A.T. Cross Pens is America's first manufacturer of fine writing fountain pens which means they have been making pens people use and enjoy for a long time. When you own a Cross, you own a classic! For more than 170 years, Cross has re-invented writing instruments, combining design ingenuity and trends with jewelry-quality craftsmanship. Cross is America's oldest manufacturer of fine writing instruments was established in 1846 by Richard Cross and Edward W. Bradbury. At first manufacturing at their Providence, Rhode Island facility was initially limited to elegantly tooled gold and silver casings of wooden pencils, which then evolved into beautifully crafted pens, and the rest is history.