Cross Century II Refillable Ballpoint Pen Presented in a Luxury Gift Box - Medium Point, Black Ink, Lustrous Chrome

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.

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.

Wonderful presidential rollerball pen. Picked it up on black friday sale for half msrp; 10/10.The pen itself is tasteful and understated; Black lacquer with gold highlights is simple and elegant.Comes with one black gel rollerball refill inside the pen (no extra refill) that I'd say is a Medium but can't say for surebecause the refill doesn't say the size.Writes very smoothly and lays down a nice solid black line with no skips whatsoever.Small note, the gel ink smells a bit funny, like toasted rubber or kerosene; I assume that that is due to how this particular gel is made,most likely from petroleum. If you don't like the smell, you can always buy a Cross rollerball ink refill that isn't gel.This pen of course only accepts Cross refills, though there may be third party sellers that make compatible refills.Multiple colors are avaiable for refills which is very nice!Pen itself has a very nice hefty, solid weight to it, and is very comfortable to grip and write with. The pen cap postsvery well and securely, this adds some extra weight to the pen but is not a problem.Unless you have very large hands, I would say this pen is long enough to be used unposted.I personally like using it posted because I like the extra bit of weight and the look of the pen posted better.Overall, a wonderful and luxuriouspen, writes fantastically, looks beautiful without being in any way extravagant.This is the pen that the President uses, with good reason!100% recommended, especially if you can get it on sale.

Received it today and it is a very beautiful pen. Writes terrific and is a smaller version of the Townsend I have. No complaints on the pen or craftsmanship.