Cross Century II Scuderia Ferrari Refillable Gel Ink Rollerball Pen, Medium Rollerball, Includes Luxury Gift Box - Black Lacquer

As both an amateur writer and artist, I was looking for a pen that would fulfill several roles. Here are some points on this pen from both points of view, categorized:I just seem to like fountain pens, despite my young age. Also, if anyone wants to know why I'd use a fountain pen over a dip pen for drawing, its the mobility - I can use them anywhere.2.) Ink - width, cartridge-loading, converter & bottle-loading: Ever since I first used a rollerball as opposed to a normal ballpoint, I loved the strong, black line that some of them gave. It made my work stand apart from others. Fountain pens are even better. The stroke this pen gives is a powerful, thick black (assuming, of course, that black ink is used! I'm willing to bet that for those who like, for example, blue, that this would look beautiful with blue ink. =:o).When used with the provided Cross black ink cartridges (I bought some extras), it goes on fluid & slick, and dries quickly.I also used the pen with Higgins Fountain Pen India - a non-waterproof bottled ink formulated for fountain pens (you'd still NEVER want to use normal India ink - this one was made to be fountain-pen safe!). Despite what some folks say, works quite well in this pen without gumming it up (it doesn't have the shellac normally in India ink, which destroys pens. That makes it the best of both worlds)!The Higgins ink - while it requires a bit more nib-flushing than the Cross ink (mainly for cosmetic reasons) - writes quite well, drying quickly. On the paper types I tried it on, it also seems to be a slightly deeper black, and doesn't bleed through quite as badly - making it better for the heavy ink saturation used in drawing.Since the cartridges aren't available in this town - but the bottled ink is - the ability to use either load format is a Godsend. The converter - which screws in securely to the nib section, and draws up ink with its screwing piston - is a "sturdy" plastic, not a "rottable" rubber like the pens of yesteryear.Nevertheless, I can always have a couple cartridges around, if I need them in a pinch.3.) Feel: The pen is slim - reminicent of many rollerballs and ballpoints. However, the pen's weight feels great to me. It's reasonably light; in some positions, I'll use it in the "American style" - i.e., posting the cap on the far end. In others, I'll use it in the "European style" - holding the cap in my other hand, or placing it on a desk.Something I find myself doing, by the way, is holding the pen between my fingers - opened and posted - while reading magazines. If I want to mark something, I use it... and it feels great in between the fingers. =:o)The feel of writing with this pen is wonderful - it's a smoothness I've never felt before, even from rollerballs or other fountain pens (cheaper ones). In fact, the smoothness may make one's writing a bit sloppy for a while, while they get used to it! =xoDWhen they do, though, they'll carry the pen everywhere they go!3.) Appearance, carry, and miscellaneous: The pen is simply beautiful - even if the gold plating were to eventually wear off, the chrome alone would still be stunning.The photos fail to show something wonderful about the pen - its nib is engraved with an intricate, beautiful pattern. =:o) It reminds me of the Gates of Moria from The Lord of the Rings.As far as carrying, I don't have a shirt pocket - and so, I clip it into my left front pants pocket.The fact that the pen is very leak-resistant is evident by the fact that the cap has caught very little spatter - and I have a habit of twitching my legs up and down.****It should be remembered, that with an item like this, only time will tell how good it will be. Fountain pens are known to be able to last for decades, if well cared for... and at only a couple of weeks, I really haven't tested the pen well yet.While I like it so far, keep that in mind, when reading this. I doubt most folks buy fountain pens - particularly metal-barreled ones - with the intention of trashing them in a few months or a couple of years.

A truly fine writing instrument that is a pleasure to see, hold, and use. Comfortable and natural in the hand, effortless writing in a Ball Point, with lines pleasing to the eye. Overall, Cross delivers fine writing instruments with panache and style in an affordable package that promotes daily usage.

I gave this to my boyfriend as a gift and he loves it, the design is so nice and good quality

I have owned a few Cross ballpoint pens when I was working and was always like the feel in the hand. This Cross Fountain Pen feel like shaking and old friends hand. Medium Nib pits down a nice fat Juicy like which is good for handwriting,

Very good

I was concerned that I might receive a fake, but my concern was unwarranted. I received a gorgeous authentic Cross pen. The blue lacquer is smooth and consistent, while also displaying a dynamic consistent with candy paints, changing depth in different light settings. The rose gold plating is not pinkish like I expected, but a sophisticated gold hue, suitable for any setting or either gender. I am extremely pleased with this purchase and believe that that this pen will reflect the high standards expected of true professionals.

