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True History
The Evolution of the Levenger True Writer® Pen
My grandfather taught penmanship. He began in the 1920s and continued until his retirement from teaching high school in the 1950s. Each year, the Esterbrook Pen Company sent my grandfather a few pens in the hopes that he would demonstrate them in his classes. Whether he did, I don't know. He passed in 1957 when I was still bouncing on knees. All I know is that I inherited a cardboard box full of Esterbrook pens. It was like a little treasure chest.
In 1856 Esterbrook became one of the first steel nib manufacturers in the United States. Prior to the Civil War, people still used quills, cut with pen knives. In 1920 the company introduced its first fountain pen, providing the mainstream market with a high-quality writing instrument at a reasonable price. It filled from an inkwell or bottle, as did all fountain pens then. It was a rugged little pen with a steel nib and came in a variety of colors.
True Writer Carries on the Tradition
Esterbrook, after being one of the most popular pens around, failed to make a successful transition to the jet-age era of ballpoints. But their vibrant colors, affordability and robust reliability provided the inspiration for our first True Writer, launched in 1999. Today, we're proud to offer the True Writer Fountain Pen, Rollerball and Ballpoint in a panoply of colors and styles, as well as vivid ink refills to go with them. In your hand, their lustrous barrels are even more vibrant than our photography pros can show you. The marvel is that such a rich-looking pen can be so reasonably priced, just as the old Esterbrooks were. (As an aside, we were thrilled to see Esterbrook make its return in 2018 and couldn't be happier to offer their pens again).
We needed a name for our pen that would convey the sensibility and flair of what we hoped would be an enduring series of pens. We came up with "True Writer," which seemed to capture the essence of a tool that would stay true, write after write. It sold. And it still sells. It's incredible to think that we have sold over 250,000 in the last 20 years.
I hope you enjoy the updated True Writer visual history below and I invite you to read more about the True Writer on my blog.
—Steve Leveen
Co-Founder, Levenger
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October 1999 Retired
True Writer Red
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2000
April 2000 Retired
True Writer Black
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April 2000 Retired
True Writer White
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October 2000 Retired
True Writer Yellow
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2001
March 2001 Retired
True Writer Periwinkle
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September 2001 Retired
True Writer Tangerine
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2002
May 2002 Retired
True Writer Abalone
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October 2002 Retired
True Writer Pearl Blue
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November 2002 Retired
True Writer Mink
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2004
January 2004 Retired
True Writer Rose
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2005
August 2005 Retired
True Writer Tortoise
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2006
January 2006 Retired
True Writer Kyoto
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September 2006 Retired
True Writer Metalist
Sapphire, Amethyst, Pearl and Ebony
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September 2006
True Writer Obsidian
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October 2006 Retired
True Writer Golden Tortoise
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November 2006 Retired
True Writer Sterling
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2007
February 2007 Retired
True Writer Metalist Copper
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February 2007 Retired
True Writer Sea Glass
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April 2007 Retired
True Writer Pink
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April 2007 Retired
True Writer True Blue
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May 2007 Retired
True Writer Demonstrator
Bahama Blue, Always Greener and Fireball
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September 2007 Retired
True Writer Illuminator
Gunmetal and Blue
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September 2007 Retired
True Writer Flourish
Forest, Frost, and Cranberry
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September 2007
True Writer Obsidian Gold
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November 2007 Retired
True Writer Mini
Black and Pink
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2008
February 2008 Retired
True Writer Lobby Pen and True Writer Pen Stand
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February 2008 Retired
True Writer Slim Ballpoint
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April 2008 Retired
True Writer Fiery Amber
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June 2008 Retired
True Writer Demonstrator
Amethyst and Pinkly
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July 2008 Retired
True Writer Carnaval
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August 2008 Retired
True Writer Ivory & Gold
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September 2008 Retired
True Writer Starry Night
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October 2008 Retired
True Writer Mosaic
Purple and Blue
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October 2008 Retired
True Writer Water Lilies
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November 2008 Retired
True Writer Sea Glass Mini
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2010
September 2010 Retired
True Writer Café au Lait
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2011
February 2011 Retired
True Writer Ultra Violet
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June 2011 Retired
True Writer Obsidian Mini
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October 2011 Retired
True Writer Blue Delft
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2012
April 2012 Retired
True Writer French Impressionist
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May 2012 Retired
True Writer Silver Anniversary
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August 2012 Retired
True Writer Bright Write
Cornflower and Hot Pink
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September 2012 Retired
True Writer Teal Appeal
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2013
February 2013 Retired
True Writer Purple Majesty
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April 2013 Retired
True Writer Spring Inspired Rose
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September 2013 Retired
True Writer Silver Seas
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October 2013 Retired
True Writer Foliage
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December 2013 Retired
True Writer
Crimson, Navy and Raven
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2014
February 2014 Retired
True Writer Select
Stormy Weather, Macchiato and Mediterranean
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November 2014 Retired
True Writer Element Guilloche
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December 2014
True Writer Obsidian
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2015
February 2015
True Writer Classic Royal
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May 2015 Retired
True Writer Java
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June 2015 Retired
True Writer Classic Stone
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November 2015
True Writer Classic
Blue Marine, Red and Smoke
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November 2015 Retired
True Writer Oceanic Grey
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2016
March 2016 Retired
True Writer Oceanic Blue
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May 2016 Retired
True Writer Checkmate
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October 2016 Retired
True Writer Slim Gemstones
Garnet, Amethyst and Sapphire
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2017
January 2017
True Writer Select Obsidian Gold
