Cross Townsend Question

[kavanagh]

Hi Guys,

 

I wanted to ask if all of the old and newer Cross Townsend’s were made in the USA ? - or are some of them made in Ireland / China ?. 
If all of the models are made in the USA, what distinctive features do they have? ( I’ve noticed some of the models have the words ‘Cross’ in almost signature form on the clip), whereas some are stamped in block capitals. Some of the caps and nibs have USA stamped on them - some versions do not have this.
Also were some of the nibs made by ‘Namiki’ ?. 
For me, the Townsend model is an absolute winner and classic pen. It’s built like a tank, can be taken anywhere, and nibs are workhorses. They are wet and smooth. I have yet to come across a dry Townsend nib. 
Do you prefer the fine nib or is the medium nib line width sufficient for writing and note taking?. 
 

Thanks

[AL01]

 Newer Townsends are made in China.

 

 The only distinctive markings you will find on older Townsends is the country of their manufacturing origin, (either USA or Ireland).

 

 The nibs are either made by Pilot or Pelikan. Do look at the feed of your pen, and if it looks similar to one on a Pilot Custom 74, etc then your nib is made by Pilot.

 

 My Townsend is from the early to mid '90s and has a Pelikan nib, so the characteristics of the tipping on that nib are different than modern Pelikan nibs. All I can say is that the Townsend nib writes exactly like the company that made the nib, so it depends on your preferences for flow, thickness, nib cut, etc.

[kavanagh]

1 hour ago, AL01 said:

 Newer Townsends are made in China.

 

 The only distinctive markings you will find on older Townsends is the country of their manufacturing origin, (either USA or Ireland).

 

 The nibs are either made by Pilot or Pelikan. Do look at the feed of your pen, and if it looks similar to one on a Pilot Custom 74, etc then your nib is made by Pilot.

 

 My Townsend is from the early to mid '90s and has a Pelikan nib, so the characteristics of the tipping on that nib are different than modern Pelikan nibs. All I can say is that the Townsend nib writes exactly like the company that made the nib, so it depends on your preferences for flow, thickness, nib cut, etc.

AL01 thanks for the response.

 

Does the clip on your early to mid 90’s Townsend have the Cross insignia as a signature ? ( as in the picture or is it stamped in block capitals ?)

[AL01]

My Townsend is (I think) the same as yours from the top.

 

The post 2000s, (don't quote me on that) pens don't have the logo in script, but block letters.

 

The new Townsends use a 'rounded-ish' type font.

 

 

[DR Teeth]

I have a new Townsend, made in China I’m sure.  However it is very well made.  The medium steel nib is smooth and juicy.  Perfect.  I have large handwriting and like a meaty line.  Maybe the gold nibs are better, but can’t be by much.  I also have a rollerball section for it.  I like that I can easily switch back and forth, depending on what I want carry that day.  I believe that the older Pelikan or Pilot nibs will fit too and that would be cool if I can find one for a decent price. 
 

If I had to pick a negative, the pen is on the thin side and the cap has a little play when on.  In general, I prefer screw on caps.  Otherwise, the pen is a joy to use and I’m glad I picked one up.  

[kavanagh]

1 hour ago, DR Teeth said:

I have a new Townsend, made in China I’m sure.  However it is very well made.  The medium steel nib is smooth and juicy.  Perfect.  I have large handwriting and like a meaty line.  Maybe the gold nibs are better, but can’t be by much.  I also have a rollerball section for it.  I like that I can easily switch back and forth, depending on what I want carry that day.  I believe that the older Pelikan or Pilot nibs will fit too and that would be cool if I can find one for a decent price. 
 

If I had to pick a negative, the pen is on the thin side and the cap has a little play when on.  In general, I prefer screw on caps.  Otherwise, the pen is a joy to use and I’m glad I picked one up.  

Thanks for letting me know. Some Chinese made pens that I have bought  such as the Cross Calais / ATX are superb - the nibs have been a joy to use. If the quality control could be more consistent in the other brands such as Jingao / Moonman, their pens would compete with the ones made in the USA / Europe.

