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Hi, This is my first review. So please be gentle. Being aware of my love of, and craze for fountain pens my friends and family have started gifting me pens on several occasions. One such is the Cross Year of the Snake 2013 SE. I have not found many reviews of this particular pen on the forums and thought this might be helpful to others. This is also my first Cross Pen. Vital Statistics: Body: Metal with etched motifs of the snake Colour: Metallic Blue (It is also available in black) with rhodium plated trims. Nib: 18K-785, rhodium plated-also etched with a nice snake motif Presentation The pen comes in a classy presentation kit. The outer black cardboard box gives way to a faux-leather box with a snake-skin effect. It is very nice to the touch. The box opens to give you a peek at the pen itself lying on a felt like material with some more snake motifs. The top of the box contains a small transparent window with some literature on CROSS and the Chinese Zodiac Special Edition pens. Using a small ribbon latch, you can lift the pen to see the bottom chamber of the box with a nice little acrylic pen holder. The pen-holder is black with the same snake design as the box. Now, I wouldn't use the pen holder very much but I find this a nice touch from Cross for a special edition pen. Only qualm I have about the box and its contents is that the pen doesn't come with a C/C-you have to buy one separately. Some manufacturers will provide this, at least for a special edition pen, and also a vial of ink. 9/10 Appearance The pen is quite striking in its appearance. It is a classic cigar-shaped pen with tapered ends. The lustrous metallic blue with (what I suppose to be) laser-engraved snake etchings is complemented well by the silver trims. The central band is a solid ring with CROSS and YEAR OF THE SNAKE engraved on it. The crown of the cap is engraved with some Chinese calligraphy-I would suppose it will mean the Year of the Snake. It is a looker? Oh yes! Is it a keeper? That's where we are going now. 10/10 Design and Build Quality The pen is solidly built. To be honest, my expectation of this pen was clouded by my recent experiences with modern day Sheaffers. However, the built quality on this pen is much more robust. It is all metal with metal trims, of reasonable weight and girth. The length is a bit bigger than my MB 146 and M400, but smaller than the HS Midi. The clip is spring-loaded, which is a very nice addition. I wish more pens came with spring-loaded clips. The grip section is quite long, which is good for people like me with long fingers. There are no etchings on the grip section, which is a sensible design choice. The nib is solid 18-K gold with rhodium plating that is consistent with the overall colour scheme of the pen. It is etched with some (supposed) snake motifs and CROSS 18K-750 imprinted on it. This is a reasonably large nib, of the same size as the M400 and Sailor 1911M. It is aesthetically pleasing but will not wow you like some of the Mont Blanc WE nibs, or even a normal Pelikan M800 nib. 10/10 Performance This is the part where the pen really lets me down. The balance of the pen is quite good for a metallic barrel. However, the nib is not quite smooth, and the feedback doesn't seem as pleasing as that on some Aurora pens. It has a sweet spot, though but you have to make an effort to hit that. There is little or no flex in the nib, and one can even find this nib quite stiff. I will probably send it to a nibmeister soon enough. 5/10 Value for Money I haven't actually bought the pen, but a quick look on eBay suggests a price point between GBP 150-200. Now, if you are looking for a Special Edition pen, that is not a bad price to pay. However, my suspicion is it will nib additional spend on grinding the nib, atlas mine will. 6/10 Bottom Line I want to love this pen-it is a solidly built pen, that you can carry with you anywhere. Even for a SE pen, it is not too gaudy but is sure to get to get you attention. The nib performance may leave you wanting for more. Thanks for reading.