Comments On A Hero 1000

[lynxcat]

i've had my copy of this pen for a little while now, and on the whole i'm not unhappy with it. it still leaves me a bit conflicted --- it's not a bad pen, far from it, i just think it's overpriced for what it is. (i can't believe i paid $40 for a pen! this hobby is getting to me.) i bought it because i wanted a good, hooded nib pen, and the online retailer i trust was out of Hero 110's; i got a good, hooded nib pen, but still wish i'd ordered a 110 instead while he still had them.

 

the good: perfectly good quality, better fit and finish than on my other Hero pens, works without issue on the first try, has given me exactly zero problems.

 

the not so good: not the kind of fit and finish i'd expect for $40. the threads between the barrel and section feel gravelly and loose, the hood screws on well enough but doesn't stop very positively when it's lined up with the nib, the feed looks just a bit misaligned with the hood opening.

 

the nib: i've no idea what it's made of. some online sources claim it's 10K gold, others say 12K, most say nothing at all about it, and i myself don't really much care so long as it writes. and it does, leaving what i'd call a medium line --- but since i judge nibs by Japanese standards, it's probably a European fine. wetness-wise i'd call it a medium wet; no skipping or hard starts, lays down plenty enough of bulletproof black without soaking anything or blotting at all.

 

it's not my smoothest nib, not even as smooth as my Hero 329, but it isn't scratchy either. writing with it gives a hard-to-describe feeling of rounded texture, as though the nib were a ball rolling gently over an uneven but not jagged surface. i don't mind it, but then i appreciate a bit of tooth in my nibs anyway.

 

the bad: this is a heavy pen. Todd Nussbaum called it a "medium weight", but that just means i won't be buying any pen he calls heavy. it weighs in at 20 grammes uncapped, 32 capped; the weight and balance of the cap is such that i don't want to write with it posted, which is unusual for me.

 

more bad: the clip. it's fancy-looking, but very stiff, and the shape is such that pinching it away from the cap with one's fingers is uncomfortable and cumbersome. it's also very tight, enough that clipping it on anything thicker than a regular shirt pocket might be difficult; all in all it's not very practical.

 

the looks: plenty of photos of this pen online, and they do not lie. it's black, chrome cap and furniture, and a white plastic... not really "jewel" but cap, on top of the barrel. metal body coated in... something black; maybe lacquer, maybe spray paint, who can tell? no flaws on this account, anyway.

 

verdict: solidly in my "journalling pens" rotation. i won't be making it a "daily carry" pen, if only because of the clip, but it is getting use and will continue to.

[perth]

Great review. Do you have any pictures?

[Rose Nibs]

An excellent review lacking only comment on the filling method and ink capacity. The feel of the nib on paper and the ink flow are described very well, something that is difficult to do.

[lynxcat]

no pictures, no; i'm afraid i'm talentless with a camera. however, a google image search for "hero 1000 pen" will find you a good number, taken by people more skilled with their cameras than i could ever be, and i can certify that mine looks just the same.

 

the filling mechanism is aerometric, with a metal sac guard surrounding the sac and press bar. unlike my other hooded nib Heros, this one doesn't just slip on over top of the sac --- i've been unable to remove it using any method or amount of force i'm willing to apply to it. that doesn't seem to matter, though, since this part of the pen appears to be among the better made and QC'd. it works quite well, fills without trouble or complaints, and there are no manufacturing defects, cut corners, or sharp edges, the way one hears about cheaper Hero models like the 616.

 

i have no easy way to measure the ink capacity, unfortunately. at a guesstimate i'd say it's at least as great as my Hero 329; both of these pens can write quite a good while for me between refills. then again, i'm not at all a prolific writer.

[casualmerlinconstant]

$40 for a gold nib is a pretty good deal. the filling system is the only truly aerometric filling system outside of parker 51s. the cap doesn't stop postively because it is not a click clutch mechanism like a lamy 2000 but akin to the old slip cap thingy. then again I'm biased toward this pen as I grew up on it haha.

