Caran d’Ache Varius China Black Fountain Pen – The Secret of the Poisonous Tree
The Swiss maison Caran d’Ache has been crafting exceptionally high-quality, luxurious writing instruments for over a century—since 1924, to be precise. Its pens, sold with a lifetime warranty, are largely made from sustainable materials.
The Varius China Black is a refined luxury fountain pen, dressed in elegant tones of black and gold. Its defining feature is the use of traditional Chinese lacquer, a natural material derived from the resin of Rhus vernicifera—a Chinese tree whose toxic sap produces an extraordinarily durable lacquer. When applied to fine objects, including writing instruments, this lacquer creates subtle reflections and remarkable depth of color.

The pen cap is adorned with a sequence of delicate straight lines, executed in an original guilloché technique, while the nib is crafted from 18-karat solid gold, available in several nib widths.
Price: approximately €1,360.
For reviews of additional pens, click here.





