Just because Sheaffer had one, I just thought I'd ask it for Cross too. And every other company on this forum so discuss.

I love cross because they're classics to me.

I agree.

Also, great customer service, great craftsmanship. One of the statesmen of pen companies. And they use materials I like (metal).

Over all, I like the Cross pens better than the others I've run across. I agree the craftsmanship, engineering, and service are first rate.

I really do wish they would make a Townsend variant out of Lucite. Mine are just a bit too heavy for extended use.

The only Cross pen I have is one of those slim, twist ballpoint pens. However, I have to say that I have not used any other ballpoint pen which feels better than the Cross ballpoint.

It was a sentimental gift from my father, and it was the first valuable pen I ever owned

Pros: Fantastic performance, reliability, & durability; excellent warranty backing; good price.

Cons: Product lineup should experiment with resins and other materials. And how about some flex in those nibs?

That keeps comming up in talk, but I don't think most people really want, or ever wanted flex nibs. Further I am pretty sure the major pen makers have researched the issue and determined that it has no legs for the market. Personally, I know I have never had the muscle and coordination control of my hand to use a flex nib without ruining it within two sentences.

I don't mean wet noodle, but semi-flex.

You're aware, no doubt, of the argument that users trained on ballpoints would ruin nibs less stiff than a nail, and that would eat away at profits through warranty claims.

While vintage pens offer very nice semi-flex nibs, I think it would be a real treat to have nibs of the same sensitivity offered in modern versions. As vintage users know, after a while the rock-solid nibs -- no matter how reliable and wet -- become a bit ho-hum in their monodimensional line width and character. Modern pens with some give would be welcome. Note, for example, the deep appreciation of users whose modern pens were made more sensitive by current nibmeisters.

I like Cross, particularly the Century and Century II models -- because there is something "American Classic" about them. To me, the Century 14K Gold filled ballpoint was THE business pen for a good long time in the U.S. It was understated, elegant, and I always thought that Cross ballpoint refills wrote particularly well.

When I graduated from law school, my then in-laws bought me a Parker ballpoint and pencil set in what I now know was the "Cisele" finish. (When I became a full fledged pen freak only a few years later, that finish, on Parker 75s, became one of my all time favorites.) At the time, Parkers seemed alien to me. I wanted that 14K Gold filled Cross! My in-laws graciously consented to my exchanging the Parkers for a Cross 14K GF pen/pencil set -- which I still have and still use twenty-six years later.

My favorite Cross pen of all time is my 14K solid gold ballpen, bought on eBay. I then sent it to Cross for engraving (which they were happy to do for a small fee). I chose the "deep fill black" color which looks great on a solid gold pen.

I have a Townsend in Tuxedo. It's a nice pen, but the craftsmanship doesn't seem close to the older Centuty and Century IIs I have.

My Townsend in sterling (cap & barrel) has a beautiful fit and finish . I really admire the way all my Cross fps write and how reliable they are.

Function, form, style, classic understatement, etc.

Perhaps that is why I have so many (Townsend, Century, Century II; FP, BP, pencil 0.9 and 0.5mm, Selectip; in silver plate, sterling silver, 10, 12 and 14ct gold etc. etc.)
And they all work perfectly well.
Chris

I am very, very pleased with my Century II in sterling silver. It writes beautifully and very comfortably, and has a feel on paper unlike any of my other pens. I agree that Cross might experiment with other designs/materials, but I also like the plain, elegant and American-looking lines of my pen. And that lifetime warranty!

The best Cross I ever owned was a 10k gold filled ballpoint. It was the classic Cross ballpoint design that we all know. My school's bookstore sold them, and I was allowed to buy one upon completion of 8th grade. It was one of the last gifts that my granddaddy gave me.

I was afraid to even use it at first, but soon got over that. I carried it through most of high school and a good chunk of college. In high school, it got a few nitric acid spots on it during chemistry class, but I didn't care much. It just seemed to make the pen a bit more my own, if that makes sense.

It went through a couple of refills, and the genuine Cross BP refills always seemed to be of good quality. The black ink was much darker than most other BP's. Parker refills were the only ones that could come close.

It got away from me sometime in college. I retraced my steps as soon as I noticed it missing, but to no avail. I'm going back to school for a masters this semester, and keep thinking that maybe if I looked in just the right place, or under the right rock that it might re-appear. It's not that it was a rare one-of-a-kind pen or anything. But it was mine and therefore special.

During the Office Depot pen sale, I bought a blue Cross Vapor, but haven't taken it out of the box. It looks good, but I'm kind of disappointed to see the manufacture has been offshored.

