Retro 51 Tornado pens are very near and dear to most pen lover hearts, and I love when they come out with space, aviation, or technology designs with their limited editions!

The most recent of these, Under the Radar, is a limited edition Popper run of just 951 pens with an acid etched, matte black aesthetic paying homage to the iconic Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird spy plane, literally one of the COOLEST pieces of aviation history ever made. First introduced over 50 years ago, it still looks as awesome and stealthy as ever.

These pens of course were a huge hit and almost instantly sold out with retailers, but I have a spare that I wanted to do as a fun giveaway here on The Clicky Post!

How do you enter the giveaway?

CONTEST RULES (the "fine print"):

- Contest will run through Sunday, June 21st and will end at 11:59pm Arizona Time, USA. I will be announcing the winner the next day so stay tuned...

- To enter, leave a comment below (limited to one entry per person; no cheating!)

- I will arrange the entries in numerical order and randomly select a winner. The winner will be announced on the blog on Monday, June 22nd and will need to connect with me within a week to claim their prize.

- This giveaway is open to both US and International readers.

It’s been a bit of a spell since last posting folks. Thanks for the patience so far in 2020. Early this year we had some unfortunate family needs I had to attend to and then what seems to be the apocalypse hitting… let’s just say I’m ready for this year to start making some turns. But, one thing we can be excited about is a new pen from Will at Tactile Turn.

“TT” has become one of the staple brands in the machined pen world bringing us the Mover and Shaker, Bolt Action, and Gist pens made from titanium, copper, brass, bronze, and the wicked cool zirconium. Will Hodges, proprietor, has deployed a variety of “mechanisms” from the traditional click, bolt, and capped pens and decided to try something new.

The new pen hitting the market is called the Side Click and has a two part action consisting of a normal knock that pushes down to extend the tip, but the release is triggered by a button on the side. Let’s just say this is a very fidgety pen with a satisfying “click” (hence the name…). With much of the world (myself included) moving to a work from home, virtual environment when meeting with colleagues I can attest that I’ve been called out on a web conference that folks could hear me messing with the pen… Maybe just go on mute if you’re going to get crazy with the clicker.

Like his Bolt Action pens, the Side Click is available in three sizes: standard, short, and mini. So, if you happen to have a favorite type of ink from a ballpoint or gel, there should be a barrel to satisfy. Will was kind enough to send me two pens in titanium (short) and copper (standard) to try out and both feel great.

If you have used a Tactile Turn pen, then you’ll be familiar with the spiral grip texture that covers the pen barrels. This has become a pretty distinct feature of Will’s pens that acts as visual interest as well as grip. The grooves have some bite, but aren’t sharp.

While the pen certainly looks and feels like a Tactile Turn pen, there is ONE thing that is very different. The clip.

For a very long time and on every model Tactile Turn has produced thus far he has used a super strong bent steel clip that is a simple, yet effective workhorse. For the Side Click, Will had a desire to machine everything on the pen in house, including the custom torx titanium screws used to fasten the machined clip to the barrel.

It definitely gives the pen a totally different look. While not too flashy, I actually enjoyed the very utilitarian nature of the old clip, but this one refines the pen a bit more. It works well and doesn’t budge.

The knock and button work well about 99% of the time, but there are occasions where it takes a few pushes to get the button to engage. I find this more so on the Ti version over the Cu, but don’t think that has anything to do with it.

Not many pens deploy this type of mechanism it seems which makes it a bit more unique. A classic favorite of mine that does is the AG7 by Fisher Space Pen which is the model they took to the moon. It is a slimmer, less “rugged” pen, so if you’re looking for a pen that can take a good beating this one may be a better fit.

One thing aesthetically to note is that the side button is made from titanium and tumbled while the knock is machined to match the barrel material. I have to admit I do enjoy a very monochromatic appearance to my pens (all silver, all black, all shiny, etc) so the mismatch of the copper and titanium isn’t my favorite, but that is completely my preference when looking at pens. So whenever Will comes out with a new pen my personal favorite is titanium or stainless.

When it comes time to refresh your refill, the tip of the pen unscrews about an inch up. While somewhat noticeable, the groove texture helps to make it a more seamless look. The copper was easy to take off, but the Ti was super tight. Had to get out some rubber jawed pliers to get it started… after that initially break it was good to go. Maybe this was one Will hand tightened! : )

If you are a fan of Tactile Turn then the Side Click should push all your buttons. (Had to..) Feels great, works well, and made in the USA by a small business. Special thanks to Will for sending these my way to check out! Visit Tactile Turn’s online shop for more details about pricing and options.