Thoughts On Demonstrators

[ac12]

Demonstrators appeal to the geekiness in me.

I would not use it in a "professional" situation where a more conservative pen would be more appropriate.

But it would be a conversation starter.

In an IT or engineering environment, with techie types all around, it would fit just fine.

 

This is a pix of the same pen that I used in grade school, in the 60s.

An inexpensive Sheaffer school pen. A demonstrator before that type of pen became popular.

Actually I don't think there was a solid/non-transparent barrel, I think it was various different transparent colors.

 

It was easy to monitor your ink level.

 

This discussion is rekindling my interest in getting a demonstrator for the fun of it.

Edited September 6, 2013 by ac12

[fpconverted]

I just recently added a "Lamy Vista" clear demonstrators w/med nib and it's one of the best writers ever. The stainless steel nib is a smooth writer. The pen is a simple modern industrial design and comes with a piston style convertor with a red twist top. Love this pen. It never leaks and always looks clean and for under 50$ u can't beat the price. From a cost perspective I'd prefer to save my money for higher end gold nib pens and such but everyone should have at least one clear demonstrators in your collection regardless of cost. I'd love a viscounti Opera clear resin but for almost 1000$ I'd rather get a Mont Blanc instead. Not sure but yes it has struck my eye, I may fold and get it.

 

And yes I have Private Reserve Black Cherry loaded and it does look like a syringe of blood.

Edited September 21, 2013 by fpconverted

[cellmatrix]

I just recently added a "Lamy Vista" clear demonstrators w/med nib and it's one of the best writers ever. The stainless steel nib is a smooth writer. The pen is a simple modern industrial design and comes with a piston style convertor with a red twist top. Love this pen. It never leaks and always looks clean and for under 50$ u can't beat the price. From a cost perspective I'd prefer to save my money for higher end gold nib pens and such but everyone should have at least one clear demonstrators in your collection regardless of cost. I'd love a viscounti Opera clear resin but for almost 1000$ I'd rather get a Mont Blanc instead. Not sure but yes it has struck my eye, I may fold and get it.

 

And yes I have Private Reserve Black Cherry loaded and it does look like a syringe of blood.

I have one of those vistas, I like it but I wish that it had a bit more flow, its kind of dry, even with opening the tines a bit. I suppose I will try taking a knife to the feed channel one of these days. But aside from the flow issue its a great pen.

Edited September 21, 2013 by cellmatrix

[WirsPlm]

The more I use FPs, the more interested I get in demonstrators. I love my solid pens too, but being able to measure the ink level is just really convenient.

[Eduardo]

 

I think it is wholly material and nothing to do with engineering, because TWSBI use polycarbonate, whereas most other manufacturers use acrylic. Unfortunately, polycarbonates can be tricky to mould (hence the cracking problems) and have unproven service life in fountain pen applications.

 

Bingo!!!

 

Polycarbonate is twice resistent (chemically and mechanically) as PMMA (aka acrylic)... And it is VERY WELL PROVEN in fountain pens... The cheap and BOMBPROOF Platinum Preppy is made in polycarbonate...

[Oranges and Apples]

 

Bingo!!!

 

Polycarbonate is twice resistent (chemically and mechanically) as PMMA (aka acrylic)... And it is VERY WELL PROVEN in fountain pens... The cheap and BOMBPROOF Platinum Preppy is made in polycarbonate...

 

The problem with the Platinum Preppy is their caps keep on cracking. A quick google search would bring up many instances but I am not sure if the cap is made out of polycarbonate.

[WirsPlm]

I've heard quite a lot about Platinum Preppies cracking, actually. It's a commonly acknowledged problem with them.

[georges zaslavsky]

they are nice pens but are a pain in the ass to clean

[GabrielleDuVent]

Ditto on cracking Preppy's. One reason I have designated Preppy eyedropper to "in-house" use only.

 

I have a Lamy Vista - it was my first Lamy - and while I'm not madly in love with it, I do like it. Even with the Lamy converter. Granted, it's no traditional beauty on the desk, but it does the job, and since I use it more often than a lot of my other pens, being able to tell the ink level without unscrewing the barrel each time saves a lot of effort for me. I've replaced the F steel nib to XF black nib, and it does change the look, far more so than I expected.

 

One reason I don't mind my Lamy being a demonstrator, though, is because it's mostly made of plastic. If it had silver or gold trimmings (is that what one calls it?), I'd probably have minded the stark cheapness of the clear plastic against the metal. It looks rather Bauhaus to me, and since I like minimalist interior and Bauhaus seems to have played a role in minimalist décor, I don't find it ugly per se. I live in van der Rohe's playground, though, so I might have been inundated with his work to the point I find it visually pleasing.

Edited September 21, 2013 by GabrielleDuVent

[fpconverted]

I have one of those vistas, I like it but I wish that it had a bit more flow, its kind of dry, even with opening the tines a bit. I suppose I will try taking a knife to the feed channel one of these days. But aside from the flow issue its a great pen.

Well I use Yard O Led inks with my Lamy pens and they all seem to flow ink fine. Im sure its the ink your are using. Try switching to a more wet ink and avoid dryer one.

[fpconverted]

Ditto on cracking Preppy's. One reason I have designated Preppy eyedropper to "in-house" use only.

