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Hello all, I have an issue with a Cross C-Series Carbon Black fountain pen and I wondered if anyone might have an answer: the nib just kind of gave up. I don't know of any other way of describing it because it's not as though the tines were sprung from excessive pressure, although I'm sure the result is the same. The tines are all wonky and loose, totally unusable for writing. I have steel nibs, gold nibs and even some cheaper flex nibs, but never have I had this happen before. Now the nib is worthless and I'm looking to replace it. I called Cross and also corrosponded with customer service via email, and was informed that they no longer supported the pen. I informed them that I understood that and just wanted to purchase another nib if available, but was told they had none. The frustrating thing was that I couldn't even get them to tell me what size or type of nib would work as a substitute. I've tried locating another nib or a substitute but no retailers seem to have anything suitable. Anyone know of a nib I could use to replace the original one? The funniest part of this is that I rarely used the pen in the years that I have owned it, but now that it doesn't work I am dying to get it working again. Oh well, such is life, right?

A.T. Cross Company, which includes the Cross and Schaeffer brands, is now under new ownership, having been purchased by private equity company Transon Capital Group LLC, Los Angeles. http://www.providencejournal.com/news/20171116/at-cross-purchased-by-los-angeles-private-equity-firm http://wpri.com/2017/11/16/la-firm-buys-ri-pen-company-at-cross/ http://magazine.promomarketing.com/article/t-cross-company-purchased-private-equity-firm/

Greetings. I have ended up here several times via Google, so might as well join! I am a retired MD, long time user of a parker 45, which got me through med school note taking, and served until it fell from my pocket and got squashed by a car a few years back. My odyssey of refreshing old pens has led me into both coveting new (to me) pens, and to (finally) learning how to use and care for the old ones. Nice to be here!

Hi, This is my first review. So please be gentle. Being aware of my love of, and craze for fountain pens my friends and family have started gifting me pens on several occasions. One such is the Cross Year of the Snake 2013 SE. I have not found many reviews of this particular pen on the forums and thought this might be helpful to others. This is also my first Cross Pen. Vital Statistics: Body: Metal with etched motifs of the snake Colour: Metallic Blue (It is also available in black) with rhodium plated trims. Nib: 18K-785, rhodium plated-also etched with a nice snake motif Presentation The pen comes in a classy presentation kit. The outer black cardboard box gives way to a faux-leather box with a snake-skin effect. It is very nice to the touch. The box opens to give you a peek at the pen itself lying on a felt like material with some more snake motifs. The top of the box contains a small transparent window with some literature on CROSS and the Chinese Zodiac Special Edition pens. Using a small ribbon latch, you can lift the pen to see the bottom chamber of the box with a nice little acrylic pen holder. The pen-holder is black with the same snake design as the box. Now, I wouldn't use the pen holder very much but I find this a nice touch from Cross for a special edition pen. Only qualm I have about the box and its contents is that the pen doesn't come with a C/C-you have to buy one separately. Some manufacturers will provide this, at least for a special edition pen, and also a vial of ink. 9/10 Appearance The pen is quite striking in its appearance. It is a classic cigar-shaped pen with tapered ends. The lustrous metallic blue with (what I suppose to be) laser-engraved snake etchings is complemented well by the silver trims. The central band is a solid ring with CROSS and YEAR OF THE SNAKE engraved on it. The crown of the cap is engraved with some Chinese calligraphy-I would suppose it will mean the Year of the Snake. It is a looker? Oh yes! Is it a keeper? That's where we are going now. 10/10 Design and Build Quality The pen is solidly built. To be honest, my expectation of this pen was clouded by my recent experiences with modern day Sheaffers. However, the built quality on this pen is much more robust. It is all metal with metal trims, of reasonable weight and girth. The length is a bit bigger than my MB 146 and M400, but smaller than the HS Midi. The clip is spring-loaded, which is a very nice addition. I wish more pens came with spring-loaded clips. The grip section is quite long, which is good for people like me with long fingers. There are no etchings on the grip section, which is a sensible design choice. The nib is solid 18-K gold with rhodium plating that is consistent with the overall colour scheme of the pen. It is etched with some (supposed) snake motifs and CROSS 18K-750 imprinted on it. This is a reasonably large nib, of the same size as the M400 and Sailor 1911M. It is aesthetically pleasing but will not wow you like some of the Mont Blanc WE nibs, or even a normal Pelikan M800 nib. 10/10 Performance This is the part where the pen really lets me down. The balance of the pen is quite good for a metallic barrel. However, the nib is not quite smooth, and the feedback doesn't seem as pleasing as that on some Aurora pens. It has a sweet spot, though but you have to make an effort to hit that. There is little or no flex in the nib, and one can even find this nib quite stiff. I will probably send it to a nibmeister soon enough. 5/10 Value for Money I haven't actually bought the pen, but a quick look on eBay suggests a price point between GBP 150-200. Now, if you are looking for a Special Edition pen, that is not a bad price to pay. However, my suspicion is it will nib additional spend on grinding the nib, atlas mine will. 6/10 Bottom Line I want to love this pen-it is a solidly built pen, that you can carry with you anywhere. Even for a SE pen, it is not too gaudy but is sure to get to get you attention. The nib performance may leave you wanting for more. Thanks for reading.

