Over the past year, I’ve become a fan and collector of the Retro 51 Tornado, but it was an old episode of The Pen Addict Podcast that first brought the pen to my attention. So, last month, when Retro 51 announced a new Tornado made in collaboration with Brad Dowdy, the creator of The Pen Addict website, I jumped at the chance to order one. And it turned out that I was lucky to act so fast, as this edition – limited to 300 pieces – sold out within a week.

Made in the image of The Pen Addict, this Tornado has a shiny, orange lacquered barrel (like the one first reviewed by Dowdy in 2012) with weathered, metal hardware. However, the principal element is the finial, the little disk inset at the top of the twist, which features The Pen Addict logo. I’ve always felt that the pen-syringe hybrid is one of the more clever logos I’ve seen.

Though you can no longer purchase The Pen Addict Tornado, it is very similar to the orange Classic Lacquer Tornado, which is still widely available.  Personally, I would have preferred a brighter orange, like a safety yellow or an umbra orange, but I’m not complaining. Cheesy as it may sound, I feel like I’ve got myself a small piece of history.

…and if you haven’t had your fill of orange, check out this, this, and also this.