[frolland]

Heros are cheap pens but write very smoothly specially the Hero 1000 which is a more priced pen. I have the Hero 616 and bought it for US 6,00 new. They all copy (or try) to copy the hooded Parker 51.

The 616 ( I do not know about the 1000), has a part in the section near the SAC where you can see if you have ink or not, in this respect better than the Parker 51 - that did not have this feature.

It is a great bang for your dollar, because Hero although cheap is a good brand and an excellent writer. They are made in Shanghai at the Hero Pen factory.

FER

[Brian C]

For $40 you shop carefully on ebay and get a Parker 51.

[frolland]

no pictures, no; i'm afraid i'm talentless with a camera. however, a google image search for "hero 1000 pen" will find you a good number, taken by people more skilled with their cameras than i could ever be, and i can certify that mine looks just the same.

 

the filling mechanism is aerometric, with a metal sac guard surrounding the sac and press bar. unlike my other hooded nib Heros, this one doesn't just slip on over top of the sac --- i've been unable to remove it using any method or amount of force i'm willing to apply to it. that doesn't seem to matter, though, since this part of the pen appears to be among the better made and QC'd. it works quite well, fills without trouble or complaints, and there are no manufacturing defects, cut corners, or sharp edges, the way one hears about cheaper Hero models like the 616.

 

i have no easy way to measure the ink capacity, unfortunately. at a guesstimate i'd say it's at least as great as my Hero 329; both of these pens can write quite a good while for me between refills. then again, i'm not at all a prolific writer.

Use a syringe to measure the capacity of any pen.

Fill the sac to capacity

Then empty the sac in a shot glass (or similar)

Then suck the inc in the shot-glass with the syringe and read how many ml (milliliters) it holds.

FER

[lynxcat]

i may have been unclear; the cap stops positively enough for my liking when i cap the pen --- it's a quite good fit and seal, actually. (the cap's plastic-lined rather deeply; i'd be very surprised if this pen ever dried out when capped.)

 

what i complained of was the hood, that is, the gripping section of the pen, when unscrewed from the "guts" of the pen underneath / inside it. this isn't something one would normally do, i'll grant; i've heard in real P51's it's actually shellacked down semi-permanently. in my Heros, including the 1000, it just screws on --- and in the 1000, you have to line it up with the nib manually to know when to stop screwing it on.

 

the Hero 1000 does not have an ink window anywhere that would be visible with the pen assembled, unfortunately. you have to, at a minimum, unscrew the barrel to get a glimpse of the sac and how much ink remains. the clutch ring is solid metal, unlike on the 616.

 

$40 for a gold nib may be a good deal, assuming it actually IS a gold nib. i have no way of verifying this, especially as i can't read Chinese. still, it writes just fine, and that's all i really care about.

 

and though i'd love a Parker 51 for the same kind of money, if i shopped on ebay i'd have to do business with PayPal. it's an entirely personal and perhaps unreasonable quirk with me, but i just can't bring myself to trust PayPal with my financial information, at all. (maybe if i got myself one of those prepaid "credit cards" meant to be given as gifts, and used THAT as my payment method... but that's just silly lengths of effort to go to simply to get a pen. perhaps some fine day i'll spot one at a garage sale, you never know.)

[frolland]

For $40 you shop carefully on ebay and get a Parker 51.

Yes, maybe 60 bucks for a decent Parker 51- But this is a modern pen, and it continues to be manufactured.

As I said, you do not have to go as high as the Hero 1000. Any Hero is an excellent writer. At least the 616 is. And the 1000 too.

