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Thread: Cross Peerless 125 Overview

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    Senior Member gbryal's Avatar
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    Default Cross Peerless 125 Overview

    The Cross Peerless 125, at $405 discounted is the most expensive pen I have purchased. I feel like if I say nice things about it, I might be biased a bit by the amount I paid. If I say bad things about it, same thing. The excitement of the sale long behind me, I'll try to focus on the pen in and of itself.

    I tried this pen out at Paradise Pen Co., and kept coming back to it, not based on the design, which I slowly came to appreciate, but the nib. I've often proclaimed the only thing that really matters about a pen is how it writes, and I felt this pen called me out and asked me to prove it. Because it wrote very well indeed. The word "skating" kept occurring to me. Though this pen is available in many finishes (and higher prices), mine is the black lacquer.

    The pen is similar in shape to the Townsend, but is slightly shorter and thicker. End of barrel to end of section, it's actually a hair shorter than the Bailey, though with the larger nib it is longer, and certainly a stouter pen. More reminiscent of other brands signature cigar pens, but with the Cross design language, with a bent clip and truncated tassie, it sports a subtle Swarovski crystal (Is it required to say Swarovski? It's a bead, and you can barely see it. Hope it didn't add a lot to the price.)

    The pen is heavy, at 47g capped and filled. and 29g uncapped. It's 145mm long capped, 129mm uncapped, and 157mm posted. The cap is heavy, and while it doesn't bother me when posting the pen, I prefer it unposted, in part because of the thickness of the cap. I wouldn't call it unbalanced, though if you don't take care to post it with the clip up, the bent clip will interfere with the writing angle.

    The pen snaps to post, securely, and screws to cap. The threads are smooth and not numerous. They sit just beneath a nice ring, with CROSS PEERLESS 125 in raised chrome letters on a black band. The end of the barrel is metal, with a groove near the end, presumably to aid in posting. The posting help is appreciated and helps ensure that the pen finish isn't damaged. However, I sometimes find a bit of ink in the groove from the cap.

    The section is stout and easy to grip and is of the same black lacquer finish as the barrel. There is a thin metal ring near the nib with a very slight lip, just enough to know where your fingers are.

    The nib is really pleasant. Mine is a medium rhodium plated 18k nib, and it reads "Peerless 125 -M- 18K 750 CROSS". Around the lettering is a border, and there are longitudinal lines which fill in to a second border at the nib end. As mentioned earlier, it skates on fountain pen paper, but seems to write well on any paper. It's closer to a fine than a medium, and writes pleasantly wetly. The nib is a bit prone to creep and can lead to small amounts of ink in the cap, and if you post it, on the end of the barrel.

    The clip is sturdier looking than the similarly shaped one on the Townsend (which is plenty sturdy already), with more metal used. It's very tight. When clipping to my shirt pocket it picked up a tuft of fabric and it is still wedged in where the metal folds on itself. I don't think it would damage any pockets, but the extra metal used I think folds into sort of a box arrangement under the nib and could have gaps to catch fabric threads. The clip has "CROSS" in raised lettering on a field of black, which looks nice and matches the barrel ring.

    The pen is a fingerprint magnet, but the finish isn't slick and the pen is easy to hold.

    The pen comes with a very nice box with a translucent stand that says "Cross" on it, and comes with a threaded Cross converter. When I bought mine at Paradise Pen Co. they threw in some Cross polishing cloths, which I certainly have use for.

    I like this pen, and don't mind carrying it to work, if my shirt pocket is crisp enough to not buckle under the weight, or I am carrying it in a sturdy leather case in a pants pocket. I find it writes a bit too wetly for slick restaurant receipts, though this is the case with many pens. If the price is too dear, consider the Townsend, which is available with certain finishes in the $100 range (and others which cost more than this pen). If you like the black lacquer, consider the much less expensive Jinhao 159 with black enamel. For a similar nib, look at the Sailor 1911 Large Realo, and for rather less than the price of this pen you get a piston filler that won't rip your pocket off of your shirt.

    PeerlessCapped.jpgPeerlessCapped2.jpgPeerlessNib.jpgPeerlessUncapped.jpgCross-Peerless-Jewel.jpg
    Last edited by gbryal; January 18th, 2016 at 02:25 AM.

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    Default Re: Cross Peerless 125 Overview

    Ironically enough the last time I was in paradise pens, they let me test drive one of these. I had the same conclusions. Ended up with a Visconti instead

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    Senior Member Crazyorange's Avatar
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    Default Re: Cross Peerless 125 Overview

    Thanks for a series of great reviews on these little talked about pens.

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    Default Re: Cross Peerless 125 Overview

    Thanks for the review. I have one of these too. Love it.

