Sheaffer Award Versus Cross Bailey

[patlaw]

In December, I bought a bunch of fountain pens and hopefully learned something in the process. My current question relates to the Sheaffer Award versus the Cross Bailey pens. As you can see in the links below, both pens are listed on the Office Depot website as .44mm. However, the Bailey is MUCH wetter than the Award. Some of the Baileys on the website are listed as 1mm. It seems to me that the .44mm Cross pens are mislabeled 1mm pens. I've done the research, but I can't find the definitive answer. What do you think? I'm reaching the time limit on when I can return these pens, if they're 1mm.

 

Sheaffer Award

 

Cross Bailey

 

 

[deepak23]

Sheaffer Award pens are still around? I thought that they were long discontinued.

Edited January 12, 2017 by deepak23

[Jamesbeat]

I thought so too. I lost one several years ago and had quite a bit of difficulty when I was trying to find a replacement last year.

 

I love the Award. It's only a student type pen, but it's one of the best writers I have ever used.

Maybe I just got exceptional ones.

Edited January 12, 2017 by Jamesbeat

[chromantic]

Sheaffer Award pens are still around? I thought that they were long discontinued.

 

They were gone but are now back (they're in the 2016 catalog).

[patlaw]

I assume they are discontinued, but I bought a number of them. They're still available. Do a search on Office Depot's website. Be aware that they're $20.00 each in the store. The website does not show the discount.

 

Each one of them writes perfectly. Plus, the Sheaffer ink colors are excellent. If I had purchased these pens first, I don't know that I have have the other 10 or 20 that I have.

[Studio97]

I have two Cross Bailey FPs. The first one wrote so well I had to get a second one.

[Komboloi]

In December, I bought a bunch of fountain pens and hopefully learned something in the process. My current question relates to the Sheaffer Award versus the Cross Bailey pens. As you can see in the links below, both pens are listed on the Office Depot website as .44mm. However, the Bailey is MUCH wetter than the Award. Some of the Baileys on the website are listed as 1mm. It seems to me that the .44mm Cross pens are mislabeled 1mm pens. I've done the research, but I can't find the definitive answer. What do you think? I'm reaching the time limit on when I can return these pens, if they're 1mm.

 

Sheaffer Award

 

Cross Bailey

 

 

 

I don't know about mislabeled, but the Cross Bailey is not an expensive pen, and when I bought mine (which I like very much) I found that the nib had issues. I eventually got those issues straightened out, but my impression was that the Bailey (which is made in China) has some quality control quirks. You may have the correct nib, but with some heavy flow issues.

 

P.S. Office Max/Office Depot were selling the Cross Bailey for about $20 this past fall.

Edited January 14, 2017 by Komboloi

[Mthood22]

Picked up a Shaeffer Award at my local Staples in December- was pleasantly surprised by the performance so far. Great writer and appears to be very well made. Not a bad pen for $20.00.

[Bo Bo Olson]

.44mm is what in EF, F, M or B?..............I find that an Odd number even if I don't have numbers down. I see O.3, 0.6, 1.1, 1.5, 1.9. This is the first time I've seen .44.

That is just as approximate as any body's 'M; There is tolerance, and fat, shades of middle and skinny inside what ever that number is supposed to mean.

 

There is only @.....in a Skinny what every your .44 is, can be just the same as a Fat of what ever number is supposed to be next.....what number is supposed to be next???? Just like Skinny M and Fat F.

 

The width of ball point cartridges are not exact than as some fine poster proved.

Many ball point users buy the myth...and the myth that those numbers are more exact than the letters.

 

To expect any fountain pen even from the same company made on the same day back to back to lay the same line puts you in line for to Buy Salvage Rights of the Brooklyn Bridge. Every nib varies.

 

Then you are comparing two different companies that have just relabeled their own M or F with .44....what ever .44 is supposed to mean.

 

To change their standards cost money. And even if they tried in that costs money I doubt they did, when lies are cheapest. There is always slop/tolerance.

Super Skinny, Real Skinny, skinny, medium, medium wide, and wide, very wide....all the numbers or letters in the world don't do anything but indicate one of those.

XXF. EF. F. M. B. BB.....or some number. As far as I can tell there is no industry standardization on the 'numbers' either. I don't expect that either.

 

 

In Cross ink is Pelikan ink, a dry ink...which is for a wet nib....that makes difference when you put something wet like Waterman....or sopping wet like noodler's in the Cross pen.

 

Ink, paper, and pressure of your own writing makes the nib write wider or narrower; letter or number.

Edited February 10, 2017 by Bo Bo Olson

[Jamesbeat]

The .44 is obviously there to show that it's the most powerful nib in the world.

 

You've got to ask yourself one question: "Do I feel lucky?"

Edited February 11, 2017 by Jamesbeat

[FLZapped]

I was given a Bailey as a Christmas present. It writes very nice, although, I have discovered that it wants to gush at times, especially if I am too enthusiastic with dotting "I's" and placing periods. It cleans out easily compared to some pens that want to trap ink in their collectors.

 

I have found myself writing with it a lot since receiving it, even with the gushing issue.

[shea2812]

Just acquired a couple of Sheaffer Awards. They are pretty cheap for fountain pen. Mine came with plastic end. Remind me of the old No Nonsense minus the screw cap. Award is shorter and Sheaffer 100 and a trifle lighter too but the nib writes with more tooth than the one on my Sheaffer 100. The substantial step does not bother me so I think this is the pen that is going to be in my jacket pocket all the time and get quite more use that few others. The use of soft touch section means that I have to use damp cloth to wipe after a fill, not too much a bother to me. Can someone tell me, does the mark Sheaffer USA on top means that the pen is made in USA? Just curious.