Cross

A.T. Cross is America's oldest manufacturer of writing instruments.  Established in Rhode Island in 1846 by Richard Cross and Edward W Bradbury, they originally created gold and silver casings for wooden pencils.  Their first fountain pen appeared in 1889 and they called it the 'Peerless' because there were no peers to match it; it rapidly became an American classic.  In 1953 they produced their first ballpoint pen, after eight years of perfecting the existing technology.  They have since turned out a host of classic designs, many of which have remained in their catalogue for decades – testament to their timeless popularity and their confidence in being able to offer a lifetime guarantee against mechanical failure. The Cross Townsend - first developed in the early 1990s - has become known as the 'Pen of U.S. Presidents', whilst our own Queen is reputed to use a Cross Century.  You can't get much better recommendation than that!