[Pen/Pencil Review] Retro 1951 Tornado Rollerball – Pen World Edition
I now have a set of pens that I am probably going to have to do a two-parter on. Between the Dallas Pen Show and Christmas I have acquired the Retro 1951 Tornado roller ball and fountain pen built for Pen World Magazine. It mixes my two loves – reading about the pens and actually having the pens. I was going to do them together, but maybe I need to do them separately, because that would be fairer to the rating system – and that there is a price differential in the two pieces – they didn’t COME as a set. And I do love Retro 1951 because not only do they do amazing designs and collections – they’re local to me. Retro 1951’s headquarters are in Richardson – which is just north of Dallas.
This week will be the rollerball since I’ve had it longer. Then next week will be the fountain pen. Pen World Magazine brilliantly partnered with Retro 1951 to create their classic Tornado style rollerball with their name in various fonts in black on the relatively unique Retro 1951 white background which – if you’ve seen their skeleton model (which my primary care doctor has) GLOWS IN THE DARK. This is serious cool.
The Tornado rollerball pens are a little on the short side. They’re about 5†long retracted and just slightly longer with the point extended. The retraction mechanism is a twist of the cap – like a screw. The clip is metal and is a cuff the way around the top of the pen. There are no ridges to dig into the thumb web. It has a comfortable diameter and a good balance.
The ink is dark and rich in a 0.7mm black conical point and there’s little smearing or skipping. It comes with the Retro 1951 branded ink and you can get those from refill retailers, but Schmidt also sells a compatible refill. It’s one of the capless rollerball refills – not Parker style.
The Numbers.
1. How does it work? – 1 – This is a solid working pen. The ink is well-pigmented. The point is a solid conical.
2. Look and feel – 1 – It’s a classic Tornado design. It has good weight, the design is lovely. And did I mention IT GLOWS IN THE DARK!
3. Material – 1 – It’s a solid metal pen with hearty screw mechanisms and clip. The design is like a resin wrap—maybe vinyl? But doesn’t feel like it’s going to chip or peel
4. Overall Design – 1 – It’s functional. It’s a little short but not uncomfortably so. It feels good in the hand diameter wise.
5. Price Point – 0.5 – For a collectible, it’s reasonable. For an everyday pen? It’s not cheap. This is not limited edition and runs $45. It is refillable and refill costs will vary depending on which refill you get where.
4.5 out of 5 bronze pencils.
