Cross Century Ii Slim Ink Converter?

[Woozle]

Hi,

 

New here.

 

I bought my first Cross today and really want to use green ink with it. I looked on the Cross site and it states the orange converter should work.

 

However, my main concern is that the guy in the shop said that it didn't take converters because of the slim size. I can understand this as the cartridges are longer and thinner than the regular type.

 

I just want to make sure!

 

Thanks for your help,

 

Juli

Edited September 13, 2014 by Woozle

[RMN]

Indeed there are some slim models that do not take a converter.

 

Depends on the model. If your shop says so, I would believe them.

 

 

D.ick

[brownargus]

I have a slim Cross Century Classic and also a slightly fatter Cross Century II Medallist and both take Cross converters. Just checked and the Century II does take the orange converter which screws in but this doesn't fit the older Century Classic; this needs a thinner converter which may no longer be available. Have a look at www.penbox.co.uk who lists a converter for a Century II Medallist at £4.99. Give him a ring. I'm sure he'll be able to help. No connection, just a satisfied customer. Hope this helps. Welcome to FPN.

Edited September 13, 2014 by brownargus

[Mike 59]

I asked this question in a shop that sells Cross pens, the answer was, there will not be a converter for the new range of slim Century pens.

But it's not so much of a problem as the slim cartridges can be refilled with any ink of choice with a syringe.

Also the packaging for Cross cartridges, converters etc, has changed, now each 'mode' has it's own colour code, white and blue for ballpoint, white and orange for rollerball and white and green for fountain pen.

Edited September 13, 2014 by Mike 59

[ac12]

There is some confusion with the Cross names and resultant confusion about what pens are being talked about.

• The Century from about 1980s. This pen is long out of production. This has a converter.
• The Century II. This has a converter
• The new Classic Century and Spire pens. These slim pens take a new slim cartridge and do NOT have a converter, and there is no indication from Cross that they will make a converter for it. Not enough perceived demand.

Edited September 13, 2014 by ac12

[Woozle]

Hi,

 

Thanks for your help everyone!

 

I do in fact have the Century Classic (the new slim chrome), similar to the Spire and takes the same cartridges. Sorry for the confusion, the woman to sold it to me listed it as such.

 

I used it for about a day and it kept skipping (using the Cross standard ink), so I decided to empty and refill one cartridge with my green ink to see if that might help it flow better, a Skrip green.

 

No such luck, in fact it was still a scratchy write and skipped A LOT. So I took it back today and they changed the nib for me.

 

Seems to be ok with the Cross ink, I will be refilling a cartridge with my green ink this weekend to see if it works.

 

I was so disappointed as this skinny pen is a perfect size for me.

 

Thanks again,

 

Juli

[JonDoh]

Hi,

 

Thanks for your help everyone!

 

I do in fact have the Century Classic (the new slim chrome), similar to the Spire and takes the same cartridges. Sorry for the confusion, the woman to sold it to me listed it as such.

 

I used it for about a day and it kept skipping (using the Cross standard ink), so I decided to empty and refill one cartridge with my green ink to see if that might help it flow better, a Skrip green.

 

No such luck, in fact it was still a scratchy write and skipped A LOT. So I took it back today and they changed the nib for me.

 

Seems to be ok with the Cross ink, I will be refilling a cartridge with my green ink this weekend to see if it works.

 

I was so disappointed as this skinny pen is a perfect size for me.

 

Thanks again,

 

Juli

All of the newer Crosses I've used have had scratchy nibs. I think this is a byproduct of moving the manufacture to China as all of my US made Cross pens are buttery smooth. Having said that I've had better luck with Aurora ink in the Chinese Cross pens. It really flows and helps with the dry nibs. Try some and see if it helps. If not, you could always do what I've done and have the nibs adjusted and smoothed. My Apogee and Townsend were both greatly improved after this process.

 

BTW, I have one of the US made Century pens from back in the 1980's and it is the smoothest writing fountain pen I own and I own several Pelikans, Montblancs and Bexleys and this skinny pen bests them all. Writing with it is like moving a stick of butter over a warm teflon pan.

Edited September 19, 2014 by JonDoh

[ac12]

Juli, your pen is a Classic Century. Because the similarities in name, the original Century is referred to as Original Century or Century Classic. But the later just confuses people, because it sounds even closer to the Classic Century, just swap the words.

 

I think the Cross cartridge ink is also Pelikan ink, which is a dry ink. If the new nib works with the Cross ink, try Pelikan green ink.

If not try Waterman ink. That is my standard test ink, and should work in most all pens. If Waterman ink cannot flow from the pen, then the pen needs to be adjusted.

 

I know what you mean about the pen size. I too am a slimline pen user.

[RMN]

Juli, your pen is a Classic Century. Because the similarities in name, the original Century is referred to as Original Century or Century Classic. But the later just confuses people, because it sounds even closer to the Classic Century, just swap the words.

 

I think the Cross cartridge ink is also Pelikan ink, which is a dry ink. If the new nib works with the Cross ink, try Pelikan green ink.

If not try Waterman ink. That is my standard test ink, and should work in most all pens. If Waterman ink cannot flow from the pen, then the pen needs to be adjusted.

 

I know what you mean about the pen size. I too am a slimline pen user.

AFAIK the Cross cartridges had a different ink from the bottles. But it is a long time ago since I heard the what's and why's.

 

No doubt the details are somewhere in the ink-forums.

 

 

D.ick

[parban]

All of the newer Crosses I've used have had scratchy nibs. I think this is a byproduct of moving the manufacture to China as all of my US made Cross pens are buttery smooth. Having said that I've had better luck with Aurora ink in the Chinese Cross pens. It really flows and helps with the dry nibs. Try some and see if it helps. If not, you could always do what I've done and have the nibs adjusted and smoothed. My Apogee and Townsend were both greatly improved after this process.

 

BTW, I have one of the US made Century pens from back in the 1980's and it is the smoothest writing fountain pen I own and I own several Pelikans, Montblancs and Bexleys and this skinny pen bests them all. Writing with it is like moving a stick of butter over a warm teflon pan.

I have one Cross Century II 10k rolled gold and its made in Ireland. The nib is superb and the overall performance for last 10 years is just great.Using it is a pleasure and in no way it is inferior than highends like Monblanc and Visconti.

[mitto]

I have one Cross Century II 10k rolled gold and its made in Ireland. The nib is superb and the overall performance for last 10 years is just great.Using it is a pleasure and in no way it is inferior than highends like Monblanc and Visconti.

I agree. I have two Cross Century Classic Gold sets. One is made in USA and the other is made in Ireland. The USA made set is 14k gold filled while the Ireland made one is 14k rolled gold. Both the pens are equipped with 14k 585 gold nibs and are buttery smooth writers. I like them more than some of my more expensive pens like Montblancs and Parker 75s.

Edited June 26, 2015 by mitto

[mitto]

Forgot to mention both the pens came with normal size Cross converters (green and browen).

[ac12]

Juli

 

You could make a bulb converter out of a used slim cartridge.

• Put an old cartridge into the section
• Make 2 marks
  • #1 at the point the cartridge goes into the section
  • #2 Measure about 1/4 inch or maybe a little more
• Cut the cartridge at the #2 mark.
• Cement on a latex ink sac to the cartridge, making sure that the sac and cement do not go down past the #1 mark

To use the bulb converter,

• squeeze the ink sac between your fingers,
• stick the nib into the ink,
• release your fingers,
• wait for about 5-10 seconds until the sac fills up...and you now have a filled pen.

Edited July 1, 2015 by ac12