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March 2017
True Writer Create Herringbone Guilloche
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April 2017 Retired
True Writer Classic Indigo
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July 2017 Retired
True Writer Classic Camouflage
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July 2017 Retired
True Writer Classic Ivory Rose Gold
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July 2017 Retired
True Writer Kaleidoscope Guilloche
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August 2017 Retired
True Writer Tanzanite
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October 2017 Retired
True Writer Create Pinstripe Guilloche
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October 2017 Retired
True Writer Classic Wintergreen and Gold
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December 2017
True Writer Classic Purple
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December 2017 Retired
True Writer Create Metallic
Rose Gold and Champagne
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December 2017 Retired
True Writer Create Stealth
Black and Gray
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2018
May 2018 Retired
True Writer Classic Cappuccino
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October 2018
True Writer Create Junior Metallic Rose Gold
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November 2018 Retired
True Writer Create Stealth Junior
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November 2018 Retired
True Writer Classic Junior
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November 2018
True Writer Classic Red and Gold
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2019
April 2019 Retired
True Writer Create Metallic Blue
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May 2019
True Writer Create Junior Metallic Blue
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July 2019
True Writer Two-Tone Herringbone Anniversary
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August 2019 Retired
True Writer Classic Kyoto Gold
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August 2019 Retired
True Writer Classic Pearl
White and Pink
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October 2019
True Writer Create Machina
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2020
February 2020
True Writer Classic Green Mosaic
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April 2020
True Writer Classic Sea Glass
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August 2020
True Writer Classic Obsidian Gold
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September 2020
True Writer Select
Black, Navy and Green
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October 2020
True Writer Classic Ivory and Gold
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October 2020
True Writer Create Herringbone Gold
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October 2020
True Writer Classic Imperial Blue
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October 2020
True Writer Classic Evergreen
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October 2020
True Writer Classic Valencia
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November 2020
True Writer Create Herringbone Midnight Black
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November 2020
True Writer Classic Sea Glass Fountain Pen
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2021
February 2021
True Writer Classic Dark Tortoise
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February 2021
True Writer Classic Red Jasper
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February 2021
True Writer Classic Turquoise
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June 2021
True Writer Classic Chromatic
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June 2021
True Writer Classic Sea and Sky
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July 2021
True Writer Classic Winter Garden
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August 2021
True Writer Create Herringbone Fountain Pen
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August 2021
True Writer Classic Valencia Fountain Pen
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August 2021
True Writer Classic Turquoise Fountain Pen
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August 2021
True Writer Classic Celestial
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October 2021
True Writer Classic Sparkle
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October 2021
True Writer Classic Sapphire Mosaic
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October 2021
True Writer Select Burgundy
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October 2021
True Writer Classic Obsidian Rose Gold
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January 2022
True Writer Classic Light Coral
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January 2022
True Writer Classic Modern Mosaic
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April 2022
True Writer Classic Jade Ocean
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April 2022
True Writer Classic Seaglass
Slim and Junior
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1999
February 1999 Retired
True Writer Green
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July 1999 Retired
True Writer Blue
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October 1999 Retired
True Writer Red
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2000
April 2000 Retired
True Writer Black
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April 2000 Retired
True Writer White
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October 2000 Retired
True Writer Yellow
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2001
March 2001 Retired
True Writer Periwinkle
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September 2001 Retired
True Writer Tangerine
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2002
May 2002 Retired
True Writer Abalone
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October 2002 Retired
True Writer Pearl Blue
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November 2002 Retired
True Writer Mink
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2004
January 2004 Retired
True Writer Rose
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2005
August 2005 Retired
True Writer Tortoise
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2006
January 2006 Retired
True Writer Kyoto
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September 2006 Retired
True Writer Metalist
Sapphire, Amethyst, Pearl and Ebony
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September 2006
True Writer Obsidian
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October 2006 Retired
True Writer Golden Tortoise
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November 2006 Retired
True Writer Sterling
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2007
February 2007 Retired
True Writer Metalist Copper
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February 2007 Retired
True Writer Seaglass
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April 2007 Retired
True Writer Pink
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April 2007 Retired
True Writer True Blue
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May 2007 Retired
True Writer Demonstrator
Bahama Blue, Always Greener and Fireball
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September 2007 Retired
True Writer Illuminator
Gunmetal and Blue
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September 2007 Retired
True Writer Flourish
Forest, Frost, and Cranberry
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September 2007
True Writer Obsidian Gold
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November 2007 Retired
True Writer Mini
Black and Pink
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2008
February 2008 Retired
True Writer Lobby Pen and True Writer Pen Stand
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February 2008 Retired
True Writer Slim Ballpoint
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April 2008 Retired
True Writer Fiery Amber
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June 2008 Retired
True Writer Demonstrator
Amethyst and Pinkly
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July 2008 Retired
True Writer Carnaval
