Pens with demonstrator design, i.e. transparent body, are undoubtedly one of the most demanded pens in the market, but do we know their origin and history?

Demonstrator from the start

During the 1920s and 1930s many pen aficionados were curious about the filling system used by the pens as each brand had its own mechanisms and details, so during those years pen sellers used to carry the models with the body cut in the middle to show the system in the boutiques. Soon brands began to consider a better way to show the mechanism.

The first brands to venture into these designs were Parker and Sheaffer who designed models with holes in the barrel that functioned as a window to see the filling system. To this day these pens are among the most demanded by collectors.

 Aurora 88 Blue Mamba Fountain Pen

However, it was not until the discovery of celluloid that all brands began to provide Demonstrator models.

Parker and Sheaffer used this innovation to renew the models, which now had a transparent celluloid body, instead of holes to allow the mechanism to be seen.

Pilot Custom 823 Ambar fountain pen

Today, the vast majority of fountain pen brands have demonstrator models in their collections that not only show the charging system, but also allow you to calculate the amount of ink available in the pen, and some brands even venture into unique designs.

Visconti Watermark fountain pen