Cross Ion Modification and Review

(This is a guest post by Brian Draghi. You can flow Brian on Twitter @Sketchscape)

I came across the Cross Ion several years ago when I found it in a college bookstore discounted to 5 dollars and immediately purchased it. The small portable design was unlike anything I had seen before and its futuristic look of opening and closing the pen had me hooked. The pen was the perfect size to carry in my pocket without it being too distracting. I only used this pen for a brief amount of time because of the one main drawback which is the large point size.

The only available size for the Cross Ion was the 0.7 mm refill which is too large for my writing style. There was no way to add a smaller refill size from other pens because you could only use the non-standard refills made specifically for the Cross Ion.  Cross had never offered a smaller point size with this pen for those of us who prefer a smaller size.

It had been since shelved and forgotten into my collection of pens. I recently came across it again in my reserve stash of pens in my office. It had such a cool design that I really didn’t want it to go to waste. I was determined once again to find a way to use the Cross Ion with a refill that was smaller than a 0.7. It occurred to me to just try to find a replacement tip for the pen instead wasting my time with refills that would never fit properly.

After several failed experiments trying different tips from my collection of pens I finally found a solution to my problem. The tip from retractable version of the Office Max TUL brand 0.5 needle point as well as the retractable Energel X needle point fits the Cross Ion perfectly. Here is a simple and easy 5 min guide to convert to a needle point tip for the Cross Ion.

Cross Ion mod tools needed:

- One TUL 0.5 needle point refill.

- One Cross Ion refill.

- Pilers.

- A cloth over work area in case some ink spills.

- Good light source.

Four step process:

- Take a pair of pilers and grab the side base of the metal tip, not the needle point part.

- Do the same with the metal tip on the Cross refill. It should put out with some minor pressure.

- Use the pilers to insert the new tip in the Cross refill; it should snap into place perfectly.

- Enjoy your new needle point Cross Ion!

View the entire Cross Ion Mod photo set on Flickr.

Cross Ion refills can still be purchased off Amazon and the Cross website. Some Staples stores still carry these refills but they can be hard to find. I tend to buy multiples of the things I like, so I think I grabbed 3 when I saw them last at Staples a few months ago. I’ve tried to find something smaller around the .35 range but was unsuccessful. This is the simplest way to change the larger point size without having to mod the existing Ion refill or replace it all together. So far, the TUL 0.5 needle point tip works perfectly with the Cross Ion.

Rotring Tikky Rollerpoint 0.5 mm Blue Review

The Rotring Tikky Rollerpoint is an amazing pen, but even amazing pens are not for everyone.

If you have ever asked me for a pen recommendation, the first response you received from me is “What will you be using the pen for?”, that is, if you haven’t laid it out for me already. It is an important question because I want to help you find the best pen for the best situation. Not all pens are created equal!

This Tikky Rollerpoint is one of the most impressive pens I have ever had the pleasure of holding. The weight and feel of the barrel are phenomenal and you can tell by holding it that a lot of thought went in to the design. The needle tip is extremely firm as well.

Where I found the pen getting off track was in the ink flow department. It flows fast and I had to pick up the writing pace to keep ahead of the ink bleeding. For me, it doesn’t fit my style of writing. The output does look impressive on the page though.

Where I see this pen fitting in is with a long form writing style. If you are a cursive note taker or journaler who knocks out several pages in one sitting I would recommend taking a look at this pen. It reminds me of the Pilot V7, which is one of the best needle tip liquid ink pens on the market. If you are more of a stop and start, detailed note taker like me, then you may want to look at a gel ink needle tip pen.

Pen choices are nearly endless. Be sure to take the time to understand the pros and cons of each pen and how it would apply to your situation. Your next favorite pen is out there somewhere.

Staedtler Triplus Fineliner 0.3 mm Review

The Staedtler Triplus Fineliner is one of those pens that seems like it has been around forever. It gets a lot of love from artists, students, and just about anyone who uses drawing or art pens. I finally picked up my first one last month to see what all the fuss is about.

I really branched out on my color choice here. Not black, not blue, but gray! I know, I know - there are 30 colors to choose from, but I panicked and went the safe route. Maybe next time I will go with Light Orange or Bordeaux Red.

In using the Triplus Fineliner as my main writing pen for a couple of days I found it did a decent job. The color was sharp, the lines were clean, and it was an all-around good writer. Comparing it to the Sakura Pigma Micron or Uni Pin, the tip on the Fineliner is softer, giving it a slight brush pen feel. It’s clearly not a brush pen, but there is a difference between this pen and some of its counterparts.

While the softer tip will keep me from using it as an every day pen, there is another feature of the Triplus Fineliner that is impressive. Staedtler touts this pen as Dry Safe, meaning you can leave this pen uncapped for days and pick it right back up and start writing. This is normally a huge no-no for drawing pens and I wouldn’t believe it unless I saw it. Well, I saw it, and it worked as advertised. Take a look at the bottom of the written review and you will see my 0-hour, 24-hour, and 72-hour uncapped samples. Three days later and the Triplus Fineliner wrote like I uncapped it for the first time.

Overall, this is a great pen, especially for the price. Do understand though that there is a difference in tip firmness compared to other drawing pens. For me and my writing style it is not a great fit, but for many of you it will be right up your alley.