Cross Townsend Sienna

[ballboy]

Having tried a Lustrous Chrome Townsend in at The Pen Shop in The Trafford Centre in Manchester, I found its smooth writing qualities and handling to be enough to keep this model in mind when searching on ebay...

 

Well, sure enough a model caught my eye in the form of this Sienna laqoured model, now discontinued. It has 22k gold trim. The Cross logo on the cap clip is in script rather than capitals.

 

LOOKS: 4/5

 

I find most silver/chrome finishes on a pen like the Townsend diminish its stature and make it look too much like a Century II. The laquer finish gives it a more solid look and feel for its size. The gold trim adds a warm touch to the brown laquer. The length is 150mm, width (cap banding) 13mm and grip at narrowest point about 8mm. This makes for a relatively long and slender pen with a pleasingly thick rounded cap. It's certainly a good 10mm longer than my Lamy 2000.

 

WRITING: 4/5

 

The 22k gold nib is smooth, with a nice medium width and a moist, if not sopping wet line with the supplied black ink cartridges. I find it easy to write in my narrow lined diary with it, having few skips except on some Ss now and again. I feel I have to dot the paper before writing straight away to ensure immediate ink flow, but hope that the nib will settle down in time and become an extention of my fingers when writing. I'm less conscious of writing with this slender nib than when writing with my Lamy 2000's medium hooded nib, with its big wet lines and awsome showy smoothness. The balance is pleasantly weighted and light enough. I always write posted to add a bit of heft to the writing experience without dragging proceedings down.

 

PRICE: 4/5

 

Having won it as the only bidder for about 76USD, including postage to the UK from the USA and then paying 13GBP for import duty, found it wasn't going to be quite the bargain it could have been. However, since most pens like this start at this price in the UK for lowlier models, I consider this a comparative steal, especially as it is no longer in production.

 

Overall, this is a warm elegant pen that should start my Cross collection rolling.

Edited April 11, 2006 by ballboy

[DrPJM1]

Thanks for the nice review. I have had a few Cross pens over the years and find that they are under-rated. Enjoy your pen!

[Slush99]

Beautiful pen!

[Bo Bo Olson]

That is a very nice mellow color.

 

I have one in Blue steel nib...not Blue quartz...still a vivid pen. Mine was on sale...Townsend....go for it... Sort of Buy Now or Forever hold your peace.

There were other colors, I liked better...but for 99E for a set, couldn't be beaten.

 

I gave the ball point to my wife...and forced her to buy a small pen bag...so she'd not scratch it with the kitchen sink, and assorted bricks in her purse.

[Ed Ronax]

Nice review and a nice looking pen, thanks.

[fabrimedeiros]

Curiously, Cross Townsend nibs are produced by Pelikan.

[freewheelingvagabond]

This Cross Townsend is quite a good-looking pen in my opinion.

[ballboy]

Too bad I let it go awhile back: I found the posting balance awkward and the nib, beautiful as it was, didn't satisfy me like my subsequent pens. Having recently sold off my Apogee, I'm now Crossless.

[Sagar_C]

I love my Townsend: very nice smooth writer. What I hate about it is the clip. My pen's clip became loose within a few months of use. :mad:

Edited November 22, 2010 by Sagar_C

[nicholasyeo]

A true classic!