Jump to content

Modern Duofold Or Cross Townsend


Brian C

Duofold Centennial or Cross Townsend  

24 members have voted

  1. 1. Would you pick the Townsend or Duofold Centennial?

    • Parker Duofold Centennial
      20
    • Cross Townsend
      4


Recommended Posts

  • Replies 17
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

  • Charles Rice

    2

  • pankaj

    1

  • jar

    1

  • da vinci

    1

Top Posters In This Topic

Both beautiful pens but being a Parker collector a modern Duofold would nearly be as good as a vintage Duofold.

 

Greg

"may our fingers remain ink stained"

Handwriting - one of life's pure pleasures

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have both and have had them for many years. And both are inked right now. Hmm, very difficult, But as I have to choose, I'll go with the Parker.

 

Reason - JUST BECAUSE.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Agree with others, both great pens.....so, very difficult to choose one over the other.....a bit of choosing apples over oranges as they are very different designs.....

 

So, can't go wrong with either one.....

 

However, if I had to choose one, I'd go with the Parker Centennial with their italic nib.....and because I tend to like chunkier (width...) pens....the Townsends are a bit slim feeling to me......

 

But again, both great pens....

 

:)

 

Mark

FP Addict & Pretty Nice Guy

 

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have both. Actually the Townsend cap DID wear over time. Cross promptly replaced it. In my view there's not a lot to recommend one over the other. But, my Duo is the 1992 sunset orange version, I'd hate to lose it.

"how do I know what I think until I write it down?"

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Agree with others, both great pens.....so, very difficult to choose one over the other.....a bit of choosing apples over oranges as they are very different designs.....

 

So, can't go wrong with either one.....

 

However, if I had to choose one, I'd go with the Parker Centennial with their italic nib.....and because I tend to like chunkier (width...) pens....the Townsends are a bit slim feeling to me......

 

But again, both great pens....

 

:)

 

Mark

+1

I think Cross TS is slim but longer, the cap is heavier in comparison. Posted, TS feels substantially back heavy. I prefer Centennial which is relatively better in ergonomics. Nibs...ouch, both are nails, imo. But then again the Centennial Italics really a treat !

Link to comment
Share on other sites

A comment on the caps (and this applies only to me):

 

I never post my Centennial as it does upset the ballance.

 

I always post the Cross. I have had the Cross (USA) for a very long time and the cap snaps on and off just like it did the day I bought it.

 

Durability:

 

The Parker is plastic.

 

The Cross I have is metal and it was literally dropped in the snow in a parking lot and then run over by a pick-up truck. A few minor barrel dents were the only result. (Yes, I did cry)

Edited by Charles Rice
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have both.

 

This is a really tough call. I think I'd go for either a jade or sterling silver Townsend with either a stubby B or BB nib over a modern duo fold, although the 1992 orange Duofold might make think more than twice about this decision.

 

I do not like the latest versions of the Duofold.

 

As others have said very different pens. Worth trying to see them before you buy if at all possible.

Edited by da vinci
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Had both. Still have the modern Duofold Centennials but gave the Townsends and all my other Cross pens to my brother-in-law. He loves Cross pens.

 

My Website

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Between a Parker Duofold Centennial and a Cross Townsend which would you pick and why?

 

Wrong comparison. I would go for the Peerless over both of these.

Edited by Tancred
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Not sure. I am in the same predicament as the OP....

 

without trying either my initial instinct would be the Parker. But I would want to try both.

Brad

"Words are, of course, the most powerful drug used by mankind" - Rudyard Kipling
"None of us can have as many virtues as the fountain-pen, or half its cussedness; but we can try." - Mark Twain

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I did not bother with either brand for the longest time. That was until I found these older Parker italics and oblique italics when I was traveling through Asia this year.

 

Today I have 5 Duofolds, both Centennials and Internations, all fitted with their more unusual nibs. Broad, medium and fine italics, as well as an oblique italic broad and an oblique fine. The shape of the Duofold, together with said nibs, make the Parkers wonderful writing instruments.

 

I am very late to the game, but at least I'm here!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Duofold. Aesthetics.

Looking for a cap for a Sheaffer Touchdown Sentinel Deluxe Fat version

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Being a cross guy for years when I got into fountain pens the Townsend was naturally the pen to aspire to so I have several examples from the sterling silver with 18k nib down to the chrome one with steel nib. They are a great value and performer, especially the steel nibbed ones. The modern Duofold on the other hand with its higher cost and the generally lack lustre reputation of modern parkers, it never appealed to me. There were other pens I wanted more at that price point before a c/c duofold. The 51 and sonnet were more affordable and seemed to have a better reputation when it came to Parker's. So i have a few 51s and sonnets. Maybe one day if I come across a good deal on a duofold will try one.

Edited by max dog
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Both are on my wish list. I'm leaning toward the Townsend, as I already own 4 nice Parkers, and I prefer click caps over twist, usually.

 

I also feel the Townsend design is more unique and iconic. I'm interested in either a sterling silver or lacquered model.

Fountain pens forever and forever a hundred years fountain pens, all day long forever, forever a hundred times, over and over Fountain Pen Network Adventures dot com!

 

- Joe

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Duofold, I have one 1929 vintage, and several of the newer versions. I do not have a Townsend, nor do I want one, strictly on asthetics. I have a couple of older, smaler Cross fountain pens, and will say they write as good as the Parkers, but are much slimmer match up better with a couple of Cross ballpoint/pencil sets.

Regards

 

Jeff

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now


  • Most Contributions

    1. amberleadavis
      amberleadavis
      43844
    2. PAKMAN
      PAKMAN
      33494
    3. Ghost Plane
      Ghost Plane
      28220
    4. inkstainedruth
      inkstainedruth
      26624
    5. jar
      jar
      26101
  • Upcoming Events

  • Blog Comments

    • Shanghai Knife Dude
      I have the Sailor Naginata and some fancy blade nibs coming after 2022 by a number of new workshop from China.  With all my respect, IMHO, they are all (bleep) in doing chinese characters.  Go use a bush, or at least a bush pen. 
    • A Smug Dill
      It is the reason why I'm so keen on the idea of a personal library — of pens, nibs, inks, paper products, etc. — and spent so much money, as well as time and effort, to “build” it for myself (because I can't simply remember everything, especially as I'm getting older fast) and my wife, so that we can “know”; and, instead of just disposing of what displeased us, or even just not good enough to be “given the time of day” against competition from >500 other pens and >500 other inks for our at
    • adamselene
      Agreed.  And I think it’s good to be aware of this early on and think about at the point of buying rather than rationalizing a purchase..
    • A Smug Dill
      Alas, one cannot know “good” without some idea of “bad” against which to contrast; and, as one of my former bosses (back when I was in my twenties) used to say, “on the scale of good to bad…”, it's a spectrum, not a dichotomy. Whereas subjectively acceptable (or tolerable) and unacceptable may well be a dichotomy to someone, and finding whether the threshold or cusp between them lies takes experiencing many degrees of less-than-ideal, especially if the decision is somehow influenced by factors o
    • adamselene
      I got my first real fountain pen on my 60th birthday and many hundreds of pens later I’ve often thought of what I should’ve known in the beginning. I have many pens, the majority of which have some objectionable feature. If they are too delicate, or can’t be posted, or they are too precious to face losing , still they are users, but only in very limited environments..  I have a big disliking for pens that have the cap jump into the air and fly off. I object to Pens that dry out, or leave blobs o
  • Chatbox

    You don't have permission to chat.
    Load More
  • Files






×
×
  • Create New...