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August 2008 Retired
True Writer Ivory & Gold
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September 2008 Retired
True Writer Starry Night
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October 2008 Retired
True Writer Mosaic
Purple and Blue
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October 2008 Retired
True Writer Water Lilies
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November 2008 Retired
True Writer Sea Glass Mini
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2010
September 2010 Retired
True Writer Café au Lait
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2011
February 2011 Retired
True Writer Ultra Violet
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June 2011 Retired
True Writer Obsidian Mini
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October 2011 Retired
True Writer Blue Delft
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2012
April 2012 Retired
True Writer French Impressionist
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May 2012 Retired
True Writer Silver Anniversary
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August 2012 Retired
True Writer Bright Write
Cornflower and Hot Pink
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September 2012 Retired
True Writer Teal Appeal
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2013
February 2013 Retired
True Writer Purple Majesty
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April 2013 Retired
True Writer Spring Inspired Rose
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September 2013 Retired
True Writer Silver Seas
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October 2013 Retired
True Writer Foliage
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December 2013 Retired
True Writer
Crimson, Navy and Raven
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2014
February 2014 Retired
True Writer Select
Stormy Weather, Macchiato and Mediterranean
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November 2014 Retired
True Writer Element Guilloche
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December 2014
True Writer Obsidian
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2015
February 2015
True Writer Classic Royal
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May 2015 Retired
True Writer Java
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June 2015 Retired
True Writer Classic Stone
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November 2015
True Writer Classic
Blue Marine, Red and Smoke
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November 2015 Retired
True Writer Oceanic Grey
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2016
March 2016 Retired
True Writer Oceanic Blue
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May 2016 Retired
True Writer Checkmate
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October 2016 Retired
True Writer Slim Gemstones
Garnet, Amethyst and Sapphire
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2017
January 2017
True Writer Select Obsidian Gold
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March 2017
True Writer Create Herringbone Guilloche
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April 2017 Retired
True Writer Classic Indigo
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July 2017 Retired
True Writer Classic Camouflage
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July 2017 Retired
True Writer Classic Ivory Rose Gold
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July 2017 Retired
True Writer Kaleidoscope Guilloche
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August 2017 Retired
True Writer Tanzanite
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October 2017 Retired
True Writer Create Pinstripe Guilloche
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October 2017 Retired
True Writer Classic Wintergreen and Gold
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December 2017
True Writer Classic Purple
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December 2017 Retired
True Writer Create Metallic
Rose Gold and Champagne
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December 2017 Retired
True Writer Create Stealth
Black and Gray
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2018
May 2018 Retired
True Writer Classic Cappuccino
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October 2018
True Writer Create Junior Metallic Rose Gold
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November 2018 Retired
True Writer Create Stealth Junior
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November 2018 Retired
True Writer Classic Junior
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November 2018
True Writer Classic Red and Gold
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2019
April 2019 Retired
True Writer Create Metallic Blue
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May 2019
True Writer Create Junior Metallic Blue
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July 2019
True Writer Two-Tone Herringbone Anniversary
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August 2019 Retired
True Writer Classic Kyoto Gold
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August 2019 Retired
True Writer Classic Pearl
White and Pink
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October 2019
True Writer Create Machina
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2020
February 2020
True Writer Classic Green Mosaic
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April 2020
True Writer Classic Sea Glass
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August 2020
True Writer Classic Obsidian Gold
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September 2020
True Writer Select
Black, Navy and Green
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October 2020
True Writer Classic Ivory and Gold
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October 2020
True Writer Create Herringbone Gold
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October 2020
True Writer Classic Imperial Blue
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October 2020
True Writer Classic Evergreen
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October 2020
True Writer Classic Valencia
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November 2020
True Writer Create Herringbone Midnight Black
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November 2020
True Writer Classic Sea Glass Fountain Pen
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2021
February 2021
True Writer Classic Dark Tortoise
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February 2021
True Writer Classic Red Jasper
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February 2021
True Writer Classic Turquoise
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June 2021
True Writer Classic Chromatic
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June 2021
True Writer Classic Sea and Sky
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July 2021
True Writer Classic Winter Garden
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August 2021
True Writer Create Herringbone Fountain Pen
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August 2021
True Writer Classic Valencia Fountain Pen
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August 2021
True Writer Classic Turquoise Fountain Pen
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August 2021
True Writer Classic Celestial
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October 2021
True Writer Classic Sparkle
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October 2021
True Writer Classic Sapphire Mosaic
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October 2021
True Writer Select Burgundy
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October 2021
True Writer Classic Obsidian Rose Gold
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January 2022
True Writer Classic Light Coral
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January 2022
True Writer Classic Modern Mosaic
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April 2022
True Writer Classic Jade Ocean
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April 2022
True Writer Classic Sea Glass
Slim and Junior -
May 2022
True Writer Classic Golden Dark Tortoise
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May 2022
True Writer Classic Majesty
