Retro 51

Retro 1951, Inc. (the Retro 51 brand) is a Texas-based American company founded in 1990, making retro-styled writing instruments. Its flagship product is the Tornado retractable rollerball, introduced in 1997 with its trademark knurled twist-top. In January 2020 the team announced a wind-down ("sabbatical"), but in January 2021 the brand was taken over by a group of three collectors; founder George Kartsotis retired, the core team stayed on, and production continues. Barrels are made in Taiwan; refills are supplied by Schmidt of Germany.