This post was written by guest blogger, Maureen of Rh90Pens. While a sample was received from CROSS to facilitate this review, all opinions remain 100% honest.
When our daughter was in high school some of her friends nicknamed my husband SuperDad. He was the kind of father who attended every event, and looked out for the girls’ best interest as though they were each his own daughter. He also loves pens. In fact, he has been a pen lover since his own high school days. I am willing to bet that, like him, your SuperDad also has fond childhood memories of comic books and superheroes. How perfect then, that I was invited by Experimental Mommy to review a pen from the CROSS MARVEL Collection just in time for Father’s Day gift giving!
The pen I received is the CROSS Century II MARVEL Iron Man Rollerball.
The outer box is emblazoned with the MARVEL and CROSS logos, and stickers specific to the pen design. The inner packaging is a substantial clamshell box with the CROSS logo. The pen is held in place by an elastic band under a ribbon, and nestled in a cutout foam frame. The pen and packaging arrived in perfect condition for gift giving.
A card inside the clamshell box has graphics specific to the pen design on one side, and text describing the background of the superhero on the reverse. A multi-language warranty booklet is tucked behind the card, in a CROSS folder that invites you to Make Your Mark.
The pen has an included 0.7mm CROSS Rolling Ball refill with black ink. The rollerball writes very smoothly and leaves a sharp, dense line. The ink dries in under 20 seconds on very smooth, less-absorbent paper. It will dry even faster on standard copier paper stock.
What if your SuperDad is not fond of rollerballs, or if you are unsure of his preference? No worries! The body of the pen can be converted to ballpoint or felt tip simply by changing the separately sold CROSS refills. How easy is that?! Consider gifting the pen to dad with one of each refill so he can swap them out to suit his mood! There is a ribbon tab in the clamshell box that allows you to lift the pen tray and access the space below. Your SuperDad can store extra refills there.
The tip of the included rollerball refill is protected from drying prior to use by a plastic ball that is easily pulled off before first use. A nice touch to ensure that the refill is ready to work when dad is ready to start writing!
The cap of the pen is held on securely. It snaps on and off, but very smoothly and quietly. No need to be concerned about the cap falling off in a pocket or briefcase with this pen. The cap also posts securely, without leaving a mark on the body of the pen. With a weight of 30 grams, the pen has a nice heft. The body of the pen is long enough to comfortably write with unposted., and posting does not make the pen top heavy.
The colors of the high lacquer finish on the Iron Man pen are a rich red, with gold graphics. There is a 23kt gold finish on the finial, clip, and cap and body bands. The section is formed of black plastic with vertical ridges that prevent slipping of the pen while writing. The ridges in the section are smooth and not noticeable when gripping the pen. The step from the body of the pen to the grip is comfortably short and smooth. The end of the section, closest to the tip of the refill, has the same 23kt gold finish as the other appointments.
The pen I received for this review has a list price of $150 USD, and is available in two other superhero designs, Captain America and Spiderman.
What dad would like to receive a CROSS Century II MARVEL Rollerball pen for Father’s Day? One who: has fond memories of superheroes from his youth, enjoys sharing the resurgence of superheroes with his kids, wants to add a pop of color to his day, needs his great looking pen to have great function as well, appreciates the flexibility of a pen that can work with multiple refill types.
You can remind your dad that he is your very own superhero by giving him a CROSS Century II MARVEL Rollerball pen for Father’s Day.
Happy Father’s Day to all fellow SuperDads from RH90Pen’s very own Dad/Artist Gregory!
