Is this the Century that suffers 'nib wobble' ?.

[kavanagh]

Dear FPN Colleagues,

 

I am interested in buying this Cross Century pen - but don't know if this is the model that suffers from the infamous 'nib wobble' ?. (pictures below of the feed, nib / section).

Is there anyway of testing it before buying it ? and is there a fix for it or is a nibmeister the only solution?.

Thanks guys.

p.s. the other bonus is the F nib (which I presume smooth and wet )?.

 

 

[pajaro]

I think that is the one you asked about.  I have one just like the one pictured, but with medium nib, as well as a 10K one with 14K Fine nib.  I have had them since the early 1980s, and they are not nib wobbly, they work perfectly. but I might not have used them enough to make the nibs wobble.   The ones that are said to wobble are the first Century pens.

[kavanagh]

1 hour ago, pajaro said:

I think that is the one you asked about.  I have one just like the one pictured, but with medium nib, as well as a 10K one with 14K Fine nib.  I have had them since the early 1980s, and they are not nib wobbly, they work perfectly. but I might not have used them enough to make the nibs wobble.   The ones that are said to wobble are the first Century pens.

Hi Pajaro, thanks for the response.

 

I thought this was the first century pen ? - the nib is different from the Century II in that there is no decoration. 

[Jerome Tarshis]

A clear answer: Yes. That is the model that (in some cases) suffers from nib wobble. None of mine ever did. I've owned eight of them, and still have seven. If I were still in an eager pen-buying frame of mind, I wouldn't hesitate to buy one more.

 

I've found them highly satisfactory, assuming that you are all right with a notably slim pen. As I am. I've got other slim pens, too.

Edited February 20, 2021 by Jerome Tarshis
to change a statement of fact

[kavanagh]

5 hours ago, Jerome Tarshis said:

A clear answer: Yes. That is the model that (in some cases) suffers from nib wobble. None of mine ever did. I've owned eight of them, and still have seven. If I were still in an eager pen-buying frame of mind, I wouldn't hesitate to buy one more.

 

I've found them highly satisfactory, assuming that you are all right with a notably slim pen. As I am. I've got other slim pens, too.

Dear Jerome, thank you for the response.

Is there any way of checking that the nib may be susceptible to the ‘wobble’?.

Also, if you have used the fine nib, is it as wet and smooth as the medium nib?.

Thanks

[Jerome Tarshis]

First, I don't know of any way to determine in advance whether one particular nib unit is likely to develop nib wobble. There may be a way. To the extent that there is a Cross community on pen message boards, there seems not to be a generally known way.

 

In general I don't consider fine nibs satisfactory. There are exceptions. One of my other slim pens, a Montblanc Noblesse, had a splendidly satisfactory fine nib.

 

The fine nib of this particular Cross pen is more like an extra-fine nib. I don't want to write with even the best of extra-fine nibs, so I didn't pay close attention to the quality of the experience. Others, who actually desire an extra-fine nib, may have something to say about smoothness, wetness, etc. of this Cross nib.

[kavanagh]

Jerome, I will look out for a Mont Blanc Noblesse - it’s probably out of my budget but worth the indulgence.

I came across your post a while back on google about your Colibri Fountain pen - very interesting. 
 

[kavanagh]

Hi Guys, 

 

I pulled the trigger on another Cross Century I Fountain pen at the last moment of the auction - only found out afterwards it has a medium instead of a fine nib. 
Can anybody tell me if the medium writes like a true medium or does it write like a broad nib ? or is the medium closer to the fine nib, than the broad nib?.

Thanks

[Ed125]

Hi Kavanagh! I have several early model Century fountain pens. I haven’t ever had a nib wobble issue. The medium nib is a true western medium, imo, just right for semi porous paper; a little too wet for fine, thin, silky paper. A steady dependable line with little fluctuation

[kavanagh]

8 hours ago, Ed125 said:

Hi Kavanagh! I have several early model Century fountain pens. I haven’t ever had a nib wobble issue. The medium nib is a true western medium, imo, just right for semi porous paper; a little too wet for fine, thin, silky paper. A steady dependable line with little fluctuation

Hi Ed125, thank you for your response. 

 

Does the medium write closer to a fine nib or broad nib ?. The reason I ask is that some of the reviews for the medium nib have commented that it writes a little too broad.

Can I ask if you mostly use the medium or fine for letters / note taking?.
In your experience, is the fine nib as wet and smooth as the medium nib ?.

( I have bought both the medium and fine nib models, and trying to figure out which to keep - they have yet to arrive through the post ). 

[Ed125]

Hi Kavanagh, the medium nib, when you write with it, and look at what has been written, it is clearly a medium line. Not broad, clearly not fine. I used mediums for years and detested fines, now I only use fines. The fine nib is good not as effortlessly smooth as the medium and not nearly as wet. Hope that helps. Please post a comparison when you have both and tell us what your opinion is

[kavanagh]

18 minutes ago, Ed125 said:

Hi Kavanagh, the medium nib, when you write with it, and look at what has been written, it is clearly a medium line. Not broad, clearly not fine. I used mediums for years and detested fines, now I only use fines. The fine nib is good not as effortlessly smooth as the medium and not nearly as wet. Hope that helps. Please post a comparison when you have both and tell us what your opinion is

Ed125, thank you.

As they arrive, I will post a comparison of the two nibs.

Out of curiosity, are both nibs well behaved on el-cheapo note paper ?. 
( I know a few of the Platinum Preppys and Prefounte’s nibs tend to catch fibres on super economy paper ). 

[dadbar]

I have 5 of these original Cross Century pens- in 5 different finishes (chrome, gold, black, grey and burgundy). None of them have nib wobble. My guess is that the ones that did got swapped out by Cross ages ago.

 

Jerome's comment about the Montblanc Noblesse is right on the mark. These are really nice pens if you like a slimmer pen profile. The first generation Alfred Dunhill Gemline pens are essentially identical (Dunhill owned Montblanc during this period) but the Dunhill pens offer lacquered versions which have a slightly nicer feel and the Dunhill nibs are (IMHO) slightly smoother. The parts of the Noblesse and Gemline pens are all interchangeable.

 

[MisterSheaffer]

On 3/1/2021 at 4:08 AM, kavanagh said:

Ed125, thank you.

As they arrive, I will post a comparison of the two nibs.

Out of curiosity, are both nibs well behaved on el-cheapo note paper ?. 
( I know a few of the Platinum Preppys and Prefounte’s nibs tend to catch fibres on super economy paper ). 

I've been using my medium nib Century on cheap paper and it has performed very well on it so far. I have written over 10 pages with it and no problems whatsoever.

[jslallar]

On 3/2/2021 at 9:46 PM, dadbar said:

I have 5 of these original Cross Century pens- in 5 different finishes (chrome, gold, black, grey and burgundy). None of them have nib wobble. My guess is that the ones that did got swapped out by Cross ages ago.

 

Jerome's comment about the Montblanc Noblesse is right on the mark. These are really nice pens if you like a slimmer pen profile. The first generation Alfred Dunhill Gemline pens are essentially identical (Dunhill owned Montblanc during this period) but the Dunhill pens offer lacquered versions which have a slightly nicer feel and the Dunhill nibs are (IMHO) slightly smoother. The parts of the Noblesse and Gemline pens are all interchangeable.

 

I have just the one - chrome, and had to get the nib unit changed

 

other thin pens of note:

Pelikan 380

Cross Century II

Cross Classic

Sheaffer Targa Slim

 

and cheaper by the dozen:

Parkers Vector and 15