Presidents and Pens

What pen is Biden using to sign executive orders? It resembles a Cross rollerball of some sort. Are there notable pens that have been used by past presidents?

(Please avoid partisan bickering. I hesitated to post this for the possibility of passively inciting vitriol. I am really just curious about what pen is being used and perhaps what past presidents have used.)

Cross Century II Rollerball Pen in a classic black lacquer finish with 23KT gold-plated appointments

You have an eagle's eyes!

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Originally Posted by Baisao

You have an eagle's eyes!

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I don't. I love find answers.... :)

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Originally Posted by Baisao

You have an eagle's eyes!

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Cross sent out a promotional e-mail this morning teling us about it.

For some reason, I associate those Cross type ballpoints with the 1980s. My father carried a silver-colored ballpoint and pencil set with length-wide lines engraved on a daily basis in the 1980s. I find them wickedly uncomfortable for sustained writing.

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Originally Posted by Ray-VIgo

For some reason, I associate those Cross type ballpoints with the 1980s. My father carried a silver-colored ballpoint and pencil set with length-wide lines engraved on a daily basis in the 1980s. I find them wickedly uncomfortable for sustained writing.

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I do too! I liked the smoothness of the mechanism but I had a very difficult time writing with the skinny plated ones for longer than a few minutes. Cross pens were the ones I saw most given as a presentation gift in business.

I found a close up of the pens just now and have added it here.

Attachment 58552

Have there been presidents that used fountain pens (assuming they used permanent inks) since the ballpoints became widespread?

Ike had Parker 51 desk pens on his Oval Office desk, presumably gifts from his friend, Kenneth Parker. There were Esterbrook desk pens on JFK's desk in the Oval Office. LBJ had Esterbrooks on his desk too, but haven't seen a photo of him writing with one. I read once that Nixon used a Parker 75 for personal writing, but do not recall seeing a photo.

CNN posted this yesterday about the history of pens used to sign bills.

In 1963 when German Chancellor didn't have a pen with him, JFK handed the Chancellor his Montblanc 149 to use to sign a guest book in Berlin.

I too found the Cross ballpoints a bit too skinny for prolonged writing, and was glad I had a Montblanc rollerball to write with during a couple of three-hour writing exams.

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Originally Posted by Barry B. Gabay

Ike had Parker 51 desk pens on his Oval Office desk, presumably gifts from his friend, Kenneth Parker. There were Esterbrook desk pens on JFK's desk in the Oval Office. LBJ had Esterbrooks on his desk too, but haven't seen a photo of him writing with one. I read once that Nixon used a Parker 75 for personal writing, but do not recall seeing a photo.

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Thanks! They should use them more.

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Originally Posted by Yazeh

Cross Century II Rollerball Pen in a classic black lacquer finish with 23KT gold-plated appointments

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The CNN video linked above says the pens were navy color not black. I can't really tell from the photo, which is why I only buy black socks by the way. :)

And it's a decent quality pen that can be customized and then handed out to the people who paid for your campaign. "$20 million and all I got was this pen!"