CrossFountain Pen Ink Cartridge - Blue (six per card)

Writes well

Perfectly fine Ink Carts ... bought these in addition to the Cross Fountain Pen ... ink flows smoothly ... no issue with clogging or uneven ink flow when writing ...

I like the CROSS products! The value for the money is unbeatable! Now, bear in mind I have never owned a $400 Parker or Lamy fountain pen, so I cannot in all honesty speak to that! But I can say that $25 will buy you a nice CROSS fountain pen, and a few dollars more will get you 6 refill cartridges for that same CROSS pen!So for a little more than 30 bucks you will be writing in comfortable ease! And you will have a nice quality pen that provides a wonderful, smooth writing experience!

As a frequent note-writer, I recently made the leap to the fountain pen by buying two Cross pens, a couple of sets of the ink refills here under review, and a Mont Blanc ink fountain.Although I've already grown to enjoy 'dipping', there are times when the pen refill is the way to go; while traveling, for example.These plastic refills slip into place without complication and become 'holed' as they do. After that, you simply begin writing. A steady but controlled stream of high-quality ink makes the rest a breeze.People accustomed to a ballpoint pen may be surprised--as I was--by the short lifespan of these refills. I suspect you simply lay down a lot more ink with a fountain pen than with a ballpoint. No matter, it's worth it.

I am very pleased to report that these ink cartridges work exactly as they are supposed to work even in my 40 plus year old Cross fountain pen. My pen had been lying dormant for at least a couple of decades when I came across it again. I cleaned it up and put a new cartridge in and voila! The pen was resurrected and performs as well now as it did when I was using it decades ago. I have since purchased both Blue and Black cartridges and they all work well.

These refills work as expected, but don't expect the ink not to eventually dry out if you don't use the fountain pen for a few months, but such is the nature of fountain pens.Side note: these do not and will not make a mess. Super clean refills with no risk of ink on skin or environment.

I have an enormous collection of fountain pens that I have accumulated over many decades. To me, no ballpoint can surpass the joy of writing with a fountain pen. I have cartridges for many fountain pens and Cross cartridges are absolutely the worst. Their odd shape results in a structural flaw that enables air to enter the cartridge over time, ruining the ink and totally drying them out over time. You can’t store them for more than about two years before they turn bad. Never buy more than you will use in the nearfuture. Also be careful about your supplier. They have a very short shelf life and may turn bad in the store. I still use them, but I am very careful to never order more than I would use in a year. Cross fountain pens write reasonably well, but the best solution is to use a converter and fill them with bottled ink. Cross ink used to be Pelikan ink. Perhaps it still is. It used to be cheaper than Pelikan and a cheap way to purchase Pelikan ink; however, the pricing is reversed today with Cross being more expensive. Maybe it is a different ink now.

Have tried cheaper refills without much luck. Wish Cross had a bluer blue, but will not give up my pen to get one.