Have no Cross fountain pens at all - mostly Parker & Sheaffer - anybody got a recommendation for a starter?

I don't have one, but I think the ATX would be great as a starter pen.

I REALLY like the Verve styling, amazing nib, etc., and also the ATX styling. And the fact that they're metal. I have the Merlot and the platinum Verve, the performance is outstanding.

All the other Cross "skinny" styles do absolutely nothing for me. I won't buy them, although I did get a very dark gun-metal finish Townsend as a gift. Now that I've been using the pen, I really like the weight and the finish is nice. I keep using it because it's so reliable.

I'd say, let the celluloid experts do their thing, and Cross should concentrate on unique & innovative metal finishes! If you haven't seen the Merlot Verve finish, it's just incredible. I have not seen one single photo that even comes close to conveying how beautiful the finish is. And I'd love to see more nib designs, like the Verve.

What I don't like about Cross: the proprietary cartridges in zero color choices, and the fact that they don't offer a standard stub or italic nib. I think there'd be more interest for those options than for semi-flex nibs.

Normallly I don't use cartridges... but for air travel these days, cartridges are a great hassle free option. I'd like to get an ATX for travel, but not if I can only use blue or black cartridges -- bah.

Petra
Verve Fan

Any Cross fountain pen would be a good start. I'm not meaning to be 'amusing', simply that they all write very well and the choice would be down to price, styling, weight and balance etc.

The Townsend is a big pen and is my favourite but some might find it too heavy. The various finishes can be stunning.

The slimmer Century are too thin for some people, though others love them. And the modern designs are not for me, though again they have a lot of fans.

So, take your pick and, I hope, enjoy the understated experience of efficient funtion.

Chris

I love the Townsends.
Every time I think I have more than I should I run accross a different finish that I just HAVE to get. So I'm up to nine and counting.
The pen is not for everyone however, it's big and, compared to an acrylic or celluloid pen of similar size, it's heavy. I use my pens all day in the office writing notes in patients charts and my Cross pens in general, Townsends in particular, are among the most reliable and predictable I own. My only complaint with the Townsend design is the fact that the large cap is relativly heavy and will unbalance the pen away from the nib when used posted.

Almost as high on my list are the now discontinued Pinnacles.
Slightly slimmer and lighter than the Townsends they use essentially the same nibs and feeds. The three I own are constantly in my regular rotation and unbalance less than the Townsends when posted.

I am a recent convert to Cross pens. Until recently when I saw "Cross" I thought about those skinny metal ball points that were so popular in the 60s. I never liked them and assumed I wouldn't like their fountain pens either. But when I saw a black lacquer Townsend on E-Bay at a good price, I decided to try one.

It came with a double broad point. It's great for addressing large envelopes or writing "Happy Birthday" inside a card, but the point is too broad for everyday use. Still, I LOVE the way this pen feels. I doodle with it all the time. It is so well-balanced and I like the way the grip flares out slightly at the base. I like it so much that when I saw another good deal on a Townsend just like this one, but with a medium nib, I took the "buy it now" option. I should have it by the end of the week. I can't wait!!

Judybug

I've never had a Cross FP, but have had those chrome Century models that so many others did. It is an American classic, though not comfortable for everyone. My only real complaint was that they didn't hold as much ink.

Companies have made a name for themselves on much less than this.

I have to admit a townsend was my first real fountain pen and it still is one of my favs. The styling is classic, the nib- like butter, and the fact that it reminds me of my high school century bp over 20 years ago, strikes a chord with me.

I have a slew of Cross ballpoint and pencils, and I used a Cross Century pen and pencil set when I started work after college. I use ballpoints much less frequently now, but I think the Cross Century is a model which has become a classic. I've never had a lick of trouble with any of them.

I carry two pens with me in a Libelle slip case...one is the FP of the day (currently switching between a Lamy 2000 and a Parker 51), with the other slot is permanently reserved for a Tech 3. It is a versatile pen/pencil, and not nearly as heavy as my Rotring.

However, my favorite Cross is my Townsend BP in lapis lazuli...I picked it up at a closeout for a pittance, and it really is beautiful.

When I started accumulating fps instead of just keeping one or two cheapies around to write with, the second pen I bought was a Cross Radiance for about forty dollars. It's still permanently inked and will write on paper that my other, more expensive pens can't handle. I have several Cross fps now, including a lapis lazuli Townsend, but there's a big soft spot in my heart for that Radiance, and there always will be. :bunny1: :bunny1:

I like Cross pens in general. The look stylish and have a variety of models from which anyone might find something they like.

