We wish we could tell you that this Rotring 600 is one of the classic ones from longer ago, but it is much more modern. You can tell by the crack in the barrel near the tail. You can see the brass beneath the black. Click the headline for close-ups. We've never seen a metal pen crack before. Otherwise, this pen is nearly perfect. The crack won't effect the writing. It has a firm, extra-fine steel nib that is reasonably smooth for an extra-fine nib. It fills with standard international cartridges. There is a silvery disc on the tail that has "EF" in black letters, indicating the nib size. 14cm capped.