Coloured Demonstrators

[amk]

I've just realised I have quite a few coloured demonstrators and actually, I prefer them to totally clear demos. (I know some people say we shouldn't even call them 'demonstrators'... but heck, they're see-through, you can still see the ink sloshing away or pistons going up and down, so they're demos as far as I'm concerned.)

 

So I thought it would be interesting to start making a list of what's available. These pens are all relatively recent manufacture - the transparent Pelikano came out in 2000, the first of the m200s I think in 1997 - though not all are still available new.

• Pelikan m200 comes in a range of transparent finishes; amber/cognac, green and yellow highlighter pens, amethyst, blue, grey, red, 'anthracite', regular green, light blue, aquamarine. I only have the blue, so far.
• Other transparent Pelikans include the 450 Pelikano which is a nice inexpensive pen, and various other Souveraens including a green 400, and 600 versions in blue, marine blue, aubergine, red.
• Platinum 3776 has a number of versions - the Bourgogne in deep red and Chartres Blue, but also the more recent Nice Lilas in gentle pinkish-purple. (It also has some gorgeous translucent or not-quite-completely-transparent pens like the Nice Pur.) There's a 'lantern' version currently available from Japan which appears to be translucent amber with black ends, and which someone else always seems to win on ebay, and the red Shungyo which Goulet pens is showing for pre-order.
• I haven't ordered one but the ASA Pens Tangerine Nauka also fits the bill. I just didn't particularly fancy the colour but now... there's still time!
• Kaweco Ice Sports come in various colours and are an inexpensive way to collect coloured demos.
• Waterman Kultur has loads of translucent coloured variants. I have blues, reds, a neon yellow, green.. Lovely pens, still available in France as a school pen.
• Pilot Custom 823 in amber. Pilot Custom Heritage 92 comes in orange and blue and Custom 74 in violet (this one I find very tempting!)
• Nemosine Singularity I believe comes in pink, 'onyx' (smoky) and blue, another inexpensive pen.
• Monteverde Artista in blue, red and green.
• Quite a few Edison pens come in partly translucent acrylic but I'm not sure I'd call them demos, since the translucency (eg on a couple of the Goulet-exclusive Nouveau Premiere iIRC) is part of a swirl design. Custom pens, of course, you name it....
• Franklin Christoph does a lot in this line, though it's not a manufacturer that I know well (I don't think they're distributed in Europe?) - model 02 comes in amber and 'smoke' for instance.

I hope that's a nice little list to be going on with, and that other FPNers can come up with additions to the list. By the way, when was the earliest translucent demo? - I mean all-translucent, not (for instance) a bulbfiller with a translucent barrel, or a visulated barrel pen like the Vacumatic. I'd love to know the history and I wonder if we could speculate about why these pens have become popular.

 

Who else loves coloured demos?

 

[Bo Bo Olson]

Pelikan 200 Amethyst...back lighted high on the pen display. of a Kaufhaus department store...wife asks the stupid question....I said yes........paid more than it was 'worth', is worth what I paid for it. Nice color....ink too.

Don't remember what I paid....but it's one of the 5 new pens I ever bought. (have some 60 working pens, and some waiting for the day.)....great 'true' regular flex nib....'better' IMO than the modern post '97 fat blobby semi-nail 400/600's...........as good as the '90's M400 gold nib, which is also regular flex......Celebry, 381.......Pelikan once had a bunch of very fine regular flex nibs....now only the 200.

A very well balanced pen.

 

Having a number of 400's, didn't need a 200 so bought the 215 for the nib....and different feel.

Got a W.Germany 200 (yes, the W. Germany nibs are best of the regular flex) and the Amethyst.

[pajaro]

Ariel Kullock Parker 51s. I have a pink-amethyst and a swirly yellow.

[ParkerDuofold]

Hi AMK, et al,

 

Not to be harsh, but I have always disliked demonstrators... thinking they all have a kind of cheap and "juvenile" look to them.

 

However, in order to sate a recent curiosity; I picked up a dealer pack of 15 Jinhao 992's, (avoid them), and they're colored demonstrators... and I have to admit... I like their appearance.

 

When the sun or a bright light hits that jewel-toned plastic, it makes me think pleasant thoughts... "summery" things like swimming pools, soda and candy. . Yes, it is true... I am nuts... I go through my days waiting for the white van to pick me up and take me to the "happy place."

 

 

- Anthony

Edited June 26, 2017 by ParkerDuofold

[ac12]

1960s Sheaffer School/Cartridge pens.

Clear, and transparent blue, green, red, and maybe a few other colors.

It was an inexpensive pen that a grade school student like me could afford.

 

I have 2 of them in use now

- green with Noodler's Gruene Cactus

- red with Sheaffer Red

[sharonspens]

AMK, I have nothing to add to this list. However, I just wanted to note that I was previously unfamiliar with the Platinum Shungyo. And now I am afraid I may have to get on the line to buy one!

