Jump to content

I Jumped In, Too Deep?


TJames

Recommended Posts

For years I've browsed the pens at a local stationary store, thinking some day I would buy a fountain pen. The clerks at this store have always seemed a bit stuffy, and since I usually go in looking like I buy my clothes second-hand, they never have even talked to me. Well, last week I was at that shopping mall, bored, and wandered in that shop again. I spent 20 minutes looking at the various pens. Montblanc, Cross, Waterman, many others. A few sales clerks wandered by and said nothing. Just when was about to leave, a guy I'd noticed manning the register came up to me. Turns out he was the owner of the place. He gave me a pretty good schooling on the basics of fountain pens. Frankly I knew nothing about them up until that point. Without even discussing prices, he had me try out 6 different pens. For some rather undefined reasons, I decided on the Cross Townsend in gold. Just felt good to me. Maybe it was the weight--which could be bad I guess, with extended writing--or the feel of the "nib" which he described as "buttery" when writing. So I took my new prize home, and started doing some research. (Yes, usually I do things the other way around: research first, then purchase. Oh well!) That's when I found this FPN website. My biggest observation: I really don't see much written about Cross pens. Also, I do not see a search window where I can enter "Cross" or "Townsend" and see if there are posts related to my pen.

Can anyone give me some info on the Cross line of fountain pens? Thanks in advance!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Replies 38
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

  • zwack

    3

  • ksm

    3

  • Arkanabar

    2

  • sandy101

    2

Welcome,

 

To quote one of my favourite welcomes I have seen on here...

 

Welcome home. Pull up a stump and set a while.

 

For Cross specific discussions there is an entire forum...

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/forum/37-cross/

 

There are two searches with this forum software and they should be up there somewhere (he says, while waving vaguely at the top of the page) but as I am using my cellphone this second I can't say what it looks like...

 

I hope that this helps.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Cross are some very good pens. My first one was a 10K Century with 14K fine nib. I still have this pen. It works as well as ever, and I have had it since 1980. I have some other Centurys, a few Solos and a Townsend chrome with plated nib. All are excellent.

"Don't hurry, don't worry. It's better to be late at the Golden Gate than to arrive in Hell on time."
--Sign in a bar and grill, Ormond Beach, Florida, 1960.

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Just curious as to what the name of this particular stationery store was. I travel a lot for my job and try to take the opportunity to visit stationery and the few pen stores remaining here and there when I get the chance. I have hit Fahrneys in DC and been to the original location of Daly Pens in downtown Milwaukee before they closed that location down. Also managed to hit Swisher Pens in Virginia Beach before they went out of business and have been to Pen Place in Kansas City as well. Glad the owner took the time to get you more interested in the hobby. Sounds like you have been bitten by the fountain pen bug. There is no known cure and the only treatment is to keep buying more pens! :D :)

"If A equals success, then the formula is: A = X + Y + Z, X is work. Y is play. Z is keep your mouth shut."

- Albert Einstein (1879-1955)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Nope, a Cross is a good pen to start with.

And the Townsend is a nice pen, just too heavy and fat for me. I'm of the old, light slimline era.

 

Get yourself a converter for the pen. Just be careful to get the correct converter for YOUR pen. I think there are 2 or 3 Cross converters, for different Cross pens. And start to enjoy different inks. Oh, inks are a slippery downhill slope, says me who has way too many bottles of ink.

 

And start writing.

San Francisco Pen Show - August 28-30, 2020 - Redwood City, California

www.SFPenShow.com

Link to comment
Share on other sites

And start to enjoy different inks. Oh, inks are a slippery downhill slope, says me who has way too many bottles of ink.

Too many bottles of ink? Is that possible? Can you see a single surface in your house that doesn't have a bottle of ink or a pad of paper on it, or has room for another one? If so you don't have too many.

 

But then I only ordered another seven inks today so I am currently waiting for the delivery of twelve inks... three Chesterfield inks 100ml each, two Levenger inks 50ml each, two Dr PH Martin's Ocean inks one ounce each (30ml), and five Blackstone inks 60ml each. So a total of 760 ml of ink... about three cups, and that is just what is on the way.

 

My name is Zwack and I am an inkoholic.

 

Edited to add... My wife just reminded me about the two more bottles of Kobe as well... so 860 ml. If someone would care to send me another 140ml we can make it a nice round litre. :D

Edited by zwack
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Cross Townsends are a quality pen. I have 4 (as well as a bunch of others, MB and the like) and the Townsends hold there own for quality and an excellent nib.

 

Enjoy your new pen :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Cross are a fine brand, and their pens come with a lifetime guarantee which is actually worth something. My Cross Century broke ten years after I bought it - so I sent it back and it came back repaired for nothing. Most brands only give you a two year guarantee these days - even for pens that cost three or four times more.

