Ballpoints · Plate 2 / 23
Caran d'Ache·CH·ballpoint
Caran d'Ache
Ecridor
Vadim Zhuravlev, Wikimedia Commons · public domain · commons.wikimedia.org
The Ecridor is a hexagonal brass barrel 128 millimetres long and eight across, with a click mechanism and a Goliath refill — the same platform as the 849, but in brass, engraved and plated rather than painted.
The name is older than the model. Caran d'Ache was founded in Geneva in 1915 as Fabrique Genevoise de Crayons Ecridor; the company took its present name only in 1924, when Arnold Schweitzer acquired it.
The dating trap: 1947 is the pencil
The year 1947 recurs in Ecridor descriptions persistently enough to be worth pinning down. The manufacturer settles it unambiguously: the Ecridor began as a mechanical pencil in 1947, with the ballpoint version following in 1953. Every current Ecridor ballpoint product page opens with "Since 1953, the Ecridor™ ballpoint pen…".
Wikipedia gives only 1953 for the Ecridor, without separating pencil from pen. That is compression rather than contradiction — but for a model that began as a different instrument, the compression loses something that matters.
A second simplification from the same source: describing the 849 of 1969 as the Ecridor's "successor". The Ecridor was not retired, it was moved upmarket. The 849 took over the role of the inexpensive pen in painted aluminium; the Ecridor became the brass one. Both lines are in the catalogue today.
What counts as the "model", when Ecridor is now a line
At least a dozen items sit under the Ecridor name at the manufacturer: Chevron, Retro, Avenue, Racing, Heritage, Golf, Milanese Mesh, Damier and special editions. All share one platform — a hexagonal brass barrel of 128 × 8 mm, a push mechanism, a Goliath refill. They differ only in guilloché pattern and plating: the Chevron is a diamond-cut inverted "V" across six facets, the Retro is diamonds, the Avenue a pattern drawn from the cobbles of Geneva's old town.
This entry treats the Chevron pattern as canonical and says so plainly, because it is an editorial decision rather than a manufacturer's one — Caran d'Ache designates no sub-model as the base. The technical data are identical across all of them, so the other patterns can be described as variants of this same entry.
Changes across the decades are proportional rather than structural. Older Ecridors — from the 1970s and 1980s, but also from around 2000–2005 — have a slimmer transition between barrel and cone, sharper edges and "Caran d'Ache Swiss Made" engraved under the clip. Today's are thicker at that transition and carry an unmarked clip.
The Goliath refill: the exact opposite of a standard
The technical-first criterion fails here in an instructive way. The nearest candidate would be the Goliath refill — and it is the inverse of a solution that became an industry standard.
The Goliath measures 96.8 millimetres and resembles the Parker G2 format in shape, but it is shorter and has a different rear end, so it does not work in barrels built for G2. No other manufacturer offers a substitute. The Clicky Post's reviewer checked the reverse direction: Parker-style refills do enter the Ecridor, but with play that disqualifies the swap as permanent.
A format kept inside one brand for seventy years is the antithesis of a standard, not an example of one.
What is absent
The Ecridor appears in no museum or award database we checked. MoMA's full collection dataset contains not a single Caran d'Ache record. The Good Design database returns nothing for either "Ecridor" or the brand itself. In eMuseum.ch — covering nearly 133,000 objects including the Museum für Gestaltung Zürich — the only Caran d'Ache object is a box of copying pencils from around 1950.
Nor is there any published unit figure, cumulative or annual, or any cultural trace outside stationery.
The weight field is deliberately empty. The manufacturer's product pages state 0.242 kg, but that is shipping weight including the box — absurd as the weight of a pen. No manufacturer source gives the pen's actual mass.
Two criteria therefore enter the rubric: seventy-three years of production, and an enthusiast canon documented by three independent outlets between 2017 and 2024 — all three reviewing the ballpoint, not the fountain pen or the rollerball.
