My (Weird) Visit To Hero Fountain Pen Factory In Shanghai

[katanankes]

Yesterday I tried my luck to visit the Hero Factory Showcase I heard about in Shanghai. My only reference was this piece of information from Time Out Shanghai: http://www.timeoutshanghai.com/features/Blog/16792/Showcase-Shanghai-Hero-Pen-Company.html (spoiler alert: the information is outdated...).

 

I made my way to 127 Qilianshan Lu. So far so good since the location is just a stone's throw away from the metro station with the same name. Shanghai's metro is quite efficient.

 

I already heard that the factory was moving away from this historic site, but to my dismay, there was no trace of the store too. The security guard handed me a slip of paper indicating the new location (a couple of kilometers away). Before leaving I got approached by a gentleman that claimed to be the owner of the place. His English was not perfect, it turned out he was the architect or something to this tune working on the redevelopment of the area. The guy was super friendly and he even called Hero office to make sure that the address handed to me by the guard was correct. Actually, he scribbled a new address on the slip of paper and helped me to get a taxi. But before leaving he asked if I wanted to visit the exhibition center showing the master plan for the area. We stepped into a showroom with videos, models, and everything. Actually, the site of the old Hero factory was just a tiny fraction of a huge development that is taking place in the area. Apparently, the old buildings will be preserved and a myriad of new condos and shopping areas will be built. Surprise, inside the showroom there was also a space dedicated to hero with a sample of their products on display and a video showing among other things Chaiman Mao visiting the factory.

 

Soon after I am in a taxi that drops me at the entrance of an industrial site. An old one, with crappy buildings. Soon I understand that with the Chinese address scribbled on my note I am not going far... It is a huge area. I start asking random people around. Then, out of the blue, I car stops by me and the driver asks: you Hero Factory? I am now on board of this random car hoping that I am not being kidnapped. The guy actually turns out to be a driver for Hero and takes me to the head offices.

 

Here I have the impression they may have confused me for some big foreign buyer because everyone is super nice and I get welcomed like a VIP. Then I got to the 4th floor where in the middle of various cubicles there is a makeshift display area. I am still not sure how I got here (considering that my Mandarin is zero). Here I am greeted by a gentleman. I do not quite get his role, I think I understood he told me to be the general manager, but it seemed unlikely to me that the general manager in person would welcome me. Later he hands me his business card and actually he is the general manager. I spend half an hour looking at their pens and I buy one of their new H718, a "safety" pen "inspired" by Montblanc Heritage. They had on display some models that I never saw: pens in celluloid (probably acetate), a pen with iridescent abalone shell, a new fountain pen with integrated a digital reader that can tell your heartbeat, the outside temperature and how much ink is left. They also have models used by Chinese leaders to sign treaties in international events. All was fascinating.

 

Finally, the staff helps me to call a taxi and I am on my way back to downtown Shanghai. If I had not met the "architect" speaking some English at the old site I might have never been able to find the new place. I am humbled by the kindness of all the people I encountered along the way and by the Hero staff. Certainly, I will keep an eye on this company's future products and I might add some of their pens to my collection. Some of the models I saw in the showcase demonstrate that they are also capable of making interesting and original products, I wish they did not try to replicate other brand's models and went their own way.

 

Some pictures follow:

 

 

 

 

 

[farazqamar]

Very interesting! The pens in the pictures look gorgeous.

[KaB]

wow, what an adventure. Thanks for sharing, love these stories.

[Seele]

katanankes,

 

Was this the place you went to?

http://www.shptsti.com/upload/2014318/20143181542208366443.jpg

[katanankes]

Looks like... but I lost the note with the address.

 

MM

[Ian the Jock]

Brilliant.

It would appear you had a strange but fulfilling, and interesting day.

Some of the pens from Hero are excellent, and very beautiful as you've shown in your pics, but the blue one is stunning, a gorgeous pen.

Thanks for telling us about your brilliant trip.

 

Ian

[hari317]

Wonderful report. Thanks fir sharing.

[KellyMcJ]

Wow! That's really cool. Those pens are much nicer than what I've seen around (not that there's anything wrong with generic Hero pens but I'm blown away by those!)

[inkstainedruth]

What an adventure! Thanks for posting.

Not sure I'd be quite brave enough to find my way (alone) to someplace in a foreign country when I not only don't know the language but would have to deal with a completely different type of writing. I mean I did that a couple of times when I was in Spain in 1978, but at least the alphabet is effectively the same, and a fair number of people spoke English (although I could not explain to the people in the pharmacy in Malaga that I wanted something for sun *poisoning* -- not sunburn....

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[TSherbs]

Wild

[Seele]

In the old Hero facilities there's a two-part wall chart on the family tree of the company, including most- if not all - of the firms that merged to form the company. I wonder if they have been preserved.

[Qoan]

Quite an adventure! Thanks for letting us know and for the pics.

[bobje]

Katanankes,

this is such a well-written travel journal, filled with detail, goodwill, and the random circumstances that happen on memorable journeys. Thank you for sharing this with us. All of us want the blue and green pens.

[ian1964]

What a great story and wonderful pictures...thank you

[sdbruder]

really interesting and cool story, thanks for sharing that with us.

[Maurizio]

I too enjoyed reading your post with its quirky and human details. Thank you for sharing it here.

 

And thanks for posting the photos.

[penmanila]

wonderful stuff. i've had my own share of stories running around after pens in shanghai (there's a "book street" where you can find the pen retailers), but this is uniquely yours.

 

those new hero models look very good. i would've picked up one or two myself.

 

over at our pen club in the philippines, one of our members has posted a helpful review of the hero 718 vs. the MB heritage:

 

http://fpn-p.org/showthread.php?tid=4870

[mke]

The one in the red wooden box reminds me either Montblanc or Sailor.

The green and the blue pens are old ones or new ones ?

[amk]

Great story! Great pens, too.

[Ghost Plane]

What fun! Too bad more of the display style pens don’t appear in regular sales. Originality would serve them well. Thank you for sharing. What an adventure!