Townsends in 10k rolled gold are selling for $80 - $100 online, and chrome models are selling for about $105. I realize that 10k is not quite 14k nor even 18k, and that the 10k models seem near the bottom of the gold class, but why are they selling for around $90?

I've heard that Cross is phasing out the Townsend, and distancing itself from vendors who have carried their products. Vendors may be just trying to move these pens out of inventory.

Yet it seems odd that Cross' own website still prices the 10k Townsend at $265.00 (!)

I generally don't buy gold pens, so I'm at a loss to explain this.

Anyone?

Rolled gold is electroplate and very cheap. It is not nearly as good as gold filled, and is not in the same class as 10K gold.

As a long time Cross customer, gold filled and rolled gold are the same. See www.cross.com. I am not aware of any Cross pens that are gold elctroplated, and that is cheaper gold. I searched PenHeros' list of dealers and all 5 I found had the 10K GF/rolled gold fountain pen for $265.00. Where did you find your prices?

I'm guessing it's ebay, specifically seller glenspardello, who seems to specialize in discontinued Cross pens.

E-bay was the second source listing the item at $99. The first was The Daily Planner.

I wish I may, I wish I might not be saving up for a different pen that I want more than this Townsend!

http://www.thedailyplanner.com/cross-towns...50_468_472.html

Note the following distinction between fill and plate:

Gold Filled & Gold Plated: What is the difference?

GOLD FILLED

Gold-filled, or "rolled gold", is created by bonding or "welding" a thin layer of gold to a base metal core. This is achieved by using heat and pressure. USA industry standards require there to be 1/20th by weight layer of 14 karat gold permanently bonded over a core of base metal.
When you come across the reference "14/20 Gold-Filled" this means that item is 1/20 14K gold or more simply put the 14 = karats and the 20 refers to the % of gold in an item. 1/20 = 5% gold.
The 1/20 fraction refers to the ratio of the 14 karat gold layer to the base metal (brass) layer by weight, which is 5%
The base metal is most likely to be brass. 14k Gold Fill (14K GF) has ± 100x more gold than a gold plated item. The gold layer found on 14K GF items is usually 50-100x thicker than what is found on a gold plated item. GF is hard wearing and if looked after like fine jewellery it should last a lifetime.

GOLD PLATED

Gold-plate is created using an electro-chemical process, a layer of gold is applied to a base metal by means of electroplating. This layer is usually quite thin, only a few microns. There are no industry standards to govern the quantity of gold or even the karat of gold used in gold-plate. Over vigorous cleaning can remove the layer of gold-plate. The wear factor of gold-plate can also be influenced by climate conditions and the person wearing the item.

Source: http://www.bigtreedesigns.co.za/info/14-ka...sus-gold-plated

I hope Cross does phase out the Townsend. I have always found it to be a fairly dull pen. It is not a bad writer, but it\'s just too conservative to set the pulse racing.

As for gold, it would be welcome to a solid gold 10k pen; such a pen would be cheaper to make than an 18k gold pen, and therefore more affordable. If Cross were to make a solid gold Townsend I would certainly be interested.

That's only because they phased out the cool versions of the Townsend (e.g. the Lapis version) a long time ago.

The garnet was the nicest of the last round of Townsends, imho. That said, not my cuppa.

I think there are some strange things going on with Cross, with some retailers dumping the brand, others having the pens on sale but not replenishing as their stock gets depleted. Cross is also sometimes doing clearance sales, undercutting its retailers. It also seems like Cross is trying to muscle retailers into selling their pens at MSRP, so retailers are resorting to sneaky non-publicized "sales."

Btwy, it seems like the 10K Townsend comes with both a 14K nib and an 18K one? This is typical of the confusion Cross creates with their pens. One year, the Townsend Tux comes with a steel nib, the next year, the same exact pen comes with a gold nib and of course a much higher price