Specification
- Introduced
- 1953
- Status
- in production
- Category
- ballpoint
- Designed in
- CH
- Made in
- CH
- Mechanism
- click
- Cross-section
- hexagonal
- Materials
- brass
- Finishes
- gold plating, 18-carat rose gold, 3-micron plating, palladium coating, platinum coating, micro-blasted platinum (matte), diamond-cut guilloché engraving
- Length
- 128 mm
- Diameter
- 8 mm
- Weight
- no data
- Market tier
- premium
Refill
- Standard
- Caran d'Ache Goliath
- Factory code
- 8428.000
The pen ships with a Caran d'Ache Goliath M cartridge in black; the manufacturer states compatibility with all Goliath types. Factory codes for the black cartridge: 8428.009 (F), 8428.000 (M), 8428.109 (L/broad). Goliath is also made in blue, red and green. Stated yield is up to 600 A4 pages. Cartridge construction: nickel-plated brass tube, stainless steel tip.
Refills that fit
- Parker G2reportedReported by the community, not the manufacturer, and tested on the 849 — which uses the same Goliath system and the same push-button mechanism — not directly on the Ecridor. Parker G2 refills are shorter than the Goliath, so they seat in the barrel but need adjustment: The Gentleman Stationer describes unscrewing the knock one or two turns to pull the refill tip back into the barrel. Treat as a workaround, not a drop-in.
- uni SXR (Jetstream)reportedA specific Parker G2-format refill named by The Gentleman Stationer as used in the 849. The same length correction by unscrewing the knock applies. Not confirmed directly for the Ecridor, nor by the manufacturer.
Legend rubric
Criteria met 2 of 7
A model qualifies on at least two criteria. Every criterion marked as met must cite a source.
Longevity
metsecondary sourceThe maker dates the ballpoint version to 1953 (mechanical pencil 1947). Barrel geometry is settled and continuous: a HEXAGON, not an octagon — current Ecridor Retro and Chevron ballpoint spec sheets both state "hexagonal brass body". Today's Ecridor "family" (Retro, Chevron, Cubrik, Heritage, Avenue, Golf, Flowers, Damier) differs only in guilloche engraving and plating on the same six faces; the load-bearing construction — brass hexagon, push-button mechanism, Goliath cartridge, Geneva assembly — is unchanged. Documented differences over the decades are proportional, not structural: 1970s-80s and early-2000s examples have a slimmer barrel-to-cone transition and text under the clip, newer ones are thicker with an unmarked clip. Not found: independent proof of uninterrupted ballpoint production between 1953 and 1970 (Wikipedia calls the 1969 model 849 "successor of the Ecridor"). Even counting only from documented 1970s examples the 25-year threshold is passed several times over.
Kolekcja Ecridor — strona historyczna Caran d'Ache · Platinum-Coated ECRIDOR RETRO Ballpoint Pen — karta produktu · Gilded ECRIDOR CHEVRON Ballpoint Pen — karta produktu · Caran D'ache Ecridor Retro Design History — The Fountain Pen Network · Caran d'Ache Ecridor and 849 ballpoint pen — SYRINX · Caran d'Ache (company) — Wikipedia
Design recognition
not metChecked and empty. (1) MoMA open collection dataset: I downloaded the full Artworks.csv and searched it — zero records crediting Caran d'Ache and zero occurrences of "Ecridor". (2) Good Design database via the organiser's API: queries for "Ecridor" and "Caran d'Ache" both return totalElements 0. (3) eMuseum.ch (Museum für Gestaltung Zürich / ZHdK, 132,964 objects): Caran d'Ache appears only as a pencil box, "Kopier- und Tintenstifte", ca. 1950, inv. no. 1988-0354-0002_1 — no pen, no Ecridor. (4) Cooper Hewitt: no Caran d'Ache object surfaced. (5) The only award lead is a Red Dot 2021 for Caran d'Ache announced by agency ARD, but the page names neither product nor category, so it cannot be attributed to the Ecridor ballpoint.