  6. #5
    Brennerluggage
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    Default Re: Cross Peerless 125 Overview

    I have been using the Gold Peerless since it was released, and I have to say it is truly a great pen for the price. A few months back, I got the New York Building edition peerless and love it. The medium nib writes very well, but I really like using the zoom nib. I do have every available nib for the peerless, but those two are my favorite.

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    Senior Member Mags's Avatar
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    Default Re: Cross Peerless 125 Overview

    thanks for the review. is it a bit slippery in the hands?

    Mags sent from my blackberry playbook using tapatalks
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    Senior Member gbryal's Avatar
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    Default Re: Cross Peerless 125 Overview

    Quote Originally Posted by Mags View Post
    thanks for the review. is it a bit slippery in the hands?
    I don't think it's too bad. The section is smooth but not slippery like, say, a chrome section would be. Combined with the weight of it, you may find it a little slippery if you tend to perspire on a hot day, but I wouldn't say it is at all among the worst.

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    Senior Member Mags's Avatar
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    Default Re: Cross Peerless 125 Overview

    Quote Originally Posted by gbryal View Post
    Quote Originally Posted by Mags View Post
    thanks for the review. is it a bit slippery in the hands?
    I don't think it's too bad. The section is smooth but not slippery like, say, a chrome section would be. Combined with the weight of it, you may find it a little slippery if you tend to perspire on a hot day, but I wouldn't say it is at all among the worst.
    Thank you.


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    Mags or Rob Maguire MB 149, 147, 146,144, Mozart, Boehme, Sailor Realo, Aurora Optima, Churchmen Prescriptor and Parson's Essential, Parker 51 1.3 mm stub, Parker Vacumatic 1939 OB Can, TWSBI's (540,580, Mini and Vac 700), Pelikan M 1000/800 Demonstrator 600/200 demoM/200 OBB, Visconti Rembrandts (2), Lamy, Cross, Watermans, Pilots, Sheaffer's, Omas 360 LE 84/360, GvFC, Esterbrooks J and SJ, Bexley Jitterbug, Taccia, Eversharp 1952 flex, Edison Herald, Franklin Christoph Piper.

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    Senior Member gbryal's Avatar
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    Default Re: Cross Peerless 125 Overview

    Update: This pen I purchased in April 2015 now is showing micro bubbles under the lacquer, and I am able to scratch some of the finish away with a fingernail.
    I store it in a felt lined cabinet, and sometimes in a leatherette pen pouch that Paradise Pens gave me with the pen. The only agent I can think of that it's been exposed to besides water is my own perspiration, and I wipe it with the same sort of cloth one would clean ones eyeglasses with, or the provided cloths.

    Though the pen has a lifetime warranty, this is not considered a "mechanical" defect, and when I contacted Cross they declined to offer any remedy for the problem.

    I am not saying this will happen to your pen, but I'd caution owners to keep an eye on this and exercise extra care if you see signs of this issue -- given the expense of this pen obviously it's a big hit on the value.

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    Senior Member penwash's Avatar
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    Default Re: Cross Peerless 125 Overview

    > Though the pen has a lifetime warranty, this is not considered a "mechanical" defect, and when I contacted Cross they declined to offer any remedy for the problem.

    For a pen that cost that much, they should refinish the pen.
    - Will
    Unique and restored vintage pens: Redeem Pens

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    Senior Member gbryal's Avatar
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    Default Re: Cross Peerless 125 Overview

    I sent a follow up email pointing out that their support page mentions "tarnishing". Not precisely the same thing I guess. I didn't get a reply.

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    Default Re: Cross Peerless 125 Overview

    Another update: Cross did send me a replacement pen, in a new box with converter and two ink cartridges. Happy customer.

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    Default Re: Cross Peerless 125 Overview

    GlaD there was a happy ending - even if it was a hassle!

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    Default Re: Cross Peerless 125 Overview

    I've long been considering the London version.

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    Default Re: Cross Peerless 125 Overview

    I have 2 125's and 2 Townsends, love them all. Smooth writing, nice weight. Until I saw the issue with having to send that one back I was going to say I thought the Cross quality control was better than the infamous lack of it by Visconti. Disappointing.
    Sandy
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    Senior Member gbryal's Avatar
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    Default Re: Cross Peerless 125 Overview

    Quote Originally Posted by sharmon202 View Post
    I have 2 125's and 2 Townsends, love them all. Smooth writing, nice weight. Until I saw the issue with having to send that one back I was going to say I thought the Cross quality control was better than the infamous lack of it by Visconti. Disappointing.
    Well, as I say, they did make it better in the end. The pen didn't develop the bubbling for more than a year, so I am not sure how they could have caught it on the way out. I did read about it in amazon comments, happening to someone else, but haven't noted it to be a widespread problem.

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