I thought I’d come to terms with my Caran d’Ache (CdA) 849 Year of the Dragon. But then, Brad, The Pen Addict, reviewed the same pen, and now I have ALL KINDS of additional angry feels. This has effectively ruined the only decent year of the dragon pen release for me.
But, before I get carried away, let me back up for a minute.
Background
Around the middle of last year, I started getting excited for the expected surge of awesome dragon products for the year of the dragon — I was born during the year of the dragon. Unfortunately, as the Lunar New Year products were announced, there was a dearth of dragons, and of products that looked like effort went into the design.
So, when I discovered the CdA 849 Year of the Dragon, while it wasn’t fantastic, I was happy to at least find a dragon-themed pen.
I ordered directly from the CdA website on December 19, 2023. This is because the 849 Dragon was listed as “available exclusively on carandache.com and in our Caran d’Ache stores.”
NOTE: I never intended to write this post, so I didn’t keep any “receipts” — evidence — nor, apparently, the two photos I took of the pen on arrival. However, using the Wayback Machine I was able to find archived versions of the 849 Dragon listing on CdA’s website from December 29, 2023 and January 18, 2024.
The pen arrived in pretty good time, just 3 days later. But — and here starts the winter of my discontent — it arrived in a basic paper bubble mailer. Oh, and it gets better (/s)! The pen was inside of a folded over and taped sheet of standard bubble wrap. There was a tag on the clip, but that’s it. No box, no invoice, no packing slip nothing. Considering it was shipped through USPS, I’m amazed it wasn’t crushed.
I posted on Instagram — which, to add insult to injury cropped my photos oddly — and tagged CdA. I never heard from them, but, I didn’t really expect to.
After that, I tried to make peace with my pen. It wasn’t its fault, after all. But I still felt salty.
A Slap in the Face
Fast-forward 6.5 months. Last Monday, Brad posted a review of the 849 Dragon and it really got my gears grinding. Not the review itself, but the information — and photos — in the review.
It’s no longer exclusive
Brad got his from Goldspot, which made me aware it’s no longer exclusive to CdA. And it’s not like it’s exclusive elsewhere, but more widely available in the USA. A quick Google search brought up listings at Cult Pens, P.W. Akkerman, and Swiss Foods.
I don’t know if this is a miscommunication or a lie on CdA’s part. Perhaps they meant it was a short-term exclusivity, an early release. Or, they lied. In my current frame of mind, you can probably guess what I’m leaning toward.
It has pretty packaging
While the shape of the case is the same as their typical 849 case, it’s specifically made for this pen. Look at that perfectly matched red and gold. The “scale” pattern on the pen is reproduced on the half circle. Why didn’t I get this?
I also got to see the box in-person during a visit to Bertram’s Inkwell this past Saturday. Bert was able to confirm that this is the standard packaging, so again, why didn’t I get this?
EDIT: Brad was kind enough to send over a photo of the back of the tin case. You’ll notice that the label, right under “CARAND‘ACHE” reads, “NF0849.524.” This is the same product number as is listed on any current listing. However, it is one digit different than the product number on the original listing — 024 vs 524.
I was supposed to get a box
When searching for the 849 Dragon listing as it was on the CdA website, I discovered that it is supposed to include a “white cardboard case.” Now, I’d probably still be a bit miffed if I’d gotten the cardboard case then saw the new, pretty, metal case. But, I wouldn’t have as much initial upset to pile onto. Then, maybe I’d actually be able to enjoy my dragon-themed pen!
OK, breathe, Rachel, breathe. I’ll stop this post here before it turns into a rant. As I said in my Pen Resolutions Tag 2024 post, I don’t want to give them any more of my money. And, now knowing this new information, I will definitely not buy anything CdA ever again.
However, I know many people love CdA products. I’m not trying to change your mind. I’m just voicing my anger and frustration in the hopes that I can get over this and enjoy my pen. And yes, I realize this is 100000% a very minor, first world problem compared to everything else going on right now.
Thanks for reading to the end, I hope you enjoyed my post. Make sure to subscribe to my blog or follow me on Instagram so you don’t miss any posts. I generally post at least once a week.