MuseumofModernArt/collection — otwarty zbiór danych kolekcji MoMA (Artworks.csv) · Good Design / G-Mark — API laureatów, zapytanie 'Ecridor' · Good Design / G-Mark — API laureatów, zapytanie 'Caran d'Ache' · Reddot Award 2021 Caran d'Ache — ARD Design Agency
Technical first
not metI looked for a solution introduced by the Ecridor and later adopted industry-wide. There is none. The nearest candidate, the Goliath cartridge, is the opposite of a standard: 96.8 mm, similar in shape to Parker G2 but too short and with a different rear cap, so it does not work in G2 pens, and no other refill maker offers a substitute. Reviewers confirm Parker-style refills only fit the Ecridor with poor tolerances. The hexagon itself is not an Ecridor invention — the maker traces it to its own 1930s-40s pencils and the Fixpencil, and hexagonal barrels are ubiquitous in writing instruments. Marketing claims about "Swiss made precision" do not count.
Caran d'Ache Goliath Ballpoint Refill — The Pen Refill Guide · Caran d'Ache Ecridor Ballpoint - Retro Palladium Edition — The Clicky Post (sierpień 2018) · Kolekcja Ecridor — strona historyczna Caran d'Ache
Cultural footprint
not metI searched for a documented role of the Ecridor ballpoint outside stationery: treaty or state-document signings, diplomatic gifts, film appearances, political-history museum holdings, press iconography. Nothing documented turned up — queries return only retail catalogues and manufacturer pages. The only Caran d'Ache trace outside the stationery register concerns a different model and class: the Modernista Diamonds fountain pen entered the Guinness Book of Records in 1999 as the world's most expensive pen, which is neither this model nor this writing class.
Caran d'Ache (company) — Wikipedia · Kolekcja Ecridor — strona historyczna Caran d'Ache
Scale
not metNo published unit figure exists for the Ecridor ballpoint, cumulative or annual. The maker publishes no volumes in collection or product pages, Wikipedia gives no production figures, and there is no industry report broken down by model. The criterion requires hundreds of millions of units cumulatively; the Ecridor is a hand-engraved, precious-metal-plated brass item assembled in Geneva, a product class that rules out that order of magnitude — but regardless, the total absence of any numeric source alone settles met=false. I do not estimate or multiply.
Kolekcja Ecridor — strona historyczna Caran d'Ache · Caran d'Ache (company) — Wikipedia
Enthusiast canon
metsecondary sourceThe gap flagged in the previous pass is closed: there are specific, dated articles about the BALLPOINT (not the fountain pen or rollerball) in independent editorial outlets, spread over years. (1) The Pen Addict, 13 March 2017, Brad Dowdy, "Caran d'Ache Ecridor Retro Ballpoint Pen Review". (2) The Clicky Post, August 2018, "Caran d'Ache Ecridor Ballpoint - Retro Palladium Edition", with barrel measurements and a refill-swap test. (3) Scrively, 31 January 2024, video review of the Ecridor ballpoint in Hypnose finish. Three outlets independent of each other and of the maker, spanning 2017-2024. Explicitly rejected as evidence: Anderson Pens and The Pen Company blogs (retailer-run), Cult Pens / Atlas Stationers / Pen Heaven / Appelboom listings (distribution), and The Pen Company's Ecridor review of the fountain pen variant (wrong writing class).
Caran d'Ache Ecridor Retro Ballpoint Pen Review — The Pen Addict (13.03.2017, Brad Dowdy) · Caran d'Ache Ecridor Ballpoint - Retro Palladium Edition — The Clicky Post (sierpień 2018) · Video-Review: Caran d'Ache Ecridor (Ballpoint Pen) – Hypnose finish — Scrively (31.01.2024)
Practice influence
not metNot met. I looked for three things: parts or accessories made for the Ecridor, threads with modification instructions for this model, and a document showing it as standard issue anywhere. What I found instead is refill swapping without modification: users drop Parker/G2 refills (e.g. Jetstream Prime) straight into an Ecridor — 'slightly longer, but works without issue' — with no cutting, spacers, sanding or adapter. The most substantial material that exists is a private survey of 21 Ecridor examples across generations testing which ones accept a G2 refill; the author ties compatibility to the position of the metal cover line on the knock and argues the maker deliberately changed the mechanism around the 2000s. That is serious user work, but it is a compatibility catalogue, not a modification and not a parts market. The UNUS CD-01 adapter does not close the gap: it is sold generically for 'CARAN d'ACHE ballpoint pens' in the Goliath refill format and does not name the Ecridor — it is a part for the brand's refill format, not for this model. The 1947 story about a thousand pens presented by American forces in Germany comes from the manufacturer's own site, describes a one-off award rather than standard equipment, and is therefore not an institutional-adoption document. Beyond that, results are dominated by shop pages and auction listings, which are excluded evidence.
