What Were The Last "made In Usa" Cross Pens?

[jebib111]

I just picked up a pinnacle that was made in USA. I thought with the introduction of the Townsend that all the top of the line Cross's were made overseas? Any comments?

[Jerome Tarshis]

Some of the pens made in China were previously made elsewhere. For example, my Century II was made in China, but the pen was made in the United States for years before mine was made. The Townsend has been around for twenty years or a bit more. At the beginning of that period, it was made in the United States. (May also have been made in Ireland for all I know.) My three Townsends were made, cap and barrel, in the United States. Nib unit made in Germany. More recently Townsends have been made in China. I don't happen to know the year when Cross shipped production to China. It wasn't a terribly long time ago.

[Florida Blue]

The Pinnacle was made from 1997 until 1999, I believe, and was positioned as Cross' top-of-the-line model above the Townsend. However, I believe this was before Cross moved production to China. I think Cross moved to China in stages because I have an old Fountain Pen Hospital catalog from 2006 and some Cross pens are made in USA and others are not.

Edited February 15, 2014 by Florida Blue

[Digitrucker]

Weren't the Cross ATX "E" (I think that's what they were called) series pens made here in the US? I know the E series is out of production and this new ATX line is out (as I currently have 3 of the ATX fountains).

 

My first Cross was an ATX E ballpoint with the pocket clip tucked into a plastic insert on the pen as opposed to the newer ones being attached to the top (or cap) of the ATX with some kind of rivet.

 

I can post pictures if needed...

 

Being a truck driver who carries and actively uses fountain pens does have some interesting moments...

Edited March 4, 2014 by Digitrucker

[Florida Blue]

Weren't the Cross ATX "E" (I think that's what they were called) series pens made here in the US? I know the E series is out of production and this new ATX line is out (as I currently have 3 of the ATX fountains).

 

My first Cross was an ATX E ballpoint with the pocket clip tucked into a plastic insert on the pen as opposed to the newer ones being attached to the top (or cap) of the ATX with some kind of rivet.

 

I can post pictures if needed...

 

Being a truck driver who carries and actively uses fountain pens does have some interesting moments...

 

I recently bought an ATX off eBay as a Christmas gift for a friend. It's an older metallic purple version that was made in USA. I'm not sure what the ATX E was, but perhaps you could post a photo or a link to one.

 

I'm assuming you use cartridges, because I can't imagine using bottled ink in the truck

Edited March 4, 2014 by Florida Blue

[Digitrucker]

 

I recently bought an ATX off eBay as a Christmas gift for a friend. It's an older metallic purple version that was made in USA. I'm not sure what the ATX E was, but perhaps you could post a photo or a link to one.

 

I'm assuming you use cartridges, because I can't imagine using bottled ink in the truck

I'm hoping this pic ends up appearing in the post. If not I'm still attempting to figure out how to get a file into a post...

Anyhow, the pic is of a current Cross ATX fountain, a current Cross ATX ballpoint, and what I understand to be the ATX-E (which was on the market around 2003 when I purchased that particular instrument).

If you can see the picture, you'll note the pocket clip on the two styles differ significantly. Honestly, my preference was the older style as I've noticed on one of my current ATX fountains the rivet holding the clip on seems to be loosening up. I do, however, have no doubt that should I send in the pen Cross will cover the repair or replacement--as I've never had a problem with them honoring their lifetime warranty.

On the E series, I've inquired through them in the past about a repair to one of the E series I ended up with back then and was informed that style is out of production and parts are not available.

As to using cartridges versus bottled ink, my ATX fountains all have converters (and I carry spares as I've had a converter spring a leak). My two Aventuras both currently use carts, though one of them is inked with Pelikan Edelstein Ruby (I have an old hypodermic I use to fill a cart). As to using bottled ink, I already purchase latex gloves for other purposes on the truck, so adding the use of them to handling bottled ink is a no brainer.

