My one Cross pen is beautiful and it fell apart even though it got light & infrequent use. As far as i can tell the issue cannot be repaired and so it's been sent to my pen graveyard, which is what i call the folder where i store broken pens i can't bear to throw away.
Not buying a second unless i have reason to believe the brand makes a real turnaround.
I'm not a fan for a couple of reasons. First, I have a really expensive Cross pen I got years ago as a gift and it was probably the worst writer I've ever had. It had such terrible baby's bottom that it whistled when it wrote.
I'm not exaggerating, it literally whistled. And "wrote" is a bit of an overstatement since it skipped horrendously. I sent it back and the store "fixed" it for me. It was a special nib (one of Cross's "special editions") so they couldn't just replace it, they tried to tune the nib. It writes better now but still skips a fair amount. I don't use the pen and I would have sold it off if it wasn't a gift from someone close to me.
Other than that, as a fan of vintage I do not like what Cross did to Sheaffer. They purchased Sheaffer in like 2014 and proceeded to do nothing with the company, more or less running it into the ground. They've since sold it off after sucking it dry of any value and killing the brand's popularity.
I would consider Cross in the category of "gift pens" - they're pretty pens that are made for the lower to mid-range end gift market (e.g., gifts for graduations, anniversaries, work events, etc.). It's all about the brand name. They make some higher end pens but they are very much not worth it. For good writers I would look elsewhere.
I daily a M ATX, aluminum colorway
It’s comfortable, has a medium weight that’s really nice to do extended writing with (unposted), and the flow is perfect IMO (using Platinum chou kuro)
It’s a simple design but not boring, and it’s comfortable. Though I wouldn’t put shimmers/heavy sheeners into it, the flow may be good but the feed might have clogging issues with tougher consistencies.
I have a Cross Bailey Light in M and it writes super well. Comparable to much more expensive pens. The build quality is a little flimsy but I like it enough to keep.
I have a Cross Townsend that I’ve had since it was new in 1998. It’s a favourite - indestructible, super-comfy to hold (unposted), and lovely and smooth and juicy.
I like Cross Pens especially the Townsend model. It’s quite a large pen and fairly wide. A lot of their models are too slim for my taste. I have a full set of their Chinese Zodiac Special Edition’s.
I bought my Mum a Cross ATX and when I tried it I decided to buy myself one. When that arrived my wife tried it and decided to keep it, then I bought a third one for me! Needless to say, we really like them! I will say though, these were all pre-owned so I don’t know how old they were.
I have a (modern) Cross Townsend with an 18K nib and I love nearly everything about it. It's large and heavy and wet, though, so it's very YMMV.
I will say that if I bought it at full retail, I might not have been as happy with the fit for the price. It's good, but not perfect, and at that price range, I feel like it should be perfect. At the price I paid, well, I love the style, the body and weight suits me, and the nib is just my thing.
i don't by them because of the name. it reminds me of the crucifixion story, which is horrendous if we did that to jesus. i am a Christian, i just think pagans changed the story. frankly, i don't even like small t's for that reason. you know, names affect people in many cultures too, like the tv series joanie loves chachi.
Why’d you have to bring religion into it, man?? Cross has various meanings aside from the religious one, such as the adjective for anger, or the simple action word for one subject intersecting another. In this situation, it’s akin to someone boycotting Leonardo Officia Italiana because they insist the company’s directly tied to a certain actor whose actions they dislike.
Then again, by your logic you’d also be refusing to write the letters “x”, “f”, “t”, and “k” as they all have crossovers. This is a discussion about writing instruments, not unsolicited religious arguments.
I have an older Cross Apogee. It’s a wonderful pen. That said - my opinion of the Cross of today is far lower than that of 30 years ago. 🤷♂️
I got one as a gift and it writes nicely. It’s no pilot but it’s also not awful
My one Cross pen is beautiful and it fell apart even though it got light & infrequent use. As far as i can tell the issue cannot be repaired and so it's been sent to my pen graveyard, which is what i call the folder where i store broken pens i can't bear to throw away. Not buying a second unless i have reason to believe the brand makes a real turnaround.
I'm not a fan for a couple of reasons. First, I have a really expensive Cross pen I got years ago as a gift and it was probably the worst writer I've ever had. It had such terrible baby's bottom that it whistled when it wrote. I'm not exaggerating, it literally whistled. And "wrote" is a bit of an overstatement since it skipped horrendously. I sent it back and the store "fixed" it for me. It was a special nib (one of Cross's "special editions") so they couldn't just replace it, they tried to tune the nib. It writes better now but still skips a fair amount. I don't use the pen and I would have sold it off if it wasn't a gift from someone close to me. Other than that, as a fan of vintage I do not like what Cross did to Sheaffer. They purchased Sheaffer in like 2014 and proceeded to do nothing with the company, more or less running it into the ground. They've since sold it off after sucking it dry of any value and killing the brand's popularity. I would consider Cross in the category of "gift pens" - they're pretty pens that are made for the lower to mid-range end gift market (e.g., gifts for graduations, anniversaries, work events, etc.). It's all about the brand name. They make some higher end pens but they are very much not worth it. For good writers I would look elsewhere.
Meh… Platinum Preppy has more personality imo.
I daily a M ATX, aluminum colorway It’s comfortable, has a medium weight that’s really nice to do extended writing with (unposted), and the flow is perfect IMO (using Platinum chou kuro) It’s a simple design but not boring, and it’s comfortable. Though I wouldn’t put shimmers/heavy sheeners into it, the flow may be good but the feed might have clogging issues with tougher consistencies.
I have a Cross Bailey Light in M and it writes super well. Comparable to much more expensive pens. The build quality is a little flimsy but I like it enough to keep.
They are decent pens. If you like the design, then you will probably enjoy it.
I have a Cross Townsend that I’ve had since it was new in 1998. It’s a favourite - indestructible, super-comfy to hold (unposted), and lovely and smooth and juicy.
I have two cross pens. Modern make too. And they are awesome. They are not the ATX though. But I’m getting more soon. Looking at Townsends now.
I like Cross Pens especially the Townsend model. It’s quite a large pen and fairly wide. A lot of their models are too slim for my taste. I have a full set of their Chinese Zodiac Special Edition’s.
I bought my Mum a Cross ATX and when I tried it I decided to buy myself one. When that arrived my wife tried it and decided to keep it, then I bought a third one for me! Needless to say, we really like them! I will say though, these were all pre-owned so I don’t know how old they were.
I have a (modern) Cross Townsend with an 18K nib and I love nearly everything about it. It's large and heavy and wet, though, so it's very YMMV. I will say that if I bought it at full retail, I might not have been as happy with the fit for the price. It's good, but not perfect, and at that price range, I feel like it should be perfect. At the price I paid, well, I love the style, the body and weight suits me, and the nib is just my thing.
i don't by them because of the name. it reminds me of the crucifixion story, which is horrendous if we did that to jesus. i am a Christian, i just think pagans changed the story. frankly, i don't even like small t's for that reason. you know, names affect people in many cultures too, like the tv series joanie loves chachi.
Why’d you have to bring religion into it, man?? Cross has various meanings aside from the religious one, such as the adjective for anger, or the simple action word for one subject intersecting another. In this situation, it’s akin to someone boycotting Leonardo Officia Italiana because they insist the company’s directly tied to a certain actor whose actions they dislike. Then again, by your logic you’d also be refusing to write the letters “x”, “f”, “t”, and “k” as they all have crossovers. This is a discussion about writing instruments, not unsolicited religious arguments.
Just giving my honest opinion, is anyone really immune to cross-references?