my newest Cross ..... a Century II .... maybe ???

[CSSD]

I just bought a beauty of a used Cross fountain pen, in chrome finish.  The sales ad description said "Century II" but I'm not so sure ??

 

When I opened the box, the Pen is larger in size, like a Townsend.  So I figured I got a Townsend !!  No complaint at all.  Then I tried to install a converter:  no go.  

   There are two Cross converter sizes, I have both ...... neither fit.  The smaller-in-diameter converter is a tad too large in diameter to slide in.  And, there is some sort of spring-loaded thingie inside the body, I've never seen anything like that in any Cross fountain pen.

 

So I did some internet reading and found a model that I'm calling "the in-between transition."  Very similar in looks to a Century II, and larger in size like a Townsend.   Interesting.  A couple of the websites mentioned a Cross Century 2000, but the 2000 has "2000" embossed on the cap.  The pen I have has no such embossing.

 

In the meantime, inside the pen was an empty cartridge.  I filled it with ink, and over the past several days have been wonderfully impressed at how smoothly it writes !!  Even better:  instant inkflow as soon as the nib touches the paper.  Fantastic !!

 

Bottom Line:   I'm more-than-happy with this new Cross !!

.

[Penguincollector]

  I love all of my Cross pens. I believe some nibs are made by Pelikan, and others by Sailor and Pilot.  Do you have a picture of the cartridge and the spring loaded contraption that it came with?

 

  Do you have a Century I or II for comparison? 

[Ron Z]

It's a Townsend.  The Century II pens are quite skinny and IIRC the cap is the same diameter as the barrel.

[CSSD]

Here's a picture of the ink cartridge:  it is the standard Cross, and says Cross on the side of it.

 

I don't have the photo skills to take a picture of the springie thingie, it is pressed down tight into the body/barrel.

 

Yes, I have all three:  Century I, Century II, and Townsend.  I've compared the new one against all three, and this new one is definitely Townsend-sized.

 

[Penguincollector]

  The cap ring is definitely more Townsend than Century. Have you tried the new converter that fits both the screw-in and push-in pens? 

[CSSD]

Hmmm ..... I don't know about the new converter that fits both the screw-in and push-in pens.  That implies there is a third style of Cross converter ??

 

Any idea if it is a small amount smaller-in-diameter than the "existing" older-style converters ??

 

[Penguincollector]

  I stick to the Century models pretty much, and I haven’t had to buy a replacement for any of mine. I can direct to you the eBay seller that I buy my Cross pens from and they may know more about it. They’re based in Rhode Island and have helped out others on here with Cross related questions. 
 

Dalu1409 (Cross Pens R Us) on eBay

[CSSD]

Thank You !!  I'll dig around and see what I can figure out.

 

 

[Penguincollector]

👍🏽 

[Chris1]

Dear CSSD,

I think the answer to your question can be found in an early 'stickied' post here entitled 'Century Confusion' where there is a Cross pen with a single cap band which is almost the size of a Townsend. It is the Century 2000 and, apparently, was a limited release. The one in the picture is blue.

 

I've not seen one in person, though I do have the original Century, a Century II and several Townsend models and your pen isn't any of those, as you have already discovered.

 

I have to agree with you regarding the smoothness of the Cross writing experience.

 

The spring inside is odd but it is found in the 'Select-tip' to hold the refill in place. I don't think it interferes with using a single cartridge but would interfere with the converter. You can (probably) pick it out with a piece of bent wire.

[CSSD]

Hi Chris,

 

Yes, that stickied post you noted (Century Confusion) is one of those I found during my internet searching.

 

The springie-thingie inside the barrel:  I can see a small plastic disk way down inside, which means underneath that disk would be the spring.

     Removing it would be problematic because there is also a metal "structure" pressed down into the barrel, and the "structure" has the threads into which the section threads screw. 

    And it is that threaded "structure" inner diameter into which the converter slides and touches.  That is:  the converter diameter is too large to fit inside the diameter of the "structure."  LOL:  easy to look at and understand, not so easy to describe with words.

 

Anyway, it would seem I have a Rare Model of Cross pen !!   Perhaps even "Very Rare" ??!!??

 

No complaints whatsoever, it continues to write ever-so-smoothly, and that is what I like in a fountain pen.

 

 

[Chris1]

All very interesting as none of my Townsend or Century or Century II fountain pens have anything in the barrel that would interfere with a converter. I do like converters partly because they are easy to use and partly because you can use virtually any ink without having to resort to re-filling cartridges. 

 

I've not seen one of these  pens before so I must keep an eye out.

[CSSD]

Yes, I much prefer a converter, I've been spoiled by the ease & simplicity when a refill is necessary.

 

THE MYSTERY DEEPENS !!!  

 

In checking out a couple of other Cross Townsend pens in my collection, I discovered that one of them has a springie-thingie in the barrel !!  I cannot put a converter into it !!

 

Very Interesting !!

 

[Chris1]

Oh that is a surprise!

I'm guessing that someone assembling the pens must have picked up a barrel and screwed it in place without looking.

 

When converters were routinely included with Cross pens the converters were usually in a slot under the insert holding the pen and so no one would have noticed the barrel wouldn't screw in place with a converter fitted.

 

I've not tried, but I might, to see whether there is room for a spare cartridge in the barrel if the second one is upside down.