--- title: "Caran d'Ache Léman: Swiss Lacquer Fountain Pen" canonical: "https://stationerytimes.com/guides/caran-dache-leman/" description: "Caran d'Ache Léman Bicolor Black explained: black lacquered brass, 141 mm capped and 13.7 mm wide, an 18-carat nib in 4 widths, filling, the Slim and prices." category: "Pens" type: "Fountain pen" published: 2026-10-23 updated: 2026-10-24 author: "Ellis Penhale" publisher: "Stationery Times" sources: 9 products: - name: "Caran d'Ache Léman Bicolor Black Fountain Pen" brand: "Caran d'Ache" brand_origin: "Switzerland" made_in: "Switzerland" material: "Brass body with black lacquer; silver-plated, rhodium-coated cap and clip; rhodium-plated 18-carat gold nib (per Caran d'Ache)" released: "1998" price_band: "$$$$ (over $75 per pen (multi-packs divided by the count), typical US retail, October 2026)" manufacturer: "Caran d'Ache SA, Thônex-Geneva, Switzerland" model: "4799.279 (F)" mpn: "4799.279" url: "https://www.carandache.com/ch/fr/stylo-plume/stylo-plume-leman-bicolor-noir-argente-rhodie-p-10078.htm" --- # Caran d'Ache Léman: Swiss Lacquer Fountain Pen > The Caran d'Ache Léman is a Swiss-made fountain pen with a lacquered brass body and an 18-carat gold nib. Caran d'Ache lists the Léman Bicolor Black at 141 mm capped, 125 mm uncapped and 161.3 mm posted, 13.7 mm across, with nibs in F, M, B or BB. It fills by converter or short cartridges. - URL: https://stationerytimes.com/guides/caran-dache-leman/ - Category: Pens - Author: Ellis Penhale - Published: 2026-10-23 - Updated: 2026-10-24 ![Capped Caran d'Ache Léman Bicolor Black fountain pen drawn to scale at 141 mm, black lacquer barrel and rhodium cap](https://stationerytimes.com/images/raster/caran-dache-leman-16x9.png) *The Léman Bicolor Black capped, 141 mm (drawn at 1 mm = 5 px).* Original drawing (SVG): . Drawings © 2026 Stationery Times, reusable with credit under CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). ## Product facts | Product | Brand | Brand origin | Made in | Material | Released | Price range (typical US retail, October 2026) | |---|---|---|---|---|---|---| | Caran d'Ache Léman Bicolor Black Fountain Pen | Caran d'Ache (by Caran d'Ache SA, Thônex-Geneva, Switzerland) | Switzerland | Switzerland | Brass body with black lacquer; silver-plated, rhodium-coated cap and clip; rhodium-plated 18-carat gold nib (per Caran d'Ache) | 1998 | $$$$: over $75 per pen (multi-packs divided by the count) | - Made in (Caran d'Ache Léman Bicolor Black Fountain Pen): Switzerland. Caran d'Ache's Swiss French product page lists "Swiss Made" under legal standards and says the Caran d'Ache logo and Swiss Made are engraved on the ring (read October 23, 2026). The Swiss Post shop listing also says Swiss made. Source: https://www.carandache.com/ch/fr/stylo-plume/stylo-plume-leman-bicolor-noir-argente-rhodie-p-10078.htm ### Caran d'Ache Léman Bicolor Black Fountain Pen colors - Body colors (10 standard, 1 special edition): Bicolor Black (silver-plated, rhodium-coated cap); Ebony Black, silver-plated; Ebony Black, gold-plated; Black Matt (matte); Grey Matte (matte); Scarlet Red; Grand Bleu; Léman de Nuit; Bleu Marin; Alpine Blue (gift box); Vert de Gris (special edition). - Per Caran d'Ache Switzerland (https://www.carandache.com/ch/en/leman-s-1089.htm), checked 2026-10-24. Full-size Léman fountain pens in Caran d'Ache's Swiss shop; Vert de Gris is a special edition per Caran d'Ache, and Alpine Blue comes as a gift box. The Léman Slim and the leather-case sets (Damier, Toile de Jouy) aren't listed. Tints were sampled from Caran d'Ache's product photos; Bicolor Black is two-tone (black barrel, silver cap). Shops stock different colors; check the listing. ## Key takeaways - Caran d'Ache's Swiss site lists the Léman Bicolor Black at 141 mm (5.6 in) capped, 125 mm uncapped and 161.3 mm posted, 13.7 mm across. - Its 18-carat gold nib is rhodium-plated and comes in 4 widths, F, M, B and BB (references 4799.279 to 4799.309). - It ships with a piston converter and also takes short Chromatics cartridges. - On October 23, 2026 Caran d'Ache's Swiss shop listed it at CHF 690 (about US$835). - Inkstable dates the Léman name to 1998 and a facelift to 2018, the line's 20th year. ## What is the Caran d'Ache Léman? **It is Caran d'Ache's main luxury fountain pen line: a round brass body finished in lacquer, with a rhodium-plated 18-carat gold nib, made in Switzerland.