Cross Townsend - USA or Ireland ?

[kavanagh]

Dear Colleagues,

 

I am being offered a Cross Townsend Fountain Pen. So I asked the seller if it had ‘USA’ or ‘Ireland’ stamped near the head of the cap. He sent me some photos and there’s no stamp whatsoever. I also include a picture of the black feed. 

The guarantee booklet states a purchase date of February 1999. 
The clip has the word ‘Cross’ in signature style ( not in capitals ). 
1) I wanted to ask if anyone could offer their opinion as to whether this was likely made in the USA or Ireland ?. 
2) Is it true that Townsends made in the USA had a nib and feed that were German made ( Pelikan ) ? and was this true for Townsends made in Ireland or not ?. 
Any opinions are appreciated.

 

Thank you

[amberleadavis]

I like the photos, though I have no answer for you.

[TenBladeSummitar]

I just found your question, perhaps the reply is irrelevant.

There should be a serial number engraved on the part into which the converter fits. That could help.

The Townsend was introduced in 1995. The Ballinasloe, Co. Galway factory shut down a few years later.

There had been some variation in Cross FP nibs depending, as far as I can tell, on whether they were made for Cross by Pilot in Japan, or Bock / Pelikan in Europe.

The number of fins on the feed appears to point to one source versus the other.

[Boston Brian]

I do not honestly think any Cross pens have been made in Ireland for a dozen years or more, but maybe I am wrong. 

[Chris1]

Going by my selection of sterling silver Cross Townsend fountain pens, the ones made (and so marked) in USA or Ireland have about a dozen fins on the feed whereas the one made in China (says it on the box) has only eight fins. All four have two-tone 18k nibs. Also, the Chinese pen is slightly lighter (less silver) and has a fractionally smaller nib (measured with a micrometre).

 

This may not hold true for all the Townsend range though because I have a Chinese black 'soft touch' that has a stainless steel nib and eight fins on the feed whereas a black lacquer Chinese Townsend has a two-tone 18k nib with a dozen fins.

 

All are lovely writers.

[Bo Bo Olson]

Thanks for getting me up off the log...My midnight blue Townsend set was made/started?? in 1999, and I got it many years later at a Galeria Kaufhaus....in Germany...they had a few great sales like my 605. Where unaffordable pens were affordable.

I had actually never thought to look and see when my Townsend was made.

[keraba]

Wow, what a coincidence: I don't have a lot of fountain pens, but I *do* have a Cross Townsend from 1999. My box says:

 

             MADE IN USA

WITH US/GERMAN OR JAPANESE COMPONENTS

 

There is a serial number hiding on the cartridge-end of the section under the barrel: 3397A...

 

I don't know if this helps anyone, but I'm excited to have something someone had or was looking for.

 

[Chris1]

I think that is the titanium finish, though others more expert can correct me if I'm wrong. In any event, a lovely pen and ought to be a thoroughly reliable writer.

 

I'd suggest getting a converter and trying all sorts of different inks as Cross ink in the cartridges is (or was) rather boring in terms of colour selection. The Townsend uses the push-in Cross converter and I don't think the screw-in one fits (though I've not tried).

[Bo Bo Olson]

21 minutes ago, Chris1 said:

Cross ink in the cartridges is (or was) rather boring in terms of colour selection.

Were once Pelikan 4001 inks under Cross name....don't know if or when they changed out of using Pelikan ink.

[Chris1]

I do believe that Cross inks in bottles were the same as the Pelikan 4001 inks but whether that is still true I don't know. I used to have Cross black and Pelikan black as well as both in blue-black and I couldn't tell any differences. All four long gone, I think. 

 

But I did recently buy Pelikan 4001 blue black for everyday use on the crosswords so as to eke out my dwindling Montblanc permanent blue-black stash, but that isn't relevant to this discussion. Sorry, I fear I'm adding to the drift of this thread away from the original question.

[Blue Inked Fingers]

Very late to this topic so maybe irrelevant now, but my Townsend is from the same era - the booklet states January 1999. It has ‘Ireland’ near the top of the lid, so if yours doesn’t have that it probably isn’t Irish made.

[Bo Bo Olson]

On 12/6/2023 at 5:09 PM, Chris1 said:

as Cross ink in the cartridges is (or was) rather boring in terms of colour selection.

Get a converter, or learn to needle feed your empty cartridges.

 

They use to use rebranded 4001 Brilliant inks (don't know about now...), so if your paper is 90g or better...or Rhoda 80g or some Japanese paper you could get some shading.

Outside of the very nice 4001 black of course. For decades that 4001 black was second best black to Aurora, until Noodler came in with his series of 'Black Hole' black inks.

 

Normal 80g copy paper does no one favors.

.................................

My Cross box was nearby... and underneath the white floor was two dried dead funny looking cartridges. Which other cartridge can a Cross pen use?

 

In my Cross Townsend has a converter I probably never looked after finding the converter.

My wife has the matching ball point, that she never uses in it's too good to take out and lose.

The barcode sticker is in English and French.....Midnight Blue...Bleu De Minuit.

8 Comb feed.