Sometimes, a pen surprises you. That's exactly what the Caran D'Ache Gold Bar did.
I first saw it on the Gentleman Stationer blog, where Joe mentioned in a post that the Gold Bar is the most unpopular Caran D' Ache in the shop. He explained that customers often avoid gold-coloured pens or those with gold trim after the market was flooded by them in the early 2010s. Which is rather a shame when there are such lovely pens as the Gold Bar available for purchase.
I felt quite sorry for these poor, unloved pens - though an all-gold pen is more to my father's liking than mine, I thought I'd give the Caran D' Ache a try. I'm the kind of person that will go for the least adoptible cat in a shelter. I wanted to help. Having previously arranged to review a different pen for Joe that needed to be restocked, I asked if he'd like me to review this one instead.
He agreed to let me try the Gold Bar for myself and give my verdict to you, and I was pleasantly surprised when it arrived. It looks better than it does in the product listing, as it has less of a sparkly look in real life, and more of a sophisticated appearance.
Before I analyse the pen itself, I should mention the brilliant tin it came in.
To quote my Dad 'it reminds me of Hans Solo'. You know, when he was squished in the, um, thingy? The flat freezy whatsit? Okay, I've never watched a full Star Wars film despite my love of the Mandalorian series. I'm sure you know what I mean anyway. This tin is made out of sturdy metal and is lined with soft inserts to keep the pen safe. Magnets in the top and bottom keep it firmly closed when not in use and I have to say that I am impressed by the packaging. I've seen less attention to detail with more expensive pens, and it bodes well for the quality of the product inside.
The gold colour is darker than it appears in most photos, and even if you don't typically go for this colour I'd encourage you to take a leap of faith and try it for yourself (you can always blame me if you don't like it). I say this because I typically avoid gold pens. The coating also feels nice - it has a good texture. There isn't any in-your-face branding, just a discreet '849 Caran D' Ache' under the clip (removed for ease of photography), 'Swiss Made' above it, and 'Caran D' Ache' subtly etched into the button.
While I would love moe people to try this pen, I write unbiased reviews and I'm not going to gloss over potential downsides. The pen is very light and slim, and I'm not sure if those with bigger hands will be able to use it comfortably. It fits my small hands perfectly, and feels so good to write with that I'm quite seriously buying one of these in every single colour available. But if you have a larger hand, you may prefer a thicker, heavier pen.
I love the removeable clip. Methinks I'll keep the clip on, but it's nice to know that I can easily remove it if I want!
Next, the mechanism. For a pen in this price range, the mechanism performs brilliantly. It is very smooth and quiet, flawless in fact. Disassembly is very easy - simple rotate the button anti-clockwise to reveal three inner pieces (the mechanism, cartridge and spring).
Mine came with a blue cartridge labelled 'Goliath' and while I prefer black ink I can't find fault with this refill. The line is smooth and consistent, making it a good choice for long writing sessions.
I think a regular Parker Quink refill should fit so I can have my preferred ink colour. Don't take my word for this as I haven't tried it yet!
The Caran D' Ache is a sorely underappreciated pen that deserves more love from pen enthusiasts, because it really is a brilliant little thing. Maybe not so great if you prefer larger pens, but if the colour is the only thing putting you off I'd encourage you to step outside your comfort zone and try it out for yourself!
Disclaimer: The Gentleman Stationer provided this pen for review purposes. All opinions expressed in this article are my own.
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