Frequently Asked Questions

Retro 1951® is a brand that specializes in creating unique gifts with a focus in high-quality, stylish writing instruments. We are best known for its Tornado™ rollerball pen, which features a distinctive design and a smooth writing experience. Retro 1951 pens are popular among collectors, pen enthusiasts, and anyone who appreciates a well-made writing instrument. In addition to its Tornado pens, Retro 1951 also offers ballpoint pens, fountain pens, and pencils in a variety of colors and designs. Read more

We are thrilled to announce our new direct sales capability! Shop now and explore our existing product range and our New products only available at Retro51.com.

Our esteemed retailers will still carry our extensive product catalog, including amazing Retailer Exclusives and our renowned Tornado™ Poppers — remaining exclusive to our retail partners.

Visit our Dealer Locator and enter your location to find a retailer near you!

The Tornado™ is a popular writing instrument, characterized by its sleek and vintage-inspired design. It features a cylindrical metal barrel with a signature knurled twist-top mechanism, which has become a trademark look for Retro 51.

They come in a multitude of colors, materials, sizes and modes of writing: rollerball, fountain, ballpoint, and mechanical pencil. It is often praised for its smooth writing experience and durable construction. We like to say that THIS PEN IS OUT OF THIS WORLD!™

To read more, please visit our About Us page

The Tornado Poppers are limited edition pens, each with a unique theme and design. These Tornado pens reflect the latest trends, special celebrations, retro fun, or a new production technique. They often tend to incorporate bold colors, playful patterns, and references to popular culture, making the pens a favorite among pen enthusiasts and collectors.

Check out our current Poppers!

Retailer exclusives refer to special editions or variations of writing instruments that are created exclusively for specific retailers. These pens are typically designed in collaboration with the retailer to create unique and limited-edition, or numbered edition, offerings that are not available through other channels.

Check out our avaliable Retail Exclusives!

The Tornado Special Releases are limited edition pens. These are one-of-a-kind designs that explore the wonders of space,  celebrates milestones, and an array of other category-defying creations. Special collaborations to the awe-inspiring Space Shuttle Series and elegant Celebration design.

While not every piece in this collection is a limited edition, they all share one common thread – they are cool, stylish, and exceptional in their own right.

Check out our current Special Editions!

We do not have a physical storefront, but we are constantly working on adding events to attend! At these events, you'll have the opportunity to see and experience our pens in person. We believe that seeing and trying our products firsthand can provide a better understanding and appreciation of their quality and craftsmanship.

Don't forget to check our Upcoming Events page and social media channels for updates on upcoming events and locations where you can find Retro 51.

Additionally, visit our Dealer Locator and find a retailer near you! Our retailers eagerly await your visit, ready to showcase the complete range of Retro 51 products they proudly offer.

You can visit our How-to Guides page and learn how to replace your refill or how to care for your writing instrument, all in different writing modes.

If there isn't a user guide for what you're looking for, feel free to contact us by emailing customerservice@retro51.com

We understand the importance of sustainability and value, so our pens are designed to be used over and over again.

When the ink runs out, simply replace the refill with a new one, and your Retro 51 pen will be ready to write again. We offer a variety of ink refill options to suit different preferences and writing styles. Refilling your Retro 51 pen not only allows you to continue enjoying its smooth writing experience but also reduces waste by eliminating the need for disposable pens.

Shop for refills

You can find Retro 51 refills from these listed retailers:

Fahrney's Pens, Inc.

1-800-624-7367
fahrneyspens.com

Refill Finder

refillfinder.com

You can also find refills directly through our site here

iPen Store

1-734-253-2472
ipenstore.com

If you have changed out the refill of your pen and it no longer works properly, there is a chance the inner spring was installed incorrectly.

The tight wound end of the spring should go first onto the new refill.

For additional guides and help visit our How-To guides

Retro 51 offers a Limited One-Year Warranty on all Retro 51 writing instruments to the original consumer for a period of one year from the date of purchase with the purchased unit free of defects in materials and workmanship under normal use.

To learn more, please visit our Warranty Information page

The Big Shot rollerball is similar to the regular Tornado™ twist-top rollerball, except with a thicker diameter and more weight when you're writing

Check out our current Big Shots!

Orders are typically processed within 4 business days*, after receiving your order confirmation email. If the order is placed after 12:00 PM CT, it may also need an extra business day for processing. This excludes weekends and holidays. *Additional processing time may be required during peak shipping seasons.

Please allow for additional production time for made-to-order products, as we ensure exceptional quality and craftsmanship. These products are properly labeled in their product descriptions.

To learn more, please visit our Shipping Information page

We utilize USPS® and UPS® for domestic shipments within the contiguous United States only.

We are currently not shipping to US territories outside of the contiguous United States(*U.S. Territories include American Samoa, Guam, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, North Mariana Islands, Palau, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.)

Unfortunately, international shipping is also currently unavailable. To find an authorized dealer/retailer near you, please use our Dealer Locator. 

To learn more, please visit our Shipping Information page

Orders below $75 will be charged the carrier rate calculated at checkout. To view the shipping rate you may add items to your cart, and through the checkout process may see the different shipping methods and costs before placing an order. Carrier rate calculations vary, and are based on order size and destination of delivery.

To learn more, please visit our Shipping Information page

Once your order ships, you will receive a notification with a tracking number so you may track it at UPS.com or USPS.com. Note that transit delivery time begins when the order ships, not from the time your order was placed.