 

You did the right thing and tried the pens in the shop and bought one that felt comfortable in your hand. Now, you've just got to use it. Fountain pens can take a little time to "bed in" so you might see the inkflow improve over the next two weeks.

 

So, no, you have not bought a dud. As ac12 says - the convertor (if you didn't get one) is a worthwhile investment because Cross cartridges only come in black or blue, My Cross has got Waterman's Tender purple in it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Whilst we are discussing Cross - is htere a significant difference between the nib on the Cross Century II and the Cross Townsend?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

If you like the pen, it's a good pen. Cross isn't for me. I prefer lightweight pens, of moderate girth (9.5-12mm, at a guess), with a relatively narrow (=<1mm) stub nib.

@Sandy101: All nibs are individuals. Odds are that there will be differences between the nibs on any two pens, even if they're the same model and came off the seembly line one right after the other. That said, I'm not a Cross person, and don't know what differences they would specify between those two pens, or to whom (if anyone) they would contract the manufacture of the nibs.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Welcome aboard and enjoy your new pen!

 

I have a Cross Townsend ballpoint, several Cross Century II ballpoints and a Cross Peerless 125 fountain pen - all of which I enjoy writing with - all of which are in my opinion excellent pens! So no worries on your purchase. Cross is a very well respected brand - they tend to make fairly traditional pens so they don't generate a lot of conversation - but that's not an indictment on quality.

 

As you use your pen and research pens further you'll find that there are almost as many different types of pens as there are people. Short ones, long ones, thick ones and thin ones. Light ones and heavy ones and myriad different styles in each category. In short - there is no such thing as a bad pen as long as you like it and it writes well. The key thing is you tried several pens and then bought the one that felt right in your hand. That's something many of us can't do as pen store slowly transition away from physical stores to the Internet.

 

As others have suggested you may want to get a converter (unless the pen came with one) so you can try out the many many different types of inks. Then of course there's paper too - there are different types of fountain-pen-friendly paper out there to sample. It's a slippery slope for sure.

 

So have fun with your new friend - I'm sure you'll have many years of enjoyment writing with it!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

My brother-in-law loves Cross pens and so I gave all my Cross pens, ball points and pencils to him. A Townsend was among them as well as several other Cross fountain pens. My experience was that all were really well made, reliable, loved any ink I tried with them and had a distinctive style that said "Cross".

 

And yes, please pull up a stump and set a spell.

 

My Website

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

In my opinion: “You're doing it wrong™”.

 

My advice to anyone who considers switching to fountain pens is:

  1. Get an inexpensive, good quality pen. i.e. Lamy Safari, Pilot Metropolitan etc.
  2. Write with it for few weeks, lighten your grip if necessary.
  3. Think about working on your handwriting if you deem it necessary. Practice.
  4. Try different nib widths (you can easily get spare nibs for Lamy; Pilot Metropolitan will accept nibs from Plumix and Penmanship pens).
  5. When you settle on nib width, get a heftier pen to check if is Your thing (ie second hand TWSBI 580).
  6. Finally, when you know what do You want, get more expensive pen, you will be content with.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

That's a very nice story! Never look back and enjoy your new possession. Sometimes the first purchase is like that, out of impulse. You will have time to research your next one. Meantime, without breaking the bank, you can add to the equation some quality paper and some ink you like (including the converter). Pen, ink and paper are the terms of the equation, everyone has a different solution.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The Townsends are nice writing pens. You did well for yourself. You tried out different pens and chose the one that felt good in your hand. That's exactly how you should buy your first pen. Cross is an old established brand. Now you have a good pen to begin your journey into fountain pens, inks, paper and hand writing. Soon, you'll own a waterman, a flock of Pelikans and be moaning about all the bottles of ink you have hanging around, like the rest of us...lol..

As you learn to lighten your touch, I suspect your next pen might be something lighter in weight. Maybe a piston filler. I find that some days my hands need a fat heavy pen and others a regular mid weight pen. I find very lightweight pens difficult to control, but that's just me. Everyone is entitled to their personal tastes.

You have a good reliable pen to start off with, welcome to the group, have fun, enjoy!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Welcome to FPN, TJames, and greetings from Detroit, Michigan. I look forward to your future posts. Enjoy your time here and your awesome Cross pen.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Welcome to the club.

 

If you like it, it feels good to you, and it writes well, who cares what others think? I like heavy-ish pens, and apparently there was something about the feel of the pen which attracted you. Sure, you want to know that many other aficionados like the Townsend, and, I think you've received some of that comfort in the responses here. As someone wrote above, there is an entire Cross forum on the FPN; check it out and explore a bit.

