Hero 100 - Best Pen Money Can Buy?

[PenFan95]

I have a Hero 100 and 110. Both have gold tips and both write super smooth. Personally, I would not worry about their QC too much.

 

However, Hero is the top Chinese pen maker, thus faking Hero is a rampant business. Buyers should really be careful when purchasing. Only choose reliable seller. I saw in the forum that someone let their friends who went to China to buy pens for them. That is not a guarantee even the buyer is a Chinese!

 

Who is? Their friends? If that's what you mean, that makes no sense.

[rwilsonedn]

An excellent inexpensive pen is the Reform 1745...I believe several are still up for sale here on FPN for under $10, shipped.  It is similar to a Pelikan M200 in appearance.  Steel, partly gold plated nib, piston fill.  German quality control.  Especially good if you smooth the nib a little bit.  I have a dozen of them, at least.  My other favorites for under $20 are the Parker Frontier and Waterman Harley Davidson (Kultur-type).

Uh ... you would have a problem buying a pen built by a company that might have benefited from nationalization of privately-held works after the Chinese revolution, because time cannot erase that sin. But you have no problem buying a pen from a company that operated through the late 1930s and the 1940s in Germany? Somehow ...

ron

[Fuzzy123]

An excellent inexpensive pen is the Reform 1745...I believe several are still up for sale here on FPN for under $10, shipped. It is similar to a Pelikan M200 in appearance. Steel, partly gold plated nib, piston fill. German quality control. Especially good if you smooth the nib a little bit. I have a dozen of them, at least. My other favorites for under $20 are the Parker Frontier and Waterman Harley Davidson (Kultur-type).

Uh ... you would have a problem buying a pen built by a company that might have benefited from nationalization of privately-held works after the Chinese revolution, because time cannot erase that sin. But you have no problem buying a pen from a company that operated through the late 1930s and the 1940s in Germany? Somehow ...

ron

 

 

LMAO!

Edited April 28, 2011 by Fuzzy123

[Chrontius]

While this is amusing, let's try not to get this thread closed prematurely?

[Number3124]

An excellent inexpensive pen is the Reform 1745...I believe several are still up for sale here on FPN for under $10, shipped.  It is similar to a Pelikan M200 in appearance.  Steel, partly gold plated nib, piston fill.  German quality control.  Especially good if you smooth the nib a little bit.  I have a dozen of them, at least.  My other favorites for under $20 are the Parker Frontier and Waterman Harley Davidson (Kultur-type).

Uh ... you would have a problem buying a pen built by a company that might have benefited from nationalization of privately-held works after the Chinese revolution, because time cannot erase that sin. But you have no problem buying a pen from a company that operated through the late 1930s and the 1940s in Germany? Somehow ...

ron

 

Well, one the one hand we have a company that managed to survive WWII and probably had little to do with the conflict in the first place, and on the other we have a company profiteering off of stolen property. :hmm1:

[sera0516]

Thank you.  As a newbie I am interested in the history of the pens I buy.  I am just starting and have a few core pens: Montegrappa, Danitrio, Pelikan, and Waterman so now I am interested in the less expensive modern or vintage pens.  I have been reading about Cross, and Parker since I would like to fine a good American made pen.  Any suggestions? Anyone

 

thanks

Yes...well said...History of a pen is very important.  Parker pens were made all over the world, but yes, it's an American company and I think they all have the feel of American engineering.  My favorite not-expensive Parker pen is the Parker Frontier.   It has the traditional cigar shape, reminiscent of the Parker 51 in my view, a wonderful, smooth nib. You may or may not dig the color (blue, purple) but I don't know a better pen under $20 (except the Waterman Harley Davidson....if you want the motorcycle motif, or else the Reform 1745 for $8 or so, as I've seen earlier on sale here on FPN and ebay.  ( "Pen and Beyond" is a highly reliable seller of the Reform 1745 and other pens.  I have 20 or so of their Reform 1745s.   The nib does require some TLC on some of these, but they are a great pen for the money.).  Back to the Parkers---The Frontier has a metal cap, plastic barrel. Around 20 dollars including a converter, could be around 15 otherwise. ...The ebay seller I have bought from is Temecula Pens. A higher end version of the Frontier has both metal cap and metal barrel ( a "flighter"). Price on that varies, perhaps around $25. I've bought  great Parker Frontier flighters, successfully, twice, from Discount Pens in NYC, an ebay seller. The Frontier Flighter in my opinion is a wonderful pen.  Classic look.   I love the Frontier and have 5 of them now.  (I'm no relation to any of the above manufacturers or vendors.)   Good luck.

 

 

 

 

[TimTheZaj]

IMO the hero 100 is the best pen money can buy. I have six: one flighter, one black, one red, all in f. I home reground one of them to be a stub, one to an xxf, and one semi failed attempt at adding flex. The pen is just so consistent, that there is no point in buying the p51. If you are able to smooth it out then you will get the best pen you ever owned in my opinion, no matter of what price range. Slim and understated for 40$ is the best you can buy with of course the beautiful 14k nib. If you want to make it look more like a p51 then transfer the nib to a jumbo hero 616 as has been demonstrated many times on this thread.