Demonstrators Ie Transparent Ones

[Laura N]

I don't like demonstrators either. The very thing demonstrator fans like -- "seeing all the ink sloshing around" -- is what bothers me. It seems there's always ink leaking somewhere there shouldn't be.

 

I don't mind the plastic at all. It's not that. For me, it's the messiness.

[New_Falcon]

I use my pens in the office and as an engineer, being able to see the insides is the problem. I work in an engineering environment and all the office would be asking to see the pen. Though that's nice sometimes, sometimes you just need to get on with work and not have your pen passed round the room.

 

It looks like a Noodlers Ahab in black is a possibility. Hopefully, TWSBI will also provide some non demonstrator options.

[traderdude01]

Yes, I too find them to be, shall I say unattractive, or borderline ugly.

I was in the market for a Pilot 823 until I saw that they only make demonstrators. Ughhhh.

To each his own.

 

Well, the smoke is dark enough that it almost isn't a demonstrator! You have to have a pretty strong backlight to see into it well, so that may work for you.

[SylvainP]

For me clear ones are not very attractive and wouldn't be interested in owning one but some dark "semi translucide" ones are very nice.

I got my first semi translucide fountain pen of this kind today. It's a celluloid orange piston filler from Italy and honestly it's quite useful and look great.

[traderdude01]

... and reminds me of a beautiful woman wearing a dress made of shrink wrap covered in glue and glitter.

 

Beautiful you say? Yeah... I'm not seeing a problem here... :ltcapd:

[traderdude01]

I like demonstrators... it's fun to see inside.

 

Of course, I like other, non demo's as well...

[ever onward]

I found them ugly and stayed away, but then I caved and bought a TWSBI. I like it, now, but I don't think I'll be buying any OTHER demonstrators. Just the one'll do me.

 

-eo

[Brian K]

I don't think I'd buy only demonstrators, but I do like them. I suppose it's because they can't pretend to be anything but pens. They can't be passed off as jewelry or works of art or anything else that detracts from its "penness." I have some Platinum Preppies that have been converted to eyedroppers and they're currently filled with Noodler's BSB and KTC. They look as fantastic as inexpensive (cheap?) pens can - especially the one filled with KTC. It looks like it's been filled with liquified velvet!

 

YMMV,

 

Brian

[raging.dragon]

Hang on a minute that gives me an idea..........demonstrator swimwear !

 

How popular would that be

 

Isn't demonstator swimwear rather popular in Finland and the Mediterranean European countries?

[raging.dragon]

What do you think of semi-demonstrators? Like Visconti's stacked celluloid with alternating thin stripes of clear and coloured plastic? These allow you to see the mechanism if you hold the pen close and look carefully in good light, yet conceal the inner workings from a casual glance.

 

Bentley showroom senario : Salesperson "so what colour has sir got in mind for your new Mulsanne? We do have some stunning colours available"

 

Buyer : " tell you what leave it in base metal or primer and while you are at it any chance of a perspex bonnet so I can see stuff going on? oh and dont think for one minute of charging me less!!"

 

Maybe Pen Nut's buyer should have told the Bentley salesman that he wanted his car "made of Stainless Steel like a Delorean, and with a Lexan engine cover like a Ferrari 360."

 

A titanium Bentley with Lexan hood would be nice.

 

I enjoy staring into an mechanical watch movement.

 

And I enjoy seeing a piston or vacuum filling mechanism in action. Maybe even a button, crescent or lever mechanism, though not a cartridge converter. Of course I also like: colourful celluloid and acrylic resin, ebonite, urushi, sterling silver, titanium and exotic hardwoods. So my pen collection includes a variety of materials and colours, including demonstrators. For me, clear or translucent plastic, is a more interesting alterative to the basic black or single colour plastics.

Edited January 11, 2012 by raging.dragon

[raging.dragon]

... and reminds me of a beautiful woman wearing a dress made of shrink wrap covered in glue and glitter.

 

Beautiful you say? Yeah... I'm not seeing a problem here... :ltcapd:

 

The problem could be solved by getting rid of the shrinkwrap, leaving the glue and glitter....

[yamborghini]

I've never really liked demonstrators. To me they seem as a toy more than a pen. I probably would only ever buy one for a collection.

[mikkolopez]

can I get Wonder Woman and Canoe Woman in plastic transparent bikinis

 

honestly i wasn't attracted to demonstrator ever as it does not look "smooth" to me with all those threads and innards showing.

