Best Cross ballpoint refill?

March 10, 2016

I realize that this thread has been dormant for more than a year, but the search for a decent Cross ballpoint refill continues!

I agree with an earlier poster who felt that the classic Cross Century ballpoint is an iconic American design. While I mostly use my fountain pens, there are some chores for which I prefer a ballpoint or a roller and some for which only an old style ballpoint with "paste" ink will do (e.g., writing on certain kinds of thermal paper) unless you happen to have a Sharpie in your pocket.

I got a Cross Century 14K gold filled pen/pencil set as a gift when I graduated law school. (I had long admired by dad's Cross). At that time, and for may years to follow, I felt that Cross made among the best traditional ballpoint refills. My EDC pens in that period tended to be my Cross ballpoint and a Montblanc 320 fountain pen. (The 320 quickly led to a fountain pen obsession that has never really waned).

I just picked up a Cross Tech 2 to throw into my briefcase as a backup pen and stylus. It came in a package that included two refills in addition to the one that was already in the pen. It has been a while, admittedly, but the poor quality of the refills -- and I have tried all three - really shocked me.

I will try some broad points and the Fisher refills as well. I can understand Cross looking to cut costs and I imagine that many non pen geeks don't even notice. And I recognize that technology continually moves on -- there are gels, "easy flow" refills, gel hybrids, etc. Still, I think Cross ought to seriously consider immediate steps to improve the writing experience for its ballpoint users. Everything old, sooner or later, becomes new again and I could see the classic Century coming back into fashion among hipsters and the nostalgia crowd and ultimately, perhaps, even among the mainstream. If the damned pen doesn't write well, however, Cross will never be able to take advantage of such a moment.

April 21, 2016

Cross was supposed to come out with their Satnink refills which , I assume, are live an easyflow refill. They were pulled for some reason a year ago and my email from Cross says they are not out yet and to keep checking the website. I've moved on to other pens that take refills that write well. Letters to Cross years ago about their poor refills did nothing and they are still in business...

My other problem with Cross is I still have a pile of ballpoints that need repair..on some the plastic internals are broken not holding the refill anymore. On one the body has come off and one can see the internal twist mechanism.. seems the pens are pressed together.

May 25, 2016

Cross BP refill is poor...as compared to modern refills including Parker Quinkflow.

I'd tried finding other refills to fit...but always found the opening of the Cross tip too small.

Searching high and low on the 'net, I found this image...

Uniball Jetstream is a very smooth refill, starts instantly, intensely black, doesn't blob and doesn't skip. Refill thickness is identical to Cross and the tip measures 2.3mm [loose fit] versus the Cross at 2mm [loose fit].

The plastic screw-in Cross cap is easily pulled off and fit the Jetstream refill.

I am contemplating boring the Cross tip out...ideas???

Buying a pen kit hardware experimenting is obviously the first step...

Edited May 25, 2016 by Frank_ie

June 17, 2016

Got some Cross Satnink [sat'n Ink?] refills from a Hong Kong eBay seller today...writes like gel ink, intensely black [presumable in other colour as well], doesn't skip and doesn't blob. I like it very much.

Longer term testing has started...will report back.

I might still bore out one of my knock-off Cross pens to fit the Uniball Jetstream refills.

June 23, 2016

Got some Cross Satnink [sat'n Ink?] refills from a Hong Kong eBay seller today...writes like gel ink, intensely black [presumable in other colour as well], doesn't skip and doesn't blob. I like it very much.

Longer term testing has started...will report back.

I might still bore out one of my knock-off Cross pens to fit the Uniball Jetstream refills.

Frank - what is your take on the new refill? I am most curious as I have several cross pens that I would be happy to press back into service if the refills were better. Also, how much were the refills if I may ask?

June 23, 2016

Cross is a funny one.

Sometimes an M works the smoothest, sometimes a B captures my fancy, it's a case by case basis for me.

90% of the time with black ink.

