Cross Tech3+ PVD Multifunction Pen with Stylus & 0.5mm Lead - Perfect for Writing, Drawing & Touchscreen Devices - Ideal for Office, School & Digital Note Taking

This pen is very expensive to me but, it's very nice, so I still rated it 5 stars. It's unexpectedly high functioning and appears reliable. Beyond being expensive, the only other small gripe I have is that this pen is top heavy. This gripe is minimized by the clear fact of this pen being otherwise very well designed. Now all I have to do is to find a write in the rain ink refill for it. I'm loving this pen so far though.FURTHER UPDATE ;) - December 16, 2006:So, now that I've owned this multipen, and a different brand, for just over two months, I can accurately speak to Cross's superior craftsmanship, and this pen's undisputable functionality. I'd bought a pair of the same multipen made by a different company, and the value of those pens was stated as being around thirty bucks. Well, after owning each of those for a short week, I quickly became aware of why they were being sold for a measly ten bucks. Even though those pens had more of the heft I'd originally said I preferred, the cheap things broke after being dropped ONCE from a height of less than three feet! With my Cross multipen, I'm still receiving compliments on it, it's still my favorite, and even though I've dropped it more than once, the metal barrel and shaft on it make for a much more durable pen than the ones I've come across from other brands.So, there you have it! If you're in the market for a stylish, elegant, and durable multi-pen, you're looking at your best bet!UPDATE, October 13, 2006:Okay, it's official: I've owned this pen for only three full days, and I completely LOVE it! It's even replaced my fountain pens for first place in my heart when it comes to writing instruments, and I've been collecting (moderately priced and affordable) fountain pens for nearly a decade now! Everyone that's seen this little number has commented on what a nice pen it is (even my friend that made a vaguely critical comment about how mine has the same functionality as his, just at a higher price. Of course, I know that this pen beats his dimestore version hands DOWN - this Cross Tech 3 is a quality writing instrument, and elegant enough for ANY professional)! Wonder if it's too late to change that rating to five stars...Since receiving my pen from Amazon (in two business days yet, and for FREE! Amazon Prime ROCKS!), I'm considering buying another one, this time in the black finish, if I don't end up deciding that another chrome is a MUST have as a back-up... If only they made it in a polished copper color....As for my refills, I got my order from [...] a prompt five days after it was mailed via first class US Postal Service, and am thrilled with the leads and ink refills I bought from them. They're a perfect fit, and offered in colors beyond the standard red and black, right up my artsy alley! Good stuff!When it comes time for me to buy gifts for close friends, this pen is going to go to the top of my "ideas" list. I can't imagine anyone not finding this pen as enticing and useful as I've found it! It's like the old American Express ads: I never leave home without this pen! It's also reawakened my desire to draw during my free time! What a versatile, snazzy pen! Everyone should have one of these! ~+~So far, I'm very pleased with this pen. It's sleek and slender, contrary to what I was expecting, as the photo makes it look potentially bulky. Changing between the black ink tip, red ink tip, and lead tip is smooth and easy, only requiring a simple twist of the pen's barrel in either direction. Changing out the refills is also easy, simply requiring that you pull up firmly on the (rather short) pen tip refills to remove them and push in the new pen refill. For the pencil, you simply pull the lead-loading mechanism out, and insert no more than three .5mm lead refills. The end cap of the pen unscrews (rather than pulls off - a smart touch) to reveal the pencil eraser.As far as refills go, I've only recently ordered ink pen refills, eraser refills, and leads (since they have the softer 3B lead hardness that I prefer; the standard #2 pencil is a 2B hardness) [...] who offers free first class shipping on all refills, excluding bottled fountain pen ink), and I'm expecting these to fit the pen just fine, especially since Levenger previously carried this very same pen, and Pen City showed the pen itself on the same page with the refill items that I ordered.Overall, I'm thrilled with my pen so far - I just got it today, so I can't speak to overall functionality yet, but so far it looks like a very pleasing piece. The only reason for my rating it four stars as opposed to five, is that I would have liked the pen to have just a little more heft. At just over twenty grams, or just under one ounce, it seems to be an okay weight, but I suppose I simply like a heavier pen as it makes me feel as if I'm really getting a solid, high quality writing instrument. This one appears to be high quality, even if it doesn't have the heft that I prefer.... Only time will tell.If you're considering this, it's definitely the best deal that you'll find for an elegant-looking 3-in-1 pen. I've searched the web from top to bottom to see what multi-pens are available out there, and the others are either clunky, sporty-looking, or more expensive than this elegant, tapered number. I'm positive that you won't regret deciding on this one!This pen is fantastic! I would not have chosen it for myself, but received it as a gift, then bought a second one for myself. Highlights follow.[This is not a complaint because it wasn't a problem for me, but I would want to know about this particular item I received days ago--the one I'm reviewing on Amazon having purchased one here (as opposed to whatever others of this product I've seen around) came in a version of the standard gift-pen presentation box, but that box was in a matching cardboard sleeve; there was scotch tape all around the box and sleeve lengthwise, which would have been disappointing if I'd had it sent to someone, or even if I'd planned to wrap it as a gift because the sleeve tore when I removed the tape, so the whole "unboxing" was kinda clumsy.]