Caran d'Ache 849 Ballpoint

I've been sitting on the Caran d'Ache 849 ballpoint for quite awhile now.  When I originally saw this pen I was extremely excited as the design and style instantly stood out to me, and while on a visit to see my friend Jay at Scottsdale Pen (my local pen guy) I decided to pick up a black version.

Now, I have to admit, I'm not entirely impressed.  Man!  I just gave the rest of the review away... shame on me.

Actually, it's not all completely bad.  I really enjoy the metal barrel that transitions from a hexagon to a point (yeah, love hexagons) and the way the clip is attached to the pen.  Design wise, the pen does it for me.

Performance wise, I'm a bit disappointed.  Granted, these are my opinions, but for the price of $20-30 I just expected a bit more I guess.  The refill in particular is your typical ballpoint refill that doesn't perform anything special.  The lines are very inconsistent and there is quite a bit of page showing through the letters.  

***UPDATE: So apparently this pen does take a Parker style refill (which I never tried) and I will be swapping in the Schmidt EasyFlow.  Thanks everyone for the feedback! 

The second piece that I'm not entirely impressed with is the knock section.  It is more of a "squish" style rather than a "click".  I'm not opposed to a silent mechanism as I really enjoy the knock that Karas Kustoms uses on their Retrakt, but the difference is that it feels substantial and is all metal.  

When the knock is unscrewed (which is also the way to replace the refill), you'll find exposed that much of it is actually plastic with some very thin presses steel to shape the button section.  To rescrew it back in is even tricky as it doesn't catch every time which is kind of a pain.

The pen feels good in the hand and I really want to love it, but the pleasure of using it just isn't there.  I think with some slight investment into better components that were a bit more weighty, durable, and felt of higher quality that it could be great.  It is an ok pen, but not a great pen...of course, in my opinion.

Caran d'Ache does make some higher end models of the design, but I wonder if the experience would be different?  Based on this one, I won't be investing into any further 849s.



Pilot Precise V5 Rolling Ball - in Blue

Perhaps this review is in direct response to the recent Uni-ball Vision Needle post from a couple of weeks ago.  Didn't want the Pilot to feel left out of the mix as we did throw a few punches last time.

It is very likely that the Precise is a pen you've either seen or used as they are quite popular.  As a kid, I always recall them kicking around at home in our pen cups/drawer when neither of my folks are extremely pen particular.  They are THAT common.  In some countries outside of the US, the Precise is called the Hi-Tecpoint V5 or V7, but they are the same pen.

V7 Hi-Tecpoint Branding

V7 Hi-Tecpoint Branding

The Precise seems to scream "classic" in it's styling as it has likely been untouched since it was created.  It has sort of a unique, yet boring, technical appeal to it.  Maybe not the prettiest and flashiest pen on the shelf, but it's near cult following is well deserved.

The needle-tipped, consistent writing experience that comes with the Precise is pretty great, and the price on them is just right.  In many instances you could probably find this pen for as little as $1 - $1.50 and they are in almost every store.  I see them at my local grocery store in at least 3 or 4 variations when their "office" section consists of about 8 total feet of stuff.

The writing of the Precise may not be silky smooth, but it always lays down a dark line and rarely skips (if at all).  Pilot makes a really nice blue ink too which is rich and dark.  No doubt that it is blue rather than "light blue", "turquoise", or "blue-black" like some brands make, but claim to be blue.

One thing about the classic, capped Precise that I don't really enjoy is the grip section.  Outside of looking cool with the visible fins where the ink flows, the grip is a plain plastic cylinder without any rubber or squish of any kind.  

There is a lip where the cap and barrel meet that if gripped a certain way could even be a bit sharp while writing.  Pilot does make a retractable version of the Precise known as the RT which touts a rubbery grip section which is a bit more comfortable.

Overall, I really enjoy these pens and even enjoy the boring styling (capped version) a bit.  If you haven't tried the Precise or Hi-Tecpoint, give them a go.  The barrier to entry is low as the price is good, but they are great pens.  

To check out a more odd version, Pilot actually produces a cartridge fill edition.

Ti-Post RAW Pen + Stylus Prototype by BIGiDESIGN

Back again and on track to a successful Kickstarter campaign are Chadwick and Joe from BIGiDESIGN with a new and improved offering called the Ti-Post Raw Pen + Stylus.  The guys were kind enough to send me a prototype of the new pen to play with for a bit and first impressions are very good.

If you are familiar with one of their previous projects, the Solid Titanium Pen + Stylus, you'll get a good feel for what to expect with the Ti-Post.  In essence, it is a revision of that pen with some very well thought out design improvements and an awesome raw titanium finish.  The Solid Titanium Pen is awesome and is still a fan favorite, but the approach to making it better was a great decision.

The first major difference is the tapered/narrow end of the pen.  On the previous version there were simply a few small threads on the end to post the cap which was difficult to do (you had to get it right) and also made the pen very long and unbalanced. 

I would always write with mine unposted.  The new version allows the cap to go onto the barrel like a bit of a sleeve which makes threading it easier and also shortens the overall length considerably which improves balance.  On the prototype I am finding myself always posting the pen while writing.

I really, really enjoy the raw titanium finish.  A lot.  In all honesty, probably one of my favorite finishes yet on a pen ever, and I instantly knew that I needed one.  Several months ago I did a review of the Ti-Click in the raw tumbled finish (and the guys graciously did a giveaway as well) which was pretty cool, but this finish is much more appealing in my opinion.  Out of the Ti series of pens produced by BIGiDESIGN, I feel this finish is by far the most industrial and best looking.  Bravo guys.

One of the key utility features of the Solid Titanium Pen or Ti-Post RAW is the ability to use a lot of different refills.  Whether you like a gel, rollerball, or fineliner refill, they will likely fit in this thing.  They have a complete list available on the campaign page of what refills fit.  They've improved the internal rear spring to accommodate narrower refills a bit better to as they would tend to get stuck or pull the spring out completely in the previous model.

One small gripe I've heard and can understand is that the grip is a bit narrow.  Could it be slightly larger?  Perhaps a bit.

The end of the pen has a threaded section that can take either a conductive stylus for your phone and tablet, or you can swap it out with an included back plug to finish off the aesthetic of the pen.  Honestly, with my Solid Titanium and with the prototype, I usually just leave the threaded part open without a stylus or plug.  

Call me a crazy, but extra parts don't really seem necessary, but I get it.  Options.  With a pen, I don't really want extra little bits and pieces that I can lose.  When I'm using the pen I like to have all parts accounted for at all times on the pen if that makes sense.  Really not a bother, but just a personal preference and behavior I've noticed.

The Ti-Post RAW is a winner in my book and I personally have backed the project also.  The campaign ends April 9th, so make sure to head over and give it your consideration before then.

Thanks again Chadwick and Joe for sending the prototype my way!

Also, our good friend Brad Dowdy gave his thoughts on the pen, so check out his review for more opinions on the Ti-Post.