 

Re searches; I have found that the best way to find something on the large FPN is to do a google search with "fountain pen network" as part of the search term. So, for example, if you want to see more comments from others about your pen I suggest that you search: "Cross Townsend fountain pen fountain pen network". I'm pretty confident that that search will yield you several FPN threads discussing the pen.

 

If your pen did not come with a converter to allow you to use bottled ink, I recommend you get one. If the store you bought the pen from doesn't have one or can't order you one, which I think is unlikely, you can order one from Amazon.

 

Now start reading about the nicest papers and the smoothest, wettest, most colorful inks.

 

Enjoy you nice new pen.

The prizes of life are never to be had without trouble - Horace
Kind words do not cost much, yet they accomplish much - Pascal

You are never too old to set a new goal or dream a new dream - C.S. Lewis

 Favorite shop:https://www.fountainpenhospital.com

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have a Townsend, a solid well made pen.

I was a bit more along than you, but the Townsend is one of the 'must own' pens like a P-51.

It unfortunately is a nail, which is good for a beginner, in most are heavy handed, in they are use to ball points which is like plowing the south forty with out the mule.

 

It is a heavy pen (too heavy to post...and long enough you don't have too), so the trick is to let it rest where it wants. It will not want to rest at 45 degrees right after the big index finger...it might want to rest at the start of the web of the thumb at 40 degrees.......It could well be it rests best in the pit of the web of the thumb at 35 degrees.

The Townsend will be much lighter resting in the pit of the web of the thumb.

 

In the nib floats/skates in a small puddle of ink, you need NO Pressure to make it write.

 

Remember you must hold any fountain pen lightly, like a baby featherless bird.....don't make baby bird paste. :angry:

If you force any pen to be held higher than it wishes it becomes work and the pen will feel heavy.

Mine's a metallic blue.

 

Cross ink is Pelikan ink under a Cross label.....and you have a lifetime+ warranted free repair. So never hesitate a second, should it for what ever reason, when ever to send it back to Cross for repair. One of the few pens in the world that do that.

In reference to P. T. Barnum; to advise for free is foolish, ........busybodies are ill liked by both factions.

 

 

The cheapest lessons are from those who learned expensive lessons. Ignorance is best for learning expensive lessons.

 

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Welcome to the FPN. First item-did you mention to the owner that his sales staff is subpar in their customer service. That is a nice, civil way of saying what you really want to say! I received BP/pencil set of the classic , chrome Century line of Cross in 1979 from DuPont where I was employed. I still have them on my desk and they still work flawlessly even though I have used them a lot in the past 37 years. I bought a Peerless 125 with the XF sailor nib when they first came out. It, too is a beautiful pen. Enjoy and write a lot!!

Pat Barnes a.k.a. billz

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now


  • Most Contributions

    1. amberleadavis
      amberleadavis
      43844
    2. PAKMAN
      PAKMAN
      33494
    3. Ghost Plane
      Ghost Plane
      28220
    4. inkstainedruth
      inkstainedruth
      26624
    5. jar
      jar
      26101
  • Upcoming Events

  • Blog Comments

    • Shanghai Knife Dude
      I have the Sailor Naginata and some fancy blade nibs coming after 2022 by a number of new workshop from China.  With all my respect, IMHO, they are all (bleep) in doing chinese characters.  Go use a bush, or at least a bush pen. 
    • A Smug Dill
      It is the reason why I'm so keen on the idea of a personal library — of pens, nibs, inks, paper products, etc. — and spent so much money, as well as time and effort, to “build” it for myself (because I can't simply remember everything, especially as I'm getting older fast) and my wife, so that we can “know”; and, instead of just disposing of what displeased us, or even just not good enough to be “given the time of day” against competition from >500 other pens and >500 other inks for our at
    • adamselene
      Agreed.  And I think it’s good to be aware of this early on and think about at the point of buying rather than rationalizing a purchase..
    • A Smug Dill
      Alas, one cannot know “good” without some idea of “bad” against which to contrast; and, as one of my former bosses (back when I was in my twenties) used to say, “on the scale of good to bad…”, it's a spectrum, not a dichotomy. Whereas subjectively acceptable (or tolerable) and unacceptable may well be a dichotomy to someone, and finding whether the threshold or cusp between them lies takes experiencing many degrees of less-than-ideal, especially if the decision is somehow influenced by factors o
    • adamselene
      I got my first real fountain pen on my 60th birthday and many hundreds of pens later I’ve often thought of what I should’ve known in the beginning. I have many pens, the majority of which have some objectionable feature. If they are too delicate, or can’t be posted, or they are too precious to face losing , still they are users, but only in very limited environments..  I have a big disliking for pens that have the cap jump into the air and fly off. I object to Pens that dry out, or leave blobs o
  • Chatbox

    You don't have permission to chat.
    Load More
  • Files






×
×
  • Create New...