Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)Over the years, I have owned many Cross pens and have found that they provide a nice entry level pen to quality pens. I have always been favorably impressed by Cross pens as they have withstood heavy use and at times when I was in college, even abuse. Therefore, when I was looking for a nice entry level pen to try out newer fountain pens (in addition to the fountain pens I inherited), I turned to the Cross Century II, as it seemed to be a nice pen at an entry level price. While the pen writes nice and is able to flow smoothly with almost all inks, the overall quality of the pen was disappointing. I now have had this pen for a couple of months and it is not the quality of pen I was expecting from Cross.
The biggest detraction was that after two days of use, the gold plating started to come off all over the pen. I am an attorney, so I do write frequently, but after two days of use, this should not have happened. On my previous Cross pens (I have owned about a dozen), this happened only after years of use. In comparing my previous Cross pens to this Cross pen, I noticed that the gold plating seems to be much thinner on this Cross pen. I also noticed that on this pen, the surface to which the gold was applied seems to be a much smoother chrome surface, making it more difficult for the gold to stick for a long period of time. In contacting Cross, plating wear or pealing of the gold plating is not covered on warranty, no matter how long you have the pen. After two months of use, the pen looks to have Chrome accents with speckled areas of gold. I use this to write in my office, but not in front of clients because it now looks like a cheap pen.
I enjoy quality products wherever they are made (including now my large collection of Watermen fountain pens and other pens made in Europe purchased since I bought this pen). Although this may not be the reason for the decline in quality of Cross pens, it is important to note that this Cross pen was made in China. All my previous Cross pens have been made in the United States, so it was a disappointment to learn upon receiving this pen that it was made in China. I didn't know at the time of ordering, but now after some additional research I learned that Cross has recently moved all production of their pens to China. When I ordered this pen, I believed it was made in the United States as nothing on any web page of Cross or any product page at Amazon mentioned that the Cross pens were now made in China.
After using a variety of fountain pens, the nib used on the pen is very nice. The gold plating on the Nib has not pealed off, unlike the other gold accents on the pen. I believe that Cross does not make the nib, and have heard (unverified) that the nib is made by Pelikan. Maybe this is why the nib is the best feature on the pen. For the fountain pen lovers, the nib is a very stiff nib and barely flexes. However, for those pen users who are accustomed to the heavier writing pressure used with ball point pens and want to try fountain pens, this nib may be a good starting point.
I would not purchase this product again. Gold plating should not peel after two days of use.
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Cross Century II, Black, Selectip Rolling Ball Pen with 23 Karat Gold Plated Appointments (2504)A satin black finish and 23 karat gold plated appointments make a definitive statement of style in this Century II Selectip rollerball pen.Includes 1 Black Rollerball refill (8523) in pen.This pen features the Cross unique Selectip? interchangeable writing technology which offers the choice of a silky smooth gel ink rollerball durable ballpoint pen creamy porous-point [felt-tip] and even a brilliant document marker. Why choose just one when Selectip lets you have it all?
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Click here for more information about Cross Century II, Black, Selectip Rolling Ball Pen with 23 Karat Gold Plated Appointments (2504)