These 2 fountain pens were my dads. He passed 20 years ago so I know they are old. I am looking for help identifying both of these pens and finding out their value. Thank you for your help!

Hello FPN, I'm back after a long hiatus. Yesterday I made a trip to the cross company store where they had some NOS Century II's. I quickly looked and saw that one had a "B" on the nib. But upon getting it home and inspecting it closely, it was actually a "BB". I had never seen a Cross BB nib before. Anyway, check out the photos. The bottom nib in both photos is the BB and the top is my Cross Signature "B" nib for comparison.

I just received my first Cross fountain pen as a gift. (I'm a Lamy girl usually.) It's a cross century (not a century II) and it came with a broad nib. I'd like to replace it with a fine nib. I've looked on Amazon, Cross website, and other 3rd party sites and cannot find a fine slim replacement nib. If anyone could direct me, I'd be grateful. Also, I'm so thrilled that I found this website. How cool are you guys?!!?

I have used this Cross Affinity Opalescent Black Fountain Pen for few years. One day, I unscrewed the cap and it cracked into several parts! I swear i never drop this pen as you can check the body of the pen is still shiny and fresh. I love this pen but it is not a durable pen. I am really disappointed. This pen is my birthday present from my father and i want to fix it. Does anyone know how to fix it under cheap cost or where can i buy a new cap?

The pen was given to me by someone recently and i want to identify the model. The nib has "CROSS 18K 750" written on it. Thanks in advance.

Apologies if this is a stupid question but i have just dug out my cross townsend pen, last used about 15 years ago. It takes cartridges, that are apparently not even available on the Cross shop website! I have checked. As for cartridges, do cartridges come in any kind of industry standard dimensions...? Or is it only a matter of long cartridges and short cartridges.... or how does it work? From memory mine took shortish ones, but what width etc must they be? And if i cannot find a cross supplier how do I find cartridges that will go in? Even cross doesnt sell them. I have ordered a converter to make it a suck-up fountain pen (whatever they are called) so I can get around the issue if necessary, but I prefer cartridges as they are less messy. I am also trying to find Peacock Blue to no avail but maybe the Edelstein Aquamarine will do. Thank you for any light you can shed.

The most basic, and probably most asked introductory question you all get is, "What is involved with making your own barrels and caps." I know there are a myriad topics that are included like material desired, time needed, cost, machining and tools, technical ability, etc. The reason I'm asking is because I've recently become the recipient of four vintage (1970's) New Old Stock Cross Townsend Nibs. I can't buy the barrels and caps and don't really want to sell the nibs, but they are otherwise useless. A Moderator suggested I take a look at this forum and I had no idea folks created their own stuff. So, I'm intrigued. Where does one find the necessary dimensions, etc. to attempt such an endeavor? OPKS

I did a search and have not found an answer as to why the original Peerless 125 pens came with the acrylic display stand for each pen yet the Special Editions (New York, Tokyo & London) Peerless pens (which retail for more than the regular 125s) do not come with an acrylic stand. I have 2 of the Special Editions (New York & Tokyo) and I they do have a neat display card but why no acrylic stand? Anyone have any insight?

