When you visit the Smithsonian, you're entering the world's largest museum, education, and research complex, with approximately 154 million artifacts and specimens in its trust for the American people. The Museums are dedicated to inspiring curiosity, discovery, and learning about the world through its unparalleled collections, exhibitions, and education outreach programs. Retro 51 is proud to produce officially licensed writing instruments inspired by the Smithsonian collection
National Museum of African American History and Culture
Officially Licensed Smithsonian Writing Instruments by Retro 51.
The first design in the Smithsonian collection by Retro 51 is the Corona twist-top rollerball pen. Its deeply etched barrel is reminiscent of the ornamental bronze-colored metal lattice that covers the outside of the National Museum of African American History and Culture building in Washington D.C. Lead designer David Adjaye pays homage to the intricate ironwork crafted by enslaved African Americans in Louisiana, South Carolina, and elsewhere through the use of this design. Each rollerball pen is numbered on the top ring and complete with matte black nickel accents and loaded in a commemorative Smithsonian NMAAHC tube. The National Museum of African American History and Culture is the only national museum devoted exclusively to the documentation of African American life, history, and culture. A portion of the proceeds from the sale of this pen will support and further the Museums educational mission on what it means to be an American, and to share how American values like resiliency, optimism, and spirituality are reflected in African American History and Culture.
| Manufacturer |
Retro 51 |
| Collection | Classic Lacquer |
| Type | Rollerball |
| Body Material | Stainless Steel |
| Retractable | Twist Mechanism |
| Grip Diameter | 10.1mm |
| Length | 5 inches/ 12.6 cm |
| Weight | .99 oz/ 28 grams |
| Limited Edition | No |
| Refill | Schmidt EasyFlow 9000 |
Domestic Shipping
The Pleasure of Writing is happy to offer free domestic standard shipping for orders over $150. Orders below $150 will be charged the carrier rate calculated at the checkout. Most orders are shipped within 1 business day. Once your order ships, we will e-mail you a tracking number so you may track it at UPS.com or USPS.com. Please note transit times do not include weekends and holidays and deliveries only occur on business days.
We do offer express shipping. Please note express orders will be shipped out within 1 business day. Transit time begins when the order ships and does not include holidays and weekends. Some products are not able to ship express.
For special shipping or delivery requests please write your request in the comment section or contact us by email or phone.
International Shipping
International shipping is available. We offer DHL standard shipping options at the carrier's rate calculated at the checkout. Once your order ships, we will e-mail you a tracking number so you may track it at DHL.com. Please note transit times do not include weekends and holidays and deliveries only occur on business days.
The recipient will be responsible to pay any duties or taxes.
If you need to update your shipping address please email (info@ThePleasureOfWriting.com) or call us at +1 831-626-8828. We will do our best to update the shipping address if your order has not shipped. If your order has already shipped we will not be able to change the shipping address. If the order is returned to us we can re-ship for an additional shipping charge.
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Ex: Shipping and return policies, size guides, and other common questions.
At The Pleasure of Writing, we hope that you love what you ordered. In the event that you are not satisfied, however, we have policies in places for returns, refunds, and repairs.
Upon receiving your order, be sure to carefully handle and inspect merchandise for any damage or defects; should there be a physical problem with the order, let us know as soon as possible by either calling us at 831-626-8828 or via email at info@thepleasureofwriting.com. The window for notifying us is within 30 days of receipt your order. Return requests received following day will be judged on case-by-case basis and may incur a restocking fee.
At The Pleasure of Writing, we hope that you love what you ordered, but if something is amiss with your order, let us know right away. Upon receiving your shipment, be sure to carefully handle and inspect pens for damage or defect.
Should there be a defect, we will work with you on a solution. In certain cases we can work with the distributor or manufacturer to replace the merchandise, in which case all shipping and handling will be covered. In the event that a refund is wanted for defective items, we will refund 100% of the sale to the payment method.
If the reason for return is based on preference, i.e. you received the item and didn’t like some aspect of it though it is fully functional, we will work with customers on a case-by-case basis to determine the best options. In some cases we may offer either store credit or refunds to payment method less a 15% handling fee (to cover the fees we incur from such returns); either way, we are always happy to work with our clients to help them find exactly the right writing instrument.
Once the necessity of a return has been determined, we will issue a Return Merchandise Authorization (RMA) number, which you should write clearly on the outer box. Return shipping charges will be the responsibility of the customer (except in the case of damage/defect); we recommend shipping via insured ground service with a tracking number.
Returns must be received in their original state, and include all original packaging (warranty papers, cartridges and converters, etc.), and of course if you need to return a product because it is damaged or defective, we will apologize for the inconvenience and make it right.
Note that all returns are at the discretion of The Pleasure of Writing.
Once your return is received and inspected, we will send you an email to notify you that we have received your returned item and the status of your refund; if approved, your agreed-upon refund will be processed, and a credit will automatically be applied to your credit card or original method of payment within 10 days. Note that some refunds can take time to process depending on banks and credit card companies; if you haven’t received an expected refund, contact your financial institution first.
Note that we are unable to accept returns on any item that came free with another product or was purchased on sale, closeout, or other discounts; additionally, we cannot accept returns on any special-order products that can take many months to prepare, or on pens or nibs that have been modified in any way. Neither can we accept returns on used ink, paper, journals, sealing wax, or other supplies.
Note that we accept inked or dipped fountain pens for return or refund with the 30-day window, but these will incur a 15% fee as we can no longer sell them as new merchandise.
