The Washington D.C. pen show was an exercise in sensory overload, so it is time to get back to the basics this week and tackle one of my favorite product categories: mechanical pencils.

“Basic” is a term rarely used when referring to Caran d’Ache products. Classic is probably a better term, and they do classic as well as anybody, as seen with this Caran d’Ache 849 Mechanical Pencil.

Given my love for the 849 Ballpoint and Fixpencil, both of which share a similar 849 barrel design as the mechanical pencil, I’m surprised it took me so long to try one out. My first impression when unboxing it? “Oh, yeah.”

*Top to bottom: 849 Ballpoint, 849 Mechanical Pencil, Fixpencil.*

That’s the sound of being familiar with a product lineup and brand, despite never using this exact model. The aluminum barrel of the 849 Mechanical Pencil is lightweight, sturdy, and comfortable. This model features a Blue COLORMAT-X anodized finish, giving the pencil a subtle sparkle and satin/matte feel. If the Pentel Sharp P Series mechanical pencil shipped with a metal barrel, it would look and feel a lot like this.

Staying with the Sharp comparison, the primary aesthetic difference between the two is the lack of a screw-on nose cone. The 849 barrel is one piece through the front taper, with only the tip of the mechanism appearing through the opening. It is not retractable into the barrel, unlike its ballpoint brethren.

The stock Caran d’Ache 0.7 mm lead is soft and dark. While I enjoyed writing with it, if this was primarily a writing pencil, I would look into swapping the lead out for something harder. But for artwork, drawing, and sketching, this lead is ideal. 0.7 mm width is your only choice, though.

While the lead is an easy swap, the price isn’t. This pencil is expensive for what it is, but that is the C’dA way. At around $23 it isn’t outrageous, and the similar 844 model is only a few dollars cheaper, so you are paying that Swiss premium for sure. Some of their products are easily worth that premium for me, and others have more competition.

I think the 849 mechanical pencil falls into that latter category, where I find the various 849 ballpoint and Fixpencil styles more “worth it.” I’m glad to have this pencil in the arsenal to play around with and compare to other products, but I’m not looking to add another one at this point.

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

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