 

I have a Lamy Vista - it was my first Lamy - and while I'm not madly in love with it, I do like it. Even with the Lamy converter. Granted, it's no traditional beauty on the desk, but it does the job, and since I use it more often than a lot of my other pens, being able to tell the ink level without unscrewing the barrel each time saves a lot of effort for me. I've replaced the F steel nib to XF black nib, and it does change the look, far more so than I expected.

 

One reason I don't mind my Lamy being a demonstrator, though, is because it's mostly made of plastic. If it had silver or gold trimmings (is that what one calls it?), I'd probably have minded the stark cheapness of the clear plastic against the metal. It looks rather Bauhaus to me, and since I like minimalist interior and Bauhaus seems to have played a role in minimalist décor, I don't find it ugly per se. I live in van der Rohe's playground, though, so I might have been inundated with his work to the point I find it visually pleasing.

My thoughts exactly. I love the clear minimalist yet industrial design of the Lamy Vista and btw I wouldnt dare changing the stainless steel nib to a black nib. I would have gotten a Lamy special edition in all black with black nib. Love the bauhaus look of the Lamy pens. It certainly doesnt look like its got alot of cachet put next to let say a Mont Blanc meisterstuck in solitaire silver but then again im not gonna poo poo on minimalist design. I love the addition of Lamy pens to my collection. Its post modern and uber bauhaus. Im a pierced and tattooed artsy type so whipping out one of these at starbucks writing in my journal is more me. BUT for German design and manufacture, I love my Mont Blanc Meister stuck Solitaire Le grande silver. I do get a few looks when I use that beauty.

Edited September 22, 2013 by fpconverted

[Laura N]

I used to dislike demonstrators because they looked so messy. Now that I have had several, it seems I've learned to deal.

 

Improbably, my favorite is the Vista, which I hated the looks of -- until I got it. Now I love it. As someone else said, it looks very industrial, which is perfect for the Safari design.

 

It turns out that a c/c demonstrator has all the advantages of any demonstrator, plus the added benefit of being easier to clean.

[GabrielleDuVent]

My thoughts exactly. I love the clear minimalist yet industrial design of the Lamy Vista and btw I wouldnt dare changing the stainless steel nib to a black nib. I would have gotten a Lamy special edition in all black with black nib. Love the bauhaus look of the Lamy pens. It certainly doesnt look like its got alot of cachet put next to let say a Mont Blanc meisterstuck in solitaire silver but then again im not gonna poo poo on minimalist design. I love the addition of Lamy pens to my collection. Its post modern and uber bauhaus. Im a pierced and tattooed artsy type so whipping out one of these at starbucks writing in my journal is more me. BUT for German design and manufacture, I love my Mont Blanc Meister stuck Solitaire Le grande silver. I do get a few looks when I use that beauty.

 

Granted, my desk isn't the executive mahogany and gold and silver kind. I have a fluorescent lighting and my notebooks range from Moleskine to a random sketchbook to cheap comp books.

 

A Lamy Vista in this setting

http://images.costco.com/image/media/350-283912-847__1.jpg

 

might look a bit weird.

[Blade Runner]

Demonstrators remind me of those clear plastic squirt guns in various colours that I played in my youth. That reminiscence somehow gets in the way of paying hundreds of dollars for a high end demonstrator.

Edited September 22, 2013 by Blade Runner

[Eduardo]

 

Granted, my desk isn't the executive mahogany and gold and silver kind. I have a fluorescent lighting and my notebooks range from Moleskine to a random sketchbook to cheap comp books.

 

A Lamy Vista in this setting

http://images.costco.com/image/media/350-283912-847__1.jpg

 

might look a bit weird.

 

 

This setting claims by a goose feather pen... BTW... Choose BLACK geese, because the white geese has transparent feather stems, a kind of demonstrator goose feather

[fpconverted]

I like Demos. There is an appeal to them unique to themselves. Being able to see the inner workings has a very cool factor. Seeing the ink slosh around and knowing what color ink is in it with a simple glance has its usefulness. Although some people think a demonstrator might look cheap, many demos are built just as well and strong as many celluloid and acrylic pens. I also appreciate that a good demo's cap/barrel probably takes more work than other materials because a high polish is needed for it to be very transparent.

Agreed!!! I cant say anything neg about my LAMY VISTA and with Private Reserve Black Cherry looks like a syringe of blood. Its tres cool.

[fpconverted]

 

Granted, my desk isn't the executive mahogany and gold and silver kind. I have a fluorescent lighting and my notebooks range from Moleskine to a random sketchbook to cheap comp books.

 

A Lamy Vista in this setting

http://images.costco.com/image/media/350-283912-847__1.jpg

 

might look a bit weird.

I love your office/study.....it looks really comfy and a great place to do your work. My office is very IKEA swedish modern. But honestly I do have the cool factor whenever I use my Mont Blanc pens.

Edited September 22, 2013 by fpconverted

[ravantra]

Demonstrators remind me of those clear plastic squirt guns in various colours that I played in my youth. That reminiscence somehow gets in the way of paying hundreds of dollars for a high end demonstrator.

Squirt guns are cool and useful. I still use one in the winter when my satellite dish gets covered in snow and signal strength drops I fill up a squirt gun with very warm water and blast the snow off from my second story window.

 

I like your squirt gun connection but I still like demonstrators.

[Blade Runner]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v233/jelb/squirt_zps64017398.jpg

[Eduardo]

Sheaffer Snorkel = The best squirt gun