I've always wanted to see what the fuss was about with fountain pens, and I've always had a love of nice looking pens and pencils. I've purchased cheap fountain pens from the major office supply stores off and on over the past couple years and you really do get what you pay for. This was my first real fountain pen. I decided to stop paying for cheap $20 pens just to mess with, and spend a little money to get a better pen.My goal was to not spend more than $100 because I wanted a daily-use pen. One that if I messed up, dropped, or broke somehow travelling from home to office or in a restaurant, I could reasonably replace and not feel like I wasted a ton of money.This one by Cross is fantastic. I read other reviews about how it writes smoothly, and it's weight feels nice in the hand, etc. They're all true. Wonderful pen. Very smooth. No gaps in the ink on paper with quick strokes, feels light in my hand but has enough weight to know it's a solidly made instrument. I like the fact that it's not a "fat" pen, which never feel right in my hand. The nib doesn't "bite" or "scratch" the paper either. Some of the cheap pens I used did that and my strokes weren't smooth and didn't feel right. As a result they weren't fun to write with. The nib is very beautifully decorated and is a joy to look at. The silver chrome style with gold accents is professional and welcomed in any business or personal environment.I have used ink cartridges with this pen, and have not used the charger / ink reservoirs. I've used charger/reservoirs with other pens and my conclusion is that the simplicity of replacing a cartridge for a daily use pen is easy, cleaner, and less expensive. This pen came with 2 black cartridges (no charger or ink reservoir). The ink is a nice deep black. Not faded or unpleasant. The medium sized nib is great. I was concerned that it would be kind of thick or fat, but it's not significantly different to my eye from the width of a normal ink pens' medium stroke. Again, this is for daily use. For intricate details in sketches or drawings I prefer a very thin stroke and thus would opt for a different nib.I could pay many hundreds for a pen which boasts even more excellent qualities; but truthfully, this cost me just under $100 and definitely feels and works like it should cost much more because I see those excellent qualities other expensive pens boast in this one. So some people may qualify this as a lower-end fountain pen simply because it's under $100, but it's an excellent writing instrument, perfect for daily use, and has the smooth gliding on paper I was looking for in a fountain pen. I'm now a believer in fountain pens, and will use this fountain pen everywhere I go.

Comparison between 6 pensI had the opportunity to compare between few pens: (will cover 6 pens here)======================among other pens, I managed to try, see photos for a better comparison======================in shortPen1- CROSS Bailey Medalist Rollerball Pen with Gold-Plated Appointments incl. Premium Gift Boxlooks very very nicefeels premium in the had, and has some weight (37g)packaging is ok for a gift but nothing special regarding the box look or feel.it glides very smoothly when writing, and it has the right amount of ink coming out.my preferred penPen2- CROSS Century II Medalist Fountain with 23CT Gold Medium Nib incl. Premium Gift Boxvery beautiful design especially the Fountain tipvery detailed oriented designCROSS Fountain pens are very good for lots of writing, it has just the right amount of ink flowing, but if you use it for singing then don’t go too fast as the line will start breaking (a solution for that is to press a bit harder on the paper)lightweight compared to the others (22g) … not bad by any meansPen3- PARKER IM Fountain Pen, Light Blue Grey, Medium Nib with Blue Ink Refill (1931655)looks very nicelightweight compared to the others (24g)I would go with the fine Nib rather than this medium NibI noticed that PARKER Fountain pens spill more ink while writing than other brands, thus you have to write fast or the paper will start absorbing the ink, which is not ideal for a lot of writing, though it’s very nice for signing documents, as the line will not start fading when you draw line very quickly. also, that makes the pen not suitable for glossy papers.very smooth writing with it.Pen4- Parker Sonnet Medium Nib Stainless Steel Gold Finish Trim Gift Boxed Fountain Penlove the designthe weight is in the middle (25g) compared to the othersvery lovely box, one of the bestagain: I noticed that PARKER Fountain pens spill more ink while writing than other brands, thus you have to write fast or the paper will start absorbing the ink, which is not ideal for a lot of writing, though it’s very nice for signing documents, as the line will not start fading when you draw line very quickly. also, that makes the pen not suitable for glossy papers.I would go with the fine Nib rather than this medium NibPen5- Waterman Expert Stainless Steel, Ballpoint Pen with Medium Blue refill (S0952100)this pen is different than the ones before as it’s a dry-pen, similar to regular Pic pens.looks very very nicefeels premium in the had, and has some weight (34g)writes smoothlywould have been one of the best pens out there except I had issues with it spilling, which made a mark on my shirt few times and it ruined itPen6- Parker Stainless Steel with Chrome Colour Trim, Ballpoint Pen with Medium Black refill (S0809240)looks nicevery slimmedium to lightweight (27g)- just a regular pen, thus ok for writing (you are getting it for the looks).==============between the pens here I would pick:Pen1, then both Pen2 and Pen5==============Note:All pens have been bought (by me and my family) nothing was sponsored or gifted by any retailerI like all of the designs, that’s why we got them :)- Always read the details about the pen in the description by the seller (as they may change)most Fountain pens include refills (and sometimes even extras)I prefer pens with caps to eliminate spilling problem that may happen or accidental strokes.And sorry for the video, first time and was difficult writing while the paper is away from me.Many thanks

