Cross ATX Review

[Maestro de Oscuridad]

I have owned a Matte Chrome Cross ATX fountain pen for approximately six years. One year ago, I purchased a second one, in vernal green, along with a matching roller ball and mechanical pencil. Both of the pens have served me very well over the years. They are beautifully designed and are pleasures to write with.

 

http://shahnoor.letterboxes.org/webimages/fpn/atxreview/chrome1.jpg

 

Design

 

The ATX has a modern shape and beautiful curves; the chrome accents synchronize very nicely with all of the available colours. The pen's overall look was actually the main reason for my initial purchase.

 

They updated the nib design some time after the first one I bought (with engraved circles instead of lines), and both of these striking designs flow very nicely with the pen's form. Having said this, while the ATX nibs are nice, there are of course much better designs out there (one of my favourites being the raven on the Montblanc Edgar Allan Poe Writers Series and the fleur-de-lis on the Alexandre Dumas version).

The ATX comes in many colours, so almost anybody should be able to find one they like.

 

The pen's ultra-modern look is nice, but at the same time, may not suit someone looking for a more traditional fountain pen.

 

Design: 9/10

Nib: 8/10

 

http://shahnoor.letterboxes.org/webimages/fpn/atxreview/green1.jpg

 

Weight

 

The pen has a rather versatile weight. Posting the pen adds a noticeable amount of weight to it, making it perfect for people like me who prefer a heavier pen. Using it without the cap should work well for those who rather a lighter weight.

 

The balance seems to be towards the back of the pen. For me, this works very well because it helps me to apply a lighter touch to the paper when I’m writing.

 

http://shahnoor.letterboxes.org/webimages/fpn/atxreview/green3.jpg

 

 

Ink Compatibility

 

The first ink I used with my ATX (after the cartridges ran out) was a bottle of Parker Quink (black). Since then I have used the pen with De Atrametis, Waterman and S.T. Dupont ink. With all of these, the pen writes wetly and smoothly.

 

The ink converter holds a pretty decent amount of ink, though I have never been able to get it more than three quarters full.

 

Ink Compatibility: 10/10

Ink Converter: 8/10

 

By the way, the ink used in the journal for the pictures is Waterman Havana Brown.

 

http://shahnoor.letterboxes.org/webimages/fpn/atxreview/green4.jpg

 

Comparison

 

I compared the writing of the ATX with two pens my friend ownsâ€â€a Visconti Van Gogh Midi and a Pelikan M800, both with fine nibs. The ATX is a more wet writer (although this is likely due to the fact that I am comparing a medium nib with a fine nib), but I found both the Van Gogh and the Pelikan were smoother. I see this as reasonable, though, when also comparing the prices of the three pens (both the Van Gogh and the M800 cost significantly more than the ATX).

 

When looking at them together, it is easy to see that the ATX is much plainer than the Van Gogh and the m-series. There is nothing wrong with this, and obviously personal taste would determine which type of design one prefers.

 

http://shahnoor.letterboxes.org/webimages/fpn/atxreview/visconticomparison.jpg

 

http://shahnoor.letterboxes.org/webimages/fpn/atxreview/pelikancomparison.jpg

 

Overall Impression

 

While the pen does have its flaws, I am very happy with it. It has a modern but conservative look, so it does not draw a lot of attention when I pull it out (which I like), but at the same time lending it to someone has never failed to get me a compliment.

 

The pen is reasonably priced (I bought mine for $55 USD). There is a significant gab between the price for this and a higher end fountain pen. It is perfect for gifts and also for someone who tends to lose pens.

 

Overall, I would give the pen a rating of 8/10.

 

http://shahnoor.letterboxes.org/webimages/fpn/atxreview/chrome2.jpg

 

http://shahnoor.letterboxes.org/webimages/fpn/atxreview/green2.jpg

Edited July 28, 2007 by Maestro de Oscuridad

[dwmatteson]

Thanks for a nice review, Maestro. I hadn't seen the circular-engraved nib before. Very cool!

 

I also have a medium-nibbed ATX, and it really does put down a wet line. (I've used it mostly with Noodler's Black and Levenger Fireball).

 

Don M.

[bluejay]

I'm in love with the Cross roller balls. They are affordable and still write amazing. I haven't tried a fountain pen. Interesting you compared it to a high caliber M800. I love the havana ink. good choice.

[southpaw]

Nice review - thanks for the hard work.

[Maja]

Bravo, Maestro!!

Excellent review; I look forward to reading more of your reviews in the future !

 

I bought a Cross ATX for a good price on Ebay and found it to be a well-made pen but the ink flow with my B nib was inconsistent. I had to remove the nib from the feed and adjust it before it would work properly (yes, I did flush the pen with water + a drop of liquid soap, I changed inks...nothing worked). When I looked at the feed, there seemed to be a tiny bit of plastic that impeded the ink flow, so I removed it. Also, I had to adjust the nib so that it was closer to the feed. After those minor adjustments, the pen wrote marvelously.....