 

Sharon in Indiana

[Pentode]

I have a pretty nice green demonstrator that was made by Reform in the '90s (when the company was in it's death throes). I have no idea what the model number is, but it's a good writer that wasn't expensive. I wish I had gotten a clear one as well, but the green looks good.

 

I don't know if you'd count the Pilot Prera as a colored demonstrator or not. It's mostly clear, but it's ends are colored. Sharp looking pen, IMO.

 

EDIT: A little hunting online leads me to believe that my Reform demo is a "Pharaoh" model. Go figure....

Edited June 27, 2017 by Pentode

[zaddick]

Just in Pelikan you can add the m800 green demo and rhe m800 blue ocean.

[tgoto]

Ariel Kullock Parker 51s. I have a pink-amethyst and a swirly yellow.

Ariel Kullock 51's are so gorgeous!!

[Driften]

I have some of the pens on that list. I also like colored demonstrators better the clear ones. I have a Pelikan M200 in amber, Pilot 92 in blue, 3776 in blue, Franklin-Christoph 45 XLV in amber and am on the waiting list for the antique glass Model 02. I have some clear ones but that is not what we are talking about

 

I expect there were plenty of vintage models used for demonstrating the pen internals by sales reps but have never seen one. Maybe Richard Binders site would have some references on that.

[Noihvo]

[grainweevil]

There are several Sailors - mainly Pro Gears I think, but others better versed in Sailor's models would know with greater accuracy. I want to say the Pro Color too...?

 

Then there's the recent Chinese Sailor homages such as the Jinhao 922 already mentioned by Anthony, but also the Lingmo Lorelei that's available in a translucent blue.

 

TWSBI, of course, used to be a veritable rainbow of coloured demos, but now even the Vac700 colours have been knocked on the head.

 

I do like a good transparent colour, I must admit - the Pelikan M2xx drawer is damning proof. But can get a little frustrated when that's all you can get. I'd be thrilled if Platinum, for instance, brought out a new solid colour other than black.

[senzen]

I'm a sucker for clear demos (7 Lamy Vistas, 2 Platinum Cools), although I am attracted to the Pelikan m205 in blue with silver trim, and the aquamarine looks spectacular. The latest smoky quartz would probably also look great with silver trim instead of gold.

[Driften]

I do agree I feel Noihvo that demonstrators come into their own when they are piston fillers or some other built in filling system. Seeing a small cartridge or converter inside of a pen just does not do as much for me. It's cool looking at all the ink in my TWSBI 700r or my piston pens. My F-C 45 XLV is set up as an eyedropper and its large ink capacity is cool to look at though the amber body. You have to love the ink in that pen since its going to be using it for a long long time before running out. Actually its the same with the 700r which holds almost 2ml.

[rudyhou]

i own Pilot Custom 74 and Pilot Custom 92, both in smoke black demonstrator. love them

[pajaro]

I just got around to buying a Pelikan M205 yellow highlighter set and an extra fine nib so I can write with it. I like the green one too.

[Ron Z]

Pilot Prera. A nice little pen for the money. I like the crisp line for sketching and notes in my repair notebook. Also maybe the Wing Sung 698. From a sample of one, it seems to be well made, and a surprisingly smooth XF 14K nib on the gold version.

[inkstainedruth]

A number of Noodler's pens (some of the resin body Konrads and FPCs -- and I suppose the Ahabs that are the same color) are translucent/transparent. The Charlie eyedroppers, of course, have clear barrels.

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[chromantic]

Pelikan also made this translucent cobalt blue pen/pencil, usually a few up on ebay, one listing gives a 1998 date but I'm unsure of the model number.

 

Here's an ebay listing just to show the pen.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Rare-Pelikan-Translucent-Cobalt-Blue-Set-FP-BP-BOX-Medium-Steel-nib-NEW-Germany-/282447964925?hash=item41c335eafd:g:LaIAAOSwux5YMy4S

[mitto]

Taiwanese SB pens come in colored demontrators. They are very sturdy and comparatively better quality pens. I have a dozen of these and they are way ahead of the mainland Chinese color demo pens as far as QC is concerned.

 

http://m.ebay.co.uk/itm/SB-TAIWAN-FOUNTAIN-PEN-TRANSPARENT-OR-DULL-BARREL-FINE-POINT-MULTIPLE-COLOURS-/161314465495?clk_rvr_id=1257892181188&afsrc=1&rmvSB=true&ul_ref=http%253A%252F%252Frover.ebay.com%252Frover%252F1%252F710-53481-19255-0%252F1%253Ftype%253D4%2526campid%253D5337748402%2526toolid%253D10001%2526afsrc%253D1%2526customid%253D86284X1538780X76cc4aa026df8e910e733f21652d2541%2526mpre%253Dhttp%25253A%25252F%25252Fm.ebay.co.uk%25252Fitm%25252FSB-TAIWAN-FOUNTAIN-PEN-TRANSPARENT-OR-DULL-BARREL-FINE-POINT-MULTIPLE-COLOURS-%25252F161314465495%2526srcrot%253D710-53481-19255-0%2526rvr_id%253D1257892181188

Edited July 15, 2017 by mitto