What Are The Best Clear Demonstrator Pens Ever Made?

[Noihvo]

I am an engineer and design many plastic parts. I can't think of any reason to prefer machined plastic over injection molded plastic, which has been gate-trimmed after molding.

 

Acrylic resin (molded or machined) is far more brittle and breakable than polycarbonate. But I don't know of any pens that claim to be made of polycarbonate. There is also a clear resin called Tritan, which is about as tough as polycarbonate. I don't think I could tell the difference between these three resins just by looking at them. The difference in material cost between any of these three resins is less than five cents.

 

Alan

Isn't one of the big USP:s of TWSBI pens that they are made of polycarbonate? Or maybe they are just "coated" with it (however you make that work)?

[akmac]

Not sure about TWSBIs, but the Lamy 2000 is certainly polycarbonate ('Makrolon' as the manufacturer prefers to call it). It's not a demonstrator though, obviously.

 

As for the OPs question, I wholeheartedly agree without whoever suggested the Pelikans M805 and M1005: the quality is exceptional, and the design strikes a perfect balance between 'classic' and 'show-off'.

Edited September 27, 2015 by akmac

[Megaloblatta]

Yes, TWSBI uses polycarbonate - see http://www.twsbi.com/blogs/news/18471955-quick-update The question therefore becomes: what transparent plastics are available which have superior durability, strength etc (e.g. are considerably better in terms of cracking, scratching, not yellowing etc), and have any clear demonstrator pens ever been made of this material? If one is going to purchase a pen - especially a ridiculously expensive one costing many hundreds or thousands of dollars - I for one would expect the material it was made of to be superior to much cheaper pens. I guess this is often not the case with pens - since very expensive pens are often made with materials which are known to seriously deteriorate over time e.g celluloid: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Celluloid ...

 

Incidentally, does anyone know what plastic the Pilot Custom Heritage 92 is made of? I notice that cat hairs stick onto it (I guess electrostatically) in an annoying way - unlike my other pens e.g the TWSBI.

Edited September 27, 2015 by Megaloblatta

[jar]

Yes, TWSBI uses polycarbonate - see http://www.twsbi.com/blogs/news/18471955-quick-update The question therefore becomes: what transparent plastics are available which have superior durability, strength etc (e.g. are considerably better in terms of cracking, scratching, not yellowing etc), and have any clear demonstrator pens ever been made of this material? If one is going to purchase a pen - especially a ridiculously expensive one costing many hundreds or thousands of dollars - I for one would expect the material it was made of to be superior to much cheaper pens. I guess this is often not the case with pens - since very expensive pens are often made with materials which are known to seriously deteriorate over time e.g celluloid: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Celluloid ...

 

Incidentally, does anyone know what plastic the Pilot Custom Heritage 92 is made of? I notice that cat hairs stick onto it (I guess electrostatically) in an annoying way - unlike my other pens e.g the TWSBI.

 

Superior is another of those words that really has no meaning on its own. Celluloid can certainly last a fairly long time without deterioration as the existence of celluloid objects out there in the wild that are many decades old attests. I have quite a few Sheaffer Balance pens and even a nice Waterman Ladies 100 Year pen made from celluloid that have not yet deteriorated. Considering that in those pens all the parts except the seals and sacs are still original it would seem that they could be said to be pretty durable if not even superior.

 

note the transparency on this over 60 year old Sheaffer Sentinel Deluxe

http://www.fototime.com/10F8D7B2F6CD1CE/xlarge.jpg

and an even older Balance

http://www.fototime.com/F7F4DD8FEEB19E0/large.jpg

and another Balance

http://www.fototime.com/58A8DB926C0C2A0/large.jpg

and the Waterman 100 Year Lady set

http://www.fototime.com/34A52EA1BD18493/large.jpg

And then there are all my Parker Vacumatics and Striped Duofolds that are also celluloid.

[Megaloblatta]

I wonder if your pens are as 'tough' as they originally were, or whether the plastic has become brittle? Plastics often look ok as they age, but their structural properties degrade. I am personally interested in knowing what the most durable crystal clear plastic is and whether any demonstrator pens have been made out of it. Does anyone know? I should add that as a museum curator I always consider how materials age and degrade, and I like to avoid ones that are known to not age well - especially if I am buying something very costly for myself!

[jar]

I wonder if your pens are as 'tough' as they originally were, or whether the plastic has become brittle? Plastics often look ok as they age, but their structural properties degrade. I am personally interested in knowing what the most durable crystal clear plastic is and whether any demonstrator pens have been made out of it. Does anyone know? I should add that as a museum curator I always consider how materials age and degrade, and I like to avoid ones that are known to not age well - especially if I am buying something very costly for myself!

Have you check to see what materials are used for glass substitutes in museum windows?

[Precise]

Perhaps I should have included cellulose in my trio of clear plastics. It is available in clear grades.

 

Two more transparent resins are polystyrene and SAN. They are cheap and brittle. I don't know if any fountain pens use them, but it's likely they are used in some cheap ballpoints.

 

All transparent resins degrade faster in Sunlight than opaque resins because the Sun's rays penetrate more deeply. Does the Sun stream through your window onto your desk?

 

Alan

[Megaloblatta]

This post may be of interest - it talks about the internal stresses in the barrels of TWSBI pens: http://daverea.com/2015/09/twsbi-eco-wont-break/

[frogbaby]

I love my Pilot 823 which can be had for about $200 from Japan.

