It is somewhat foolish of me to have done so, in light of the current postal strike, but I have made an on-line purchase. The government, with the degree of concern for labour which we all might have forseen, is hurrying some back-to-work legislation into place, and even without that surety of seeing the (angry, demoralized) postal workers back on their beat presently, how could I resist this:

This is coming at me from Russia, and I am indecently excited about it. Apart from being a PEN! shaped like a ROCKET!!, it has a very interesting connection with actual history.
That pentagonal plate on it reads:
CCCP
СЕНТЯБРЬ
1959
The first line is clear enough, but the second line took a very little effort to discover: “September”. With that in hand, a little bit more research brought me to this image:
This is part of a write-up about the Luna 2 probe, which was one of the many successes of their early space programme which the Soviets were able to taunt capitalist world with. Luna 2 was the first man-made item to hit the moon, and the image here shows what became on landing the commemorative shrapnel. It landed on 13 September 1959.
I say “connection” with history, and that’s a little strong, since I have no evidence that the thing was manufactured within ten years of the indicated date. It is, however, strongly suggestive of an interesting bit of history only slightly predating me, and that adds a cherry and sprinkles to the sundae of coolness it otherwise represents. Speed hence the post!
Today’s pen, of space age materials: Lamy 2000
Today’s ink, made in a re-united Germany which 1959 would not have expected to see: Pelikan 4001 Brilliant Brown