Retro 51 Tornado™ Classic Lacquer - Ice Blue Rollerball Pen

Decided to go for the Stealth Tornado (and this Ice Blue unit) after reading many pen blogs online; the general praise the Tornado line receives is well placed. The pen arrived securely wrapped in Retro's trademark tube with foam lining. Upon taking it out, the weight distribution is pretty much spot-on, in line with the tip of the pocket clip. I'm a sports journalist, so I'm basically writing or taking notes eight hours a day.Upon barrel disassembly, its construction appears to be brass with a nice blue lacquer finish on the barrel's surface; the tip cone has a nice, high-gloss metal finish, same as the pocket clip and Retro's knurled twist mechanism. Not a heavy pen, but it does have a nice heft to it.Twist mechanism offers the right amount of resistance, but can still be operated with one hand. Pen tip deployment is smooth and consistent and, more importantly, there is zero wiggle when writting. Unlike the Stealth model I bought together with this Ice Blue unit, I could clearly hear rattling and knocking between the pen refill and the barrel when writing. Turns out it was an easy fix; after opening the barrel, noticed that the spring, for some reason, was installed backwards (in relation to how it came installed on the Stealth). After turning the spring around and reassembling the barrel, the rattling and knocking when writing went away and it now behaves just like the Stealth.The pen came with a Retro 1951-branded Schmidt P8126 capless black rollerball refill. It's my first experience with a Schmidt refill (I've always been fond of the Pilot G-2 rollerballs), but I have to admit it offers a great writing experience. People always say the G-2 refills feel "scratchy" when writing, and after using the Schmidt refill, now I understand whey they say that. There's very little friction, ink transfers to paper flawlessly and it throws down a pretty thick line (even though it has the same tip size, 0.7, as the G-2 refill - at least according to the specs available on Schmidt's website) that I'm still getting used to (G-2 writes thinner). This also means that, at least in my case, I'll need to change my notepads to compensate for the amount of ink it releases (it shows through a regular OfficeMax steno notebook).As stated earlier, pen has good balance and excellent weight distribution, so I feel no hand fatigue during extended writing sessions. A notebook change will be required to keep the ink from (almost) bleeding to the side of the paper that's already been written to.The cost for the pen and the nice refill it comes with is more than reasonable. Time will tell if the pen's construction holds up, but based on my time with it, with proper care, it should last many years. If you prefer ballpoints, the Tornado will also take Schmidt's EasyFlow 9000 refill. The Ice Blue Tornado is not pretentious (just like the Stealth) and has classic looks, but it is a very nice pen for the money.

It’s a good pen. Not particularly heavyweight, but well made and attractive to use and look at. I will convert it to a Parker ballpoint refill, then it will be in daily use.

This is the go to pen for everyone in our household. I bought the first one for my youngest daughter from the University of Wshington Book Store. After using it, everyone in our family wanted their own. This pen is almost the perfect weight and size and writing with it is a pure dream. If you enjoying writing or have a student or professional in your household you absokutely have to buy one of these, you will not regret it. If you need refills make sure you get the Retro 51 ink refills as the cartridges truly flow better than any ball point pen I have ever used. I just can not recommend this pen enough. They also make a great gift and they come in a really unique package.

I love the pen. Love the finish. Love the way it writes. It feels like a quality pen. That said, I accidentally dropped the (one day old) pen just a short eighteen inch drop into an open kitchen drawer and it now has a small dent in the barrel. My fault for dropping it, but I opine that it dented easily. I've had other metal barrel pens which I have dropped at much greater heights and this is the first one to dent when I dropped it. Also, make sure you close it before you put it in your shirt pocket, or you'll stain your shirt (I did that too--I'm accustomed to capped pens). The pen really is great, though. I even ordered one for a colleague as a gift.

The pen is great and feels nice to write with. It is very smooth and the ink is wonderful. Have gotten compliments on it. Love using my new pen!

I cannot tell you how many of these pens I have purchased for graduates. They seem to be personalized because I can give them a color they love and they head off to college with a special reminder of high school graduation. One Mom told me it was the one pen her son used in every class throughout college. Thank you for the good quality and it has a fun vibe.

I've owned some great writing instruments in the past but tend to lose them. So came across this pen with a top notch recommendation. And it hits the mark.Looks good.Feels good and balanced in the hand.Writes well.Priced so reasonably for a quality writing instrument.

I really like the size, weight, and smoothness of this pen. After I put it in my shirt pocket with the point out and the ink bled, I bought ballpoint refills and like the pen even more. It's great being able to change types of refills.