Additionally, all "Delivery by" dates are estimates and not guaranteed. The estimated delivery time will depend on the shipping method you choose during checkout and where the package is getting delivered to. Retro 51 cannot guarantee specific delivery dates and assumes no responsibility for any delays that may occur.

To learn more, please visit our Shipping Information page

International shipping is currently unavailable and we apologize for the inconvenience. To find an authorized dealer/retailer near you, please use our Dealer Locator. 

To learn more, please visit our Shipping Information page

If you're accessing our website from outside the United States, you will notice that you do not have the same site experience. A notification will appear, informing you that purchasing is not available for your region, and you will be shown a browsing view only. 

If you do have a shipping address in the U.S. and would like to place an order, we welcome you to submit the items you would like through our live chat (when online) or email order to customerservice@retro51.com

If you make a purchase on retro51.com, you can return it directly to Retro 51. We kindly ask that you initiate the return process within 10 days of the delivery date. It should not be returned to any authorized dealer or retailer online or physical stores.

Currently, the only way to exchange a product purchased on retro51.com is to return it and make a new order. We apologize for the inconvenience this may cause.

If you purchase from an authorized dealer or retailer, you should follow their return policies. The exchange or return policy varies with the authorized retailer where the item was purchased.

However, there is an exception for returns that fall under the one-year warranty, which is explained in detail in Retro 51's Warranty Policy.

To learn more, please review our Returns Policy page

We appreciate you shopping with Retro 51 and hope you love what you bought!

If you need to return your Retro 51 product, purchased on retro51.com, all you need to do is complete the Return Request Form to submit a return request within 10 days of the delivery date. Make sure you have your order number and your shipping zip code. You can find your order number in your confirmation email or at the top right of your packing slip (ie. R51-0123).

Do not return orders made on retro51.com to other authorized dealer or retailer online or physical stores.

Purchases made from an authorized dealer or retailer should follow their return policies.

To learn more, please review our Returns Policy page

In the event that your order arrives damaged in any way, please complete the Return Request Form as soon as possible. It will ask for your order information, and you can upload a photo of the item’s condition, if you choose to do so. We address returns on a case-by-case basis.

We will issue a return label at no additional cost to you, as long as the return is initiated within 10 days of the delivery date.

To learn more, please review our Returns Policy page

If you are unsure of the problem, or unsure if you are in need of a repair, please call 1-800-466-1951 or fill out a Repair Request in order for us to review your item and determine if it needs repairs.

We ask that you Do Not send your writing instruments until our Customer Service team member follows up with you.

Within 24 hours of receiving your request, we will contact you with the proper return instructions. (*weekends not included)

Please refer to the return instructions provided by our Customer Service team member.

Tornado™ Personalization is a new service available directly at retro51.com. This service allows you to personalize your Tornado™ writing instrument by adding your choice of text onto the pen body. Create a unique and personalized writing instrument, perfect for a gift or personal use.

We welcome you to review the full Personalization Policy

Most of our Tornado™ Classic Lacquers rollerball pens and writing instruments, such as Black Stealth and Chaplin GID, can be personalized.

Any product that is customizable will have our personalization option available during your shopping experience. Click here to check out the complete list of available products.

*Certain products may be excluded due to product availability, limited marking areas, or difficulties in marking due to the design of the product.

We use a laser-marking technique that creates a permanent finish on the exterior of your Retro writing instrument. That is achieved by delicately removing the top layer of the pen, revealing the base metal beneath. As long as your personalized Retro is in one piece, so is your personalization.

This process creates the most premium, durable finish, which won’t crack or peel off over time. It will also keep your one-year warranty intact and ensures a quality customization process.

Our production timeline shifts daily depending on overall order volume. We process all orders on a first-come-first-serve basis and we promise we are working as hard as we can to get your order in your hands as quickly as possible. We do not offer any rushed or expedited production.

Once your custom order is reviewed and approved by our internal team, your order status will be updated accordingly to 'In Production'. You can check your order status by using our Order Lookup.

Unfortunately, we are only offering engraved personalization on one side, as seen on the Personalization Preview Tool

For Corporate Business orders, please contact our Promotional Sales team. We’re able to customize a wide range of writing instruments, with additional options. Minimum quantities may apply.

For more details, visit promo.retro51.com or contact our Promotional Sales team 469-426-5597 | promo@retro51.com

Be sure to double-check your personalization details before placing your order to ensure accuracy. We are unable to edit orders after they are placed. Any adjustments or resizing to an order’s art should be made prior to submitting the order.

Before submitting your personalized product to your cart, you are asked to confirm your details. Selecting ‘Confirmed’ verifies that you have reviewed the details of the selected style options and the choices made are what will appear on your final personalized product, as long as the Terms are not violated

Personalized items are non-refundable and cannot be cancelled once you have submitted the order, unless you immediately inform the Retro51 Customer Service team (reply to confirmation email or call 1-800-466-1951) *This statement does not guarantee your order can be cancelled, as the order status can change according to the production timeline.

All sales of personalized products are final, with the standard 1-year warranty applied.

We cannot accept returns or exchanges of personalized products. Please visit our returns page for more information.

*Standard one-year warranty still applies.

Retro51 reserves the right to cancel any orders that contains text that is offensive, political, or subject to copyright protection. Orders that are cancelled will be refunded immediately.

We welcome you to review the full Personalization Policy.