There is also the Platinum Sai which can be bought for about $150

http://global.rakuten.com/en/store/auc-youstyle/item/pla-pnb-20000y-5/

[Precise]

This post may be of interest - it talks about the internal stresses in the barrels of TWSBI pens: http://daverea.com/2015/09/twsbi-eco-wont-break/

I read this link, which suggests that a pen having low internal stresses won't break. It may help somewhat, but I don't think a lack of stresses would prevent a pen from breaking if it is molded of inherently brittle materials like acrylic, polystyrene, or SAN.

Edited September 27, 2015 by Precise

[ThirdeYe]

Out of all of the demonstrators I've used, I find the Pilot Custom 823 to be the best one I have. Granted, I opted for the amber colored demonstrator but they do make them in clear if you order it from Japan. It's in the $200-300 price range. For an inexpensive pen, I'm quite happy with my Lamy Vista as well ($20-30 depending on the source). I also have a TWSBI 530 but I've only inked it a few times since I bought it a few years ago as I do not want it to crack. If it wasn't for the fear of cracking, I'd list it right up there with my favorites, because it writes very well and has a nice size to it.

[FOUR X FOUR]

You might like the Vac 700

[Randal6393]

Well, Megaloblotta, that's a good article to read over. Sound analysis, from what little I know. Indicates that the Eco, at roughly $30.00, should be a good edition to the pen box. I have a TWSBI 580, love it. Am a little leary of it, as I easily broke an earlier model TWSBI within a few months. Felt the pens are a bit on the fragile side. Still, just couldn't pass up the Rose Gold model. Just too darn pretty. But I am a bit more careful of it than most of my pens. Since it cost me a whole $50.00. Wouldn't care so much about the Eco, easily replaced at its price.

 

Along that line, I have had a rough time with Nemosyne pens. Didn't work out too well, didn't like the original nibs. And fragile. But, for some unknown reason, mostly a good price line, splurged and spent $15.00 on the magenta demonstrator Singularity with a 0.8 mm italic nib. When it came, cleaned it with a bit of pen flush and water, filled it with Architekt Jeans Blue ink, and adjusted the tines. Writes so well that, even if it proves fragile, I will not mind replacing it if it breaks. And here I was, thinking I might get a Pelikan Amber Demonstrator for $120.00 ...

 

Enjoy,

[pkoko]

You might like the Vac 700

+1.... It is very solidly put together pen. Way better than the 580.

[Notgatherox]

Really like my Pelikan M200 Clear Demonstrator. I paid just over $100 a couple of years ago when it was on sale. Currently have it inked up with Akkerman Royal Blue.

M200DemoinPStandWeb.jpg

 

+1

 

 

Might I also suggest the Eco? It's a one piece section which reduces chances of breakage. And at that price, it's really unbeatable.

 

 

 

~Epic

[Megaloblatta]

Finally I think I understand the main reason why TWSBI pens have such big problems with cracking, yet many other demonstrator pens (e.g. the Pilot Custom Heritage 92) don't. The reason is that TWSBI pens are made of polycarbonate, whilst others, such as the Pilot 92, are made from acrylic resin. Here is an extract from a post from 2013 which I found on this forum:

 

"The TWSBI 540 has an injection moulded polycarbonate barrel and cap, whereas most other pens (MontBlanc included) use acrylic resins (Perspex). Polycarbonate has a higher tensile and impact strength than acrylic when used under the correct conditions.

When you injection mould polycarbonate, it is easy to get residual stresses after the moulding process and any stress raisers such as metal inserts, rings etc can cause this stress to release in the form of cracking. In most injection moulded polycarbonate engineering applications, the finished component is given a stress relief process in hot water. Either this process is omitted on the 540 or the mould design is such that the stresses are considerable and microcracks may already have formed prior to assembly. Polycarbonate is also sensitive to moisture content both prior to moulding and in service. When extruded or pressed, polycarbonate is one of the strongest plastics in service, however it needs very careful treatment to retain these properties when injection moulded. It is known to absorb moisture which in severe cases will adversely affect its strength and also its optical clarity. Modern polycarbonates have been engineered to obviate some of these problems but the inherent properties of the material remain.

Acrylic pens are usually manufactured from extruded or cast material and because of its physical properties and lower tensile strength, residual stresses are not so much of a problem. Surface hardness is generally higher than polycarbonate and it is easier to polish to a high shine - so shiny that some people could even call it a "precious resin", in spite of it being exactly the same as everyone elses acrylic in its physical properties." [Full post is here: https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/topic/241455-why-does-the-twsbi/]

 

From now on I shall be avoiding any fountain pen made from polycarbonate...

[Sergio 46]

Definitively Pilot, with custom 823 , custom 74 and Prera!

[cattar]

Waterman Kultur is polycarb. I used the pens as EDC being tossed in the bag and the bag being dropped on cement, oops, and no cracks. Eventually, the pens get permenently borrowed by someone else. My most recent is 3 years old and is now an italic nib.

Polycarb can be durable depending on the processing.

 

edited to add

The reflectis (sparkly) pens are clear polycarb with a painted interior.

Edited September 29, 2015 by cattar

[figboot]

Visconti Opera Crystal

Agreed. This is very high on my wish list. There's something about the mosquito filling system that I find really cool.

[Recoil Rob]