I've been seeking an Apogee (love the Titian red and the cool blue-green color, too) for awhile now, but I've heard too many mixed reviews on the nib quality to feel good about $150+ for one of these guys. Are there some Apogee owners who'd like to weigh in about their use of the Apogee and how it has held up? I've also read mixed impressions regarding nib size (M is fairly broad, fine is what one would expect from medium, etc.)...I'd really appreciate general impressions and, if possible, how they've worked with different types of inks (bulletproof, super-saturated, regular ol' Waterman, etc.)...

Thanks so much!

Well I'll weigh in. I bit on one last year. It is a beautiful pen and has a nice weight to it, but that's all the good I can say about it. As far as writing goes, it is the worst fountain pen I've ever purchased. It is horribly scratchy and remains so even after having the nib adjusted. I don't know whether it is because of the material the nib is made of or whether this is a reflection of the new made in China Cross pens, but it doesn't write remotely like the old Crosses I have.

On the other hand, the Apogee roller ball is a beautiful great writing pen.

My experience with the Apogee is the opposite of JonDoh's. I test drove mine before purchase, and was choosing between the Apogee and the (at the time new) Verve. I picked the Apogee because it felt better balanced and more "stable" in my hand, and also because of the smooth-writing nib. I tried both a fine and medium nib at the shop and ultimately picked the medium. I now have another Apogee (from the same shop) with a fine nib, and I like both although both are wet writers (as is the case with many Cross pens).

I tend to use highly saturated inks like Private Reserve's American Blue more than thinner inks such as Skrip or Waterman, and the Apogee performs well with the PR inks I've used in them.

My advise - try before you buy. You can prevent getting a "bad" nib by simply testing the nib at the shop. Alternatively, buy from a reliable Internet or catalogue source such as Penhero.com. A reliable and trustworthy Internet source will always help you with a problem like a balky or poor performing nib.

The Apogee is - as are all of the Cross products I've owned and used - a very well-made, nearly bullet-proof fountain pen. You can literally let one sit "inked up" for days without having to worry about it not starting when you next pick it up (due to the well-fitting cap system). The lacquer jobs on the Titian Red and other lacquered models is outstanding. For appx. US$150, you can't find a better quality product over all in terms of fit and finish. So I'd say it's a good value, but you may find the size, weight, balance, etc. less than perfect for you - so again, try before you buy.

Best of luck.

I nearly bought one until I learned that the nib and feed were identical to the Cross Century II. Good parts, but small for a pen the size of the Apogee. I went with a Townsend instead and found that the feed appeared to be from Bock, nearly identical to that on my Pelikan M400. Either pen will be good, but I concur with the recommendation to try before you buy.

I own both and neither the nib nor the feed is the same as the Century II. The Apogee nib is actually smaller than the CII's.

I like my Apogee a lot and have had no problem with its medium nib. The only thing I have noticed is that it doesn't like cheap paper very much, whereas most of my other fountain pens (including other Crosses) aren't that fussy.

I have to go along with the professor, I tried the pen before I bought it and think it's great. It sits on my desk and has never failed to start as soon as the nib touches paper. As for nib size it's a medium and no wider than the lamy safari that I have.

Hope that helps

David

Thanks to all of you who responded - I really appreciate the insight. I love the look and feel of the pen and so I'll kick some tires and hopefully find one I can't live without.

i've had the black one for about a year - med nib seems medium to me. the nib has a bit of bounce, always juicy, never skips. i've used private reserve, levenger and mont blancs racing green. all worked great. the pen has a hefty feel if you like that, a beautiful finish and a terrific clip that doesnt pull at a pocket. probably not my favorite but i cannot imagine a better value.

T

I bought one about six months ago, and have since bought another (one in Titian read, which is a wonderful colour, and one in chrome) and they are now my office workhorses. I've never had a problem with either of them, and have left them unused for a fortnight while I've been on holiday, and they've started up again first time.

The weight is good for me (I like a hefty pen), though for some it could be a bit on the heavy side, and I'd say the only thing I didn't instantly like was the look of the nib in proportion to the rest of the pen, though once I'm writing with them I don't notice it ... it's only when I've got the pen poised searching for inspiration do I sometikes look at the nib and thinks it looks a little odd.

Value for money wise, I picked min up for £50 (so that's about $100) which I was quite happy with, and I'd have been prepared to pay a bit more.

I just got one used off of ebay for next to nothing, it seems to work well. There is a little loosness in the nib, which makes it a hard starter at times, but I think that if I have a professional adjust it then it will work prefectly. It does write very smoothly once it starts and glides so nicely over the paper that my wife is thinking about getting one too.