[Shanonhurts]

As a new member to this forum, I am glad that someone else feels the same, I thought I was being ignorant of something, I was shown a m800 demonstrator proudly by a dealer when I got my m200, but really didn't like it, especially when you look at the other beautiful finishes available on pens.

 

I think I could probably be tempted to get one for the sake of having one in the collection, but that would be a TWSBI (if I can find one in the uk), I couldn't spend anymore for a clear pen, they look cheap to me.

 

..... We all have our own tastes, I also really don't like any brushed steel pens either.

[saskia_madding]

For people who think the clear plastic looks cheap, I'm curious about how you feel about skeleton pens. Does the overlay help with the 'cheap' feeling? I'm wondering about a link between anti-demo people and anti-skeleton people, and the reasoning behind it.

 

Bryant's Chatterley Visconti Ripple

http://www.pentime.com/admin/wp-content/files_mf/1270935090ProRipple18.jpg

 

Bryant's Chatterley Stipula Kadinsky

http://www.pentime.com/admin/wp-content/files_mf/1321833257IMG_80051.JPG

 

Visconti Titainum Skeleton

http://www.estilograficas.org/imagenes/examen/Visconti-Skeleton-Titanium/Visconti-Skeleton-Titanium-1.JPG

 

http://mark.intervex.net/fpn/images/skeleton.jpg

[fabrimedeiros]

Visconti Ripple and Skeleton are gorgeous! Other demo I do like is the Visconti Opera Master Demo, that is very well made and, next to a MB 149, the larger MB just seems http://www.pengallery.com/product_images/d/634/Visconti_Limited_Edition_Opera_Master_Demo_Clear_FP__61964_zoom.jpga cheap pen!

[Pen Nut]

For people who think the clear plastic looks cheap, I'm curious about how you feel about skeleton pens. Does the overlay help with the 'cheap' feeling? I'm wondering about a link between anti-demo people and anti-skeleton people, and the reasoning behind it

 

I am not 'anti-demo or anti-skeleton' and I think anti is too strong a word for a pen subject. I am anti racist and I am anti few other groups of undesirables but pens? Nah. I just passed comment about my friends recent purchase and passed it onto those on here that may like to chip in their views.

 

Your posted pictures look well. I like the first one, I think the second one looks broken and the last picture looks like a posh toilet plunger.

 

Other people may have differing views and thankfully we are allowed to voice accordingly.

[Laura N]

For people who think the clear plastic looks cheap, I'm curious about how you feel about skeleton pens. Does the overlay help with the 'cheap' feeling? I'm wondering about a link between anti-demo people and anti-skeleton people, and the reasoning behind it....quote]

 

Well, as I said, I don't mind the plastic at all. Most of my pens are some type of plastic. I just don't like the messy look of a filled demonstrator with ink seeping everywhere. So these skeleton pens you pictured totally work for me.

[ISW_Kaputnik]

I don't think you'll ever bring someone over to your own opinion of what is ugly and what is beautiful by reasoned argument. Personally, I love the way my TWSBI ROC 100 looks, and it looks even better with ink inside it. I also like my Waterman Kulturs, one clear, one translucent blue. If they're ugly or tacky to somebody else, we'll just have to disagree. I like other things as well, of course.

Edited January 11, 2012 by ISW_Kaputnik

[saskia_madding]

Pen Nut - I agree that everyone is allowed their views, but I don't agree with just stating your view and then moving on, without care to learn about what others think about the topic you originally posted. If you don't care to learn what others think in a safe and open way, why post at all? That is why I asked about overlays - because I am interested in getting a clearer picture of people's ideas around this, and really, around *any* topic.

 

And you may say that 'anti' is too strong a word, but when you use your right of expression to post sarcasm that indicates people who like something you don't are ridiculous (as you did with your 'Bentley showroom senario', and with inflammatory, judgmental words like "broken"), you are doing more than simply "passing comment".

 

I agree that pens are not really an important topic to get worked up about, but this ideology around claiming sarcasm and subtle shaming is a harmless part of your rights (and then falsely apologizing for it, as you did when you said "sorry, that just slipped out"), it's the same ideology as when people say things like, "I'm not anti-X, but (insert comment here that indicates X is bad, shameful, ridiculous, or OTHER here)". And I think it's a dangerous way of talking and thinking, no matter WHAT the topic.

 

To be clear, I don't mind if people do or do not like demonstrator pens. It doesn't change my feelings about them either way.

Edited January 11, 2012 by simonerodrigue