I have a cross pen and pencil set that is decades old. It is very, very thin, tapered and has a small black plastic top to its silver cap. You can access the refill by twisting the pen and likewise, retract the refill by twisting in the opposite direction. How do I remove the refill, which has long since dried up? I managed to take the pen apart but don't want to break it by pulling the refill out especially since I do not know how to do it. Also, which refills will fit this pen...only cross..or others as well?

The pen top simply pulls off, exposing the refill; grasp the plastic refill top in one hand, and the barrel portion (normally covered by the cap) in the other. The refill then simply unscrews.

Yes, you must use Cross-pattern refills; luckily, every office supply store I've ever been in carries them, and Fisher even makes a "Space Pen" refill that fits!

Many thanks for the instructions. When I remove the top and attempt to pull out the refill in any fashion, it will not budge. I can't get the thing to move. I see the blue plastic top of the refill and I suspect that if I don't take a jack hammer to it, there it will be for posterity......

Don't pull , just unscrew it. Grip the blue top and the silver barrel that would be covered by the cap and unscrew the blue top as directed above. It will come out easily even if screwed in quite tight.

Chris