A Guide to Caran d'Ache Pens

Caran d'Ache is the Swiss Maison de Haute Écriture – a house of fine writing – that has made writing instruments in Geneva since 1915. Every Haute Écriture instrument is produced in the company's Geneva workshops under the Swiss Made label and assembled by hand, with guilloché engraving and precious-metal finishes worked in its own ateliers. If you are choosing a Caran d'Ache pen for yourself or as a gift, this guide walks through the three signature collections – Varius, Léman and Ecridor – and the difference between a ballpoint pen, a rollerball, a fountain pen and a mechanical pencil.

Paris Tableware & Gifts, a store in Ridgewood, New Jersey, carries Caran d'Ache writing instruments and ships them across the continental US, with free shipping on orders over $150.

Ballpoint, Rollerball, Fountain Pen or Mechanical Pencil?

• Ballpoint pen – the everyday choice: quick-drying ink that writes on almost any paper. Several Caran d'Ache ballpoints use the Goliath cartridge, which delivers up to 600 A4 pages. See all Caran d'Ache ballpoint pens.
• Rollerball pen – liquid ink for a smooth, fluid line with less pressure; a favorite for signatures and handwritten notes. See Caran d'Ache rollerball pens.
• Fountain pen – the most personal way to write, with a nib you choose by width. See Caran d'Ache fountain pens.
• Mechanical pencil – for sketching, crosswords and notes in the margin. See Caran d'Ache mechanical pencils.

Most designs come in several of these writing modes, so a matching pair – a ballpoint pen and a mechanical pencil in the same finish – is easy to put together.

Varius: Carbon, Lacquer, Ebony and Chain Mail

Varius is the collection with the hexagonal body and the most unusual materials: carbon fiber, hand-applied lacquer, ebony, rubber, ceramic and a fine stainless-steel chain mail, each paired with gold-plated, rose gold-plated or silver-plated, rhodium-coated metal. Browse the whole Caran d'Ache Varius collection.

Caran d'Ache Varius Carbon Ballpoint Pen

Carbon fiber brings its lightness and rigidity to the hexagonal Varius body, set off by silver-plated, rhodium-coated elements. The Goliath cartridge writes up to 600 A4 pages. For a matched pair, add the Varius Carbon Mechanical Pencil.

Caran d'Ache Varius China Black Ballpoint Pen, Gold-Plated

A deep black lacquer, a natural product applied coat after coat over twelve days by Caran d'Ache's lacquer masters, framed in gold-plated attributes. The same pen comes silver-plated and rhodium-coated, and there is a gold-plated mechanical pencil to match.

Caran d'Ache Varius Ebony Roller Pen, Rose Gold-Plated

Ebony wood, valued by artisans for its deep black color and delicate feel, paired with rose gold-plated metal that brings out its subtle grain.

Caran d'Ache Varius Ivanhoe Black Roller Pen

The body is covered in a micro-woven chain mail of black stainless steel with a PVD coating – a fine Milanese sheath – matched with a silver-plated, rhodium-coated finish.

Caran d'Ache Varius Rubracer Ballpoint Pen

Soft, matte black rubber with guilloché decoration, against polished rhodium-coated silver trim – a striking contrast you can feel as well as see. It also comes as a Rubracer mechanical pencil.

Caran d'Ache Varius Ceramic Black Fountain Pen

High-tech black ceramic, prized in fine watchmaking for its lightness, scratch resistance and silky touch, with silver-plated, rhodium-coated metal. The nib is 18-carat gold, rhodium-coated, in fine, medium or broad, and the pen fills from a piston ink pump or an ink cartridge.

Léman: Colored Lacquer over Guilloché

The Léman collection takes its colors from the shores of Lake Geneva, combining lacquers with the brilliance of precious metals over a thick-gauge brass body. On several designs the lacquer is translucent, so the fine engraving beneath it shimmers as the pen turns. Browse the Caran d'Ache Léman collection.

Caran d'Ache Léman Caviar Ballpoint Pen

A glossy, amber-tinted bronze lacquer over a fine undulating engraving that catches the light like caviar beads, with silver-plated metal.

Caran d'Ache Léman Grand Bleu Roller Pen

Under a translucent lacquer the intense blue of the ocean depths, the engraved background evokes the ripples of waves on the water.

Caran d'Ache Léman Bleu Marin Fountain Pen

Navy blue lacquer over a deeply textured guilloché that calls to mind sailing boats on the water, with an 18-carat gold, rhodium-coated nib, in fine or medium.

Caran d'Ache Léman Ebony Black Bi-Fonction Ballpoint Pen & Mechanical Pencil

No need to choose: a simple turn of the body switches this black-lacquered Léman from ballpoint pen to mechanical pencil. Silver-plated, rhodium-coated attributes.

For a lighter hand, the Léman Slim range gives the collection a slender, refined outline.

Caran d'Ache Léman Slim White Ballpoint Pen

A luminous white lacquer set off by warm rose gold-plated attributes, on the slender Léman Slim outline.

Ecridor: Engraved Hexagons

Ecridor is Caran d'Ache's sober, elegant hexagonal design, finely engraved by the Maison's master guillocheurs over a brass body. Each pattern tells its own story – chevrons, lozenges, city paving, golf-ball dimples. Browse the Caran d'Ache Ecridor collection.

Caran d'Ache Ecridor Chevron Ballpoint Pen, Palladium-Coated

Inverted-V chevrons, engraved with a diamond on all six sides and coated in bright palladium. The Goliath cartridge writes up to 600 A4 pages. There is also an Ecridor Chevron fountain pen with a steel nib.

Caran d'Ache Ecridor Retro Ballpoint Pen

A lozenge guilloché emblematic of vintage Caran d'Ache models. It also writes up to 600 A4 pages with its Goliath cartridge.

Caran d'Ache Ecridor Avenue Roller Pen

Rows of engraved cubes celebrate the paving of Geneva's streets and recall the links of a watch strap; the matte finish gives it a contemporary look.

Caran d'Ache Ecridor Golf Mechanical Pencil

A geometric guilloché inspired by the dimples on a golf ball, with a high-precision mechanism for 0.7 mm graphite leads and a replaceable eraser under the push button – a natural gift for a golfer.

Gold, Silver or Carbon? Choosing a Finish

• Gold-plated – warm and classic, as on the Varius China Black.
• Rose gold-plated – softer and warmer, on the Varius Ebony and the Léman Slim White.
• Silver-plated, rhodium-coated – a bright, cool silver tone, on the Varius Carbon, Ivanhoe Black, Rubracer and Ceramic Black and the Léman Bi-Fonction.
• Palladium-coated – the bright white metal of the Ecridor Chevron, Avenue and Golf.
• Carbon fiber, ceramic and rubber – modern materials for someone who likes a sporty, technical look.

A Caran d'Ache Pen as a Gift

A fine pen is a gift that gets used every day. Caran d'Ache instruments are beautifully presented and make a memorable gift for graduations, promotions, weddings and milestone celebrations. For more ideas, read our guides to gift ideas for a new job, retirement gifts and corporate and client gifts, and see Caran d'Ache leather goods for a pen case to go with it.

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