Most helpful client reviews
41 of 42 people found the following review helpful.
Excellent product with one major setback
By Ford Madox Prefect
This pen is rather useful, and it has been rather reliable. I work in a occupation that requires me to carry a red pen and a blue or black pen, so this fits the bill well. The only problem is the little amount of ink in the refills and the difficultness in obtaining more refills. The erasers have been easy to find at the local office store, and it takes usual .5mm leads, such as Pentel hi-polymers, so those are also easy to buy. If not for the difficultness in finding replacements for the tiny, speedily depleted refills, this pen would be right up there with my Pilot Knights as one of my favored pens. In answer to the refill problem, I found out today to my surprise that Staedtler multi-action ball point refills work perfectly well of Cross refills are not available. Another good thing with regards to this pen is it is immune to the quality drop in Cross pens since they begun mass fabricating them in China rather than formulating them in the classic handmade style in the USA. This pen is Japanese made, and it has the quality of a Pilot.
18 of 18 persons found the following review helpful.
Aesthetically pleasing, and highly functional
By M.D. Edwards
FURTHER UPDATE 
- December 16, 2006:
So, now that I've owned this multipen, and a dissimilar brand, for just over two months, I may accurately speak to Cross's superior craftsmanship, and this pen's undisputable functionality. I'd purchased a pair of the same multipen made by a dissimilar company, and the value of those pens was stated as being around thirty bucks. Well, after owning each of those for a short week, I speedily became conscious of why they were being sold for a measly ten bucks. Even though those pens had more of the heft I'd in the first place said I preferred, the cheap things broke after being dropped ONCE from a height of less than three feet! With my Cross multipen, I'm still receiving compliments on it, it's still my favorite, and even though I've dropped it more than once, the metal barrel and shaft on it make for a much more lasting pen than the ones I've come all over from other brands.
So, there you have it! If you're in the market for a stylish, elegant, and lasting multi-pen, you're looking at your best bet!
UPDATE, October 13, 2006:
Okay, it's official: I've owned this pen for only three full days, and I completely LOVE it! It's even substituted my fountain pens for basi place in my heart when it comes to writing instruments, and I've been gathering (moderately priced and affordable) fountain pens for closely a decade now! Everyone that's seen this little number has commented on what a nice pen it is (even my friend that made a vaguely critical comment when it comes to how mine has the same functionality as his, just at a higher price. Of course, I know that this pen beats his dimestore version hands DOWN - this Cross Tech 3 is a quality writing instrument, and graceful sufficient for ANY professional)! Wonder if it's too late to change that rating to five stars...
Since receiving my pen from Amazon (in two business days yet, and for FREE! Amazon Prime ROCKS!), I'm giving careful consideration to buying another one, this time in the black finish, if I don't end up settling that another chrome is a MUST have as a back-up... If only they made it in a polished copper color....
As for my refills, I got my order from [...] a prompt five days after it was mailed thru introductory class US Postal Service, and am thrilled with the leads and ink refills I purchased from them. They're a perfective fit, and offered in colors beyond the ordinary red and black, right up my artsy alley! Good stuff!
When it comes time for me to buy gifts for close friends, this pen is going to go to the top of my "ideas" list. I can't imagine any person not finding this pen as enticing and utile as I've found it! It's like the old American Express ads: I never leave home without this pen! It's also reawakened my desire to draw for the duration of my free time! What a versatile, snazzy pen! Everyone must have one of these!
~+~
So far, I'm very pleased with this pen. It's sleek and slender, contrary to what I was expecting, as the photo makes it look potentially bulky. Changing amidst the black ink tip, red ink tip, and lead tip is smooth and easy, only calling for a simple twist of the pen's barrel in either direction. Changing out the refills is likewise easy, plainly calling for that you pull up with resolute determination on the (rather short) pen tip refills to remove them and push in the new pen refill. For the pencil, you merely pull the lead-loading mechanism out, and insert no more than three .5mm lead refills. The end cap of the pen unscrews (rather than pulls off - a smart touch) to disclose the pencil eraser.
As far as refills go, I've only lately ordered ink pen refills, eraser refills, and leads (since they have the softer 3B lead hardness that I prefer; the usual #2 pencil is a 2B hardness) [...] who offers free original class shipping on all refills, excluding bottled fountain pen ink), and I'm expecting these to fit the pen just fine, exceptionally since Levenger antecedently carried this very same pen, and Pen City showed the pen itself on the same page with the refill items that I ordered.
Overall, I'm thrilled with my pen so far - I just got it today, so I can't speak to overall functionality yet, but so far it looks like a very delighting piece. The only reason for my rating it four stars as opposed to five, is that I would have liked the pen to have just a little more heft. At just over twenty grams, or just under one ounce, it seems to be an okay weight, but I suppose I plainly like a heavier pen as it makes me feel as if I'm in truth getting a solid, high quality writing instrument. This one appears to be high quality, even if it doesn't have the heft that I prefer.... Only time will tell.
If you're taking into account this, it's unquestionably the best deal that you'll find for an elegant-looking 3-in-1 pen. I've searched the web from top to bottom to see what multi-pens are available out there, and the others are either clunky, sporty-looking, or more highpriced than this elegant, tapered number. I'm positive that you won't regret resolving on this one!
14 of 14 people found the following review helpful.
Great writing instrument
By Anita T. Lambert
Nurses are always in need of tri-color pens. We thrive on the free ones but once in a while you have to bite for the finer things in life. This is a great pen, writes nice, and fits the bill. Getting the refills for the red pen and eraser are a pain but love the pen. I keep the free pens for those who ask, may I borrow your pen?
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