カランダッシュエクリドールのG2リフィル使用可否をめぐるレポート · カランダッシュのエクリドールでジェットストリームのリフィルを使う — kzlog · UNUS PRODUCT SERVICE ボールペン リフィルアダプター (カランダッシュGoliath用) — 文具堂
Where to buy
We do not list prices. We list a market tier and the date each link was last checked.
- Caran d'Ache (sklep oficjalny)globalmanufacturerverified 08/11/2026
The model is in the manufacturer's current line-up, but the product pages checked (890.487, 890.286, 890.009, 890.010, 898.568) showed "Available soon / Out of stock" with a notify-me option.
- epiora.pl (Holimex)PLspecialistverified 08/11/2026
Specialist pen shop with a brick-and-mortar store in Poznan; the category lists a dozen-plus Ecridor ballpoint variants.
- sklepfc.plPLspecialistverified 08/11/2026
A dedicated category covering only Ecridor-line ballpoint pens, including sets with a leather case.
- Twoje PióroPLspecialistverified 08/11/2026
The product page states neither a catalogue code nor a clear availability status - worth confirming with the shop.
- Cult PensUKspecialistverified 08/11/2026
Both pages checked (CD00271, CD15619) were marked "backordered" at verification time - shipped once restocked.
- AppelboomEUspecialistverified 08/11/2026
Specialist retailer based in the Netherlands. The page loads content dynamically - the article number and stock status could not be read automatically.
- Goldspot PensUSspecialistverified 08/11/2026
US specialist retailer; the collection page covers a dozen-plus Ecridor ballpoint variants alongside fountain pens and pencils from the same line.
Related models
Sources
- 01Caran d'Ache — Ecridor collection (inspiration article)
manufacturer · accessed 08/11/2026
Created as a mechanical pencil in 1947 followed by the ballpoint pen version in 1953
- 02Gilded ECRIDOR CHEVRON Ballpoint Pen (Ref. 898.208) — Caran d'Ache
manufacturer · accessed 08/11/2026
The Ecridor™ Chevron houses an inverted v-shape design on the six sides of its gilded body.
- 03Rose-Gilded ECRIDOR CHEVRON Ballpoint Pen (Ref. 898.207) — Caran d'Ache
manufacturer · accessed 08/11/2026
Since 1953, the Ecridor™ ballpoint pen has represented the fusion of an authentic, contemporary style with reliability
- 04Platinum-Coated ECRIDOR CHEVRON Ballpoint Pen (Ref. 890.286) — Caran d'Ache
manufacturer · accessed 08/11/2026
hexagonal brass body coated, with platinum-coated finish
- 05Platinum-Coated ECRIDOR AVENUE Ballpoint Pen (Ref. 890.407) — Caran d'Ache
manufacturer · accessed 08/11/2026
Designed and made in Switzerland
- 06Ecridor collection listing — Caran d'Ache
manufacturer · accessed 08/11/2026
ECRIDOR™ RACING Ballpoint Pen
- 07Refill Goliath Black for Ballpoint Pen (F, M, L Tip) — Caran d'Ache
manufacturer · accessed 08/11/2026
exceptional durability with the capacity to write up to 600 pages
- 08Caran d'Ache Goliath Ballpoint (F, M, B) Refill — The Pen Refill Guide
community · accessed 08/11/2026
This refill is similar in size and shape to a Parker Style G2 refill, but it is too short and doesn't have the correct rear cap to work in pens that take those refills.
