Famed Swiss pen maker, Caran d'Ache, did an official launch for the brand in Malaysia just a couple of days ago. The launch was held in the opulent Lafite Restaurant in Shangri-La Kuala Lumpur and saw a good mix of guests in the dignitaries, celebrities and pen enthusiasts who attended.
To officiate the event, the brand had invited Malaysia's Minister of Tourism, Dato Sri Azalina Othman to launch. In attendance as well were the Ambassador of Switzerland to Malaysia, HE Dr Urs Stemmler and the newly appointed CEO for Caran d'Ache Switzerland, Mr Philippe de Korodi. Seen below is Azalina Othman giving her speech. Seated are Mr Olivier Walthert, MD of Dianomiq Pte Ltd, Mr Korodi, HE Dr Stemmler and Mr Angelo Ponzetta, President Asia Pacific for Caran d'Ache.
Hosting was the elegant Elaine Daly (Ms Malaysia/Universe 2003)
We were treated to a fine display of pen craftsmanship as well as interesting 'molecular gastronomy' cuisine by Chef Damon Campbell.
We were then treated to a show of Caran d'Ache accessories
Guests mingled as we looked at the fine pens on display
3 former pageant winners; Emmeline Ng (Ms Malaysia/Universe 2005), Gloria Ting (Ms Malaysia/World 2004) and Adeline Choo (Ms Malaysia/World 2006).
Perhaps the most intriguing and educational part of the night was the presence of master pen designer of Caran d'Ache, Mr Nicolas Muller.
Mr Muller being introduced to the Tourism Minister by Mr Walthert
Mr Muller has worked for Caran d'Ache for the past 44 years and it was a great pleasure and honour to be able to hear from his experiences in the design of pens as well as share our thoughts about pens and the pen industry in general.
At his desk were some pen parts on display and he gave us some explanations about the processes of designing and manufacturing these pens.
We touched a little on his friendship with the famed nibmeister, Mr Otto Bock, who was an old friend of Mr Muller. He mentioned that the making of pens match and, in some instances, exceed the minute tolerances required for watchmaking. For example, nibs made for ball pens need to be manufactured within 1 micron of specifications.
I mentioned to him that I personally love the Ivanhoe. It was then that he proudly pulled out his own pen (which coincidentally was an Ivanhoe) and also showed me the steel 'chainmail' that was the signature of the pen.
Mr Muller then explained that it was a costly and precise process to create such a finely crafted steel mesh that was not only smooth to touch but also durable.
It was this durability that was also a key component of Caran d'Ache pens (others include the use of fine metals and Chinese lacquer aka Lac du Chine). One of the flagships of Caran d'Ache designs is the iconic Varius. It remains the basis of many Caran d'Ache models for its unique and instantly recognizable hexagonal cross section. Mr Muller stated that with the hexagon, one could just pick up a Caran d'Ache pen with his/her eyes closed and immediately realize that it is a Caran d'Ache in hand.
We also talked about Lac du Chine. I told him that I enjoy using pens coated with this lacquer and he told me that a pen requires anywhere from 7 to 22 layers of lacquer before being ready for market. In between, one needs to wait 1 day for each layer to dry before proceeding to apply another layer.
We then went on to talk about trends in pens. We spent some time talking about filling systems and I asked about Caran d'Ache's plans on using piston fillers. Mr Muller said that today's enthusiasts are more discerning and they want something that shows technical capability so it is no wonder that piston fillers are sometimes the choice of collectors. He does not exclude the idea that Caran d'Ache may provide some piston fillers in the near future. He mentioned about a pen he had worked on with Swarovski which was a transparent crystal pen that showed off the beautiful piston filler inside.
He then shared with me the clever clip design of a pen he had worked on with Gianni Bulgari to use as an example of how important a good pen design is in terms of not only cosmetics but also functionality and usability.
Subsequently, I went back to my group of friends at the party. Mr Walthert and Ms Jaime Gooi (GM Dianomiq Malaysia) introduced Mr Ponzetta to us.
We proceed to Mr Muller's desk for some more pen discussion. The collectors debated about the importance of nibs in a pen. One of them asked about the testing procedure for a nib. Mr Ponzetta said that the feeder is just as important as the nib for any fountain pen is useless if the ink does not start immediately and flow reliably.
Mr Muller also explained how each nib is tested at the factory. It is normally a 2 step process.
1) machine testing - the machine will test to see if the nib will be able to draw circles and lines properly.
2) hand testing - the tester will scribble "Johnson" on a piece of paper with each nib. The word "Johnson" is chosen as it provides a good mix of line variations with which to test each nib.
One of us then asked about how Caran d'Ache would address East Asian customer needs. He stated that he enjoyed writing Chinese calligraphy and that some nibs from the West does not give him the same amount of pleasure when writing out Chinese characters.
It was then that Mr Ponzetta revealed to us that he may be able to arrange for nibs meant for the Japanese market to be available to us. He said that these nibs are sent to Japan for adjustment to suit local tastes and he mentioned that these nibs may be just the thing these gentlemen are looking for.
It was here that we realized that the evening was already late and most of the other guests had left.
I wish to thank Dianomiq (regional distributor) and Caran d'Ache for their warm hospitality and the kind invites. I think the highlight of the evening was Mr Muller's presence. I could see the twinkle in his eyes when he spoke about pens.
Thank you for viewing.
Regards
Kelvin
http://www.pbase.com/kelvinphoto
