With all of the reminiscing about the Retro 51 news last week, I began to think about all the Retro’s I own, and maybe more importantly, the ones I missed out on. Even the standard releases - the ones directly from Retro 51 - passed me by over the past few years as I was making and using my own pens. Here are some of the ones I missed, that I wish I didn’t:
— Bouquet (2016): Talk about a pen that jumped off the screen the moment I saw it. How I didn’t pull the trigger on this one I’ll never know, but Bouquet continues to be one of the more sought after Tornado's with its stunning floral pattern and colors.
— Dinosauria (2016): I’ve tended to shy away from from the metal barrel Retro’s in the past, and that cost me the opportunity to pick up this archeological dig awesomeness. It’s a great design, capped off by a mosquito in amber finial.
— Tiki Kona (2017): I’m pretty sure I had this in my hand at a pen show and placed it back down for some unknown reason. Or maybe I bought it and gave it away. Who knows! I do know Tiki Kona would be the perfect match to Vintage Surf, which I do own, and is an all-time favorite of mine.
— Creepy Scrawlers (2019): I love fun patterns and unique designs, and Creepy Scrawlers certainly fits that bill. And it glows in the dark! This is the type of pen I’m going to miss the most when Retro 51 (R.I.P.) are no longer around. I’m not crying, you’re crying.
I use Retro 51 pens all the time, but this past week they have been in heavier rotation than usual. I think that is going to be the case around here for quite some time.