Bought this as a gift for a good friend. At first I was skeptical because of the price tag and what it really is at the end of the day..let's be real it's a pen at the end of the day. When it arrived, it was nicely packaged and came with a separate envelope with your gift message if you opted to choose it. Before I gave the gift, it tested it out and it worked well after a couple of strokes of the pen on paper. But in all honesty it works just like your regular $5 ballpoint pen from Staples or something. What made me buy it was not so much for the pen, but the thought and how nice the pen really looks on the exterior. Even when the pen runs out of ink, i think it can make for some really nice decor. This isn't the type of pen you throw out after youre done with it, the material feels like really good quality on the outside but it writes like a regular pen. Would still highly recommend this product as a gift. Remember its the thought that counts, and with gifts keep it simple.