Best Cross ballpoint refill?

[Dace]

I have done the searches on this forum and only come up with the best ballpoint refills for Parker type refills.

 

Does anyone have a good ballpoint refill for the Cross style? I love my Cross ballpoints but the stock refills are not the greatest. I dislike the amount of pressure I have to apply. I use them in colors for my job where a fountain pen just wouldnt work. For instance red. I only use red masybe once a week so a fountain pen would dry out or get clogged. Therefore I carry a red ballpoint to write the word "note" every once in a while. I am looking for a better refill.

 

Anyone have one?

[InkyWinky]

I used to be a big Cross fan but not of their ballpoints that seem, to me, to require a lot of pressure. I did love their rollerballs, however, and that was my daily "go to" pen until I found a Waterman Carene FP.

 

Now it's nothing by FP unless I need a form filled and then I use a Carene rollerball. However, if you like the Cross style and size, you might like their rollerball pen as an better alternative to their ballpoint.

[Chris]

I don't think Cross ballpoints require any more pressure than other ballpoints but I do find them long-lasting. But, what I wanted to say is that I too have that need for red (or purple sometimes) ink for margin notes that will only be used once a week. I have a couple of Sheaffer snorkel pens for this - one with Waterman red and the other with Diamine Imperial Purple - and they may not be used for a week or more but, so far, have always started without flaws.

 

So, don't assume you can't use a fountian pen for these infrequent comments, but just pick one that won't dry out.

 

Chris

[pajaro]

I like my Cross ballpoints, but the red seems to skip and leave blobs on the paper.

[RLTodd]

I find the China made Fine point refills to be unsatisfactory, but the China made Broad point refills to be quite good.

 

One might try the Monteverde manufactured Cross type refills, or the Fisher pressure "Space Pen" refills if they are still available in Cross format.

[jread]

I find the China made Fine point refills to be unsatisfactory, but the China made Broad point refills to be quite good.

 

One might try the Monteverde manufactured Cross type refills, or the Fisher pressure "Space Pen" refills if they are still available in Cross format.

 

I came in here to mention the Cross "Broad Point" refills as well. I used to use medium point refills on my Cross BPs, but the broad point refills are SO much nicer! They're incredibly smooth (by far the smoothest BP I've ever used), and lay down a nice, dark line. I honestly wish I would have discovered these years ago. An Office Max near me always has them in stock, so I have a convenient source for them now.

 

I was not aware that Fisher ever made a Space Pen refill in the Cross style. I can't say I've ever seen one (but I'd definitely pick one up if I did).

 

As for Monteverde, I was extremely disappointed with them. The refills skip badly and just seem cheap. I was excited about all the colors and the supposedly "gel like" writing they claim to have, but all I got from them was a sub-par BP refill.

[RLTodd]

Thanks for the quick review of the Monteverde, I wasn't sure and hadn't had a first hand experience yet.

 

I have not tried the Fisher yet. I hope it will be at least like the regular refill, can't leave it in a hot car (no problem there), occasionally blobs a bit at the end, and is more of an adequate but not like coal black. Good enough for me.

 

Cross seems to be pulling back from the quality niche it occupied for so long. I have a new China made Starlight Centruy II pattern and it's construction, and production design, just doesn't hold a candle to the old American made Century II.

[rminj]

I tried the blue/black Monteverde in my parker pens on a whim and would say they are equivallent blue color to the cross refills.

This parker Monteverde had a 1.4mm point. I would rate it equivalent or slightly better than a cross blue refill..that's not

saying much though.

 

I too found the cross blue mediums to require great pressure to write and prefer the broad blue cross refills. Even then, though,

I find the cross broad point size a bit too broad..and even then there are times when the ink flow and color seem faint and dry...

especially for such a large point size. Its like writing with a roll-on deodorant container...the large point size to get ink

on the paper (and give up fine writing detail) seem rediculous.

 

I agree a rollerball are probably the way to go for those looking for more ink on the paper and less pressure. That said,

I recall the cross meduim blue refills from about the year 2000...the ink flow was quite high on those..I think people complained of them

globbing.. I have not been satisfied with the medium blue refills since then and have used broad. Actually, I've gone back to

parker style pens and refills as I seem most pleased with their ink ...aka papermate ink.

 

I wish so much that Cross would stop coming out with no many models and finishes and re-engineer their ballpoints so they write

better than anything on the market.

[jread]

Actually, I've gone back to

parker style pens and refills as I seem most pleased with their ink ...aka papermate ink.

 

I wish so much that Cross would stop coming out with no many models and finishes and re-engineer their ballpoints so they write

better than anything on the market.

 

I definitely cannot argue with this. While I love my Cross broad refills for their smoothness, I have to say that the Parker BP refills are much better across the board. Even their medium point refills are very smooth and lay down a very nice line. I too wish that Cross would improve their BP refills across the board. The Fine and Medium point refills are really no better than what you'd get from a cheap, disposable BP

[rminj]

I definitely cannot argue with this. While I love my Cross broad refills for their smoothness, I have to say that the Parker BP refills are much better across the board. Even their medium point refills are very smooth and lay down a very nice line. I too wish that Cross would improve their BP refills across the board. The Fine and Medium point refills are really no better than what you'd get from a cheap, disposable BP

 

Ah...so it's not just me.

