Caran D'ache Ecridor Retro

[dapv]

Hello QM2:

I could not encourage you more to post an update to your orignal review. For me it would be very helpful to hear about the CdA's performance a year later. Thank you in advance.

 

girlieg33k:

Thank you for explaining the difference between CdA, and YOL. This is something I've often wondered about. Perhaps you could tell me ... will the YOL tarnish over time where the CdA will not because of the coat of Rhodium? Also, does YOL have the Chevron trim?

 

All:

I received a CdA Ecridor Chevron BP as a gift earlier this year. My first thoughts ... it's metal, it's thin, it will tarnish, I will never use this. Well ... I'm here to tell you, this BP has become one of my all time favs. Somehow, it's comfortable, it's rugged, it's not slippery, it doesn't tarnish, it fits everywhere, and the refill is superb. I clearly need a BP from time to time, and the Ecridor Chevron fits the bill. I know it's hyperbole, but I do liken the BP to a Rolex Datejust. Hence, do I now get the CdA Chevron MP and FP, or do I consider alternatives like YOL? All thoughts welcomed and encouraged.

 

Thx.

[QM2]

I could not encourage you more to post an update to your orignal review. For me it would be very helpful to hear about the CdA's performance a year later. Thank you in advance.

 

------------------------------------------------------------

UPDATE: Caran d'Ache Ecridor Retro, 1 Year Later

------------------------------------------------------------

 

What I did not specify in my original review, is that the Caran d'Ache Ecridor was only my third PPV fountain pen. The term "PPV" stands for "Post-Parker-Vector", referring to the era when I owned almost exclusively Parker Vectors and was naive to the world of diverse nib formats and pen brands. The two PPV pens that came before the Caran d'Ache were a chrome Sheaffer Prelude, and several Lamy Safari/Al-Stars. So when I received the Caran d'Ache Ecridor FP -- together with a matching Pencil, and with my initials carved in them to boot, it seemed to me like the epitome of what can possibly be called a "Fountain Pen". It was via searching for information about this pen, that I came across FPN and joined. Just over a year and 30 pens later, I have 30 additional pens, which now include a couple of Yard o Leds, a variety of classic black-and-chrome models by the likes of Aurora, Pelikan and Sailor, several lower-end Maki-e, and even a few Krones and Montblancs. I am also a bit more knowledgeable about "pens stuff" -- from nibs, to inks, to what feels good vs bad for my specific writing requirements.

 

So... How does the humble Caran d'Ache Ecridor hold up in my significantly updated "Stable" and under a more informed scrutiny? Ladies and gentlemen, I report that it holds up quite well! Here are some updates to my original review:

 

APPEARANCE: Same as the day I got it. The pen does not stain or scratch easily. Also, the "cool factor" is still there after a year; the pen still excites me and is almost always in rotation.

 

MATERIALS: I think there is some confusion about the materials the Ecridor is made of, since it is described as silver-plated and rhodium finished. Whatever the exact configuration is, I want to note that this pen does not have the feel/smell/appearance/weight of a "silver pen". I now own several sterling pens, and the Ecridor just feels entirely different. Just FYI.

 

COMFORT: I personally find the Caran d'Ache Ecridor very comfortable. But, keep in mind that this pen is both very slender, somewhat heavy, and very rigid. The material has no "give" as plastics do and even sterling silver does a bit. Whether this is a good or bad thing, depends on your preferences. I can imagine that for some people it may be too slender and/or too heavy).

 

NIB: First I want to apologise that in an earlier post I replied to someone that it is a gold nib under the rhodium plating. I don't know what I was thinking, must have been tired and now I cannot edit that post. The nib is rhodium-plated steel.

 

If you are a true-XF nib user, the original nib is way too wide. I got mine ground down to a .27mm or so. Even with this nibsize, the pen remains a wet, smooth writer.

 

Finally, I should mention that the nib is very, very stiff. In my opinion, if this does not qualify as a "nail" then I do not know what does. Is this good or bad? Well, it makes the pen an extremely precise writer. But the lack of flex or softness translates to a lack of flourish in the writing -- unless you make an italic or stub of it.

 

FLOW: Perfect and reliable. This pen has an unbelievably high tolerance for "problem inks"! It is my only pen that did not get clogged up with Boston Brahmin Blue, or my sample of El Lawrence. It seems willing to take anything!

