A perfect pen for everyday use: Cross Century II fountain pen

Many times we who enjoy fountain pens choose the pens we use for their quirkiness: for the one distinctive characteristic that makes that one pen unique. Sometimes it is form, not function. Sometimes it is function, not form. Likewise with motorcycles. Honda motorcycles are perfect in form, function, performance, style. But sometimes they are too perfect, bordering on dull. So we who so appreciate and enjoy motorcycles get away from the flock and choose Yamahas, Ducatis, Moto Guzzis, Harleys, Indians. All of these are excellently made, but many of their models are unique in that they have some quirkiness, some distinguishing trait that the user has to grow up to. And they are absolutely not dull.

I have written about the Faber-Castell Emotion, and I really like that pen. But I’ll concede that it is heavy, fat and strangely shaped, but with a nib that is a dream come true. So, although it is one of the best pens around, and extremely pretty and original, it is far from normal. Not a Honda – an MV Agusta, perhaps, for those who are into bikes to understand. Not a Mercedes, but a Lamborghini, for those into cars.

Now, moving back to pens, a brand that is instantly recognized for its excellence, its businesslike looks and its classic beauty, is Cross. Moreover, Cross Century Classic pens represent the epitome of the jet airplane era. Sleek, chrome plated, with a lifetime warranty, nearly indestructible, with a perfect mid-twentieth-century timeless design. Those pens are excellent writers and have high-quality refills (I have one particular ballpoint that has been sitting for decades, and still writes flawlessly when I happen to pick it up), and are immediately recognized as the great pens they are. So if you own one, beware: they are objects of desire and may be snatched if you do not pay close attention to them.

I got this pen decades ago: Century Classic 10K rolled gold ballpoint (and pencil), and after all this time it still writes perfectly with the original refill.

True, Cross has undergone many changes – it has changed hands and places of manufacture, business strategies and design and marketing methods. Some may feel that many of the new models are overpriced or not very good. But the Cross Century Classic, Cross Century II and Cross Townsend lines are still what they always were: very pretty, very classic, very businesslike and very sturdy, durable, well balanced and, in a word, perfect. Like Mercedes. Like Honda. Like my Harley-Davidson Electra Glide, that has been in continuous production since the mid sixties.

But, in this case (as with my Electra Glide), classic and perfect do not mean dull. Cross fountain pens have been so sneered by the pen community that they have become outsiders, and therefore quirky pens. So it is with pride that we can go back to them.

The Cross Century II fountain pen

The pen in case is my Cross Century II fountain pen, bought in a sale at the Riviera duty free shop at Panama City Tocumen airport. As they are phasing out Cross pens in favor of luxury pen brands, I could get this pen for less than half the original price. But after beginning to use it, I cannot put it down. My take is that it is worth every penny of the manufacturer’s suggested retail price (MSRP), and now that I know that, I would gladly have paid full price for a pen like that.

The gracefully engraved steel nib.

Mine is a chrome model with a steel nib, but instead of the vertical etched lines it has a diagonal parquet-like pattern etched upon the body.

The unique etched pattern.

TheThe unmistakable Cross logo.

I cannot tell what that finish is called, but it certainly adds some rarity and uniqueness to that little pen of mine.

The Lamy blue black ink is a perfect match for this pen.

Since when I inked up the pen (it came with a medium nib and no converter, so I had to get a Cross yellow converter elsewhere), I have been unable to put it down. It belongs in my daily carry, and I use it as often as possible. It is a very smooth and very wet writer with just the perfect hint of feedback. I use it with Lamy Blue Black ink, which is a perfect match for this pen. Because it is a wet writer, you should avoid low quality paper with this pen. And thin paper, like that of Moleskine notebooks, is definitely a no-no for any fountain pen, but particularly for such a wet writer as this.

Bad paper…

and good paper!

Although the pen is thicker than the Century Classic, it is still one of the thinnest pens I have. A little thicker than a Bic ballpoint, and just right for long writing sessions. The cap posts perfectly and very positively. As it is very light, it adds length, but does not change the perfect balance of the pen. And it shuts and seals the pen perfectly, so that even after days without use the nib will be wet and start writing immediately.

Very comfortable to hold.

I find no flaws with this pen. The grip section is plastic, with grooves that make it easy to grip, and there is no question of having your fingers slip even if you have sweaty hands. Moreover, the grip section diameter is the same as that of the body, so there is no uncomfortable step between grip section and body (as I tend to hold my pens high up, I find that step very annoying, for instance in the Pilot Metropolitan, which is, otherwise, a very good pen).

The unmistakable Cross finial.