I have recently acquired a "Century II Fountain Pen" (fine nib) for every day use.

I have three cross ball points - one quite old.

A gun metal finish Rollerball - writes like a dream once they changed the refills to a gel rollerball.

Atx black finish - picked it up from a guy in the Air Force stationed in Hawaii.

Cross Cheapy - the nib amazingly good - I should have made note of the name but it has ATX styling - but the pen is plastic. I can also post the cap and it's not too heavy.

Very impressed with the nibs - I think, that I'll buy more. I get too disappointed with 14K and 18K nibs from other brands. Townsend will be my next purchase.

Another thing I like - they still sell in Staples and Office Depot stores in some larger cities in Canada.

Bill

Amusing story: after graduating from college, I wanted to travel for a while before setting into my career. So I rode the trusty motorcycle all over America, from coast to coast, and wintered in San Francisco, which has a perfect climate for wintering if you are on a motorcycle IMO. Not having a trust fund to live on, I had to find work from time to time during this entire period. In San Fran, I worked as a bicycle messenger. One day, while making a delivery, I handed the gold Cross Century pen I'd been given as a graduation present to the man to sign for the package. He looked at the pen, looked at me, and said "Oho, someone's incognito!" Cracked me up.

I like my Century FP and use it regularly. It is one of my oldest FPs. At present it is loaded with Noodler's Blue-Black, but carried black Quink for a long time. It is well-balanced and has a nice nib.

Now that almost all (perhaps all ?) Cross pens are made in China, do most of you still view the brand in the same way?

Actually, a lot of Cross's production is still done in the USA. They still do more than anybody else I believe, that's part of why I'm looking for a Cross pen for my next purchase.

See refillczar's posts in this thread. He explains what's still done in the USA.

That may be the same Cross fountain pen that I have two of. I saw two for sale for a very low price at a shop after I had lost and replaced my Waterman Phileas. I decided that I'd like a FP that I wouldn't mind losing to leave at work in my work cup in case I didn't wear a shirt witha breast pocket to work. I bought two of them, one blue, one red. Gold colored nib says "M", but the line is much finer writing than my "M" Waterman or Montblanc. They write really smooth, rarely skip. I need to get a photo out. I live the little hole in the nib. I've been VERY happy with the inexpensive Cross fountain pens.

I just purchased my first Cross FP and have had it for about a week now. Went with the Apogee in black & chrome with a medium nib. I thought about the Townsend, and that may be the next Cross, although the Apogee in titan red looks good. Next one will probably be a fine nib though.

Very smooth nib, very wet. Occasionally a skip at the start of a word, but that may be me. Nice heft. Heck, I even like their blue-black ink that came in the accompanying cartridges.

Had Cross BPs from my father, but they are too thin for me.

I am the Crossman on ebay and I have been selling for 3 years now.
What do you like writing with ballpoint or Rollerball.
Then I can recommend a good choice!
Ebay screen Name is larryc3413

I am the Crossman on ebay and I have been selling for 3 years now.
What do you like writing with ballpoint or Rollerball or Fountain.
Then I can recommend a good choice!
Ebay screen Name is larryc3413

I have a Cross Century II Medalist, medium-nib - a $50.00 deal (with free shipping) on Amazon.

I love it..

(Oh, and a lot of people may not like the "heavy-duty" line that the Century II medium lays down - particularly with black ink.

However, I like heavy black lines. Even before I used an FP, I tended to gravitate toward heavy-lined rollerballs - I like my paper to stand out in a stack at school.)

I agree - that's what attracted me to my Cross pen - the beautiful metal construction and finish. You should see it out in the sun...

One of these days, I may pick up the high-end version of its family - with a solid-gold nib and rolled-gold finish.

I think you guys are talking about the Radiance. They quit making it when they introduced the ATX.

t

I have examples of just about every Cross pen out there, I think:

Apogee
Verve
Townsend
Century
Century II
Solo
Radience
ATX

Never got a Pinnacle, and kick myself for never getting hold of a Metropolitan.

Cross pens usually get dismissed because of the familiarity, the simplicity of the styling (on most models, anyway), but these are without a doubt some of the most used, and most appreciated pens in my collection. Always reliable, solidly made. My only quibble is that the nibs tend to run a touch wide, but even that isn't too much of a drawback.

One aspect of Cross that I also appreciate is the Select Tip models, which allow one to use Cross' (in my experience) excellent fiber tip refill instead of the usual ball point.

And the ball points themselves are hard to beat -- every so often I think about getting one of those pocket Autopoint pens -- which I think are pretty classy looking.

jdw