Newest Acquisitions (Virtual "Show & Tell") ~ part 6

Now, here's one of my recent acquisitions---a Cross 'Bailey Light' fountain pen:

(all photos by Maja ~ click on images to enlarge)

A few weeks ago, I got an email from Staples advertising their latest in-store sale. Their "fine writing instruments" weren't included in the sale (they never seem to be on sale) but on a whim, I decided to see what they carried online. I was surprised to see that the Cross 'Bailey Light' writing instruments were available as I'd never seen them at any of their brick & mortar stores (I was even more surprised to see that they carried the fountain pens, in addition to the ballpoints!). At $19.99 CAD plus tax, their price for the fountain pen was excellent (I couldn't find a lower price anywhere) so I ordered one in grey, paid for it online and picked it up (curbside) the next day at my local Staples branch. Quick and easy!

True to its name, it's a light fountain pen, but well-balanced and the perfect size for my hands when posted. The grey material is a high-gloss resin and the polished chrome trim is very shiny. The pen, however, did have some ink flow issues. After a minor bit of nib work on my part, the pen writes well with no start-up issues now, and has become a very reliable daily user. My pen came with a Medium nib (there was no other option on Staples.ca) but according to Cross.com, the 'Bailey Light' comes in three nib widths-Medium, Fine, and Extra Fine.

On a side note, Staples.ca also carries the all-metal 'Bailey Medalist' fountain pen, but this cousin of the 'Bailey Light' is roughly 1.5 times its weight. Both fountain pens take Cross' proprietary cartridges or a Cross converter (my pen didn't come with a converter--just one black ink cartridge).
(photos and mini-review by Maja)