** The Bicolor Black pairs a silky black lacquer barrel with a silver-plated, rhodium-coated cap and clip. Léman is the French name for Lake Geneva. Inkstable, a Swiss pen shop's blog, says the line began in the early 1990s as the Genève collection and was renamed Léman in 1998. ## Caran d'Ache Léman specs | Spec | Value | |---|---| | Maker | Caran d'Ache SA, Thônex-Geneva, Switzerland | | Model | Léman Bicolor Black; F 4799.279, M 4799.289, B 4799.299, BB 4799.309 | | Body | Round brass, black lacquer | | Cap and clip | Silver-plated, rhodium-coated | | Nib | 18-carat gold, rhodium-plated | | Filling | Piston converter or short Chromatics cartridges | | Capped | 141 mm (5.6 in) | | Uncapped | 125 mm (4.9 in) | | Posted | 161.3 mm (6.4 in) | | Diameter | 13.7 mm (0.54 in) | From Caran d'Ache's Swiss French product page, read October 23, 2026. Caran d'Ache doesn't list a pen weight for this version. ## How long is the Léman capped, uncapped and posted? **141 mm capped, 125 mm with the cap off and 161.3 mm with the cap posted, per Caran d'Ache.** That uncapped length is close to a full-size pen, so most hands can write without posting. ![Caran d'Ache Léman lengths to scale: 141 mm capped, 125 mm uncapped, 161.3 mm posted, 13.7 mm across](https://stationerytimes.com/images/caran-dache-leman-lengths.svg) *The Léman Bicolor Black three ways, to scale.* ## Which Léman versions are there? **The standard Léman, the thinner Léman Slim, and many lacquer colors and special editions.** On October 23, 2026, Caran d'Ache's Swiss shop listed Léman fountain pens from CHF 550 (about US$666) to CHF 790 (about US$956) for a set with a leather case. | Version | Size | Nibs | Swiss price | |---|---|---|---| | Léman Bicolor Black | 141 × 13.7 mm | F, M, B, BB | CHF 690 (about US$835) | | Léman Grand Bleu | 141 × 14.8 mm | F, M, B, BB | CHF 770 (about US$932) | | Léman Slim Grand Bleu | 141 × 10.6 mm, 38 g | EF, F, M, B | CHF 750 (about US$908) | Sizes and prices from Caran d'Ache's own pages. Inkstable says Caran d'Ache gave the Léman a facelift in 2018, the line's 20th year, and retailers describe the Léman de Nuit as the 20th-anniversary edition. ## How does it fill? **With the piston converter in the box, or with Caran d'Ache's short Chromatics cartridges.** The converter lets you use any bottled fountain pen ink. The cap top carries Caran d'Ache's hexagon in black lacquer. For an everyday Swiss pen at a fraction of the price, see the brand's [849 ballpoint](https://stationerytimes.com/guides/caran-dache-849/). ## How does the Léman compare with the Pelikan M800? **They are the same 141 mm capped length, but they fill differently and come from different countries.** The [Pelikan Souverän M800](https://stationerytimes.com/guides/pelikan-souveran-m800/) has a piston built into the barrel; the Léman uses a converter or cartridges. | | Léman Bicolor Black | Pelikan M800 | |---|---|---| | Body | Black lacquered brass | Striped cellulose acetate, resin | | Nib | 18-carat, rhodium-plated | 18-carat (750), rhodium decoration | | Widths | F, M, B, BB | EF, F, M, B | | Filling | Converter or Chromatics cartridges | Differential piston | | Capped length | 141 mm | 14.1 cm | | Diameter | 13.7 mm | 13.1 mm (Pelikan Austria) | | Made in | Switzerland | Germany | From each maker's own pages. Choose the Léman for a metal and lacquer pen with a BB option; the M800 for piston filling straight from the bottle. ## How popular is the Léman in the US? **It is a niche pen in the US.