Hero's Parker 51

[chuancao]

What is the exact duplicate of the Parker 51 made by HERO? I've got someone visiting China and may ask him to bring me back a hero. Also, do they come in different medium nib sizes?

 

Thanks!

[ssmui]

Ask for a Hero 336. Gold cap with hooded nib. They all come in fine nibs ( XF for western standard).

[chuancao]

Ask for a Hero 336. Gold cap with hooded nib. They all come in fine nibs ( XF for western standard).

 

Thanks. What about the Hero 100? I just looked online and some have mentioned that this is more like the P51. Also, which one comes w/ a gold nib?

 

Thanks!

 

PS I was more looking for an M nib.

[Bartimaeus]

Go for a Hero 100. It has a gold nib (14 k? 12 k?).

 

As for the M nib:

AFAIK they all are called F. I have tried two black ones and two in Burgundy, and IMO the red pens write a little broader. But that might have been coincidence. Maybe someone with more experience can say more about it.

[Tsujigiri]

The Hero 100 is probably the closest in principle (14k gold nib and aerometric filling), but it's thinner than a 51. The steel nib Hero's are probably the closest to a 51 if it's a 51 Special, since they are wider and have a knockoff clip. I haven't tried the steel ones or the Parker 51, but I had a 100. It was a great, smooth writer, but it would never start up. That was the frustrating part, it would take 3 minutes each morning to get it working, with me messing around with the filling system and licking the nib. I eventually broke the pen while I was trying to widen the nib. I've gotten marginally better at pen repair since then.

[richardandtracy]

The Hero 100 is the best quality Parker 51 look alike. It's got the gold nib, but it's slimmer.

 

The Hero 616 Jumbo is closest in size and look to the P51. It is not, however, a top quality pen - similar to a Parker 21 Super. The nib is a fine/ extra fine steel nib, and there are no alternative sizes.

 

The Hero 329 and 330 are similar in size to the Hero 100, have steel nibs and tend to be better quality than the Hero 616.

 

Regards,

 

Richard.

 

[dcwaites]

In order of quality, I would go for a Hero 100 (or a couple, if you can), closely followed by the Hero 329 old style (look on the FPN for reviews to see what it looks like.

 

As richardandtracy said, the Hero 616 Jumbo is an almost exact match for the Parker 51 in size (you can even swap caps, I have tried it) but is nowhere near the quality of the 100 or even the 329 old style.

 

The best medium nib pen I have found is Jinhao's Chinese Red Army Long March commemorative. It is the only Chinese pen I know of that has a screw cap, but as the several on the FPN who have tried have said, it is a delicious pen to use.