Rollerbal/Gel refills for Cross Selectip?

[jread]

I have a Cross Selectip and am using the Cross gel refills in it, but I have not been happy with the Cross brand gel ink at all! It skips and fades constantly, and sometimes will just stop working entirely.

 

Are there any other brand refills that will fit the Cross Selectip and offer smoother performance? I saw that there is a Monteverde roller ball refill for Cross pens but I don't know much about their ink quality: http://www.coloradopen.com/product/Monteve...lerball_Refills

 

I appreciate any feedback as I love my Cross pen, but I can't stand their ink.

[jread]

I bought a cheap-o Foray roller ball refill from Office Depot today, and so far it I like it better than the Cross brand. Will have to see how it performs over time, but so far so good! I still would like to try the Monteverde eventually.

[FredRydr]

Do the rollerball refills (Cross or otherwise) fit in the ballpoint Cross pen?

 

Fred

[Tweel]

No, the SelecTip refills are fairly fat cylindrical tanks, with a thin roller-point "stylus" on the end.

 

I wish they hadn't switched from liquid to gel, BTW.

 

-- Brian

 

[lovemy51]

i like the select tip porous point. i like these a lot better than the gel. i'd like to try the monteverde and see how it works. thanx to the OP for posting (sorry, can't help with feedback).

[Writing Uphill]

I guess I'm in the minority, but it is the gel refill that had me buying a Cross ATX last week. I have also found the refill fits in my Visconti, so there is one in there, as well. I love the black refill. It is so smooth and I can hold the pen at the same angle as a fountain pen (I'm a left handed underwriter and find that most ball pens have to be held quite high or they get scratchy). I used to use the Schmidt rollerball refills, but they tend to feather a little and are slow drying. I've been using G2 refills, but they are not as smooth and very slow drying, though the line is great. My favorite refill before this one was the Parker gel, but it runs out fast since it is ballpoint sized, which also limits the pens it can fit in. Yep, I think the Cross gel refill is about perfect.

[jread]

I guess I'm in the minority, but it is the gel refill that had me buying a Cross ATX last week. I have also found the refill fits in my Visconti, so there is one in there, as well. I love the black refill. It is so smooth and I can hold the pen at the same angle as a fountain pen (I'm a left handed underwriter and find that most ball pens have to be held quite high or they get scratchy). I used to use the Schmidt rollerball refills, but they tend to feather a little and are slow drying. I've been using G2 refills, but they are not as smooth and very slow drying, though the line is great. My favorite refill before this one was the Parker gel, but it runs out fast since it is ballpoint sized, which also limits the pens it can fit in. Yep, I think the Cross gel refill is about perfect.

 

I didn't realize it until now, but I should have specified in my original post that I am referring to the blue gel refill. I have not had any problems with the black gel refills.

[RMN]

I guess I'm in the minority, but it is the gel refill that had me buying a Cross ATX last week. I have also found the refill fits in my Visconti, so there is one in there, as well. I love the black refill. It is so smooth and I can hold the pen at the same angle as a fountain pen (I'm a left handed underwriter and find that most ball pens have to be held quite high or they get scratchy). I used to use the Schmidt rollerball refills, but they tend to feather a little and are slow drying. I've been using G2 refills, but they are not as smooth and very slow drying, though the line is great. My favorite refill before this one was the Parker gel, but it runs out fast since it is ballpoint sized, which also limits the pens it can fit in. Yep, I think the Cross gel refill is about perfect.

I would like to add, that although the Cross RB refill does fit in the Visconti pen (at least in my Ragtime anniversary RB, though it is not a perfect fit) it does not go the other way. The Visconti has a little extra hub just above the main cilinder that does not fit in my Cross Verve RB. A shame, because I am not happy with the Cross RB-refill....

 

 

D.ick

[Writing Uphill]

That does not surprise me about the blue, since the ink seems very similar that of the Parker gel refill, and the Parker blue can dry out in the package, while the black can sit in a pen for years and still write fine.

 

Funny note about the Parker blue refill -- a local stationer got so tired of dried up refills still in the package that he will only sell them on special order (a one day wait) to ensure for the customer that they are as fresh as he can get them. I just gave up on blue for easy rolling gels that dry in a reasonable period of time (the Pilot G2 actually has a very reliable blue refill, but it takes a while before it's dry enough to turn the page while taking notes and it's not as smooth as the Cross).

[wttlford]

I guess I'm in the minority, but it is the gel refill that had me buying a Cross ATX last week. I have also found the refill fits in my Visconti, so there is one in there, as well. I love the black refill. It is so smooth and I can hold the pen at the same angle as a fountain pen (I'm a left handed underwriter and find that most ball pens have to be held quite high or they get scratchy). I used to use the Schmidt rollerball refills, but they tend to feather a little and are slow drying. I've been using G2 refills, but they are not as smooth and very slow drying, though the line is great. My favorite refill before this one was the Parker gel, but it runs out fast since it is ballpoint sized, which also limits the pens it can fit in. Yep, I think the Cross gel refill is about perfect.

 

I didn't realize it until now, but I should have specified in my original post that I am referring to the blue gel refill. I have not had any problems with the black gel refills.

 

I've noticed poor performance with the black refills. When Cross first changed from liquid to gel I didn't notice that the barrel of the refiil was now labelled "gel". I thought I had a bad refill, tossed it and bought another, which was just as bad. There is an upside though - I dusted off my fountain pens.

Edited May 2, 2009 by wttlford

[kaissa]

I guess I'm in the minority, but it is the gel refill that had me buying a Cross ATX last week.

 

I am in the minority as well. I wanted a ballpoint pen that used a gel refill. My new C-series has not arrived yet but the Selectip gel refill that I got today is one hell of a piece.

 

Yep, I think the Cross gel refill is about perfect.

 

I will add Pilot G2 refill to that list.

 

Regards,

[amyx231]

not for the faint of heart, but you can refill gel and rollerball refills with FP ink

For rollerball, just pull the tip off, use a needle or pipette or something to refill, then pop it back on (gently!).

For gel pens, it's more complicated. You first take the tip off, to get the long tube, then you need to work some hair gel, etc. into the tube first, then add ink, then put the tip back on. I theorize you can also just suck out the end, put in ink, and put in gel again (with the little cylinder thing too, of course); but i didnt try it.

[stuartk]

I've tried the Cross gel RB refills, in blue and black, and they're not terrible, but they're not great either.

 

I'm very picky about roller ball pens, and I have yet to find one that really pleases me. The Uniball pens have always been decent, and for gel pens I like the Sakura Gelly Roll, but I will prefer ballpoints, fountain pens, and pencils over rollerballs and felt tips.

[rminj]

Count me as one who likes the Blue Gel Selectips..its very similar to the Parker blue gels but a bit more water

resistant. I have not had problems with skipping or dryness..in fact the refills writes wet all the way until

the very end. This is in a Cross Edge pen with the refill exposed (not capped).

 

The refills I'm using seem a bit older? 2010 ?

 

Really the selectip gel seems decades or 60 years ahead of the ballpoints..(well the Cross ballpoints anyway). Its nearly impossible for me to go back to regular ballpoint now...I guess the next step after Gels is fountain

pens?