Cross Townsend Question

[AL01]

 

 The Pelikan any day of the week... 

 

 But not for a 'good' reason.

 

 Pilot nibs have not changed much in the past 40 ish years or so, (IME) but Pelikan nibs have gone from amazing to really boring in that same time period.

 

 As a result, an older Cross Townsend becomes, (IMO) the best way to own a '90s Pelikan nib.

 

 They don't have the flex of the Pelikan nibs from the '60s and before, but they still have a unique 'stubby' tipping unlike the 'ball' points present on Pelikan nibs nowadays.

[Pingu]

Thanks @AL01 🙂

 

my 1994 Cross Townsend is the Pelikan nib/feed… I guess that’s why the tag refers to “German components”

 

 

[AL01]

 

Thank you!

 

🙂

 

 O'er here in the U.S., it's tough to have a manufacturer simply say "Made in the U.S.A.".

 

 If you look at some American made shoes, they will say "Made in the U.S. with Foreign Components/Leather" because pretty much everything has to come from the U.S. for a product...

 

 You'll notice it with the new Timex American made watch as well. 

 

 That's enough ramblin' for me.

 

 😁

[Fountain Pen Social Studies Teacher]

Just purchased my first Townsend - the Matte Black PVD Model (fine).  An online retailer had it for 60% off (special weekend sale) and that was a deal too good to pass up.  BTW, it’s a legit site that also has a statement on it that guarantees it to be genuine.

 

I have a Century II (blue with chrome cap) that is a nice writer and have always eyed the Townsend.  This thread convinced me to take the plunge on a Townsend at that price.

[Bo Bo Olson]

On 6/1/2021 at 3:48 AM, Raymond3 said:

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. 

 Pelikan nibs '82-97 were fine regular flex nibs, and 1/2 a width thinner than the fat and blobby new post '97 ones. They having the classic tear drop tipping wrote and the '85-now 200 still writes with a nice clean line.

 

I dug out my Townsend...finding it a regular flex steel nib, instead of the nail I thought.

I guess I was into semi-flex when I bought it and thought the nib harder than it was.

I now like regular flex in it is best for shading inks,...called 'soft' by the Japanese.

 

Regular flex was once regular issue for many pen companies outside of Parker.

Even Sheaffer made regular flex and more seldomly semi-flex nibbed pens in the '50's. Esterbrook had some regular flex nibs as did Wearever. Pelikan from '82-97. My Waterman Mann 200 is also regular flex as is my '70-90's MBs.

 

There I've been saying I don't have any Japanese pens...and I have this Japanese Pilot nibbed one. But it is marked M, so must be near a Japanese B, in eyeballing my Pelikan 200 Petrol M to it was very close to =.

 

It is a set BP& FP, bought in Galeria Kaufhaus for E-99. a decade or so ago. It laid there in the box so long the two cartridges in the box dried out.

It will be a while before I can ink it. I came up with an ink using rule....ink only 7 pens...new inks got me up to 9. I use to have up to  17 inked. With just 7 pens inked I can use up my inks faster.

 

So my Townsend is not the new carbon matrix looking blue, nor  the shinny Quartz blue, but what is the name the older blue?

Helps to read the bottom of the box...In English and French....Midnight Blue.