How does Cross FP compare to best of Mont Blanc fp

[jsroe]

I have only used Cross fountain pens mainly because I have been sold on Cross with their excellent Century I ball point pens that I have use over 20 years. My curent collection is a basalt black ATX with fine nib, Sterling Silver Townsend with medium nib, and my latest Titian Red Apogee with fine nib. I love them all, especially the Townsend as it writes silky smooth and ink flow is so consistent, never skipped a heart beat, and it is so comfortable in my hand. I could write for hours with it without finger cramp. I see a lot of high end pen stores pushing Mont Blanc fountain pens. How does Cross fountain pens compare to Mont Blanc's finest? The Cross pens generally cost a lot less than the Mont Blanc's. Do the Mont Blanc pens offer that much more compared to the Cross, or is it just hype in the brand name? I look forward to responses from users who have experience with both brands.

 

 

[MrK]

I have only used Cross fountain pens mainly because I have been sold on Cross with their excellent Century I ball point pens that I have use over 20 years. My curent collection is a basalt black ATX with fine nib, Sterling Silver Townsend with medium nib, and my latest Titian Red Apogee with fine nib. I love them all, especially the Townsend as it writes silky smooth and ink flow is so consistent, never skipped a heart beat, and it is so comfortable in my hand. I could write for hours with it without finger cramp. I see a lot of high end pen stores pushing Mont Blanc fountain pens. How does Cross fountain pens compare to Mont Blanc's finest? The Cross pens generally cost a lot less than the Mont Blanc's. Do the Mont Blanc pens offer that much more compared to the Cross, or is it just hype in the brand name? I look forward to responses from users who have experience with both brands.

 

Well, I'm going to take a shot at this, as well as some other things. I hope we can all be friends when I'm done. Please remember that these are my opinions and they're worth exactly what you paid for them.

 

First, to answer your question. I will put Cross nibs second to none with regard to writing. All of mine are smooth right out of the box, and if you develop a problem there's always the service department to set things right. This is a consumer friendly product when it comes to servicing models that they have a stockpile of parts for. Older pens will be replaced or repaired at their discretion. This policy works for 99.99% of the market they have chosen. My personal problem is that I use Century l's and I don't want them replaced, so I send mine to a fountain pen repair facility.

 

The second part of your inquiry is more about perception. You've mentioned MB which is one of those brands that have a great history and wonderful marketing and aura. There are a few companies IMO that have this niche in the market that they have chosen. Other brands that come to mind (and here is where I will not be making any friends) are Rolex and Bose. Both good products, but not the best in their chosen field. That said, many will argue the contrary. However, to audiophiles and watch collectors, serious watch collectors, of which I'm one, they're good sport watches but not even close in the horological world to being the best.

 

This is what MB, Rolex and Bose have in common. PERCEPTION WITH THE MASSES due to history, advertising and great marketing. Cross is under the radar when it comes to fountain pens. They're best known for their Century ball points found in every car salesman and doctors pocket for the last 45 years. Now that fountain pens are the exception with the masses, rather than the preferred choice of laying down ink, the few who choose to use very expensive fountain pens have been the victim of a lot of hype. You can include me in this group as well, for I too have expensive pens but, I still can recognize value which is what Cross brings to the party.

 

In the spirit of full disclosure, I collect watches, old stereo equipment, pens, and wet shaving gear. I love Rolex, MB, and have three Bose Wave radios in my home. Go figure.

 

Best regards,

Evan

[Scrybe]

I agree that Cross nibs are pretty awesome, and I've never tried a bad one aside from the Apogee nib (which I don't get along with). I've tried a fair few quality MBs and have been less than impressed with them. I certainly wouldn't pay more for a current MB than I'd pay for a Cross.

 

But, I do rather love the more low-key vintage MBs. I think the nibs are better, and the design is better, compared to their current fare.

 

Jut my opinion. Ducks.

[OcalaFlGuy]

Well, I can't address the issue since I own no MB's but I can bet that the OP"s smart move

of the day was to ask his question HERE instead of over on the MB board!

 

Bruce in Ocala, FL

[henrico]

I have both a Townsend and a MB 147. They are both great writers. In terms of workmanship, the 147 is best in all aspects and it is quite a beautiful pen. Both pens are without any superfluous embellishments and to me, that is a plus. Both make a very subdued statement and anyone not familiar with FP's wouldn't know the difference.

 

Henrico

[Steven]

I have Mont Blancs (149, 146, and some not made anymore), Cross Century II's with steel and gold nibs, Townsends with steel and gold nibs and Verves. I like all of them all for they each have their own character. But for value I give the nod to Cross for their greater use of of brass and steel vs. Mont Blanc and their average lower cost.

[asimplemaestro]

Well, I can't address the issue since I own no MB's but I can bet that the OP"s smart move

of the day was to ask his question HERE instead of over on the MB board!

