Tiffany & Co.

[Ted F]

Are the Tiffany & Co. Sterling pens and pencils with the "T" clip made by Cross? They're so similar to Cross in size and shape that they must be and they use Cross cartridges.

[vinper]

I owned a Tiffany and Co. T Clip pen 35 years ago, sadly it has been since lost although I haven't given up hope of finding it. The pen was finished in matte black and had a sterling silver T as the pocket clip. It was similar in every regard to the picture shown except for the cheaper finish. I once asked Cross service about the pen because clearly the profile of the pen was the same as a Cross Century and it used a Cross refill. This conversation took place some time ago but my recollection is that they could not confirm that it was indeed a Cross--perhaps they were dodging a potential repair for a pen they were unsure of or perhaps Tiffany used more than one supplier for their pens. In any event I'm sure there were at least 2 models of this pen (the T clip model) that is all sterling as well as black/sterling --there might be others out there. My wife still owns a matched pen/pencil set similar to the one in the picture above and marked Tiffany and Co. Sterling Silver. The set appears to be made by Cross in every detail except that they are missing the iconic flattened cone shape at the top. Sorry I couldn't add more definite info, but I'd be interested to know if there are other models out there. These were delightful, stylish, and reliable little pens, just different enough from the ordinary to be interesting while retaining all of the elegance that the name Tiffany conveys--I'm stil kicking myself for losing mine. vinper

[Ted F]

vinper: Thank you for your reply. There isn't definite proof they're Cross but this may be a case where "if it looks like a duck, etc." it might be a duck. The pen is the same as a Cross when you take the top off to put in a cartridge but the pencil is a little bit different where the eraser goes in. I was given these years ago (early 1980s) and they came with a Tiffany leather folder that held a short legal pad on one side. I'm still using it to this day.

 

I was just thinking: why would Tiffany go to another pen company and ask them to make a pen that looks like a Cross. They had to have gone to Cross since Cross had a good reputation and made quality pens. Why have a copy made when you could have the real thing.

Edited September 9, 2013 by Ted F