Vacumatic "Demonstrator" pencil

[jonveley]

Hello all, I've just picked something up (arrived at my office in today's mail) and I'm trying to assess what it is. A friend of mine helped me identify it as a Maxima pencil in burgundy with a ////\\\\ band. Date code 0 with three dots. My friend suggested that the blue diamond clip with which it is fitted might be a clip from a Major pen . . . but then I pointed out that the lower barrel is imprinted "DEMONSTRATOR."

When it arrived, I found that it is also fitted with what looks just like a Parker 51 jewel -- that appears to have been there for a long, long time.

Does anyone have experience with Vac demonstrator pencils? I'm trying to assess whether what look like replacement parts might actually be legitimate and used to set demonstrators apart from regular stock. Other than the clip, jewel and imprint, the pencil is otherwise ordinary (if a Maxima burgundy pencil is considered ordinary), right down to the Cross-made mechanism.

[dannzeman]

Moved to the newly created Pencils forum.

[gweddig]

Does anyone have experience with Vac demonstrator pencils?

You should ask Jon Ve...wait, forget it.

[BrianMcQueen]

Jon, can you post a picture?

There is an old Classified post on the FPN which had a burgundy pen marked "Demonstrator" but that's about all I know about them.

http://www.fountainpennetwork.com/fo...-demonstrator/

[jonveley]

Moved to the newly created Pencils forum.

AWESOME!!

[jonveley]

[QUOTE=BrianMcQueen;77769]Jon, can you post a picture?

/QUOTE]

My camera stuff is packed up for Chicago, so forgive the crappy cell phone pictures.





I'll bring it along to Chicago.

[BrianMcQueen]

Jon,

I think the blue diamond clip and 51 jewel actually came from a 51 pen. They fit. You should try it. They're probably not original parts, and I would suggest you find replacements. I would hold onto the clip and jewel, however, in case you find out they might be kosher for a Demonstrator pencil in the future, but I highly doubt that they are.

Edited to add: I've never seen a pencil marked "Demonstrator" before, so my knowledge is very limited here.

[jonveley]

Thanks Brian. I showed this to a few people at the Chicago show. One was outraged at the desecration of a vac pencil by the addition of a 51 clip and jewel, and I agree that's what this is. But the general concensus was that a Demonstrator-marked Vacumatic pencil is so unusual that anything goes, and it's as likely that the clip were a factory addition as that they were added by a repairman or misguided enthusiast long afterwards.

Since a standard 51 clip and jewel fits, I suppose the question is largely acaedemic. I wouldn't attach any additional value to any vac pencil because it does or doesn't have a 51 clip, since you can simply add one at any time. What's important is the demonstrator imprint. For now, I'm going to leave the clip and jewel on there, along with the patina that suggests they have been there for a long time.

I'm finishing volume 2 of the patent book which might explain my relative silence after clamoring for a pencil forum here. Once I get that pushed out the door and take a long overdue gasp of fresh air, I've got some great things to post here.

[orfew]

Great pencil with an interesting history. Thanks for the photos.

[jimmcswell]

wow men, beatiful pen baby !