 

Bruce in Ocala, FL

 

Haha...probably right. Hmmm... :hmm1:

 

*Whispers, "Let's go see!" in his best Steve Irwin impersonation*

[Chazzozz]

*Whispers, "Let's go see!" in his best Steve Irwin impersonation*

 

Heh. You need to work on your Australian accent...

 

I don't own any MB pens, but I've got one Cross Townsend and will eventually own another just because I like the current one so much. Apart from what's already been said about Cross nibs and their after-market service value, I'm particularly drawn to them because (as mentioned previously) of the almost exclusive use of metal barrels. I don't know why, but I percieve greater value in an all-metal barrel than I do in a resin or celluloid barrel. I just don't see why MB can charge hundreds of $$ for a resin pen and Cross (even when manufactured in America) can sell a metal pen for a fraction of the price. Further, metal gives a pen greater heft which fits my hand better, and provides more balance.

 

The more I learn about FPs in general, the more I'm coming to realise that MB is a product (victim?) of really good marketing. If someone gave me one as a present I'd appreciate and keep it, but it's not a pen I'm going to seek out on my own accord. If I really wanted a resin pen I think I'd look for a Sailor instead.

 

(IMHO, YMMV, etc, etc.)

[jsroe]

Thanks everyone for your responses. See my other post.

 

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/in...rt=#entry976330

 

 

[MidnightBlue]

Just to add strange to the mix, I own two MB's and don't like them particularly. I own Cross as well. The MB's in packaging, finish and performance leave my all my Cross for dead. P.S. I would buy neither again.

[jar]

I enjoy writing with my Townsend more than the MB 146s but it is really close. They are both very nice pens. The rest of my Cross fountain pens are a little too slim for comfortable writing in my case.

[nickyd]

Had a #146 for years (1980's) but this is off at MB for repairs (probable rebuild). My one and only Cross is a VERVE which wrote smoothly straight out of the box--impressively so. Got to be value compared to MB (and many others).

N.

[gvl]

What is FP?

 

 

 

 

 

http://www.frenchsuppliers.com, http://www.diytoolsdirectory.com, http://www.usawholesalers.com, http://www.francewholesalers.com.

 

 

Fountain Pen.

[LDB415]

Many years ago we owned an office supply store in downtown Houston. We had a fairly nice pen department as we were surrounded by all sorts of professional offices. Our primary lines were Parker, Cross and Mont Blanc with a lesser assortment of others. By far the best pens from a solidity and value standpoint were Parkers and Crosses. My choices were Duofolds and Townsends although others in the lines were/are also good. The MB pen is a cheap and fragile pen with brilliant marketing. More than once we were brought one that had rolled off a desk and fallen maybe 32" onto a carpeted floor and broken. As an alternative, I would remove my Duofold bp from my pocket and sharply whack it on the edge of the display case at a 90 degree angle, a move guaranteed to shatter a MB into numerous tiny pieces. My Duofold never showed a mark. I wouldn't do that with a Cross as it would dent I'm sure but also wouldn't break I don't believe. We regularly ordered replacement MB caps for the guys who couldn't afford to buy a pen but had to have the stupid MB star showing in their pocket. They carried another pen all the time so they'd have a working pen when needed. Anyway, I'd say stick with Cross, Parker and Pelikan. You can hardly go wrong with any of those three.

[archie001]

Many years ago we owned an office supply store in downtown Houston. We had a fairly nice pen department as we were surrounded by all sorts of professional offices. Our primary lines were Parker, Cross and Mont Blanc with a lesser assortment of others. By far the best pens from a solidity and value standpoint were Parkers and Crosses. My choices were Duofolds and Townsends although others in the lines were/are also good. The MB pen is a cheap and fragile pen with brilliant marketing. More than once we were brought one that had rolled off a desk and fallen maybe 32" onto a carpeted floor and broken. As an alternative, I would remove my Duofold bp from my pocket and sharply whack it on the edge of the display case at a 90 degree angle, a move guaranteed to shatter a MB into numerous tiny pieces. My Duofold never showed a mark. I wouldn't do that with a Cross as it would dent I'm sure but also wouldn't break I don't believe. We regularly ordered replacement MB caps for the guys who couldn't afford to buy a pen but had to have the stupid MB star showing in their pocket. They carried another pen all the time so they'd have a working pen when needed. Anyway, I'd say stick with Cross, Parker and Pelikan. You can hardly go wrong with any of those three.

 

It's a pity that you could probably not show us of a picture of a Montblanc pen shattered (into pieces ?) upon falling 32" onto a carpeted floor. That could be my first MB horror that would make me keep my MBs untouched in the box but, even then your story is really horrible and thanks for sharing!