I've probably already identified myself as a fan of A.T. Cross products. But I do recall an incident whereby a fellow driver told me in 2003 when he learned I paid around $30-ish for that first Cross ATX ballpoint (the E series). He couldn't wrap his head around spending "that much" for a pen. I asked him just a few days ago to estimate how many ink pens he's gone through in the same time I've had this one ballpoint. He estimated probably 80 to 100. My calculator says my ATX was cheaper in the long run.

Now I find myself turning into something of a fountain pen enthusiast. Yes, perhaps odd for a professional driver. I find that fountain pens have corrected many of the bad handwriting habits I had when using a ballpoint.

I'll be... It worked!

Edited March 4, 2014 by Digitrucker

[ParkerQuink]

I wish that my experience with current Cross products was not so poor. Moving manufacturing to China, the quality seems to have just fell right off.

[writepen]

Hi....A T Cross manufacturing moved from Rhode Island to China and began operations there in 2006/07.

[Phil Cowdery]

On 2/14/2014 at 4:46 AM, Jerome Tarshis said:

Some of the pens made in China were previously made elsewhere. For example, my Century II was made in China, but the pen was made in the United States for years before mine was made. The Townsend has been around for twenty years or a bit more. At the beginning of that period, it was made in the United States. (May also have been made in Ireland for all I know.) My three Townsends were made, cap and barrel, in the United States. Nib unit made in Germany. More recently Townsends have been made in China. I don't happen to know the year when Cross shipped production to China. It wasn't a terribly long time ago.

 

[Phil Cowdery]

What I get annoyed about is American firms moving there production to China.They make American workers redundant.If I was President I would make damn sure the company directors know that doing such a thing would be unacceptable and that if they did so they would never sell anything in the US ever again.

I want this practice reversed.

I want to buy American made not something made in China.

Chinese make the previously product cheaply and it loses its desirablity.I want American made.We cannot make America Great Again until all American firms bring production back to the US.

I would make it beneficial to do so.I would fine firms that refused and make the public aware of there anti American practices.

Look out Apple we are coming for y’all.

 

[inkstainedruth]

 

 

The problem is that you couldn't afford an iPhone if it was made in the US.  It would likely be three to four times the price.  Don't believe me?  I can tell you about the winter coat I saw in Macy's in 2016 -- ugliest thing I'd ever seen, and even at their 50% off winter wear I couldn't afford it (I'll let you GUESS what company it was... ;  I considered making a video showing the label and the price tag and where it was made...).  Ended up going to the Sears and buying a Land's End coat for a third of the price.  Also made in China, but better looking, warmer (it's a down stadium coat) and $80 US on instead of $250 on sale (yeah, do the math -- the ugly coat retail price was $500 and STILL ugly).

A number of years ago I saw a documentary about a factory in China where they made beads for some company for Mardi Gras, to be thrown off the floats.  It was a real eye-opener.   At one point, the filmmakers went to New Orleans and should the footage they'd shot of the factory and the dormitories there and such, and the people were going, "Oh, we had no idea...."  The filmmakers THEN went to the factory and showed the workers footage of Mardi Gras.  And one girl was going "OMG -- that woman just pulled up her blouse to get someone throw her the [expletive deleted] beads we make!"

At the end of the film, there was a blurb where they said that the company having the bead manufactured had pulled out of that factory and had switched to someplace in I think Vietnam because they were losing money even on the Chinese factory.

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

 

ETA:  In case you can't guess, "ugly coat's" label began with an "I"....   Now let me point out to you that there are rules for this site (because it is INTERNATIONALLY read: 

1. No politics.

2. No religion.

3. No naming and shaming bad vendors (although I personally disagree with this -- if you've been screwed by a seller *I* want to know about it and take my discretionary pen budget elsewhere).

4. No undue bashing of "the ink that shall not be named".

[Man O War]

Are any of their fountain pens still made in the US?  If so, is there some way of telling or buying?  I know they make pens for the president (Biden it appears uses the century II felt from what I’ve read) - and I’m assuming they make those in the US.  Just curious.