My very first fountain was a Century black lacquer with gold accents that was a gift from my Father to me in 1986. I still keep the ballpoint and mechanical pencil that came with it, but so far, I've been unable to find a replacement fountain pen. Went to see the current version, but it looks pretty crappy to me. I specially dislike the gold colored section. As such, I would like to know how expensive are they and if it's possible to find them. Thanks for the pointers beforehand!

Hi everyone, hopefully someone here can help me find where I can buy a cross solo feed from the 1990's. Its the classic black with gold plated trim. It was my first FP and we lost it down a drain a few months back when cleaning it. Not sure which other pen feed would be a match. I also would like to get a converter for it and I'm not sure on that either. Any guidance would be appreciated. Thanks in advance. Roger

Greetings fellow FP enthusiasts! I've been lurking here for a couple of months and finally made an account. About 3 months ago, I was talking to my son. He said that he had heard good things about fountain pens, and that I should try one. I logged on to the Amazon website and bought a Pilot Metropolitan (Medium). Worth a try for under 15 bucks, so why not? I liked it so much I bought some pens as gifts for my (adult) kids... Since I was buying gifts, I bought my self some good notebooks and accessories to reward myself for being such a generous dad. I liked those too so I bought some for my kids. Again, I rewarded myself for being so thoughtful. I also bought some pens and gave them as gifts to my friends, employees and coworkers. Again, I rewarded myself... and this cycle repeated several more times. After 3 months, here's the tally... Given as gifts: Pilot Metropolitans (several, M and F), Pilot Plumix (several, CM), Pilot Elite 95S (M), Pilot Custom Heritage 92 (F), Italix Churchman's Prescriptor (M italic), Pilot Prera (CM), Pilot Varsity/V-Pen (several, M and F), Maruman Mnemosyne B5 notebooks (several), Kakuyo Notebook Cover (x3), Aston leather pen sleeves/cases, inks, syringes, pen stands and other accessories. For me: Edison Collier with tuned nibs (B, EF, 0.8mm Daily Italic), Pilot Custom Heritage 92 (x2, F and M), Pilot Elite 95S (F), Pilot Prera, Italix Churchman's Prescriptor (M stub), Italix Captain's Commission (B italic), Pilot Lucina (x2, M and F), Pilot Penmanship (EF), Pilot Kakuno with CON-70 convertor (x2, M and F), Pilot Parallel calligraphy pens (one of each size), notebooks, notebook covers, calligraphy books, leather pen sleeves/cases, Maxpedition EDC and Beefy organizers, inks, syringes, pen stands and other accessories. One of my coworkers (who knows nothing about fountain pens) FOUND a fountain pen in the street and asked me to see if I could identify it and get it working. It turned out to be a Cross Townsend in Titanium Finish, with a gold-plated steel Fine nib, The pen was dry, and had been flatttened just a bit as if it had been run over by several cars. I conducted a thorough inspection, cleaning, tine realignment and re-inked it. The pen is fully functional and writes beautifully. I think it is a very durable, well made pen... and being suitably impressed by it, I am currently awaiting delivery of my first Cross Townsend (made in USA, Malachite finish). Shopping for Townsend #2 also. So, I'm starting to think that I may like fountain pens. I can't be sure until I try some more, and I've only been at this for a few months. One of my friends asked "how many fountain pens do you need?"... My answer: "At least one more."

My favorite non-fountain pen is the superb Cross Selectip rollerball. Sadly, all but one of the Cross pens that take this refill (and I've got a BUNCH) require you to uncap it to use it. Only the diminutive Cross Click, which is too small for my hand, operates without a cap. Since I'm looking for a pocket pen I can operate with one hand - either push-button or twist - I'm out of luck. Does anyone else make a high quality pocket pen that will take a Cross Selectip rollerball refill?