 

OVERALL UTILITY: The Caran d'Ache Ecridor is almost always in my rotation. Its value for me, is that it is a very durable, reliable and precise instrument that looks cool yet humbly utilitarian, and will never let me down as long as I keep it filled with ink. After 14 months of use, I really have come to trust it to be just that. It is the least finicky pen I own when it comes to ink and paper choices, which means that I can confidently take it with me anywhere -- and so I do!

 

Caran d'Ache Fan for Good,

QM2

 

Edited April 23, 2008 by QM2

[dapv]

QM2: EXCELLENT update !! Thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts and experiences. Sounds like your collection has experienced quantum growth ... BRAVO.

 

Best regards, d.

 

p.s.

 

If your collection includes a Namiki Bamboo, I would enjoy reading your thoughts on it.

[QM2]

QM2: EXCELLENT update !! Thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts and experiences. Sounds like your collection has experienced quantum growth ... BRAVO.

 

Best regards, d.

 

p.s.

 

If your collection includes a Namiki Bamboo, I would enjoy reading your thoughts on it.

 

Glad you found it useful : )

 

Unfortunately, I do not have a Bamboo -- the reason being, that I find the section extremely uncomfortable and impossible to use for my grip. The threads literally cut into my hand, I can't hold the thing for more than a few seconds! So if you're thinking of getting one, I would test it out in person first. To my surprise however, I have not read any other reports of the thread issue, so perhaps it is a problem unique to my particular grip.

 

QM2

[Chippy1199]

Has anyone used an ecridor with an Italic nib on it? My ecridor has a fine nib, but i find it very stiff

[Titivillus]

QM2: EXCELLENT update !! Thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts and experiences. Sounds like your collection has experienced quantum growth ... BRAVO.

 

Best regards, d.

 

p.s.

 

If your collection includes a Namiki Bamboo, I would enjoy reading your thoughts on it.

 

Glad you found it useful : )

 

Unfortunately, I do not have a Bamboo -- the reason being, that I find the section extremely uncomfortable and impossible to use for my grip. The threads literally cut into my hand, I can't hold the thing for more than a few seconds! So if you're thinking of getting one, I would test it out in person first. To my surprise however, I have not read any other reports of the thread issue, so perhaps it is a problem unique to my particular grip.

 

QM2

 

Thanks for the update- always good to hear about a pen after lots of use! I'm one of the sellers of Bamboo after not being able to handle the threads!

 

K

 

[QM2]

Has anyone used an ecridor with an Italic nib on it? My ecridor has a fine nib, but i find it very stiff

 

Yes, the Ecridor has a very stiff steel nib, so you have to like that sort of thing. Mine had a Fine nib, and I had it reground to an XXF-XXXF "accountant" style nib. If I were to do it over, I would have bought the pen with a Medium nib, and had that reground into a cursive italic.

[Deirdre]

Has anyone used an ecridor with an Italic nib on it? My ecridor has a fine nib, but i find it very stiff

Yes, the Ecridor has a very stiff steel nib, so you have to like that sort of thing. Mine had a Fine nib, and I had it reground to an XXF-XXXF "accountant" style nib. If I were to do it over, I would have bought the pen with a Medium nib, and had that reground into a cursive italic.

The stiff nib is one reason I don't have an Ecridor. I don't think I'd enjoy it, though I know I could send it to a nibmeister for some work.

[escribo]

QM2:

...this pen does not have the feel/smell/appearance/weight of... silver

(emphasis mine)

I KNEW it (as if your pen reviews weren't a pretty good clue) -- a true lover of silver!

 

I went into a B&M store looking for a silver pen and actually looked at this pen.

The girl there said it was sterling, but it didn't strike me as such; didn't speak to

me as silver should.

 

Very nice, thorough review; glad the salesperson was at least showing me an outstanding pen,

even if err.. it wasn't actually silver.

 

Rgds,

-j

Edited January 5, 2009 by escribo

[Chippy1199]

Yes, the Ecridor has a very stiff steel nib, so you have to like that sort of thing. Mine had a Fine nib, and I had it reground to an XXF-XXXF "accountant" style nib. If I were to do it over, I would have bought the pen with a Medium nib, and had that reground into a cursive italic.

 

I was actually considering buying a new nib to have it reground as an italic nib. But i am not sure if i will do that or buy a pen with an italic nib from richardspens.

Ive found that my fine nib is fairly scratchy in comparison to a random Sheaffer Medium I have used.

