CrossCross Click Ballpoint Pen

Pushing to write. I prefer turning to write and the original design of the cross pen is more stylish

Its the best feeling pen in ones hand and it writes like no other

I remember Cross pens as being high quality. I'm disappointed with how they've evolved. This one is light weight and feels like a completely different brand. Click function works well. Generally frustrated with the ink cartridge - roller ball doesn't flow immediately. Requires scribbling to initiate. Once started it flows well.

I have been a big fan of Cross pens for 38 years. In spite of some mixed reviews I decided to throw down the money and give this one a try. Here are my impressions:- Refill: Right now my gold standard for refills is the Energel. I compared the Cross slim gel refill 0.7mm that came with this pen to the Engergel 0.7mm. It is very similar. I don't think I could tell the difference comparing the lines, the flow, or the sound. Other than the fact that this refill costs several times more than the Energel, I would say it is on par with my favorite refill. The main reason I bought this pen was to see if Cross was finally able to put a nice gel refill in a their classic slim pen. Nice job. You did it. Note, I only tried the ballpoint refill that came with the pen for a few seconds. It felt better than a standard cross ballpoint refill and obviously has much more ink. However, I'm not a big ballpoint pen user so that refill went straight into the extra refills box.- Thickness: Some have complained that this is a very thin pen. My first Cross pen was a Century Black Classic that I picked up in 1982. It was a great pen. I used it for many years. This feels like the same size and looks similar. If you like a thinner pen, then this one is the ticket. Now, I prefer a bit fatter pen for journal writing, but this one will be a nice companion when I need one in my shirt pocket. So, if you want a thicker pen, don't buy this one. You won't be happy and you will give it a bad rating because you messed up and bought the wrong pen.- Look and feel: the matte black finish is very nice and has plenty of grip. I like the look of the chrome clip and chrome accents. Other than the plunger, I like the look and feel of this pen.Now for my gripes.- Gripe #1: With the refill retracted, it rattles a bit when you shake it. What's up with that? It makes the pen seem cheap. It doesn't rattle when you are writing with it.- Gripe #2: The plunger mechanism looks and feels cheap. It doesn't really match the matte black finish of the rest of the pen. The plunger looks like plastic (I can't tell what it actually is made out of) . The plunger also needs to have a bit larger diameter so it doesn't wiggle around when you push it. Of course the gold standard for a satisfying click in a pen is the Parker Jotter and this pen comes up considerably short in the satisfying click department.Cross, please get your stuff in a pile and fix this pen. You are embarrassing yourself by turning out a pen that has a clicker mechanism that feels like a $1 throw away pen. You have always done better, and you can do better with this pen.Close, but no cigar.

This pen is simply awful to write with.I write a lot for my day job, and over the years I've settled on a Papermate Inkjoy Gel, 0.7mm. They're about $1.50 per pen depending on where you shop.I figured, since I write so much, why not invest in a nicer pen? Because I often need to write on the go, I opted for a click pen. Dealing with a pen cap for my job is simply a hassle.This pen's construction is nice, but it's too slim. Your fingers have nothing to grip onto. The metal is nice, but it's slippery. Combine that with the pen's skinny build, and there's no grip. Compare that to my daily pen, which is almost entirely rubberized for grip.Next is the quality of the ink and pen tip. They're AWFUL. Cheap freebie pens are better. The "ballpoint black 1.0mm" is what shipped with my pen, and it drags along the paper like a stick through sand; the friction is worse than cheap bank pens. Meanwhile, my daily driver pen glides over paper as if through air.Lastly, the pen's skinny design means that it isn't compatible with a lot of Cross's other ink refills. So if you want a thicker tip, they simply don't offer it.I just ordered the rollerball gel refill, hoping it's much better.Put simply, don't waste your time.