CrossCalais Refillable Gel Ink Rollerball Pen, Medium Rollerball, Includes Premium Gift Box - Satin Chrome

I don't know the date when Cross started lowering their quality standards and outsourcing manufacturing but sure enough, they did it.In the past, Cross would never have made such a cheaply made pen as this pen. Will it write? Yes, it will write. Is it pen you'll be proud to own, h*ll no! It feels like many promotional pens. Not only would I avoid buying this pen, but I think I would go to a brick and mortar store and handle pens before buying another.BTW, it's made in China, but worse than that, Cross compromised quality since Chinese companies can and will manufacture quality products if the specifications are to do so. So sad, yet another American company manufacturing and outsourcing crap.

I like it; this pen is just as attractive as in the photos. It's solid, heavy, feels high quality, and when I write rapidly with it at work, it stays open without creeping closed, which means I don't have to repeatedly keep twisting it open again. There's only one flaw with it.. since over 50% of the pen is chrome, inevitably it gets fingerprints all over it that are very visible. I guess my options are to use a velvet glove on my writing hand, or, keep wiping it off.PS: I do a LOT of writing at work. The old disposable pens I used to have lasted about 3 weeks each. The ink in this pen lasted 9 weeks, and then it was easily replaced. So that's good.

If there is one thing that's a must for my wife, it is having a pen she can count on. It has to look classy, feel good in the hand, write easily with skips or smudges, and be built to last. The Cross Calais is all of those things. It comes packaged in a handsome box and can be engraved if you want to spend a little more, making it ideal for gift giving. It has a higher price point than some other more basic pens that write really well too, but it should last a lifetime and is actually quite a bit less than many high end writing instruments.The satin chrome finish feels good in the hand as does the wide barrel -- allowing for more effortless writing. The satin has a bit of tooth to it and diminishes the appearance of finger prints. The nib pops out with a twist and stays put until purposely retracted. If you're do a lot of writing by hand, want a pen that works flawlessly, and is a joy to use, you can't go wrong with the Cross Calais Satin Chrome Ballpoint Pen. Refill included.~ Kort

At first I loved this pen, it wrote incredibly and I couldn't stop using it. Then it stopped working. I tried the unclogging method several times and I concluded it needed repair. I paid the $10 processing fee and sent it in. That was two months ago. I contacted them and they promised I would be contacted within a few business days. That was a month ago. Finally I called the customer service phone number and they put me on hold for 20 minutes until they went past office hours and then dropped the call. Their quality has gone done hill and I can see now that they don't care once they have your money. I have a few hundred dollars worth of their pens, since I am writer. That ends now. I have started buying pens from other manufacturers and will not buy another Cross pen from this day forth. Bye Cross!

My new favorite everyday pen. I've always disliked the classic Cross pens because they are too thin for me and I feel the ballpoint refills don't flow as freely as some others. The combination just isn't enjoyable to write with. The Calais rollerball is a different story. Its larger diameter and greater weight feel more substantial in my hand and the Cross roller cartridge flows freely without being too wet. All this while retaining the classic Cross styling I've always admired, but couldn't use until now. The greatest difference being that this pen is capped rather that the classic mechanical twist retractor. The cap posts tightly to the body and retains acceptable balance. I also have the fountain pen which has the same features and a tip that is acceptable for its price point. This pen is also available as a twist ballpoint, so if you like that refill but prefer a larger body, there's your pen. I had that one first and liked it, but once I tried the rollerball I was hooked and returned the ballpoint.

The previous holder of the title "Favorite Pen" was a Fisher Space Pen. I prefer this one because of the larger grip and increased heft. Writing smoothness is pretty similar, maybe a little better, but the Space Pen seems to write on a wider variety of surfaces (which is one of their claims to fame, so not too surprising). For everyday note taking in meetings or on phone calls, the Cross is enough of an improvement that I will take the time to find it on my desk before dialing the phone or walking off to a meeting.Fortunately, I got it in red so it would be easier to spot amidst the clutter. I was a little concerned that the red would be too pink (and I'm a male engineer who works almost exclusively with other men). I needn't have worried - the red is a very attractive, gender-neutral finish. Not only does it stand out on my desk, but it is distinctive without being flashy. I love it.

I like the girth, the matte black finish, the weight, and the quality of the actual refill and how it writes. I also like the lifetime warranty of cross pens. At the price point of about 24 bucks, it's a good value compared to some other cross pens that are quite a bit more expensive but don't have the girth or weight I was looking for.After trying this one, I bought a second one in midnight blue that I'll put blue ink refills in as well.If they made this in matte black with a gold trim, I would buy that too - similar to the the century & century II series.I also REALLY wish they did a pencil in this model, and preferably with a 0.9mm pencil lead. All the cross pencils are super skinny, and also use 0.7mm lead which just breaks too easily, so I won't buy them. I've owned some in the past and they just don't work well for me.Still, 5 stars on this at the price point. Great pen.

I wanted a proper man size pen. I used to have a Cross pen when I was a young student, gift from relative. But I found them a bit too thin. Now, I have found this one. It is not as heavy as Mont Blonc but then again, you really cannot beat the price of this Cross pen. I also find that the pen sort of glide across paper when writing. Excellent. Hope this help you guys or ladies to make up your mind. Yes, I do recommend this Cross pen.

On the picture it looks shiny and deep blue.In fact it is a washed up blue cheep china pen that should cost less than €2-3.I ordered 2 additional refills. Both of them skip all the time during writing.I had to order Pilot as last time I did because there are no compromises.For me this Cross is just a rubbish.Avoid it.

The pen that was delivered was the satin grey chrome one not the chrome blue lacquer promised in the description. As it was a last-minute leaving gift for a colleague, I didn't bother to return it. That being said, this is a genuine Cross pen with lifetime warranty and writes smoothly. And my ex-colleague enjoys using it and texted me the attached picture.NOTE: If you want really want to buy the chrome/blue lacquer pen, be prepared to receive the satin grey one.

Love this pen. Picked one up previously that someone left at work. Loved it. When it broke i debated about spending so much on a pen, but as i really, really loved it i thought what the hell.Right decision. Great weight, great quality. Great decision.

In the description the pen is red, what I got is more burgundy, not red.I don't like burgundy :(To write with it like a £1 pen.Not continuously the ink, gap in the lines, and sometimes drop more ink, which you can make a mess.The pen is good to hold.It have good weight.But all together is not good.