Hi All, I have just started getting into fountain pens again and love watching some of the reviews online. My standard day to day pen is a Cross Century II with a medium nib which writes like a dream and from my understanding is quite wet. I recently decided to purchase a Visconti Opera Typhoon as this seemed to be quite a few peoples grail pen. However, after using it, I feel slightly disappointed. Don't get me wrong the build quality is great however the medium nib compared to my Cross seems a little scratchy and more on the fine side. Has anyone used a Cross medium nib pen that would have alternative recommendations with the same sort of nib and writing style? Best regards, Craig

I live in Delhi, India and i happened to visit stationery stores nearby who stores a huge range of fountain pens. He also has a good collection of used pens at a reasonable price. I'm so happy and excited about today's purchase which include 1) Sheaffer imperial - Rs.1200- approx $18 2) Sheaffer Prelude-Rs.1600- approx $24 3) cross pen with gold nib-Rs.4000- approx-$60 I couldnt identify the cross model, though its written "1/20 10KT Gold filled" in its cap.

Recently I was looking at some of my pens, and realized I have a few I don't use a whole lot. After giving it some thought, I thought I would give a chance to some of the newer members here a chance to acquire this. This is for my Cross Aventura, with a Medium nib and converter. It is a very nice writer and looks good, it just doesn't get the use it deserves. Like I said, I want this to go to a newer member here. Requirements: Must be a Gold Member (minimum of 30 posts and here at least 30 days) but have less than 100 posts when it closes. However it will be open worldwide - CONUS gets free shipping, elsewhere pays the difference between the two. Entries will be open until 8:00 pm MDT July 15/2:00 am UTC/GMT July 16. I will use a random number generator to pick the winner and announce that weekend. http://i1016.photobucket.com/albums/af283/Runnin_Ute/Fountain%20Pens/Aventura_zpsbby00tm0.jpg (photo from Cross website)

Hello everyone. This is my third review in this forum. For a long time I have been puzzled by one particular aspect of products, namely the pricing. If you think real hard, sometimes it’s difficult to fathom the reason for a specific price tag of a specific item. It may be related to the material, the finish, the brand concerned, manufacturing process (like manual vs mechanical assembly) and lastly it may be a complete marketing gimmick. The performances that various products at different price points produce may not be sufficiently different, but followers of one particular brand on the list will always swear by it. With this prelude, I would be reviewing one fountain pen that is surprisingly underrated and overlooked everywhere. This pen is the ‘Franklin Covey’ Lexington (? By Cross). There is also one Franklin Covey Freemont fountain pen that i'll cover in a later review. I have heard that the famed Cross manufactures (? manufactured!) these pens for Franklin Covey, for reasons well beyond the grasp of my little brain. This may be their attempt to take a shot at the non-premium low cost fountain pen market, but actually benefits Franklin Covey as they take both the name and the money. I chose Lexington black for its attractive looks and cheap price. I became a fan of this after the nib simply knocked me out with its performance. The Franklin Covey Freemont Red and Franklin Covey Lexington Black 1. Appearance & Design (8/10): Lexington Black is a beautiful fountain pen with symmetrical torpedo like shape. Both the ends are pointed with a swollen mid-section. The body is made of black lacquer and both the cap and the section are made of polished metal. There is a chrome coloured pointed finial attached to the lower end of black lacquer body. Both this appendage and the top of cap have four rings engraved over them. Other models of Lexington have chrome metal body along with golden or chrome trim. The lower end of the cap is mostly flushed with the body. The chrome top and bottom with shiny black middle creates an attractive contrast. This along with the pleasant shape makes this pen appealing. The clip is a curved standard clip with Franklin Covey engraved on it. This branding is accompanied by a small target sign sitting before the name. The cap closes with an assuring click. It posts well over the pointed finial and remains fairly secure. Overall the design looks very modern and professional. The design feature I don’t like is the glossy section part. This causes the finger to slip under humid weather conditions. Also ugly looking scratches are formed after some usage. I have tried to cap the pen with utmost care and gentleness, but still the cap will scratch along the section no matter how gently it is handled. There is a groove just beneath the nib on the section, but it doesn’t create any problem while gripping. In any case a glossy metallic section will create more problems while gripping than any other design features. Notice the rings engraved on top and bottom, the brand name and the little target sign, also scratches over the metallic section due to usage 2. Construction & Quality (9/10): The materials are of good quality. The body is well polished and sturdy. But this lacquer model attracts scratches quite easily. The cap and section is made of strong metal. This pen feels well-built and strong in hand. It has quite some weight to it and that makes the feel all the more premium than the cost would suggest. That is one gorgeous pen, isn't it! 3. Weight & Dimensions (9/10): The dimensions are as follows Pen Length Capped 14o mm Pen Length Uncapped 120 mm. Pen Length Posted 154 mm Average Barrel diameter 10 mm in the middle, tapering at both ends Weight 27 gm. approximately This pen feels very comfortable and well balanced both posted and unposted. The shape and balance is perfect for long writing sessions. From left: Kaweco Classic sports, Parker Vector Standard CT, Rotring Espirit and Franklin Covey lexington 4. Nib & Performance (10/10): The nib is ‘the factor’ for liking this pen. It is a monochrome unbranded nib. There is no breather hole in it, two diverging lines curve outward on both side of middle groove. ‘Iridium point’ is all that is written on the nib. It performs very well. It’s very smooth although there is a hint of feedback that helps to control the hands better. I’m not one of those persons who constantly obsess with nibs, but still it’s one of the best nibs that I have. It will glide over any surface including cheap papers, and there is no feathering, of flow abnormality. The nib has very little flex. 5. Filling System & Maintenance (7/10): This pen is supposed to take ‘international cartridges’, but I never tried any. I received one Franklin Covey cartridge with the pen and reused the same by filling it with a syringe. Later I was able to fit one ‘Jinhao’ standard converter with this pen. The converter wouldn’t suck ink while attached to the section, so I filled the converter separately and then fixed it to the section. It never caused any flow problem. Due to metallic section, there is no way to use this pen as eyedropper. Note the Jinhao converter used by me 6. Cost & Value (10/10): This pen is valued at INR 1000-1100 (22$ ). It’s a total giveaway at that price. If the Cross part is true, then in fact you are getting a genuine cross made pen at such a low price. 7.Conclusion (Final score, 53/60): By this time it should be clear why I embarked on the musings about pricing and performance. A cross pen gets ubiquitous attention and laurels whereas a cheaper product coming out of the same production line gets no attention. It’s the way this world works. But a deeper look at the product may prompt many to appreciate the hidden beauties. Performance wise this fountain pen is hard to beat. The slippery section and inconsistent filling mechanism are the only problems in the way to achieve a perfect score. This pen is widely available in amazon.

