Clear/see Through Pens...

[PolarMoonman]

So I have noticed a lot of fountain pens are clear or see through. So I was curious to see if people liked them and found them aesthetically pleasing, and if so why?

[chad.trent]

I have 9 of them, so yes I find them aesthetically pleasing.

[myn]

I am going to be getting my first one in the next week. I'm looking forward to it as I think it will be really great to see the ink sloshing around inside. I will know more after I have it as to whether I will continue to add more clear fountain pens or not.

[Jflorek]

I originally didn't think I'd like them either. Then I decided I needed a TWSBI 580 and it is only available in the demonstrator model. I can tell you it's fantastic. I've added a few more (Lamy Vista/ Pilot Prera / Noodlers Ahab) on my "next pen list". The trick is finding awesome ink colors to use.

[nm4]

I have quite a few and enjoy them all. Watching the ink slosh around is a lot of fun. It's even better when the pen has a sophisticated filling mechanism you can admire (usually a piston filler) and a nice nib that you can see when the pen is capped.

 

Cheers,

NM

[Inkheart]

Ditto on the TWSBI 580. I had one smaller demonstrator-style pen (Pilot Prera) but it was rather small. The 580 is of such generous proportions that your favorite ink is well-displayed and will shine out, jewel-like. It also happens to be a fantastic writer; already plotting to obtain my second one.

[pajaro]

I have a couple of Parker 51s with translucent barrel and hood made by Ariel Kullock of Argentina. It's interesting to look in on the aerometric filler. One is swirly yellow and one is a sort of pink.

 

The swirly yellow one and its ballpoint:

[WaskiSquirrel]

I enjoy seeing the ink in the pen. I've found that I like to see at least a little of the ink (a small ink window). My totally clear pens are the ones I like to fill with a really pretty ink like Noodler's Apache Sunset or Dragon's Napalm, and a few of the Iroshizuku inks. I discovered that Baystate Blue is not the best for a totally clear pen. My Platinum Preppy eyedropper is distinctly blue now. It's a lucky thing that I like the looks of the ink on paper!

[betsypreston]

I like seeing "the works", I like being able to see which color ink is in the pen. And I like knowing how much ink is left.

 

That said, I don't like paying a lot for a demonstrator (clear) pen. I'm not against buying (relatively) expensive pens, but I won't pay a lot for a clear one. It's not a fixed number, but I'd say I wouldn't pay more than $80 for a clear pen. They just seem...cheap...to me. Not that it's true that they are cheap or inferior, it's just the way I feel about it.

[pajaro]

I like seeing "the works", I like being able to see which color ink is in the pen. And I like knowing how much ink is left.

 

That said, I don't like paying a lot for a demonstrator (clear) pen. I'm not against buying (relatively) expensive pens, but I won't pay a lot for a clear one. It's not a fixed number, but I'd say I wouldn't pay more than $80 for a clear pen. They just seem...cheap...to me. Not that it's true that they are cheap or inferior, it's just the way I feel about it.

 

As far as the clear ones are concerned, I am with you. I like the tinted ones a little better, like some of the tinted Pelikans, but the clear ones look too something, too mechanical, maybe. They remind me somehow of some clear advertising ballpoints I have had. I don't like seeing that much of the ink that's in the pen. I have a clear Noodler's eyedropper, one of the freebies. Too much information.

[torstar]

I have a few, converted them to eyedroppers.

[pencils+pens]

Some of us match the ink to the pen color so the clear pens give us a neutral pen to put any color in that we want.

 

My clear demonstrators:

 

Noodler's Ahab, Konrad, Nib Creaper and Rollerball

 

Lamy Vista

 

J Herbin Rollerball

 

I also have several translucent Sheaffer cartridge pens.

[phlosar]

Pretty ink colours show through; amount of ink left is easily determined; filler functionality (converter or piston) is visible and can be interesting (I like the red knob on the Lamy converter). I tend to like demonstrators in less expensive pens (sub $200). However for vintage pens, I would enjoy a Snorkel demonstrator or a Parker Jack Knife with transparent bakelite barrel.