 

Thanks again,

~Maja

 

P.S. Is your pen inscribed with a personalization? I see the word "Shahnoor" on it....

[Maestro de Oscuridad]

Hi Maja,

 

I'm glad you liked the review Shahnoor is my first name. The vernal green pens were actually a gift and my friend had it personalized. The place I got the pens from (http://www.penboutiqueonweb.com) as far as I know has the engraving done directly from the manufacturer. I know that it's generally preferable not to have pens engraved but I really do like the script on it.

 

I'm glad to hear that your pen didn't require too much work for the fix, but I know I would never have figured that out myself and would probably have just sent it back into Cross.

 

How do you like the B nib? I have very small handwriting so it would never work for me ...

[Maja]

Hi Maja,

 

I'm glad you liked the review Shahnoor is my first name. The vernal green pens were actually a gift and my friend had it personalized. The place I got the pens from (http://www.penboutiqueonweb.com) as far as I know has the engraving done directly from the manufacturer. I know that it's generally preferable not to have pens engraved but I really do like the script on it.

 

I'm glad to hear that your pen didn't require too much work for the fix, but I know I would never have figured that out myself and would probably have just sent it back into Cross.

 

How do you like the B nib? I have very small handwriting so it would never work for me ...

Thanks for solving the mystery of the personalization; I had to look at the image upside down to read it

 

As for my ATX's B nib...It lays down a wet, broad ( ) line but it's nice. I have so many F and M nibs that it's nice to own some pens with B nibs too.

[adyf]

Does anyone find that their ATX doesn't start very well after a week or two of non use? Not sure if this is symptomatic of ATX's or whether mine needs some attention. It has been this way since brand new.

[dwmatteson]

Does anyone find that their ATX doesn't start very well after a week or two of non use? Not sure if this is symptomatic of ATX's or whether mine needs some attention. It has been this way since brand new.

That's been my experience as well. Once it gets going, the line is very wet, but if you've left it for a while, it's tough to get started.

 

Don

[Maestro de Oscuridad]

I have had that problem as well, though it is usually after a week of non-use. Until a couple of months ago I used a rollerball rather than a fountain pen to take with me to school and work, so sometimes my fountain pen would go close to a month without use, and it was usually during those absences that it had trouble starting later.

 

Has anybody experienced this with other Cross lines or is it just the ATX?

[Yuri]

Maestro,

I do not have ATX, so can not comment/compare, as for other Crosses:

Verve - very good starter even after couple weeks;

Solo - best starter I ever met, writes on first touch even after several months!

Classic Century - dries out after several days;

Metro...something (forgot right name, sorry) - good starter after couple weeks.

[adyf]

Perhaps should have mentioned in my earlier post that I also have the Century II, the Townsend and the Verve and they are all excellent starters, even after a couple of weeks or so and even longer. After reading some of the posts in this thread it seems to be a fairly common problem. In defence of the ATX, when it does eventually start it lays down a nice wet, consistent line.

[Maestro de Oscuridad]

It seems to just be something with the design of the ATXs then. Despite the delay in starting though, I agree, once they start they write beautifully. I'm curious about the Townsends though, as they are the higher end pens from Cross I would hope that they would not have the same problem.

[Abhik]

Nice review!

I started using my ATX in Basalt Black after reading this review, which was sitting un-inked for long two months after purchase!

It writes just superb.

This is my first Cross.

I am owner of 14 other well used fountain pens from Pelikan, Sheaffer and Waterman.

[writerstephen]

I just got a Translucent Blue ATX from eBay, and I do NOT like it. While it's a beautiful pen, the nib is problematic. It's quite scratchy, and even a trip through the micromesh didn't alleviate the problem entirely. I'm using Iroshizuku Kon-Peki ink, (after a full flush and complete disassembly and cleaning) so I don't think that's the problem. I just got a substandard nib.

[Donald2]

Made in China

[max dog]

The ATX has some feedback but they are not scratchy at all. Are the tines perfectly aligned?

[max dog]

Made in China

I had a scratchy Montblanc 146 once. It had nothing to do with China.

[dapprman]

I was bought one by my parents a few years back and found the nib to be fine. I actually found it to be a rather anonymous and boring pen to use/own (still have it), however my nib was not scratchy.

[ErrantSmudge]

I have one with medium nib I purchased around the turn of the millennium. It's a fantastic writer - it's very wet, and the feed can deal with any ink I put into it. I haven't really had the problem with the pen drying out after a week or so of non-use.

 

The two things I am not so excited about: 1) The metal section can be rather slippery to hold, especially for long writing sessions. 2) The tapered design doesn't really allow for the clip to stop the pen from rolling - so it has a tendency to roll off of desks and on to the floor. Mine has a tiny dent at the end of the barrel from one of its diving attempts.