Clear / Transparent Feeds - Technical Reasons?

[Pan5N3]

Still a newbie when it comes to pens, and after searching I couldn't find an answer, so thought I would ask: Why aren't there more clear / transparent feeds?

 

Most feeds are black or a dark colour. Never thought twice about it until I picked up a cheap Chinese pen that had a clear / transparent feed. I decided to load the pen with red ink (sorry for the poor quality picture) and when I connected the converter, you could see the ink flowing in to the feed. The ink does not appear to have stained the feed (cleaned and changed colours a couple of times).

 

I haven't seen too many clear feeds, so I'm wondering if there is a technical reason for going with a dark colour. The pen in the picture is translucent so you can see the ink, but I thought it would be handy to have clear feeds on pens with opaque bodies. Having a clear feed would a make it easier to see what colour is in the pen. At the moment, I have to write down the colours loaded in my pens (which is kind of fun) and refer back to the page when I am looking for a specific colour.

 

Any thoughts would be appreciated.

 

 

 

 

 

[Bo Bo Olson]

Could be if it's a sac/lever pen one wanted to know before one ran completely out of ink.

 

Or it's a demonstrator and the whole pen is clear or translucent.

[zaddick]

I think the reasons tend towards the aesthetic not technical. Black plastic works like clear plastic in terms of moving ink. I would say it can look messier and be harder to clean or at least would be more noticeable if not cleaned thoroughly. Also, dark and solid feeds are traditional.

[jar]

Wearever and Scripto had some clear feeds back in the 1960s IIRC.

[Freddy]

'Cause 'tis kewl..................

Fred

Tadpole................................

[pen lady]

Marketing? Wearever called their transparent feed C-Flow (see the ink flow - get it, get it?), it is pretty cool.

[pajaro]

I think a clear feed would give me a picture of whether ink is flowing or not. Conservatism will probably mitigate against its implementation.

[Honeybadgers]

Clear feeds to exist but are mostly just a novelty out of aesthetic reason more than any other. The most expensive pen I have with a clear feed is a steel nib sailor young profit skeleton demonstrator. it's really pretty and the clear feed just pushes it over the top in terms of coolness. But they don't look good in non-demonstrator pens, the DO stain with some inks, and not many companies make full demo pens.

 

 

There was a clear feed made for the parker 51 demo and I believe there was a demo clear feed sheaffer snorkel. but those pens are exceedingly rare and expensive, and ones with pristine clear feeds are museum pieces.

Edited September 19, 2018 by Honeybadgers

[Freddy]

Follow the link to another with a clear feed......Me old scan....Pentrace LE with harmonic steel nib.............

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/topic/331105-what-pens-are-you-using-today-2018/?p=4011689

Fred

........Omas Vision Ogiva clear w/Au trim....black hr feed...go figure...................

[ardene]

I believe that a translucent or entirely transparent material for the feed would eventually stain from the ink flowing over it all the time. Feeds are kind of more matted than the section walls. Black material can also stain but you don't notice it on the black background.

[Pan5N3]

Ok. This is a fun group. DIdn't expect so much feedback. Thanks!

 

Staining seems like the most obvious reasons for not have more clear feeds out there. Still, I think they look cool.

 

Might have to get another cheap clear nib pen and do a couple of experiments, like trying it in a solid body and seeing how it stains but soaking it in a good ink and then letting it dry out.