Ladies and gentlemen I am a newbie when it comes to this, so please anything helps. What I know: I believe it is a century series It is a mechanical pencil It had above the clip, "1/20 gold filled" and "made in USA" words It has a little plastic piece attached to clip that says "18 karat gold filled" The cross logo is in italic letters on the clip The owners book had a few references to a SelecTip Any help in regards to date, or any other information would be greatly appreciated

Ladies and gentlemen I am a newbie when it comes to this, so please anything helps. What I know: I believe it is a century series It is a mechanical pencil It had above the clip, "1/20 gold filled" and "made in USA" words It has a little plastic piece attached to clip that says "18 karat gold filled" The cross logo is in italic letters on the clip The owners book had a few references to a SelecTip Any help in regards to date, or any other information would be greatly appreciated.

I have a Cross 18 karat gold filled pencil, photos attached. I do know that Cross is in cursive on the clip. It says made in USA at top of pencil, and it also has 1/20 gold filled engraved across the top as well. Could anyone please help me identify the model, year, and anything else. Your knowledge is greatly appreciated guys and gals.

I have a Cross 18 karat gold filled pencil, photos attached. I do know that Cross is in cursive on the clip. It says made in USA at top of pencil, and it also has 1/20 gold filled engraved across the top as well. Could anyone please help me identify the model, year, and anything else. Your knowledge is greatly appreciated guys and gals.

I have three stylos in my large FP collection, two Mabie Todd Long Short, and a very early AT Cross. How smooth should these feel on the paper, or how smooth can they be? They aren't exactly scratchy, but they are kind of "toothy" The AT Cross has no protruding needle - the needle stays inside. It seems to need a fairly vertical writing angle, but writes well. I would imagine this to be normal based ont the physics of the pen, but I have nothing to compare it to. The Mabie Todds have protruding needles that are on springs, which seems to allow the pen to be used at an angle more like 45 degrees, but of course there is some vague feel of the needle on paper. So, can any fans of vintage stylos tell me more about how old stylos are supposed to perform, and how much can I expect from them. They are not really for using much, but I still enjoy getting all my pens are tuned up as possible regardless of whether or not they will be actually used in the future.