The pen itself has an outstanding appearance and it comes in a substantial black wood box with a silver clasp. The first thing you notice when you open the box is the gleaming polished silver paper that the pen is tightly wrapped in as well the embossed leather sleeve. Pull up the tray and there is a jewelery cleaning cloth and lifetime warranty ( note to other manufacturers it is a LIFETIME WARRANTY
) I chose the barley because I have a Waterman in barley and really like the pattern compared to the Victorian, pinstripe or plain.Appearance (5/5)
Looking at the pen you can see the history, it looks like a pen that was made at the turn of the last century- something nice but useful destined to last the life of the owner- maybe that's why they have a lifetime warranty because they believe their products are good enough to last
I did not know if I would like the solid end caps but they offset the patterned body well. And the engraving on the clip as well as the cartouche on the cap and the line of assay stamps just gives the entire pen a timeless feel. Design/Size/Weight (4.25/5)
It is a very large pen, larger than a Pelikan 800 maybe on par with a MB149 ( check out the pic with rulers below. Let's be fair it is a large solid silver pen so it's heavy but in writing with it I've found no issues with it. For me the size is perfect and I gushed about the design above!
Nib (5/5)
The nib is silver in color and the fine is as smooth as any that I have used. Pleasant with a little feedback on textured paper. Wish they had an EF or Stub but maybe it will be after market modded.
Filling System (4.75/5)
It comes with a large converter that holds a fairly generous amount of ink, more than most converters. And the metal handle on the end sort of puts it apart from standard all plastic ones. I am not sure if it is exceptionally larger but I have had no problems with startup. Maybe the seal on the cap helps. I also notice that there is an 'o'-ring on the section above the threads making for a tight fit- doesn't feel like it is going anywhere!
Cost and Value (4.75/5)
The pen feels handmade- no guessing whether someone or something lathed out the rod stock this has the feel that people worked on it and maybe even did some quality control and tweaking to it before it left the factory. I got mine from Pam @ Braun and it was a good deal probably the most I have ever paid for a single pen but not the most expensive with respect to MSRP. I guess it comes down to if someone were to hand you this pen you would not have to wait and hear how the clip was hand crafted by trolls living in Yugoslovia and the section was painted by a monk who only does two a year. Or that 10,000 shells were crushed and the pieces separated into colors and individually glued back onto the pen and covered with tar.
You can feel the quality and craftsmanship no need for explanation- it's a well made beautiful pen.Conclusion (28.75/30)
As I said somewhere else why the heck have I not bought one of these pens before
maybe I was afraid that it would be too thin & the standard line might be but the grand version is a perfectly wonderful fit to me.And now for some pictures: enjoy
I think some of those trolls taught my parents in high school back in "the old country" (I was born in Belgrade), if their stories are to be believed.... 
