[Pen/Pencil Review] The Cross Contour Ballpoint Pen
This week’s pen blog is one of the pens I got received for Christmas, the Cross Contour in the Satin Chrome finish.
This pen is lovely. The body has the satin finish. The top and clip are shiny chrome. The base of the pen is chrome with black rubber grips. It’s a ball point with a black 1.0mm refill in it. Now at some point I’m going to refill this pen with a fine point ball point, though for a 1.0mm it’s not as bulky as it could be. It does smear if you don’t let it dry, which isn’t the greatest thing.
The pen is about 5.25†long with the point extended and a half inch around. It’s also kind of heavy at just over an ounce (according to the Cross Pen website). It’s pretty well-balanced, but it is on the short and wide side for my tastes. This pen has a twist retraction mechanism that is smooth and secure.
I’m not a huge fan of the grip. The rubber grips are strips embedded in the chrome, which makes for ridges. A lot of ridges that if you use it for a long time or hold it weird makes those ridges dig in or feel…off.
It’s a well made pen. I had it on my desk for about a week after Christmas and kept picking it up for stuff. I would rather have a different ink in it though, I just have to figure out what kind. I do like it better than some traditional Cross pens that I’ve always found too slim. I much rather have one on the wide side than narrow.
The numbers:
1. How does it work? – 1 – It’s decent. Mechanically there’s nothing wrong with the pen. The mechanisms and clip are rock solid.
2. Grip and feel – 0.5 – I like the fact they try to be ergonomic and put comfort grips on the pen. I don’t care for how they did it. The vertical strips dig in if you don’t hold it JUST RIGHT.
3. Material – 1 It’s solid metal. It’s hefty and well-balanced for its size. I haven’t been able to pick out the gripper strips yet, so that’s a plus. The ball point ink smears.
4. Overall Design – 0.5 – It’s on the short side. It’s almost too wide. And the grips can be uncomfortable if you don’t hold it right. It’s okay, but it’s not fantastic.
5. Price Point – 0.5 – I got this one for a gift, so bear with me here. According to the Cross website, this pen runs $25 – which is probably about what you get it for at office supply stores. That makes it more than I would’ve paid for it if I’d bought it. So yeah, Cross likes their product. But as a gift it’s great.
I give it 3.5 out of 5 Bronze Pencils