The cartridges are proprietary Cross cartridges. Because they are not readily available everywhere and have a very restricted choice of colors (blue, black and blue black only), I strongly recommend using the Cross converter that fits this pen (the yellow one). The converter screws firmly into the section, and no amount of shaking will take it off and make a mess. Cross has two models of converters – the yellow one, and the green one, that fits the Cross Townsend and Aventura, but will not fit this pen.

The Cross Classic II fountain pen lies in a size and price range between the very thin Cross Classic Century and the heavier and thicker (and more expensive) Cross Townsend. There are currently six models of the Century II fountain pen: lustrous chrome, classic black, royal blue and medalist with steel nibs; and 10K rolled gold and sterling silver with gold nibs, ranging from US$ 115.00 to US$ 335.00 (MSRP).

The Cross Century II fountain pen, my daily writer of choice, a very practical pen, is available online from many sources. In Brazil, it is distributed by Victorinox. But you may find it better to have a first hand experience with this pen and support your local dealer. In Rio de Janeiro, you may get Cross pens (and many others) from reputable sellers such as Papelaria México (at Rua México, 168B, Centro); A Caneta Royal, a very pretty pen store downtown (Rua México, 158 Lj C, Centro), where Mr. Ralph will share his lifetime experience of pens with you and offer you his rich selection of very classy fountain pens, making it hard to drop by and not buy anything; and, of course, at Perito dos Cachimbos (new and used models there), where Edson and Marcelo will tell you a lot about pens and pipes and offer very good deals in Cross pens.

 

 

Faber-Castell Emotion

Very well designed: Emotion fountain pen by Faber-Castell.

I live in Rio de Janeiro. Here there is not a very large and strong fountain pen culture, but what there is in the way of pens and papers is pretty wonderful for anybody that prizes fine handwriting. For instance, there is a stationery store chain with only a few (generally large and very well stocked) shops called Casa Cruz.

Last week as I went to visit their downtown store (at Largo de São Francisco) to buy some more of their excellent Silhueta notebooks (simple, economic, stapled graph paper notebooks of their own brand, but ones that have the most wonderful paper available for fountain pen inks — I’ll try to write more about them in a future blog post) and a pencil extender, I noticed they had a markdown on Faber-Castell fine writing instruments. They were selling pens and pencils for really very attractive prices.

The etched logo is very attractive.

For those of you not used to prices of imported items in Brazil, beware that street prices here are usually twice as much as most anywhere else on earth. Taxes here border on outrageous. So a markdown of old stock is a treasure trove for us who happen to live here.

Well, of course I could not resist looking at their showcase of marked-down wonders. I especially set my eyes on the Faber-Castell Emotion fountain pens on sale for 210 Reais (about US$ 55 at today’s exchange rate). And I am lucky that I made my decision on the spot and bought a beautiful pearwood brown Emotion fountain pen.

This pen is very attractive in pearwood brown attire.

 

But I was even happier later that day when I started writing with that pen: I was in for a surprise. I have owned and used fountain pens daily for many, many years, and have some that I consider to be excellent — all of them bought new — in my daily rotation. Those include one Pilot Elite with EF nib, one gold-plated Sheaffer Imperial touchdown, one Inoxcrom Sirocco (the brand’s flagship form the 90’s), and a few other marvelous pens. In the collection, but not in daily use, are a Cross Townsend, an MB 149, and many other excellent writers that I hope to write about later. All had earned their places in my daily rotation, but none had done so as fast as the Faber-Castell Emotion, which so intuitively, so unquestioningly, so immediately went straight into the daily rotation.

The nib’s oblong tip gives character to the writing.

There is something magical about that pen’s shape, balance and nib: it is a large and fairly heavy pen, the cap is very charmingly engraved with the brand’s name and logo, the feel of natural wood is great, and the nib, oh, the nib is unlike the hundreds of nibs I’ve handled.

The nib with its well designed dots, and some Montblanc ink spots

The pen came with a medium nib, which in other German pens tends to be a little too broad, a little too wet for my taste — but not this one. This one is rather a fine nib by European standards. Instead of being ground to a ball, this pen’s nib has a unique grind that lets it show some line width variation unlike most nibs. It is by no means a stub nib, but still it shows some noticeable difference between the downstroke and the sidestroke. I inked it up with Montblanc Meistertück JFK ink, and the nib, although pretty fine, really put the shading properties of that excellent ink in full evidence. I haven’t stopped using that pen ever since I bought it.

The nib tip is not a circle, but rather oblong, so the writing is really distinctive.

Another cool feature is the spring-loaded clip, a sturdy clip that will keep the pen firmly in your pocket.

For those that happen to come by Rio, the markdown may still be on, and there may still be a few Emotions for sale (the resin models are some 25% more expensive), but even without the markdown,  Faber-Castell’s top pencils and pens will not last long in the shop window, they are so pretty that they are likely to be grabbed quite fast…