 

Around 2000 I started writing with Cross blue ballpoints again as the ink seemed dark and to come out of the

ballpoints. Around the same time though Papermate/Gillete/rubbermaid had purchased Parker and suddenly the

parker refills were just like papermate (who always put design into the ink and not the pens). At some point

I brought Cross blue refill after blue refill and all I got was a faint blue line and for that I had to press really hard. I recall they wrote this way back in the late 80s...hence I did not use them in college.

 

I feel the Cross ink refills have not kept up with the times. There was a fellow from Cross that used to post

here who is no longer at Cross... he said they tried to redesign the point or ink flow at some point. All I know is the refills seem to have poor ink flow or color (to prevent globbing I suppose...press real hard to get ink on the paper) and one needs to go to their largest point size to get the same kind of line that other ballpoints get from a medium or even fine point. Cross has not changed this in years but keeps putting out

new pens and finishes. The problem is most prevalent in the blue refills but one only needs to compare the black refills to other manufacturers refills to see the problem is there also...the black is fainter and dryer

than the other manufactures. Its like they're using a ink formula that they feel must stay in the refill and

not go onto the paper. Why can Zebra get blue ballpoint ink on the paper from a .7mm point that has smooth color and depth to the lines but Cross seems to put a dry, light blue line on the paper from an even larger

point size?

 

Those who use fountain points are probably laughing saying just use a gel or selectip Cross. The new C series I believe uses the Selectip but acts like a twist/non-cap ballpoint Cross. Only problem I have with those is the

ink is usually water soluable and can smear. Surely Cross could fix their ballpoints with modern inks/technology and give us a better writing experience from all these ballpoint pen models they have ?

[jread]

Agreed on all points. What good is a fancy pen if the ink it uses is total (Potty Mouth)? A $20 model and a $2000 model still use the same refills.....

 

Get with it, Cross. I LOVE my Cross BP pens, but the ink makes me not want to use them at all. Maybe some other company will pick up the ball and make a decent Cross-compatible refill. We can only hope.

 

Here are some that are out there, though I have no experience with them (maybe someone else does): http://www.passion4pens.com/site/735447/page/1365035

Edited February 26, 2010 by jread

[Gran]

Jread, thanks for the link. I have bought bottled ink from that store and was quite pleased with the service and the packing of the ink bottles.

[jread]

Found the Fisher Space Pen refills that fit Cross BPs... guess they do have them after all! I think I may try one out: http://www.spacepen.com/blueinkfinepointcrosspenrefill-2.aspx

[Gran]

Jread, if you try the Fisher Space Pen refill, could you post a report on them?

 

Thanks.

[jread]

Jread, if you try the Fisher Space Pen refill, could you post a report on them?

 

Thanks.

 

Sure thing! I also remember someone saying that the Schmidt refills for Cross BPs were good. I think I'll try to order one of each and report back after I've tried them out.

[Gran]

Jread, thanks. Am looking forward to your reports. I'm still using my vintage refills, but will need something when they run out.

[RLTodd]

I have yet to see a Schmidt for a refill for the Cross bp.

 

Having had good experience with them in the Parker configuration I would be very interested in that one.

[jread]

I have yet to see a Schmidt for a refill for the Cross bp.

 

Having had good experience with them in the Parker configuration I would be very interested in that one.

 

They sell them on this site: http://www.swisherpens.com/index.html

 

Just search for "Schmidt Cross" and you'll see them (wouldn't let me directly link to the refill itself).

 

I plan to order one of these, as well as the Fisher refill, and report my findings in this thread after trying them out.

 

UPDATE: I have placed my order for both refills. I also ordered a "Schmidt Rollerball Pen Converter Refill" from swisherpens to try out in my Cross Selectip pens, as I am *not* a fan of the Cross Jumbo Ballpoint. Hopefully Schmidt will come through on both ends for me. I'm also interested to see how the Fisher refill writes as I've heard good things about them.

 

Surely there is a good refill out there for Cross BPs. If not, hopefully someone uses this opportunity to go ahead and develop one.

Edited March 1, 2010 by jread

[RLTodd]

Thankyou, I will have to order a couple and give them a try.

 

I've been pleased with the Schmidt refills before.

[Jerome Tarshis]

I use a BP so seldom that this is not a burning issue for me, but I'm interested. I'm particularly interested in whether the Schmidt RB-to-BP converter refill fits a Cross Selectip pen. I have a Selectip pen lying disused, and wouldn't mind using it.

 

The advertising copy at Swisher and elsewhere says that the Schmidt converter refill fits "most" rollerball pens. That word "most" worries me, since it could easily exclude Cross rollers. On the fountain pen side, Cross uses very much its own proprietary converter and cartridges. It's far from obvious that Cross RB refills interchange with the vast majority of others. So I look forward to hearing what happens with this order from Swisher.