[AL01]

6 hours ago, DR Teeth said:

I have a new Townsend, made in China I’m sure.  However it is very well made.  The medium steel nib is smooth and juicy.  Perfect.  I have large handwriting and like a meaty line.  Maybe the gold nibs are better, but can’t be by much.  I also have a rollerball section for it.  I like that I can easily switch back and forth, depending on what I want carry that day.  I believe that the older Pelikan or Pilot nibs will fit too and that would be cool if I can find one for a decent price. 
 

If I had to pick a negative, the pen is on the thin side and the cap has a little play when on.  In general, I prefer screw on caps.  Otherwise, the pen is a joy to use and I’m glad I picked one up.  

 

 They are still nice pens.

 

 Nibs are made by the same two companies as they have been in the past.

[Raymond3]

For over 40 years, i have enjoyed using Townsends, including at my desk for 30 years in the business world.  I chose them for business use over the Mont Blanc, Pelikan, Italian and Japanese classic pen companies, and was never sorry.  At one point, I had over 50 Townsends in many versions.  All were made in the USA with the exception of a couple made in Ireland.  It was heartbreaking to see the transition, so emblematic of USA losing vs Red China.  

 

Inked at my desk right now are two Townsend Fountain pens (and one Townsend ball point), one a black lacquer and gold with a fine point and filled with Cross blue, the other is a lovely Red medium filled with Noodler's Black Swan in Australian Roses.  After these many decades of use, they still look great, and function flawlessly.  Both the nibs (Bock, i think) are super smooth after so much use.  Their construction of brass with lacquer is really bomb proof in the pen world.   Here is a picture which includes 14 Townsends. 

 

Just this week, i gave two black Townsends that I used daily for decades at my office to my son.  They still function flawlessly and look very clean with only a couple small bumps.  Even if he uses them daily, i think that he will be able to pass them on to his children.  One feature that makes them so desirable, is the fact that they have an ink filler system that is simple, and does not require factory maintenance.   

 

You can still find USA made ones come up for sale on E-Bay, often in the $150-160 range.  IMHO, they are a best buy.  

[kavanagh]

On 5/28/2021 at 2:09 AM, Raymond3 said:

For over 40 years, i have enjoyed using Townsends, including at my desk for 30 years in the business world.  I chose them for business use over the Mont Blanc, Pelikan, Italian and Japanese classic pen companies, and was never sorry.  At one point, I had over 50 Townsends in many versions.  All were made in the USA with the exception of a couple made in Ireland.  It was heartbreaking to see the transition, so emblematic of USA losing vs Red China.  

 

Inked at my desk right now are two Townsend Fountain pens (and one Townsend ball point), one a black lacquer and gold with a fine point and filled with Cross blue, the other is a lovely Red medium filled with Noodler's Black Swan in Australian Roses.  After these many decades of use, they still look great, and function flawlessly.  Both the nibs (Bock, i think) are super smooth after so much use.  Their construction of brass with lacquer is really bomb proof in the pen world.   Here is a picture which includes 14 Townsends. 

 

Just this week, i gave two black Townsends that I used daily for decades at my office to my son.  They still function flawlessly and look very clean with only a couple small bumps.  Even if he uses them daily, i think that he will be able to pass them on to his children.  One feature that makes them so desirable, is the fact that they have an ink filler system that is simple, and does not require factory maintenance.   

 

You can still find USA made ones come up for sale on E-Bay, often in the $150-160 range.  IMHO, they are a best buy.  

Dear Raymond3, thank you, and that’s quite a handsome collection!.

 

I don’t think there is a better built fountain pen in terms of durability than the Cross Townsend. I have a Cross Titanium Herringbone with a fine nib and I still use it to this day. 
That Cross Solo Fountain pen sitting in the top left of the picture is also a superb pen ( may I ask if it has a broad or medium nib ?). 

