Cross Multi-Function Matte Green Pen with Stylus

This pen is very expensive to me but, it’s very nice, so I still rated it 5 stars. It’s unexpectedly high functioning and appears reliable. Beyond being expensive, the only other small gripe I have is that this pen is top heavy. This gripe is minimized by the clear fact of this pen being otherwise very well designed. Now all I have to do is to find a write in the rain ink refill for it. I’m loving this pen so far though.

This pen is fantastic! I would not have chosen it for myself, but received it as a gift, then bought a second one for myself. Highlights follow.

[This is not a complaint because it wasn’t a problem for me, but I would want to know about this particular item I received days ago–the one I’m reviewing on Amazon having purchased one here (as opposed to whatever others of this product I’ve seen around) came in a version of the standard gift-pen presentation box, but that box was in a matching cardboard sleeve; there was scotch tape all around the box and sleeve lengthwise, which would have been disappointing if I’d had it sent to someone, or even if I’d planned to wrap it as a gift because the sleeve tore when I removed the tape, so the whole “unboxing” was kinda clumsy.]

-With a twist, it goes from a black ballpoint to a red one, then again to a pencil.

-There’s an eraser under the stylus tip. While I do not have much use for a stylus, it’s visually pleasing to have that instead of the eraser on display unless you need the eraser.

-The mechanism is impressive. (Some reviews I’ve seen seem to indicate that it’s worth making yourself get used to turning it the reverse way only to retract the writing tip into the pen–it’s tempting to go backwards to the point you were using before, but some reports of the mechanism failing over time seem connected to people using that reverse twist (for retracting) by accident too often when trying to select a different point/color. I find it intuitive and easy to be cautious of this.)

-The inkflow from the refills that fit this pen is as smooth as any Cross I’ve ever used.

-It is possible to advance/retract the pencil lead without pressing on the stylus tip because that whole end of the pen is the thing that you move to click it–just think in terms of using two fingers on the sides of the pen you twisted to select the point rather than a thumb on the stylus covering the eraser.

-This pen is remarkably thin for so much function–not as slender as the traditional Cross ballpoints, but by no means fat. It has a nice heft and the satin/matte black finish is easy to grip. (I’ve not used the other, metallic colors.)

Anecdote: I got a version of this pen as a gift; it is my favorite because it was all matte black–this one has a metallic (chrome) clip and tip, but is a little bit less expensive and ships more quickly. After one day of using it at work, I was hooked. I loved how stealth it was, not calling attention to itself with bling, but so much more than a generic, disposable, black pen. After two weeks, a co-worker–who is notorious for never returning pens, but who is also kinda my boss and whom I like a lot–needed a pen and kinda seemed to be secretly coveting mine. Thirty minutes later, he was very sorry, but had taken a call while walking outside and lost it. He has ordered a replacement of the exact item he lost because he understood it was a real gem in the matte black, but the one he got ships from Japan and I got this one to temporarily replace it and serve as a backup going forward.

Disclaimer: I have been accumulating fine pens for decades and kinda got over Cross in high school. When I received this pen, I initially thought it was a sweet gift I would not likely use much–I tend to prefer writing with fountain pens and am fortunate to have some very nice ones. If the description and highlights seem like the answer to a need you have, I’d guess you need look no further. 😉

Sono un estimatore delle penne Cross. Uso la Tech 3 e mi trovo bene. Purtroppo la mia esperienza in generale con la Cross mi ha fatto constatare che il post vendita in Italia è assente. Ricambi costosi come nel caso della gomma per cancellare.

I was given one of these as a gift, then I saw them in a stationery store and bought another one. Unfortunately, they both got lost (stolen probably), so I was happy to find them for sale here. I really like the convenience of having three cartridges, including the pencil, in one instrument. It is a little smaller than a normal sized pen, but still comfortable and it writes well. The only criticism is that the replacement cartridges are not very cost-effective, but for the amount I use it, that is not something worth worrying about.