Show off your Vintage Pens with Great Transparency!

[popcod]

Seems like a new modern "demonstrator" hits the shelves every couple months. But vintage collectors know how very difficult the search for particular pens – even rather common models – can become when seeking an example whose celluloid has retained much of its original clarity and color. What are some of your best finds on this front? To get the ball rolling. . .

1. Parker Vacumatic Junior (1937); 2. Sheaffer Balance Statesman (c. 1936); 3. Eversharp "Round Vacuum Filler," née "Round Doric" to collectors (c. 1937-41?). All were made with an identic grey marble celluloid that seems to have been very popular in the late 30s, showing up on 3rd tier bulb fillers (e.g. Aikin Lamberts) as well.




And a common Vac Major (1946) in somewhat uncommon condition:

[Jon Szanto]

That's irritating - you've already won the thread! I have *never* seen a Sheaffer with that degree of transparency from that period. Remarkable. My pens are staying in the cabinet, thankyouverymuch.

[popcod]

Well, shucks – that sure wasn't my intent! If I've taken any lesson from this hobby, it's that there's always someone out there with a finer example of one's own white whale. I reckon I've seen nicer Vac Juniors (without a hint of yellow) from the likes of Brian McQueen and David I – to say nothing of scarcer demo and crystal variants. I'm no Vac expert, but based on my observation there appear to have been 2 variations in Vac stripe transparency: one like the above; and the other (most often found on Stds?) where the fully translucent portions are larger and even the colored stripes are semitransparent. Would be a treat to see some of those if anyone has one.

There's some insight to be had here too. I know that for my part, there've been pens I've mistakenly assumed had (mostly) opaque barrels or yellow sections from the factory until someone shared a photo of one with crystal clarity. Period advertisements don't always help, since they're often either b&w or the shades/colors have been exaggerated or otherwise altered (e.g. yellow "visulated sections" on Sheaffer Balance ads). I'm still confused by Lady Patricia Ink-Vues, for instance. Was the red pen supposed to have a red-tinted diamond pattern barrel, a clear barrel like the others, or did some of these start out yellow? Just a couple possible directions...

[amk]

Fascinating to see the same celluloid used by three different manufacturers. And in such nice condition.

[FredRydr]

I tried to take photos of mine, but they are so transparent that nothing appears in the image.

However, some of you may recall my past success in getting a shot of the ink.

2015_06_23_07_55_01.jpg

Fred

[christof]

Since I've got this pen, I was hoping it will darken a bit when using it because it is to transparent for my taste...



C.

[popcod]

Very nice! It never occurred to me that the color of the "Green Ocean" pens from the 90s onward were actually based on original Pelikan demonstrators. Interessant.