What is the appeal of a demo pen?

[yumbo]

Can someone explain to me the appeal of clear plastic demonstrator pens? I know why they're made, but why do people buy them? I don't understand the appeal. Am I missing something here?

 

Thanks much.

 

- Yumbo

[Phthalo]

Read on... "Crystal Clear".

[jd50ae]

I like to watch all the moving parts.

[HDoug]

Read on... "Crystal Clear".

 

Thanks Phthalo -- that link explains it quite well. I have a few demonstrators in my small collection, including an amber Pelikan M200, which might be classified as kind of a semi-demonstrator...?

 

Doug

 

[rorschah]

Do you like science and engineering?

 

_ Yes

_ No

(check one)

 

 

(There was this book I had when I was a kid. It showed cutaways of everything - tractors, luxury liners, airplanes, elevators, engines. You could see where everything went, and how it all worked together. This is like that, except in real life, and you can see the fluid move. Awesome.)

[Keng]

As the parts are transparent there will be some ink straining and scratches will diminsh the clarity. Hence demostrators require extra care IMHO

 

 

Mike

[Ghost Plane]

My only demonstrator is a Visconti Skeleton. The clear under the silver exoskeleton lets the color from the ink inside refract around the silver. Being a user, any ink stains don't bother me, they're simply part of the charm of a pretty pen and brings back fond memories of what I was working on at the time.

Edited November 18, 2007 by Ghost Plane

[AndyHayes]

I loved to watch the mechanism on my Pelikan 205, but I feel that demonstrator cartridge/convertor pens like the Lamy Vista seem a bit of a waste. I have had one in the past though!

[greencobra]

I have a Conway Stewart Dandy Demonstrator. Only reason I have it is the price was right in the marketplace section and the fact that Richard Binder worked on this nib too. It's a sweet writing pen, but if not for those two contributing factors, I wouldn't go out of my way to get one. I can see the appeal though, kind of neat to see the inner workings, and that Sailor 1911 demo is another one "on the list". But sorta way down on it.

[DrPJM1]

I love to see how things work! As a kid, I would disassemble everything I could get my hands on. With a demonstrator pen, I can explain how a fountain pen works to a child or a layperson.

[Benjamin McFerret]

Can someone explain to me the appeal of clear plastic demonstrator pens? I know why they're made, but why do people buy them? I don't understand the appeal. Am I missing something here?

 

Thanks much.

 

- Yumbo

In addition to what others have said, I'll add two points. 1. Vintage demonstrators (real demonstration models) are uncommon models that are an interesting piece of fountain pen history. 2. Demonstrators (in my experience, at least) attract a lot of attention from non pen people. If you like being flashy, demonstrators are the perfect pen.

 

There is also the simple point that they look neat when they are filled with a light / colorful ink.

 

[rorschah]

Because fluid dynamics kicks ass.

 

 

[tankahn]

I have a Lamy Safari demonstrator. Unfortunately, ink has seeped into parts of the cap where is its impossible to clean out. Thats another problem with demonstrators.

 

James

[encremental]

On my recently acquired Visconti Van Gogh Crystal Maxi, you can see the exquisite clip mechanism doing its thing. If I had a plain old coloured Van Gogh, I would never have given the clip a second thought, but now I can see it in all its over-engineered glory. Granted, the metal section and the (admittedly lovely) cartridge converter aren't adverts for demonstrators, but each pen has its appeal. On the Vista, it's the collector that is interesting. A big sloshy eyedropper would be best of all, but the new Pelikan M200 demonstrator will suit me for my next one.

 

John

[jmkeuning]

I like them because they are appealing.

 

But really, I just like to see what is going on. And demos are different from anything else.

 

 

Regarding ink getting places where you do not like: water is your friend. Soaking, rinsing, shaking, repeating... You should be able to dilute most problems enough to get them to go away.

 

Just make sure to dry the stuff that is close to metal.

[kernando]

Ink comes in pretty colors too.

 

I don't have any demonstrators yet. I was going to say I didn't have any clear colored pens either, but now I have a Sheaffer Levenger Mediterranean Sea blue. That doesn't show off much, but it still looks cool, even with a converter.

 

Yeah, converter demos have less to demonstrate than dedicated self-fillers or eyedroppers.

Have you seen that picture of a Lamy Vista with Noodler's Blue Ghost under blacklight? Somebody posted it here, probably under photography, and also let Pendemonium use it.

 

The sac in my Parker 51 slender/demi was a lot more fun before it got stained by old Skrip lavender. I still want some kind of demonstrator or clear colored pen to show that off, and Skrip King's Gold too.

[OnTheBayou]

I like to look at colorful inks sloshing around in my demonstrator pens - yes plural!

[Richard]

For me, there's no real kick in the modern "demonstrators," which are merely clear pens made for sale to the public. Now a real demonstrator, on the other hand, was made for a salesperson to use in demonstrating the pen's features to a prospective purchaser.

 

http://www.richardspens.com/images/collection/zoomed/51_aero_demo.jpg

 

http://www.richardspens.com/images/collection/zoomed/snorkel_demo.jpg

 

Now those are demonstrators!