And out of curiosity why is an XXF - XXXF an "accountant" style nib? I am an accountant so its kind of lost on me lol

 

[QM2]

Yes, the Ecridor has a very stiff steel nib, so you have to like that sort of thing. Mine had a Fine nib, and I had it reground to an XXF-XXXF "accountant" style nib. If I were to do it over, I would have bought the pen with a Medium nib, and had that reground into a cursive italic.

 

I was actually considering buying a new nib to have it reground as an italic nib. But i am not sure if i will do that or buy a pen with an italic nib from richardspens.

Ive found that my fine nib is fairly scratchy in comparison to a random Sheaffer Medium I have used.

And out of curiosity why is an XXF - XXXF an "accountant" style nib? I am an accountant so its kind of lost on me lol

 

In the era when accounting was done by hand, the tiny stiff nib points allowed for miniature precision writing. The stiff nibs also made it possible to write in a way that made carbon copy imprints.

[Melnicki]

While I wouldn't call the Ecridor nib springy, I would neither call it stiff. I've had much more rigid nibs... I think the nib is one of the best steel nibs out there. It's incredibly smooth by the way.

 

Deirdre, you can try mine out when we next rendezvous. I'm in love with this pen. The only downer is that the section gets scuffed up by the cap.

 

[Deirdre]

Deirdre, you can try mine out when we next rendezvous. I'm in love with this pen. The only downer is that the section gets scuffed up by the cap.

Cool! Which reminds me: we definitely need to! I'll send email when I'm home.

[Chippy1199]

This is a major drawback of this pen. I have the Mini version and only three days after using it, the cap was already loose. The nylon inner cap is screwed onto the top metal "jewel", but evidently, it wasn't screwed on tight enough. With repeated use, I have no doubt that it will become loose. There's also no way of retightening it yourself without physically drilling a hole through the top of the plastic inner cap to reach the brass screw which attaches the inner cap to the top metal jewel.

 

Hi,

 

I have the full size version, and have been using it regularly for over a year. Regularly = almost everyday; this is one of my workhorse pens. There is no looseness what so ever. I have also seen used Ecridors and know several people who have them, and they have not observed this problem. Possibly this is something specific to your pen and should have it looked at?..

 

QM2

 

 

Unfortunately my type 55's cap finally "broke" For the past few months ive noticed it becoming more and more loose. Yesterday i capped it, and iI did not feel the "click" that i normally feel. Upon inspection I noticed that the cap wasnt sitting in place properly. The cap wobbles in place if i shake the pen, and no longer sits flush with the barrel. I am heading to Sydney in a couple of weeks for a seminar and hopefully will find some time to visit the B & M shop where i got it, and see if my warranty will cover it. Fingers crossed!

[girlieg33k]

Caran d'Ache has a lifetime warranty on their pens. I've not had occasion to send one of my CdA pens for warranty repair, so I cannot attest to how turnaround time or service, but I had read (on FPN) that CdA follows through on their lifetime warranty.

 

For anyone in the USA, here is the contact info for warranty repairs (listed on World Lux's site):

 

CARAN d’ACHE

c/o Filofax, Inc.

Attn: Bob Nurin

372 Danbury Road, Suite 171

Wilton, CT 06897

(203) 563-2200

 

I don't know if this information above is accurate, or up-to-date -- but no matter where one is located, CdA does have a contact page, for after sale services, here.

[Peter from Sherwood Park]

This is a pen I have been looking at for a while -- thank you for this review.

[1point1mm]

Great review on the Caran d'Ache Ecridor. I'm supposing this would apply equally to the Cd'A Ecridor XS? Reason being is because I've been eyeing the XS and been searching for reviews on it here, but to no avail.

[lewis]

Great review, it certainly is a stunning pen. I also recently bought a CdA Pen; The Leman. It is easily the most well built pen in my collection, and works absolutely perfectly, no question.

 

Enjoy your pen.

[ballboy]

I actually tried the YOL, as pictured in MYU's post, yesterday. I liked the look of the Ecridor but not as much as the Viceroy (?.) Underrated pens with sensible filling systems.

[brownargus]

Just been re-reading the original review having had my Ecridor Chevron 6 years. What I hadn't noticed was that the reviewer referred to a "screw-in" converter. However, whilst there are threads to take a screw-in converter, mine is simply a push fit. Can anyone clarify/confirm or otherwise this minor point. After initial disappointment with the pen, it is now perhaps my favourite pen along with a P51, and this is partly because it seems to make my handwriting better than most other pens - must be a combination of weight, balance, nib smoothness, etc.

John

Edited December 28, 2011 by brownargus