- 09Refill Hacks: Alternatives for the Caran d'Ache 849 Ballpoint — The Gentleman Stationer
community · accessed 08/11/2026
I typically unscrew the knock one or two turns, which pulls the tip of the refill back into the barrel.
- 10Caran d'Ache (company) — Wikipedia
other · accessed 08/11/2026
When Arnold Schweitzer took over the company in 1924, he renamed it after Caran d'Ache
- 11Caran d'Ache Ecridor Series – The Evolution of a Classic — Inkstable
community · accessed 08/11/2026
Initially introduced as a mechanical pencil back in 1947, followed by the ballpoint pen version in 1953
- 12
- 13Kolekcja Ecridor — strona historyczna Caran d'Ache
manufacturer · accessed 08/11/2026
Created as a mechanical pencil in 1947 followed by the ballpoint pen version in 1953
- 14Platinum-Coated ECRIDOR RETRO Ballpoint Pen — karta produktu
manufacturer · accessed 08/11/2026
Hexagonal brass body coated, with platinum-coated finish
- 15Gilded ECRIDOR CHEVRON Ballpoint Pen — karta produktu
manufacturer · accessed 08/11/2026
The Ecridor™ Chevron ballpoint pen delivers up to 600 A4 pages, thanks to the acclaimed Goliath cartridge.
- 16Caran d'Ache Ecridor Retro Ballpoint Pen Review — The Pen Addict (13.03.2017, Brad Dowdy)
press · accessed 08/11/2026
the Caran d'Ache Goliath refill is one of the best I have ever used
- 17Caran d'Ache Ecridor Ballpoint - Retro Palladium Edition — The Clicky Post (sierpień 2018)
press · accessed 08/11/2026
The hexagonal barrel gives it a unique look
- 18Video-Review: Caran d'Ache Ecridor (Ballpoint Pen) – Hypnose finish — Scrively (31.01.2024)
press · accessed 08/11/2026
Caran d'Ache proprietary ballpoint refills
- 19Caran d'Ache (company) — Wikipedia
other · accessed 08/11/2026
Ecridor (1953), originally intended to a be an alternative to the Fixpencil, then added a ballpoint pen to its line to redefine it as a luxury product
- 20Caran d'Ache Goliath Ballpoint Refill — The Pen Refill Guide
other · accessed 08/11/2026
This refill is similar in size and shape to a Parker Style G2 refill, but it is too short and doesn't have the correct rear cap to work in pens that take those refills.
- 21Caran D'ache Ecridor Retro Design History — The Fountain Pen Network
community · accessed 08/11/2026
much thicker, especially the transition between the thin barrel and the thicker body
- 22Caran d'Ache Ecridor and 849 ballpoint pen — SYRINX
community · accessed 08/11/2026
this is a characteristic of older models; current models have thicker nibs
- 23MuseumofModernArt/collection — otwarty zbiór danych kolekcji MoMA (Artworks.csv)
museum · accessed 08/11/2026
Weryfikacja własna 11.08.2026: pełny plik Artworks.csv (73 081 181 B) pobrany i przeszukany — zero rekordów z 'Caran d'Ache' i zero wystąpień 'Ecridor'.
- 24Good Design / G-Mark — API laureatów, zapytanie 'Ecridor'
other · accessed 08/11/2026
"totalElements":0
- 25Good Design / G-Mark — API laureatów, zapytanie 'Caran d'Ache'
other · accessed 08/11/2026
"totalElements":0
- 26Reddot Award 2021 Caran d'Ache — ARD Design Agency
other · accessed 08/11/2026
our client Caran d'Ache for his trust
- 27カランダッシュエクリドールのG2リフィル使用可否をめぐるレポート
community · accessed 08/12/2026
ノック部分金属カバーのラインの位置はこのようになります。つまり、ノック時に指が触れる天冠から金属カバーのラインまでの長さが10mmのものはG2リフィル非対応
- 28
- 29UNUS PRODUCT SERVICE ボールペン リフィルアダプター (カランダッシュGoliath用) — 文具堂
retailer · accessed 08/12/2026
対応ペン：CARAN d'ACHE カランダッシュ ボールペン