What is a demonstrator?

[XBaucus BillX]

topic

[Edgar Allan Bo]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demonstrator

[Edgar Allan Bo]

It's a clear pen, a pen made of clear plastic (or other clear materials) that shows - "demonstrates" - how the pen and it's filling system is working!

 

LAMY Safari Vista is clear, but it's not a "true demonstrator" because it has no filling system, it just takes cartridges...

[Dr Lopez]

topic

 

It is a pen with a transparent body that allow you to see the inner workings of the fountain pen. I generally dislike them because they give me the impression of a cheap pen. However, some of them are more expensive because some brands rarely make them. I like the coloured ones more, like those by Pelikan.

[dashreeve]

Here are my examples:

 

http://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z185/dashreeve/demos.jpg

[Edgar Allan Bo]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demonstrator

 

lol, here's the right one, for demonstrator pens = http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demonstrator_pen

 

"Demonstrator pens were originally furnished by manufacturers to dealers, so that the features of their products could be shown to potential buyers. The first demonstrators had openings cut in their barrels, and usually, their caps. These would typically allow direct viewing of the filling mechanism and the section-inner cap junction, respectively. Cutaway demonstrators were usually not fully functional pens, and many were furnished without nibs or with nonfunctional dummy nibs.

 

The first transparent demonstrator pens were probably Parker's Bakelite-barreled eyedropper-fillers, which were soon made a regular production model. Most transparent demonstrators, however, postdate the general adoption of celluloid for fountain pen manufacture. Parker and Sheaffer both made fully-transparent versions of their best-selling Duofold and Balance models in the early 1930s. Other demonstrators were only partially transparent, the transparency highlighting the pen's special features. Examples include the transparent-barreled Parker Vacuum Filler demonstrators (showing the filling mechanism) and the Parker 51 demonstrators with transparent hoods (showing the collector).

 

In recent years, transparent fountain pens have become very popular. In contrast to demonstrators past, which were made in very limited numbers and not sold to the public, these pens are regular production items, though sometimes made as limited editions. This trend may be traced back to Pelikan's transparent green M800 and transparent blue Blue Ocean M800 of 1992."

Edited January 8, 2010 by sk2yshine

[gillyohan]

It's a clear pen, a pen made of clear plastic (or other clear materials) that shows - "demonstrates" - how the pen and it's filling system is working!

 

LAMY Safari Vista is clear, but it's not a "true demonstrator" because it has no filling system, it just takes cartridges...

 

I think the Vista also takes a convertor, no?

[Jeff E]

It's a clear pen, a pen made of clear plastic (or other clear materials) that shows - "demonstrates" - how the pen and it's filling system is working!

 

LAMY Safari Vista is clear, but it's not a "true demonstrator" because it has no filling system, it just takes cartridges...

 

I think the Vista also takes a convertor, no?

 

Yes it does.

[Edgar Allan Bo]

It's a clear pen, a pen made of clear plastic (or other clear materials) that shows - "demonstrates" - how the pen and it's filling system is working!

 

LAMY Safari Vista is clear, but it's not a "true demonstrator" because it has no filling system, it just takes cartridges...

 

I think the Vista also takes a convertor, no?

 

Yes it does.

 

yes, but it's still a c/c filler and has no real filling system inside... I would call it a demonstrator pen if I just go and call every translucent pen a demonstrator! But there are many people here who would not call the Vista a demonstrator because just the fact that the pen is clear has nothing to do with the historical meaning of the demonstrator pen... the first "demonstrator" pens weren't even translucent...

 

"Demonstrator pens were originally furnished by manufacturers to dealers, so that the features of their products could be shown to potential buyers. The first demonstrators had openings cut in their barrels, and usually, their caps. These would typically allow direct viewing of the filling mechanism and the section-inner cap junction, respectively."

 

...so, the real demonstrator pen is a pen that shows how the things inside of the pen work... but some can allways argue about that and everyone has a different meaning what should be called a demonstrator and what not... you could even say that the Safari Vista IS a demonstrator because it whows how the cap is working and how the ink flows through the clear section and the feed... so, the Vista actually IS a demonstrator... ...

Edited January 8, 2010 by sk2yshine

[photosphera]

Take a look at the masterpiece Etruria Nuda from Stipula on the web, she's amazing. The queen of my favourite category, demonstrators. Nearly all major brands have launched a clear model through time, none of them costs more that 1000 USD, but for me the best are 1) Etruria Nuda, 2) Aurora 88 Demo and 3) Visconti Van Gogh naked

Edited January 8, 2010 by photosphera

[Apotheosis]

Here are my examples:

 

http://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z185/dashreeve/demos.jpg

 

Whoa..

[vlada]

dashreeve, that's an impressive collection