This pen was delivered tonight 8/12/19. I had looked very carefully before i made this choice and even paid a not inconsiderable amount to have the fine nib version, why a different nib added so much to the price is a little beyond me but it is what it is. The presentation box again surprised me as it seems to be fashioned cardboard. When i opened it the pen was really just rolling about with just a very poor attempted made to secure it. The pen itself seems very nice with an excellent finish. As (i think) there were supposed to be two ink cartridges supplied i thought somehow they must be stored in the body of the pen. Upon unscrewing it i was faced simply with an entirely empty body. For a £70+ pen this is not what you expect. Worse was to come, when i tried to fit a fairly universal cartridge no go. It seems you have to buy a special one dedicated to pens make simile to a converter to fill from a bottle. Good enough, I will let you draw your own conclusions. These are the reasons i gave it one star, a Rolls Royce is useless without petrol! I will update this review when i am able to actually managed to write with said pen. I believe this review to be correct and accurate, however there may be small print i could have missed

This is a very attractive pen, there is no doubting that, but I have some reservations.Firstly, especially noticeable for the larger-handed gentleman, this is a *very* slim and lightweight pen. In severe contrast to that delicate feel, the cap is extremely difficult to remove with any sort of flair or aplomb -- one almost has to hold both parts with a death-grip and pull them apart with enough force that the thread may or may not be snapped off in the barrel. If one has recently applied any sort of hand cream this operation will result in an embarrassing failure, and any given onlooker may well receive an unexpected and uninvited black eye.Once past that trial the nib writes quite smoothly, it has to be said. While small, the nib has an interesting profile and looks more expensive than it really is. I would categorise this more as a broad nib than the claimed "medium", on the basis of the amount of ink deposited, if using the supplied cartridges. Note that the pen accepts the usual Cross converters, so one might use any ink one wishes, and many will deposit more in line with the medium claim, handwriting puns notwithstanding.The finish of the body is really quite attractive but it does attract greasy marks with a shocking level of earnest, so one will spend a lot of time polishing it. A glasses cloth or similar is recommend as a companion to this particular pen.For the casual note-taker I would recommend the lacquered editions of the Cross Bailey as an alternative model. They are less slim and therefore easier to grip and de-cap, and while they do not have metal bodies their finish is more eye-catching with a pleasurable and comment-worthy level of depth to the lacquer effect.

Really tricky to review, as the look when it arrived was horrific! I was expecting this, based on other reviews, but it did arrive even worse than expected.I forgot to take pics before polishing the barrel of the pen, but it all looked exactly the same as the cap in the pictures. Almost completely black!I knew I'd be able to polish however, and the after pics on this review, were after literally 8 mins of polishing. I used some metal polish (the kind in a metal tube) and it was super easy. Put on with paper towels, then wipe off with dry towel. All the tarnish came off hence the street pictures.Other than that issue, the pen is now simply amazing. Stunning. Writes amazingly. It is a cross century 2, rollerball, in sterling silver (the description is misleading on amazon for this item. It mentions gold chrome and also a completely different pen at some point.I initially bought a cross century 1 ballpoint in silver (which arrived with almost no tarnish) but it just felt farrr cheaper than expected. It was too light in the hand (you can see that pen in some of pics in case you want a size comparison), also being ballpoint, it wrote worse than a bic biro... This century 2 looks and feels the part instantly. With the century 1, I felt that I'd be embarrassed to show someone, as they may think it's an £8 cheap supermarket pen etc... Whereas this century 2 is clearly a piece of class when you look at it and then pick it up, and the rollerball is far superior to ballpoint. I'd be proud to show this pen off!So yes, amazing as I got a cheap price, but I did have to polish the entire pen. I'm REALLY happy that I bought it.Thanks.

I’d forgotten how wonderful it is to write with a fountain pen, it took me days to decide which one to buy. I know that Cross are a fantastic Company with a lifelong guarantee, but it still took me a while to decide which Cross model I would get. I chose perfectly for me, I even seen to be a much neater writer with this pen. It’s very stylish and feels great in your hand perfectly balanced, It’s not too wide, but for me it’s better than the slim models, the flow of the ink is perfect. Just ordered my line a day diary, I’m really looking forward to all my writing.