Cross Unknown Pen

[martinus99]

Hey!

 

I just received a pen from my aunt. It's a cross pen, but i cant find out what the pen-name is.

[ceac]

I'm no Cross expert, but it looks like a Townsend to me ...

[max dog]

It's a Century II Medalist

[Noihvo]

It's a Century II Medalist

 

I concur.

[Chris]

Yes, Century II medallist - the Townsend is bigger and its cap and section also look quite different. I have both.

[Biber]

Yes, Century II medallist - the Townsend is bigger and its cap and section also look quite different. I have both.

 

How did the Century 2000 figure in to this design mix? To my mind it kinda bridges the gap between the Townsend and the Century II?

[MrThoth]

I agree that it's a Century II in the Medalist finish. Definitely not a Townsend; the bottom of both barrel and cap are wrong for that.

 

 

 

How did the Century 2000 figure in to this design mix? To my mind it kinda bridges the gap between the Townsend and the Century II?

 

That's a good way of thinking about it. Check out the accompanying picture: on the left is a Cross Century 2000 in Matte Black; on the right is a Cross Townsend Black Smooth Touch. As you can see, the main difference is the adornment at the bottom of the cap. The two bands on the Townsend, the bottom slightly larger than the top, is the one sure way to identify a Townsend -- the only Cross pen that comes even remotely close to having that sort of appointment, the Radiance, has such a different body style that there's no chance of confusing them.

 

 

 

For even more information and example pens, please come to the Triangle Pen Club meeting this Sunday, January 10 at 2:00 PM, where I will be giving a talk about the Cross Townsend, and Cross pens in general, and displaying my collection of them like a proud papa.

[Biber]

Thank you for clarifying that for me. I've always thought of the 2000 as a Townsend sized Century II. Tell me, does the 2000 have the same cap weight issue as the Townsend? I once had a Townsend and felt that it's cap was unnecessarily disproportionately heavy to the pen. Sadly that trumped the writing experience so I passed it on.

Edited January 6, 2016 by Biber

[MrThoth]

 

 

Tell me, does the 2000 have the same cap weight issue as the Townsend?

 

I figured the best way to answer this was with some objective data, so I got out my micro-scale and weighed both of the pens I posted a picture of.

 

Cross Townsend Black Smooth Touch

Whole pen: 34g

Just the Cap: 16g

 

Cross Classic 2000 Matte Black

Whole pen: 41g

Just the Cap: 15g

 

So, based on that, I'd guess that you'd find the Century 2000 more comfortable.

[Biber]

Thank you for those stats, they're very interesting. I've had a passing interest in the 2000, but I think I'll stick with the the Solo.

[MrThoth]

The Solo is definitely a lot lighter in weight than the two pens discussed above, since it's an all-plastic barrel. Same with the Radiance, which is pretty similar.

[Biber]

Yes the solo is much more traditional in it's design being all plastic with threaded cap and wider body than Cross previously seems to have been. Though I much prefer it to most of their pens, I do wish they'd reintroduce the original Century FP (narrow nib profile reminiscent of the Parker 75). Somehow the the Century II and the other models just don't do it for me.

[martinus99]

Yeh, I was leaning on the fact that it was the Century II. It was just that the clip didnt have quite the same design as mine. Then its the other thing, that my pen (nearly at the top of the cap) ''Cross, Ireland'' while the Century II pen says ''Cross, USA''. But i dont know whether or not that matters. Otherwise its the same. Thank you