[Pingu]

My Cross Townsend that I got as a graduation gift in 1994. They were made in USA as inscribed, and the clip logo was cursive script at that time. I believe the nib was made by Pelikan, hence why the tag says ‘made in USA with German components’, I’ve hardly used it for sentimental reasons and it is still mint with original box and papers 🙂

 

 

[lonelyboy]

55 minutes ago, Pingu said:

My Cross Townsend that I got as a graduation gift in 1994. They were made in USA as inscribed, and the clip logo was cursive script at that time. I believe the nib was made by Pelikan, hence why the tag says ‘made in USA with German components’, I’ve hardly used it for sentimental reasons and it is still mint with original box and papers 🙂

 

 

 

Oh, I think I have the same model as yours.

 

Mine was also purchases in the 1990s, at the Cross counter in Hong Kong Causeway Bay Mitsukoshi department store basement:

 

 

 

[Pingu]

Thanks for sharing, LonelyBoy... very nice set! 😃 

Another comment - having handled a recent production Cross Townsend Medalist, is that it appears to be slightly thinner and lighter, and does not have the same brass inner sleeve of the older pen. But that said, it might just be different tooling and manufacturing process and I think the current ones are still absolutely fine.

 

Edited to clarify: I don’t mean the current barrels are thinner in diameter, but the metal sheet appear to be slightly thinner in thickness.

[Raymond3]

On 5/29/2021 at 6:45 AM, kavanagh said:

Dear Raymond3, thank you, and that’s quite a handsome collection!.

 

I don’t think there is a better built fountain pen in terms of durability than the Cross Townsend. I have a Cross Titanium Herringbone with a fine nib and I still use it to this day. 
That Cross Solo Fountain pen sitting in the top left of the picture is also a superb pen ( may I ask if it has a broad or medium nib ?). 

That one was a medium, but is not sold.  The only Solos that I have left are roller balls.

[AL01]

Those pens are the best way (IMO) to enjoy the PHENOMENAL nibs Pelikan made in the mid '90s before they went uninteresting.

[Raymond3]

Wow, i did not know that Pelikan made the Cross Solo nibs in the 1990s.  I thought that they were made in Japan.  I had about seven or eight during that time, and really enjoyed them.  The EF and F were particularly fun as they were precise, firm yet smooth.  Sold or gave them all away and only have a couple roller ball Solos left.

 

The Cross Townsend nibs of the 1980s and 90s from Germany really excellent during that time.   I have some that are uniquely and almost unbelievably smooth. 

[AL01]

 

 I apologize, Cross Solo nibs were made by Pilot. They write similarly to the nibs on the Custom 74, etc.

 

However, the Cross Townsend has nibs made by Pilot AND Pelikan. Evidently both companies made S.S. and Gold nibs. The best way to tell who made the nib is by looking at the pen's feed.

[kavanagh]

22 hours ago, AL01 said:

 

 I apologize, Cross Solo nibs were made by Pilot. They write similarly to the nibs on the Custom 74, etc.

 

However, the Cross Townsend has nibs made by Pilot AND Pelikan. Evidently both companies made S.S. and Gold nibs. The best way to tell who made the nib is by looking at the pen's feed.

AL01, can I ask how you distinguish between a Pilot and Pelikan feed ?.

[AL01]

 

Please look at the next post.

[AL01]

 

 Here is a more specific post that will make it easier for one to tell a difference with the nib on a Cross Townsend...

 

PILOT NIB/FEED:

 

 

 

 

 PELIKAN NIB/FEED:

 

 

 NOTE: I DO NOT OWN ANY OF THESE IMAGES. THEY ARE HERE FOR THE SAKE OF IDENTIFICATION OF CERTAIN PRODUCTS ONLY. 

[kavanagh]

2 hours ago, AL01 said:

 

 Here is a more specific post that will make it easier for one to tell a difference with the nib on a Cross Townsend...

 

PILOT NIB/FEED:

 

 

 

 

 PELIKAN NIB/FEED:

 

 

 NOTE: I DO NOT OWN ANY OF THESE IMAGES. THEY ARE HERE FOR THE SAKE OF IDENTIFICATION OF CERTAIN PRODUCTS ONLY. 

AL01, thank you very much for taking the time and trouble to show the difference.

 

I know that you cannot go wrong with either nib, but if you could only choose one, which one would it be and why ? - the Pelikan or Pilot ?.