[deauville]

This thread got me looking at the Cross web site and I was pleasantly surprised to find this:

 

'Remember

All Cross writing instruments and desk set penholder mechanisms are unquestionably guaranteed against mechanical failure, regardless of age.'

 

 

I never knew that anyone was still offering a lifetime warranty and this makes me more interested in buying Cross pens.

 

Sorry if this is 'old news'.

 

 

 

[LDB415]

I don't think we took any photos at the time and if so they are long since lost. I had one customer I trusted who told me it rolled off the desk and it was cracked into multiple pieces.. 3-5 maybe, so I believed his story for sure. Another said his rolled off the desk or dresser and was cracked longitudinally along the body. I suspect they were victims of Murphy getting everything right (or wrong as the case may be) at the same time.

[elysee]

Greetings! I have several Cross Pinnacle fountain pens (nibs - extra fine, medium, and broad) and three Montblanc Noblesse (the beautiful marble lacquers -- one marble green lacquer, one marble blue lacquer, and one marble blue lacquer with Sterling silver cap -- not the oblige resins) fountain pens (all medium). All of the Cross nibs write without skips and have a wonderful flow of ink. Two of my Montblanc Noblesse nibs writes well while the third has never written well (always skips if it starts at all). While I like the Montblanc Noblesse nibs that write well, they do not have the same nice, continuous flow of the Cross Pinnacle nibs which, no matter what the nib size, always have a smooth, continuous flow of ink and gorgeous flow no matter how recently they have been used.

 

The caps on the Cross Pinnacle is tighter than that on the Montblanc Noblesse. So, there is less evaporation of ink with the Cross Pinnacle than with the Montblanc Noblesse. The Cross Pinnacle fountain pen is comparable to my Elysee fountain pens in cap air-tightness -- both are fantastic with the least evaporation of ink of any pens that I own. I rate the Elysee fountain pens as the best overall in cap tightness with the Cross Pinnacle an extremely close second.

 

Both the Cross Pinnacle and the Montblanc Noblesse lacquers are gorgeous and they both have a wonderful solid feel.

 

If I could replace the bad nib on the third Montblanc Noblesse with a working one then I would.

[Gilbou]

I first started to use a Mont Blanc.

While stationed as military in Germany, I found in a store ("Maison de France") in Saarburg, Germany, a small MB fountain pen. Slim, small. It was not very expensive, and I needed a pen as I was leaving for an OPEX. Bought it with two ink bottles from MB. The pen worked well but after three monthes in operations, I was not satisfied. The first problem was the leaks. Each time I used it, I did end up with ink on my hands. And militaries tend to spot such things. Hopefully for me.. My commanding officer, a colonel, was using a bigger MB with the very same problem. He ended up from the morning with stains on his hands, just like me. It did write very well and was a pleasure to use, but I was not happy with the leaking. Later, when I came back from operations in Timor, I gave the pen to a shop in Paris for repair as I thought the leaking was not normal. Well. A few weeks later the pen that got back still had the same problem. I did clean it with cold water. Remove the water, and then fill it (it had a screwing pump), clean it and store it. First use, I would open the pen and.. end up with ink on my fingers. Again.

 

So, before leaving for Bosnia, I tried to look for another brand. I don't know how but I found the Cross brand. I don't know if at the time they were made in the USA, but I bought one. I don't recall its name, but it was nice. Black laquer, metallic looking (passing military standards of discretion) and worked well. Never soaked my hands, was nice to have. The pen got stolen so I used a black Bic for the last month in Bosna :/

 

Recently, that's perhaps 6 monthes from now, I bought myself an Apogee. The critera was.. purely cosmetic. I have seen a lot of Parker, Watermann, Shaeffer and so on models, and none would please me. I wanted something black, metallic rings and looking like a fountain pain should look to me. Plain, simple. The Apogee seemed to look properly. I bought a limited edition of 300 (number 91/300) in a nice box with the converter and a few cartridges. No ink on fingers problems.

 

I loved the MB. Nice black laquer, good weight and feeling on hands. But this ink on fingers problem made me leave the brand.

I gave the pen to them. The told me it was fixed. I used their ink, the pen was filled properly and clean when sheated.

The next morning, either the pen being flat of vertical position, first use it would stain my fingers.

[etzbseder]

This thread got me looking at the Cross web site and I was pleasantly surprised to find this:

 

'Remember

All Cross writing instruments and desk set penholder mechanisms are unquestionably guaranteed against mechanical failure, regardless of age.'

 

 

I never knew that anyone was still offering a lifetime warranty and this makes me more interested in buying Cross pens.

 

Sorry if this is 'old news'.

 

 

They do still offer that service, but from my experience, every time I sent in my pen for repair, the repairs became cheaper and cheaper. The parts weren't repaired to the quality of a new pen.