-With a twist, it goes from a black ballpoint to a red one, then again to a pencil.-There's an eraser under the stylus tip. While I do not have much use for a stylus, it's visually pleasing to have that instead of the eraser on display unless you need the eraser.-The mechanism is impressive. (Some reviews I've seen seem to indicate that it's worth making yourself get used to turning it the reverse way only to retract the writing tip into the pen--it's tempting to go backwards to the point you were using before, but some reports of the mechanism failing over time seem connected to people using that reverse twist (for retracting) by accident too often when trying to select a different point/color. I find it intuitive and easy to be cautious of this.)-The inkflow from the refills that fit this pen is as smooth as any Cross I've ever used.-It is possible to advance/retract the pencil lead without pressing on the stylus tip because that whole end of the pen is the thing that you move to click it--just think in terms of using two fingers on the sides of the pen you twisted to select the point rather than a thumb on the stylus covering the eraser.-This pen is remarkably thin for so much function--not as slender as the traditional Cross ballpoints, but by no means fat. It has a nice heft and the satin/matte black finish is easy to grip. (I've not used the other, metallic colors.)Anecdote: I got a version of this pen as a gift; it is my favorite because it was all matte black--this one has a metallic (chrome) clip and tip, but is a little bit less expensive and ships more quickly. After one day of using it at work, I was hooked. I loved how stealth it was, not calling attention to itself with bling, but so much more than a generic, disposable, black pen. After two weeks, a co-worker--who is notorious for never returning pens, but who is also kinda my boss and whom I like a lot--needed a pen and kinda seemed to be secretly coveting mine. Thirty minutes later, he was very sorry, but had taken a call while walking outside and lost it. He has ordered a replacement of the exact item he lost because he understood it was a real gem in the matte black, but the one he got ships from Japan and I got this one to temporarily replace it and serve as a backup going forward.Disclaimer: I have been accumulating fine pens for decades and kinda got over Cross in high school. When I received this pen, I initially thought it was a sweet gift I would not likely use much--I tend to prefer writing with fountain pens and am fortunate to have some very nice ones. If the description and highlights seem like the answer to a need you have, I'd guess you need look no further. ;-)I’ve had these pens for several years and really like them, and that is why I gave them as gifts to two recent high school graduatesBought this for a friends son for a high school graduation. The 3 in 1 pen/ pencil is convenient for his college career. Price is great and also can buy refills. Would recommendCool concept but def not worth the price. Black ink didn’t write smoothly at all. Red ink was more like a pink ink. Pencil was just a pencil. I expected better packaging too. It was pretty boring. Pen looks cool in all black but feels cheap. Maybe I expected too much but I was pretty disappointed. Heading to the nearest UPS store to send it back.This pen is great. Love having a pencil, two pen colors and a stylus all together. Perfect to leave near your reading spot or with the iPad.I like that you can go from ink to pencil and it has red back ink in 1 penI've always liked Cross pens having had my last one for nearly 20 years until a colleague borrowed and lost it :-(I liked the idea of a multi function pen but was always put off by the cheap plasticy things that they were.Came across this and thought I'd give it a go.I'm so glad I did - Been using it 6 months now. The pen writes beautifully, feels comfortable and still looks like new despite being chucked in my bag with my laptop and other stuff daily.Like others I was concerned about the life of the refills being as they are quite small. However a refill lasts me 3 months, I use the pen daily, which is about the same as I was getting from the gel ink refills on my old Townsend.I've only used the pencil a couple of times and it seems OK. The stylus tip seems sturdy enough to me, similar to many purpose built styli, however I can't comment on it's use as I don't use it, I prefer to use my finger.I go my brother one of these in black and it is the coolest pen ever I got one for me in blue and silver and it reminds me of 1920s, very chic and stylish. They write beautifully too, although I haven't tried changing a refill yet. Fingers crossed. I'll be getting a black one for me too, I love them.Great pen for me to use as it is so easy to alternate between black ink, red ink and pencil. It also feels nice in the hand being ever so slightly heavier and wider than a conventional pen. The twisting mechanism feels sturdy and is reliable. My only worry is that I will misplace it but so far so good on that front!December 2019 updateI still have the pen and use it each day. The twisting mechanism is quite soothing and I tend to play with it in meetings. The only problem was that the touch screen bit on the end wore out but I picked up a replacement on Amazon for less than a fiver. The other thing about these pens is that the price fluctuates quite a lot so you are better off monitoring prices for a while before taking the plunge. But it is a great pen!I've used a Cross Tech 3 pen for years as I find it so useful to have black, red and pencil available at all times in one stylish pen. So when my previous one finally failed (the pen selection mechanism wore out after about 10 years) I immediately replaced it with an identical one. It's slim, stylish and reliable and value for money given it's versatility. I would hesitate to recommend it to anyone.I love cross pens. This I am a little underwhelmed with. It looks dated, and has engraved lines down the body of the pen which aren’t really shown in the picture. The quality of the writing finish isn’t great either. The black comes out as a grey colour and the red isn't great either. I have disposable pens that have a better end result. A bit disappointing in my opinion.