[Dimitry V.]

I like the all clear demonstrator types.

 

I have a TWSBI Vac 700 in clear demo and it's awesome! There is something special about being able to see the ink slosh around in the body and all the inner mechanisms.

 

Some might find it odd but I would say most people agree it's rather interesting.

 

 

Kind regards,

Dimitry

[saskia_madding]

I love demonstrator pens, and I tend to collect them, some with and some without overlay. I especially love when the grip section is clear, like this!

 

http://i997.photobucket.com/albums/af97/Saskia_Madding/Pens/3B2E84F5-EEFD-495D-B097-B8C719D1FD17-11441-00000E0520969442.jpg

 

 

And sometimes you can really spice them up with just a bit of design (thanks to Bryant for the image of the pen I then bought).

 

http://i997.photobucket.com/albums/af97/Saskia_Madding/Pens/MilArcpic.jpg

 

 

I dare anyone to tell me this looks cheap!

 

http://i997.photobucket.com/albums/af97/Saskia_Madding/Pens/2EF5AB1E-4F54-4709-B3E5-A233D1DC0E7E-2395-0000035BB67853F6_zps2046ddad.jpg

[WhosYerBob]

I've taken a liking to them because I like seeing the ink inside.

[heymatthew]

I dare anyone to tell me this looks cheap!

 

http://i997.photobucket.com/albums/af97/Saskia_Madding/Pens/2EF5AB1E-4F54-4709-B3E5-A233D1DC0E7E-2395-0000035BB67853F6_zps2046ddad.jpg

 

:notworthy:

 

I love demonstrators. I have 3 TWSBI 580's (Clear, Amber and ROC) and used to have a Clear Vac 700 (well... still do, but it's a long story). One thing to be careful of with demonstrator pens, though, is with very vibrant or permanent or highly pigmented inks. They have a tendency to stain clear plastic. Ask me how I know.

 

You know... I remember having a clear computer case when I still had my desktop PC back in the early 2000's. I bought one of those custom cases with LED lights and fans and stuff and it was lit up like the Vegas Strip. Made it a chore to sleep at night, but boy did it look purdy when it was crunching numbers and those fans were spinnin'.

 

It basically looked something like this, but with different colored lights...

 

http://0.tqn.com/d/create/1/0/Y/z/5/-/antec-twelve-hundred-computer-case.jpg

 

So yeah. I love demonstrators.

Edited March 25, 2013 by heymatthew

[pen2paper]

Lamy Vista. Used this pen for taking extensive notes for the last two days. It was helpful to see the ink level. Lamy cartridges are large, and I used all but a small amount of one.The pen itself was comfortable to use, and not distracting. I was writing fast so my penmanship was not the best possible, however the 1.1 nib made my writing have a bit of character, with the overall conclusion that it was readable.

[PolarMoonman]

I love demonstrator pens, and I tend to collect them, some with and some without overlay. I especially love when the grip section is clear, like this!

 

http://i997.photobucket.com/albums/af97/Saskia_Madding/Pens/3B2E84F5-EEFD-495D-B097-B8C719D1FD17-11441-00000E0520969442.jpg

 

 

And sometimes you can really spice them up with just a bit of design (thanks to Bryant for the image of the pen I then bought).

 

http://i997.photobucket.com/albums/af97/Saskia_Madding/Pens/MilArcpic.jpg

 

 

I dare anyone to tell me this looks cheap!

 

http://i997.photobucket.com/albums/af97/Saskia_Madding/Pens/2EF5AB1E-4F54-4709-B3E5-A233D1DC0E7E-2395-0000035BB67853F6_zps2046ddad.jpg

 

I really like the second one, it looks awesome!

[UK Mike]

I succumbed to a TWSBI but only because it is only available as a clear pen. In general I don't have any demonstrators and I avoid them like the plague. A personal choice. Just not my thing.