoon group for their Line Friends brand specifically for the band, named BT21.

Make sense?

Regardless of if you have any idea of this, this is an awesome looking pen, and I have one to give away to readers of The Pen Addict. Read the rules below, and enter away!

Caran d’Ache 849 + Line Friends BT21 Edition Giveaway

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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Caran d’Ache Chromatics Hypnotic Turquoise Ink Review

Ink cartridge review, to be more specific.

I've always had an affinity for fountain pen ink cartridges, but have never truly embraced all of the options available. Until this point, my most used cartridge has been Pilot Blue Black in most any Pilot pen I own. That's right; they are proprietary. Same with Sailor, Platinum, and Lamy. Proprietary is fine, as long as there are options.

If you want even more options, international-sized cartridges give you that. But they are often limited to short international cartridges, made primarily for pocket pens with shorter barrels that can't accommodate a full-length cartridge. Pelikan makes an excellent standard international cartridge for their Edelstein lineup, but that's about it.

For mixing and matching colors with your compatible pens, short international cartridges are where it's at. And thankfully, that market has blown up over the past several years.

When I first got into Kaweco pocket pens, I felt limited by their stock cartridge offerings. They were excellent, and I used blue black and aubergine with regularity, but I wanted the choices in my ink cartridges to be closer to my options in ink bottles. Yes, I've syringe-filled many an ink cartridge in my day, but that kind of defeats the convenience of cartridges in the first place.

With more brands expanding their short international ink cartridge lineups I'm beginning to get the choice I've always wanted for my pens. And it is time for me to start exploring.

The words “Caran d’Ache” and “good value” will never be used in the same sentence. They are a luxury brand, and luxury pricing applies. On the surface, $5 for a 6-pack of short international ink cartridges may not sound like a lot, but comparatively, it is pretty steep. If I can get the quality I see out of my first cartridge choice - Hypnotic Turquoise - in the rest of their lineup, then I will have no problem saying that the price is worth it.

This bright blue pops off the page. It flows wonderfully from my Fine steel Kaweco Sport nib and has yet to dry out or hard start on me. There is a visible red sheen on the edges of my letters, and while this nib doesn't show off the inks full shading characteristics, I can see the color variation that would be even more present in a broader nib.

In short, this is a fantastic ink. I want more of this, and that is the path I am going down with this next little experiment of mine. I bought a dozen or so different ink cartridge colors and brands and will be testing them out. I also got your recommendations last week and will be adding those to my shopping list.

Right out the gate, they are going to have a tough time beating Hypnotic Turquoise.

(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!