Retro 51 Tornado Rollerball Pen Stealth Lacquer Midnight Purple

As Retro 51 puts it, 'Life is too short to carry an ugly pen'. And we agree. Their bright colours and cool designs have more than a hint of nostalgia about them, and all their pens are made with good old-fashioned values in mind.

The Tornado Stealth is a retractable rollerball which features a lacquer-coated barrel. There is a knurled twist-action button at the end, to extend the tip, and a slotted metal pocket clip. It's supplied in a sleek cylinder which doubles as a pen stand as well as a protective case.

This Stealth almost lives up to its name: it's Midnight Purple, so a very dark purple, the sort of colour the sky is when the sun has been down for a while. The trim and clip are black, though, and if you put it down on a black table in a darkened room, you might not be able to find it. So don't put it down.