The little window of the 616 is very useful although you have to unscrew the barrel so see the section

FER

Edited February 16, 2014 by frolland

[konis]

I bought this pen for my teenage daughter.
Her destructive capabilities are well known in our family.
Strangely, though, she uses it already two years, a pen looks on as new.
The nib is 10 ct solid gold, hooded type.
The filling system - classic aerometric.
Pen is made ​​a surprisingly robust with attention to detail.
http://images10.fotosik.pl/202/fde3c8b71cbd85a6.jpg

http://images10.fotosik.pl/202/c2284705e1819279.jpg

http://images10.fotosik.pl/202/09166b8505f765f8.jpg

http://images10.fotosik.pl/202/833be196c0f1cd7b.jpg

http://images10.fotosik.pl/202/5c4ffadf9a67dd23.jpg

http://images10.fotosik.pl/202/80c0328c8b9f9f01.jpg

http://images10.fotosik.pl/202/ce3d6b7cc25e00b2.jpg

http://images10.fotosik.pl/202/57564c75db98aec2.jpg

http://images10.fotosik.pl/202/023764756b8433af.jpg

http://images10.fotosik.pl/202/b8d08fe111f88647.jpg

http://images10.fotosik.pl/202/e6bc7315dfcfa259.jpg

http://images10.fotosik.pl/202/23f50ccfcba718f8.jpg

Pen worth the money.

regards

Edited February 16, 2014 by konis

[frolland]

Excellent pictures Konis, and it really looks like new. And that is why I said the Hero is a pen that is worth the money. Every cent of it.

Your teenage daughter is not so destructive after all!

[lynxcat]

indeed, great work with the pictures, konis. i could not have done as well; and that is what my 1000 looks like, also.

 

(well, i didn't get the presentation box; my pen came in just a plastic sleeve. other than that, though.)

[luvpens]

Old thread revival I know, but maybe better than starting a new one.

 

I've ordered one of these on the strength of the forum reviews, and the fact I miss my old P51.

Looking forward to this and hope it's a good one.

[pkoko]

Old thread revival I know, but maybe better than starting a new one.

 

I've ordered one of these on the strength of the forum reviews, and the fact I miss my old P51.

Looking forward to this and hope it's a good one.

Any updates?

[luvpens]

Any updates?

Yes.....

In a word - delighted.

 

First of all - please don't confuse this with the 616's or derivatives of...(doctors, jumbo's etc). This is in a different league entirely.

I've tried the 616's and despite the fact I quite like Chinese pens - they were awful. I found them to both look and feel cheap and nasty - they all got chucked in file 13 (the bin!!)

 

This wrote very well from new. I gave it the obligatory quick smooth on some 12k grit and things went from good to superb. The build quality, f&f is up there with the best. Nothing about this say's "cheap". The weight, balance is excellent posted or not.

 

If you like P51's, but don't want to take a chance s/h, or need something similar for your collection - then go for one.

At £25 posted, I think it's a bargain.

This has become my go to pen over and above my Carene and Hero 7022 - I never thought I 'd see the day I'd prefer something over those two!

 

110% recommended........

Edited August 20, 2015 by luvpens

[oneopentrail]

Fantastic. Great news that the parker 51 still lives on in a decent form and that Hero make decent pens rather than the low spec junk they churn out.

 

The 616 is an OK pen for kids to use and destroy. It was a lot better than I was expecting although I expect it to only last a few months which, for the price would be fine.

 

A 51 feels a lot better made than the 616 so I'm tempted to try the 1000.

[gistar]

I have two Hero 616s, one 110 and one 313 from around 2005. All have well made (for mass production) bodies and it seems I also was lucky enough enough that all nibs were smooth. I have found them indestructible and carry them whenever I feel that my pens will be abused. I also like the ink window a lot which is something that has stopped me from getting a Hero 1000. But I continue to be tempted by the good reviews and may finally succumb.

[luvpens]

I have two Hero 616s, one 110 and one 313 from around 2005. All have well made (for mass production) bodies and it seems I also was lucky enough enough that all nibs were smooth. I have found them indestructible and carry them whenever I feel that my pens will be abused. I also like the ink window a lot which is something that has stopped me from getting a Hero 1000. But I continue to be tempted by the good reviews and may finally succumb.

Just go for it buddy. It's in a different class to the 616's etc..

[Kiaxa]

In a word - delighted.

 

...

 

110% recommended........

This comment really makes me want some Chinese solid gold nibbage even more. You sir, I both love you and hate you for this because the last thing I needed was more pens on my to buy list. (Good thing I have a 48 pen case on the way to store all my pens) Edited September 22, 2015 by Kiaxa