** The top Amazon.com Léman fountain pen listing we found had 8 ratings on October 23, 2026. It sits in our $$$$ band, over $75. Caran d'Ache's US site listed the Bicolor Black at US$1,154 that day. Our [best luxury pens](https://stationerytimes.com/guides/best-luxury-pens/) roundup compares it with the Pelikan M800 and the [Graf von Faber-Castell Classic](https://stationerytimes.com/guides/graf-von-faber-castell-classic/). ## Where is the Léman made? **In Switzerland.** Caran d'Ache's page lists the Léman as Swiss Made and says the Caran d'Ache logo and "Swiss Made" are engraved on the ring between barrel and cap. Our [Caran d'Ache history](https://stationerytimes.com/stories/caran-dache-history/) tells how the Geneva pencil maker moved into pens, from the Ecridor to the 849. ## Frequently asked questions ### Is the Caran d'Ache Léman made in Switzerland? Yes. Caran d'Ache's product page lists it as Swiss Made, and the words are engraved on the ring between barrel and cap. ### What is the difference between the Léman and the Léman Slim? The Slim is the same length but thinner and lighter: Caran d'Ache lists the Léman Slim Grand Bleu at 141 mm, 10.6 mm across and 38 g, with nibs from EF to B. ### What cartridges fit the Caran d'Ache Léman? Caran d'Ache's short Chromatics cartridges, or bottled ink through the piston converter that comes with the pen. ### Why is it called Léman? Léman is the French name for Lake Geneva; Caran d'Ache is based in Thônex, near Geneva. The line was called Genève before 1998, per Inkstable. ### Does the Léman fountain pen post? Yes. Caran d'Ache gives a posted length of 161.3 mm with the cap on the back, 20 mm longer than capped. ### How much is a Caran d'Ache Léman? It is in our $$$$ band, over $75. In Switzerland, Caran d'Ache's shop lists Léman fountain pens from about CHF 550 (about US$666) for plainer finishes to CHF 770 (about US$932) for decorated ones. ## Sources - [Caran d'Ache (Swiss French): Stylo plume Léman Bicolor Noir argenté rhodié (141, 125 and 161.3 mm, 13.7 mm, 18-carat nib F to BB, refs 4799.279 to 4799.309, piston converter, Chromatics, Swiss Made, CHF 690; read October 23, 2026)](https://www.carandache.com/ch/fr/stylo-plume/stylo-plume-leman-bicolor-noir-argente-rhodie-p-10078.htm) - [Caran d'Ache (US): Silver-plated, rhodium-coated Léman Bicolor Black fountain pen (read October 23, 2026)](https://www.carandache.com/us/en/-p-10078.htm) - [Caran d'Ache (Swiss French): Léman collection (fountain pens CHF 550 to 790; read October 23, 2026)](https://www.carandache.com/ch/fr/leman-s-1089.htm) - [Caran d'Ache (Swiss French): Stylo plume Léman Grand Bleu (141 × 14.8 mm, CHF 770)](https://www.carandache.com/ch/fr/stylo-plume/stylo-plume-leman-grand-bleu-p-10832.htm) - [Caran d'Ache: Grand Bleu Léman Slim fountain pen (141 mm, 10.6 mm, 38 g)](https://www.carandache.com/ch/en/fountain-pen-grand-bleu-leman-slim-fountain-pen-p-11462.htm) - [Inkstable: The Caran d'Ache Leman, development throughout the years (Genève collection, renamed Léman in 1998; 2018 anniversary)](https://inkstable.com/the-caran-dache-leman-development-throughout-the-years/) - [Swiss Post shop: Caran d'Ache Füllfederhalter Léman Bicolor Schwarz F, 4799.279 (Swiss made)](https://shop.post.ch/en/stationery/writing-utensils/fountain-pens-inks-eraser-pens/caran-d-ache-fullfederhalter-f-4799-279-leman-bicolor-schwarz/p/825431) - [Amazon.com: Caran d'Ache Fountain Pen Léman 4799-158 Grand Blue (8 ratings on October 23, 2026)](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01K254S1Y) - [Caran d'Ache (Switzerland, English): Léman collection (fountain pen colors and editions)](https://www.carandache.com/ch/en/leman-s-1089.htm)