Cross Refills?
Submitted by Rachel R. on Thu, 2007-05-31 02:56.
Does anyone know if there is anything other than a non-standard refill in the standard refill size (the narrow one) for a Cross pen? My Cross pen is the only one that fits in my planner, and I have liked it well enough, but the newest refill ink does not write smoothly at all. My planner is small, so smooth ink flow is important or I can't read it!
I was wondering if space pen ink or gel ink or something was available in a compatible refill.
I've also been wondering if
I've also been wondering if there is a gel refill compatible with the Cross-type. Fine or extra-fine point preferred.
cross catalogue
You remind me that I have several Cross pens that I need to dig out and check about the refills. I like these alot. The latest paper catalog my have some info to get the refill. I got my catalog at the Paradise Pen. I like the catalog so much! beautiful photography and well presented.
Duc Ly
Genuine Cross?
Is your refill a genuine Cross? I have always loved Cross, because they wrote so smoothly, and with minimal pressure. I'm shocked if a Genuine Cross does this to you. Maybe simply trying another refill?
BTW, years ago I was given a "fake" Cross with my name engraved on it. I had a genuine gold Cross then, so never took care of it. Well, my gold one is gone (yes, all the care in the world didn't help when I lost it--actually, I suspect somebody slipped it from my Daytimer), and the other day, while purging my tax records, I found that fake at the bottom of my tax record box! The cart was dry and yucky, so I went to a little stationery store, and paid about $0.75 for a cheapo non-Cross refill. It writes almost as beautifully as any genuine ever did! I've stuck that pen in my ductster, and it's always with me now. ;-)
All that to say, maybe simply trying other refills will help.
-Jon
Yes, it is.
Yes, both pen and refill are genuine Cross. It has always worked fine before, so maybe it really is just this refill. It skips now, or has trouble getting started, which is not a problem I have ever had with it before, either originally or after refilling. Maybe I will try contacting them as Sara recommended. (That honestly had not occurred to me.)
What brand was the cheapo refill you got? I haven't been able to find any "no-name" refills of the proper size.
Be blessed!
~Rachel <><
It's a no-name brand
It was in a cup, rubber-banded in a bunch. The shop clerk didn't know either, only that they weren't Cross. Sorry.
-Jon
Sorry - I don't have any
Sorry - I don't have any leads on refills. But I wanted to suggest contacting the refill's manufacturer. chances are they will replace it at no cost to you. The pen market is very competitive and most companies do anything to keep a customer happy :)
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Cross information
Text of the Cross perpetual lifetime warranty for writing instruments: http://www.cross.com/customerservice/warranty.aspx?cat_name=...
Cross refills and ink (sort by product name, if known, on the left): http://www.cross.com/catalog/productcategory.aspx?cat_name=R...
Cross replacement parts: http://www.cross.com/customerservice/replacementparts.aspx?c...
Product FAQs and troubleshooting: http://www.cross.com/ProductSupport/ProductFAQs.aspx
Cross United States Customer Service (800) 282-7677 from 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM Eastern, Monday-Friday.
I've experienced similar refill issues with ballpoint refills obtained from Levenger (via closeout, since they now only sell their own line of pens), and Cross promptly replaced the defective product at no charge. I'd suggest browsing the pages above and then contacting Cross directly--they'll (likely) have answers and refills for you.
Best of luck,
~tdr.
Pen alternatives
Rachel, I can't help with the Cross question specifically; I don't like Cross pens for 2 reasons - in my experience, the ink tends to smear and I prefer a one-handed operation such as a click-type retractable pen. I tried the Space Pen and didn't like the ink consistency (thick and gloppy, which smeared) or the fact that I had to use 2 hands to uncap/recap it. I'm left-handed and so finding a pen that is comfortable and doesn't smear has been a challenge. After extensive trials, I have 3 favorite pens. All are inexpensive ballpoints and readily available in the US. They all have fine black or color refills and are very precise. First is the Pilot retractable with fine black refill; it is smokey grey transparent plastic with a non-slip grip and a metal clip. The second is the Zebra F-301 retractable with fine black refill, a stainless steel looking barrel with a black plastic nonslip grip and a metal clip. The third option I prefer is a Parker pen with a fine black refill, available in many options and price ranges. Its less techie looking and a little more refined but still available under $10 US.
Ulness Cross has changed since the mid-80s....
.... my experience has been the exact opposite. ;-)
When I was a student, I used Cross pens exclusively, writing hundreds, or probably thousands of pages of notes with silver and gold Cross pens. They never smeared on me (I'm a lefty too!) :-) And I prefer the twisty action to the click action. I'm also a fan of the Zebra and cheap Parkers, but I had one requirement, which nixed both the plastic pens and the click action. When I was a student, I carried a pocket Daytimer in my hip pocket. This is where my pen went. Click pens tend to "go off" there, and plastic pens never survived longer than a few days. I apparently got _very_ good at one-handed twisting of the Cross pens, so this was never a problem. In fact, until you mentioned it, I never thought about it! :-) After reading yoru post, I pulled out my current Cross clone (a gift from somebody with my name engraved on it), and twisted it open w/ one hand, and realized how I do it. Actually, playing with it for a few seconds, I realized I have _multiple_ ways of opening a Cross with one hand! I tend to "play" with them absent-mindedly when holding them--also something I realized after reading your post. ;-)
I'm curious, though, if Cross has changed their ink. One other reason I preferred the Cross/Parker/Zebra was that they wrote very smoothly with little to no pressure, and very smoothly (Zebras less so). It would be sad if they changed their formula.
-Jon
Me, too.
This is my issue, as well. I have a pocket Daytimer, and most pens simply don't fit in the pen loop. And I, too, can open mine with one hand.
This Cross pen has been refilled before, and neither the original ink nor the first refill was ever a problem. It wrote smoothly, without skipping or having to press too hard (both of which are critical when you're writing very small to fit on very small lines!), and lasted ages. It's just this last refill that's been a nuisance.
I have a Parker pen, but it doesn't fit. :(
Be blessed!
~Rachel <><
There are two pen sources I
There are two pen sources I use all the time, and they seem to work for everything. One is Paradise Pen, and the other is Colorado Pen Company. Both have online and brick-and-mortar stores and have always been helpful to me. They carry a huge variety of pens and have helped me track down weird Lamy refills when I needed them.
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Checkout www.spacepen.com
Checkout www.spacepen.com for a Fisher pen replacement for your Cross. Some big stores like Office Depot or Staples might carry the Cross version of the refill. And it's always interesting what a Wal-Mart Superstore carries.
Woohoo!
Yay! The spacepen site carries Cross-style refills. :D
Be blessed!
~Rachel <><
Cross about Cross
I guess I'm going to be a contrarian in this thread, but the major thing I dislike about Cross pens is what, in my experience, are some of the lowest quality refills around, worse, I think, then your dime-store bic pen - all guarantees aside. It always miffed me that such an expesive pen can have such a bad 'engine' (it's been a while too, I've gotten them for graduations and several service anniversaries at work).
It's not true for their fountain pens, and I've only recently bought a roller pen to try out (being burned by my ballpoint experience with Cross).
Their ball point refills appear to be the standard metal dimestore refill with a plastic adapter at the end, so you could search for a refill from another source (I did this once, but shapes may vary). For cheap ballpoints, I'd go with the Bic Accountant Fine Point or the Pilot "Better Retractable Fine Point" pen - which wins the prize for ballpoints of any price, (full disclosure: I don't like ball points in general).
Yafa, on the other hand, makes an excellent gel refill reverse engineered to fit in Mountblanc ballpoints.