June 29, 2016

Frank - what is your take on the new refill? I am most curious as I have several cross pens that I would be happy to press back into service if the refills were better. Also, how much were the refills if I may ask?

If no one tells me that it was a Cross refill, I would have said it's very good stuff...Cross BP is junk in my book, never had good thing to say about them. I had Cross pens mostly as gifts, and would say the metal work and plating or gold-filling. I purchased a Century II sterling BP because my arthritic fingers could no longer grip the slimmer Century I designs anymore. You might also look into Century II Starlight...

Lines from the new Satnink refills are clean, intensely black, doesn't skip and doesn't blob. It costs about the same as standard Cross refill...about $5. That same eBay Hong Kong Seller offers bulk boxed dozen for $32 and free shipping; won't break anyone's bank...just search eBay for Cross Satnink refill. Staples and other retailers seem have never heard of it...don't waste time asking them.

It's been a week since testing the new refill [i have a regiment long proven since I was a school boy]...still performs as new, starts instantly and writes clean.

July 20, 2021

It is now 2021, and I have been using Cross broad point refills for a long time. (About 2 or 3 years.) I find them to be very good and alternate between Cross broad point and Parker medium points with no problem. I recently bought a special package at Staples of a black lacquer chrome trim, with a package of two refills included for about twenty dollars. For that price I couldn't resist, even though I had 15 other Century pens. To my surprise, the new medium black refill was really good. Very dark, and almost as smooth as the broad points. I will still get the broad point refills, but the new refills seem better than the ones from a year or two ago. The paper makes a difference too. Some papers that are good for fountain pens are not great for ball points.

November 2, 2021

Okay, so for years I have asked Cross to manufacture a "gel" refill for their Century pens. Nada--not even a response! Then I ran across this thread and bought my first "broad" refill. Love at first write! I have purchased 6 now and they are awesome. Thanks to whomever got this going, you have now made me carry my Cross pens for the first time in many years!!!

And how about this. Maybe we could start a petition on FPN and get say a thousand signatures and send it to Cross--maybe then they will listen??!! THANKS AGAIN!!!!! CHARLIE

February 12, 2022

Well, since this thread has been revived several times already, I don't feel too bad about adding to that.

First, my experience. I've been using the Cross medium in black for over a decade now, for those times when I don't want to bring out the FP, and I've found it to be very smooth and consistent. (a ballpoint is also a much better item to fiddle with in your hands than a fountain pen, but that's a whole different story).

However, I just took out a red refill that had been lying dormant for a long time (with a sealing cap), however, and it's noticably stiffer. So it seems that either the Cross BP refill needs frequent use to remain smooth or the black differs significantly from the red.

(I also just got a second hand pen with a blue refill, but that one was so dry I just tossed it in the bin. There is a definite difference between a refill stored with a cap, and one stored in a pen with a retraction mechanism).

On the whole, I don't mind the fact that the red is slightly thicker, and I actually expect it to get better with use. What I do mind however, is the colour. It's much more magenta than red, especially next to the red I use in my FP (Waterman)

Does anyone have any reliable suggestions on BP refills that come in a 'red' red?

February 12, 2022

Monteverde Soft roll refills are descent and their red is "red". BTW their blue-black isn't much different from Cross blue.

March 16, 2022

Thanks. On your advice I gave the Monteverdes a try. They are certainly much better than the Cross ballpoints. They still have a slightly pinkish tint, but it's probably as good as a ballpoint is ever going to get.

You just can't expect FP quality from a ballpoint, right?

As for the writing experience, I found it to be quite a bit more 'oily' than the Cross ballpoints. It slides more, where the Cross is stiffer. This is not good or bad, imo, just different.

The only real downside is that is also tends to blot more than the Cross, so I wouldn't recommend it for 'clean' writing.

March 18, 2022

Yep I'm having the same experience the more I use the Monteverde refills. I use the assorted colors to color code notes but am finding that I prefer Cross broad tip refills. Sadly I can only find them in blue and black. I find that the old stock refills (made in USA) have a smoother write out than the new ones.