Mini Reviews: Hero 9075 And Hero 269

[tinysnail]

I got a smorgasbord of Hero pens off of eBay a few weeks ago: some 616s, some 329s, a 7009, and the two that have impressed me the most in terms of writing experience: a 9075 and a 269. Here's what's up with them!

 

Sorry for the phone photos; have lent out my nice camera. The paper is Leuchtturm 1917, taken out from a dot notebook. Inks are Noodler's Squeteague and J. Herbin 1670 Rouge Hematite.

 

Hero 9075 (I think I was sent this by accident, since I can't find it in my eBay history... but I can find them for $3-9 on eBay, to give you an idea of the price)

 

The good: smooth writer, tiiiiny nib. It's so thin that it has a little flex.

The bad: awkward both posted and unposted

The ugly: thin, weird triangular grip makes using this pen very unpleasant. I don't usually have a problem with triangular grips, or at least Lamy's, but I have a very hard time writing with this pen.

http://31.media.tumblr.com/057be107bd7367840169a3db4ab90ba0/tumblr_nakyj4veoa1qgziczo1_1280.jpg

 

http://38.media.tumblr.com/93fec9422416418a68b27e592b73714d/tumblr_nakyj4veoa1qgziczo3_1280.jpg

 

http://33.media.tumblr.com/5eb7013bb393e33df2a00f9c4643e2be/tumblr_nakyj4veoa1qgziczo4_1280.jpg

 

So, yeah. That's the 9075! The piston converter works by sliding rather than twisting, which is fun. I'm bummed that it's so awkward to hold (I am a 5'6" woman with fairly average-sized hands for that data, if that means anything) because I could see myself using this quite a lot. It's a little better if I hold it further up.

 

The cap is also VERY TIGHT on the pen, to the point where I have to really forcefully pull it off.

 

Hero 269 (I got it for about $10)

 

Oh, the 269. I love this pen. I've been using it a LOT over the past few weeks and it's been such a fun little pen. In the writing sample below, I say "clogging" but it's not really clogging so much as "flow issues." I dip the pen in the ink and it gets going right away.

 

http://38.media.tumblr.com/7aa5da70b4c880c48361edd4c29f9d9b/tumblr_nakyj4veoa1qgziczo2_1280.jpg

 

I'm excited to try this with some other inks that will make it a bit less of a hard starter. The fine nib runs pretty broad and it flexes quite easily. Easier and wider than my Nib Creaper, but not by a lot. No wet noodle.

 

http://38.media.tumblr.com/9f12a07e04730e9882b117acf081727e/tumblr_nakyj4veoa1qgziczo6_1280.jpg

 

A look at the nib. Ignore the RH evidence... http://38.media.tumblr.com/bdef2fdc33af1a56f4a17e93700dcc0a/tumblr_nakyj4veoa1qgziczo7_1280.jpg

 

I like this sort of bronzey colour. Nice finish.

 

http://37.media.tumblr.com/338742678777db27eab04aa69f607006/tumblr_nakyj4veoa1qgziczo8_1280.jpg

 

Weirdly enough, I actually can't find anything about this pen online! The eBay listing said that is was NOS and "RARE Vintage Good Quality," but I always take that sort of thing with a grain of salt. Has anyone else bought a Hero 269? Do you enjoy it as much as I do?

Edited August 20, 2014 by tinysnail