(Jeff Abbott is a regular contributor at The Pen Addict. You can find more from Jeff online at Draft Evolution and Twitter.)
There are just a few fascinations that have stuck with me through childhood, adolescence, and adulthood — subjects or ideas that are endlessly interesting. Stationery is definitely one of those things, but another is astronomy and space travel.
Growing up next to a rocket arsenal and a NASA office is a sure-fire way to at least be aware of the scientific and technology feats that space travel require, and I was lucky to have as much information as I could handle. Watching space shuttle launches down in Florida is a core memory for me. I wasn't around during the initial space race or the Apollo missions, but I love learning about them and marveling at the ingenuity, bravery, and guts required to make those missions happen.
Way back in the late fifties and early sixties, there was a race between the US and Russia to put a human being into space and orbit the earth (and bring them back safely!). The engineering and technological advancements required to make this happen are incredible, and the ego-driven competition between nations forced everyone to work at break-neck speeds to beat the other one to orbit. Russia was first to do this with Sputnik, but the US was fast on their heels with the Mercury missions. These were tiny capsules that had barely enough room for a person to sit and operate controls and read instruments — and strapped to a giant rocket that propelled the capsule away from Earth. I can't even imagine what it felt like to be one of those astronauts strapped to the top of a rocket intended to shatter all kinds of barriers and previously undreamt of limitations. But, they did it. There were seven astronauts that were part of the Mercury project, and they paved the way for larger, more daring projects after them.
The limited edition Mercury 7 rollerball from Retro51 was commissioned by the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation (ASF). This foundation was created in 1984 by six of the original Mercury 7 astronauts as a way to recruit and develop top talent for the science and aerospace industry. You can read more about what the ASF do on their site, but it's really cool that they wanted to commemorate the Mercury 7 with a nice rollerball pen. The thing is, ASF and Retro51 knocked it out of the park with the design on this. It's easily one of my favorite Retro51 Tornado models.
I'm not one to care about packaging, but limited edition Retro51 tubes are one exception I make. For the Mercury 7 edition, it features a silver tube with a drawing of the astronauts in their space suits. Prior to the bulky white suits that we associate with Apollo and Space Shuttle missions, the Mercury suits were a shiny silver material that look ultra classic by today's standards. The tube is a piece of art and something I'll use to store this special pen.
Getting to the pen, it's a standard Tornado rollerball model with the Schmidt P8127 medium refill inside. I typically swap these out for the finer P8126 refill, but the included refill is fantastic out of the packaging.
The silver and white color scheme match the space suits and rocket/capsule colors, and provide a fantastic backdrop for the debossed lines and decals that mimic the Mercury space capsule. And, the NASA and Mercury 7 logos really pop off the silver body of the pen.
The nose cone, clip, and twist mechanism are all a flat white color that match the body well. The limited edition number is stamped on the twist mechanism band (there are only 1,958 of these available), and there's also an ASF logo in the finial. 2024 is the 40th anniversary of ASF as a foundation, so that's why the finial includes a "40" along with the logo.
Writing with the pen is just like writing with any other Tornado. It's a great pen that delivers an exceptional writing experience.
Being a limited edition, this is more of a keepsake item than a workhorse pen. If the Mercury missions are special to you or someone you know, this makes an excellent gift or collectible. Retro51 and ASF really did a great job designing Mercury 7 limited edition of the Tornado. At $68, it's a little more expensive than a standard Tornado, but this is expected for the limited runs. If you like the design and can afford to pick one up, you won't be disappointed.
(Vanness Pens provided this product at a discount to The Pen Addict for review purposes.)
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