Original Cross Ballpoint pen

[jebib111]

I have always wondered if there were any distinguishing features of the first cross pens offered for sale in 1956?  I've never seen a picture of one and have been curious what one looked like.  Anyone have a picture?

[pitonyak]

Not entirely on topic (since you are discussing the 1950's), but this might interest you: 

 

https://www.pens.co.uk/pen2paper/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/The-History-of-A-T-Cross-Company.pdf

 

https://www.collectorsweekly.com/pens/cross

 

 

 

[jebib111]

Thank you for the interesting article.

[Bo Bo Olson]

@ 1970/71 Cross had a 'high status' thin, mat black and gold ball point pen that cost a whopping $8.00............A Jotter was $3.75. So was something one had to think about a couple times before putting out that sort of money out for a ball point, when the AF issued Skillcraft black BP's for free.

 

I a Sgt. went to the BX to buy that high status black thin Cross ball point.

 

At the pen counter I drifted over to look at a black and gold Snorkel I had promised my self as a kid when I had a job.....I was 21. An AF Sgt.....draft era, a LOM era...so that don't explain the money that burnt a hole in my pocket.

 

I got mugged by the P-75 brothers. $22 silver backed dollars a fortune for the fountain pen...that Snorkel was about $14 give or take.

The silver $18  MP/BP, had a mechanical pen cartridge and took the normal Jotter BP cartridge. It was thin like the $8 Cross....both thinner than a Jotter.

 

I'd probably used that Cross ball point...In being silver I didn't use that P-75 BP/MP.

I had enough trouble keeping a Zippo...with in 6 weeks it would be gone.

A Storm King, a cheap Zippo clone had folks running after me to give it back to me......go figure.

 

I must have used that Silver BP/MP four or five times since '70/71.....

I would have used that Cross ball point until stolen. ...The odds were not good at keeping a pen that is used as long as one locked up in a desk.

 

I  do have a thin nicely powdery coated metal pen (in blue) that always reminds me of that Cross. Don't use that pen from a bank I joined after becoming a fountain pen addict. So had that Cross ball point survived, it too would be in the ball point drawer  in the living room.