Hero 184?

[AnnieB123]

Can anyone help me with any history concerning the pens pictured below?

 

The original link was here about 2/3 of the way down the page. The page is a google cache of an old geocities page that is long gone.

 

I can't find any info or available pens like any of the ones below on ebay or even any reputable dealers (have checked isellpens and a few others).

Any info? I just really love that scrolling acanthus border thing going on there and the petite/feminine look of the pens.

 

 

 

http://www.oocities.org/heropens/Lpenpic/he184_family.jpg

 

The only other pen I find that is anything like the ones above (and Hero, are 188s). Hero 188s

 

[lalindsay225]

His Nibs used to carry that model in a plain gold finish, but they have been out of stock for some time. He dubbed it the Chagall. I don't know anything about its history though.

[rwilsonedn]

That's a beautiful pen! It may be out of production, though, so you may have to pursue it on the used/NOS market. Have you checked (or asked someone to check) on Taobao?

ron

[AnnieB123]

I have been digging around on the 'net for the last few days... and I am finding a lot of conflicting info about these pens. Apparently they're early-mid 90's production up til 2007ish. I haven't been able to nail down reliable info about the materials though... A few sites claim they have a solid 14k gold nib... but the (questionable) close up pics I've been able to find look like (maybe) GF to me with (not really great) 2-tone electroplating. On the other hand... the old (1990s) prices I've been able to find are upwards of $35-70 per pen... for an asian pen, that's pretty pricey... so maybe they do have 14k nibs.

 

I found a couple references on penlibrary.com which gives them an estimated value around $30-50+..

 

I'm pretty fond of -any- pretty pen (yes, I am half magpie and do like the 'ooooh shiny!' *bling* of a lot of the Asian pens). I have really tiny hands (am I the antithesis of SBRE Brown? Maybe!) and so even though I love me some huge Parkers or my MB149 (I feel like I almost have to prop it on my shoulder to write!! ). I am thinking the hero 184 which measures in at 13,6 cm is going to feel smaller in my hand (though the weight on the 184 at 26g (it's metal/enamel) without ink is comparable to my 149, and heavier than a lot of my other pens). I am not expecting the 'ride' to be anything like my MBs or a visconti/insert-other-top-end-pen.

 

I had planned to find one and see if I liked it, and then try to acquire the other ones in the line just to collect them... but now I've bid on an auction of 6 of the things on ebay (at a hefty price for me for an unknown asian seller I've never dealt with before, so we'll see)... My usual 'test order' limit is around $50-$75... Wish me luck

 

Whatever happens.. it's a fun ride, right?

 

PS Edited to add: Uh, holy moly... taobao is amazing! I'm looking around there right now... My 3 minions (aka my teenaged kids) want one of everything!!

Edited October 4, 2013 by AnnieB123

[lalindsay225]

Good luck and happy hunting!

[His Nibs]

His Nibs used to carry that model in a plain gold finish, but they have been out of stock for some time. He dubbed it the Chagall. I don't know anything about its history though.

 

Unfortunately my Chinese supplier hasn't been able to get more of these for some time.

 

http://www.hisnibs.com/HeroChagallCapNib_small.jpg

 

Although no longer active, here's the old webpage, where you can read a bit more about it.

[AnnieB123]

Thanks for your link! The plot thickens a bit. The 184 on your page (aka 'Chagall'-esque (I agree with you btw)) has a steel nib. The 184s from the top picture I linked in this thread, and the ones on the ebay auction I've bid on all claim to have a 14k nib (close up linked below)... Did they change nib materials/style mid-production? Do they all have steel nibs? The nib pictured below is very similar to the mid 1980s Hero 100 I have in my collection (which is a tank, one of my fave pens, maybe my top fave pen atm).

 

This is the best closeup I've been able to find... and it appears to be 2 tone electroplate over (supposedly) 14k gold.

 

 

Anyone know what the deal is? Steel or gold? How they feel? I'm already committed on ebay, so presumably I'll find out myself before too long.. but we all know those auctions often take 4-6 weeks extra turnaround time for delivery and I'm not the most patient creature in the universe

[AnnieB123]

Just thought I'd update this thread with a little more info. I won the ebay auction for the group of NOS Hero 184s. I got a note after I'd paid ($270) that the pens I'd just bought were different than the ones pictured in the auction (*sigh*). The seller was very nice about it, offering a refund if I wanted or to work around the problems (funnily enough, the seller is TaoBao, which was mentioned in another thread). I just said I was reasonably flexible and would take a substitute pen of equivalent value/quality.

I hope I'm not getting messed about, the price of this auction (6 pens) is more than I honestly usually spend on a 'test' order from an unknown vendor... but I really like the style of the 184 a lot. Assuming I actually receive any of the pens I paid for, I'll update with some reviews/samples later. (I don't seem to have great luck with SE Asian vendors, it takes absolute ages to get items from them, assuming they ever show up at all).

At least it's a guaranteed refund if they don't send my pens, since I paid via paypal with a credit card... I just keep second guessing myself because for roughly the same price I could've picked up a nice pelikan or a vintage MB... or a half dozen other 'guaranteed' winners.

 

Oh well, you only live once, right?

[Jiachen Zhang]

http://imgsrc.baidu.com/forum/w%3D580/sign=e68c4ff2d688d43ff0a991fa4d1fd2aa/8c7b46166d224f4a3a2b9b9409f790529922d103.jpg

[Jiachen Zhang]

from a Chinese website,they were all made in about 1990s.

[zhuzhukare]

look this website “www.taobao.com” hero188

http://item.taobao.com/item.htm?spm=a230r.1.14.224.YvYpBK&id=18138455325

[zhuzhukare]

http://item.taobao.com/item.htm?spm=a230r.1.14.52.LvBG52&id=15560920809

 

 

hero184 with the 14K gold nib

[Edwaroth]

I hope you find one Annie, it is a lovely pen. Pleas PM me if you do find one, I'd love to have one also!

[Dickkooty2]

I know beauty is in the eye of etc. I would be very interested to read a few words on what it is that makes these pens appealing.

 

I understand the appeal of collecting pens from manufacturers in different countries representing the needs/tech level /economy of the particular country.

 

I understand the use of a fountain pen as the base for a piece of art for an overlay and/or a numbered tribute to a person or art style.

 

But I don't understand the appeal of what appears to me to be bling. I am sure that my attraction to bauhaus design is as completely a mystery

Edited December 9, 2013 by Dickkooty2

[Scribblesoften]

You might also take a look at the copper 395. To me, they look similar, thought the 395 has a steel nib.

[FrankBarnard]

How did this turn out? I've got a bunch of Hero pens with both solid gold and steel nibs. Both work very well.