Mini Review Hero 7036 Pen

December 18, 2017

This is another under $2US pen from Hero. It has a metal exterior similar to some other Heros I have reviewed recently. Here is a link that takes you to one such review, and contains links to others.

http://www.fountainp...w-of-hero-7031/

Generally these are all-metal pens (except for the feed, a sleeve around the feed, and perhaps a cap liner) with open nibs (though I have seen this one available with a hooded nib). Mine has a rose gold finish that looks a bit like anodized aluminum. They also come in light green, pink, black, white and silver.

The cap has no finial and indeed looks like it was made from a single piece of metal. It slips on and snaps closed securely. At the opposite end of the closed pen the last 3/4" (19mm) is gold color. There is no change in diameter nor trim ring here but the final mm has a reduction of a couple of mm in diameter. The threads on the section are rather loose in the body but do their job well. It is easy to line the threads up to start, and the section seats securely. The cap posts securely as well. It is a tasteful looking pen which one would probably not guess cost only $1.44US.

As with other pens in the series, the slim section is gold colored metal with three flats that are minimally intrusive (no Lamy finger denters). Unlike some of the other pens, this one takes standard international cartridges. In use it is a smooth, wet writer with a tiny bit of flex.

Highly recommended.

December 20, 2017

I got mine yesterday, too, same color. Mine came a bit scuffed (marks on the cap, section, feed and nib)

Unfortunately, like all hero matte-looking metal pens, (e.g 5020, 5028) the clip scratches the paint of the barrel where it touches it, making a rather unsightly curved line. This is a general problem for them that has not been addressed.

The pen looks pretty cool, and has some heft. It's got a flat looking feed, a lot like the 395, but the nib is a lot less flexy.

Does anyone know if/how the nib and feed can be removed (on this or the 395)?

There seems to be a plethora of related pens circulating on AliExpress right now (I discovered the following: 7031, 7035, 7036, 7037, 7038 and 7039). I asked this elsewhere, too, but any idea why they are listed not as "Hero" but "You"?

December 20, 2017

Chinese pens in general have problems with paint and plating that wears off, and they also tend not to smooth off anything that does not show. So a fragile finish and a rough underside to the clip... Can you adjust the clip to be less tight, or smooth its underside?

I don't know how the "You" name got attached to these pens but there is an eBay seller called "youpen". I wonder if they are selling the pens under their own label, much as Fahrney's used to sell Private Reserve ink.

December 21, 2017

easy to fix. Take some fine sandpaper (800 grit) and slide it under the clip and smooth the part where the clip touches the barrel, or spring the clip every so slightly so it doesn't quite touch the cap (I do this with the wing sung 6359 lamy al-star knockoff since the clip is too tight anyways) and problem solved.

I also find that chinese pens tend to have dry-out issues where the finial screws in, almost all of them can be fixed with a dab of clear silicone bathtub sealant on those threads.

December 21, 2017

Chinese pens in general have problems with paint and plating that wears off, and they also tend not to smooth off anything that does not show. So a fragile finish and a rough underside to the clip... Can you adjust the clip to be less tight, or smooth its underside?

easy to fix. Take some fine sandpaper (800 grit) and slide it under the clip and smooth the part where the clip touches the barrel, or spring the clip every so slightly so it doesn't quite touch the cap (I do this with the wing sung 6359 lamy al-star knockoff since the clip is too tight anyways) and problem solved.

The problem is that all such pens have been delivered to me already scratched at that very spot, so although smoothing is a good idea, it is usually too late.

I don't know how the "You" name got attached to these pens but there is an eBay seller called "youpen". I wonder if they are selling the pens under their own label, much as Fahrney's used to sell Private Reserve ink.

It is a possible origin, though the names of the shops that sell them on AliExpress are different. All shops there sell them as "you" or "you ping" that kind of sounds like "you pen". Search for "hero" 7036, though and you find nothing...

I also find that chinese pens tend to have dry-out issues where the finial screws in, almost all of them can be fixed with a dab of clear silicone bathtub sealant on those threads.

No finial on the 7036, so I am good there.

Some additional info:

-It seems the odd numbered models have hooded nibs and the even numbered ones are open nibs (for the 703x range, at least)

-The nib does not have any "Hero" branding or logo on it, which is unususal (but is it significant?). It is stamped "genius iridium". Hmm...

Edited December 21, 2017 by sapient

December 21, 2017

sapient, where are you buying these pens? I have one each of most of the 70xx series and have not encountered any scratching from the clip on arrival.

I was thinking of something like a seller named You Ping that sells under the name "youpen" on eBay and under another name on AliExpress, but that is only speculation.

Though it does not have a finial, the 7036 does have a hole in the cap for the clip to attach. This could let air in. I just checked and mine is dried out this morning.

Many of the 70xx models come in both open and hooded nib styles so I doubt there is an easy formula.

I think the "Genius Iridium" nib was used on the Hero 901 model many years back so it's not new to the 70xx line.

December 22, 2017

sapient, where are you buying these pens? I have one each of most of the 70xx series and have not encountered any scratching from the clip on arrival.

I am buying them form sellers with good ratings on eBay (e.g. jewelrymathematics, hejing1314) or AliExpress (jinhao Flagship store, Kawaii School Supplies Store). It is possible that the damage is done in transit, as it takes on average 5 weeks for small packets from china to reach my doorstep (though this has gotten longer recently). Since they are never shipped in hard boxes, every time the package is handled it is possible that the clip moves on the body, scratching it. I guess I should stop buying these things, I rather prefer demonstrators, anyway.

December 31, 2017

I have used up the initial fill of bottled ink in the converter and tried cartridges this morning. As expected, short internationals are fine. I think long internationals are too long. The one I tried was the same length as the converter, but the diameter at the closed end was smaller on the converter.

I should have noted that the nib is in the F to XF range.

February 16, 2018

I have since acquired one of these in black, and tried another ink in the rose gold one. The black one contains a mix of Thornton Turquoise and Black which makes a very nice blue-black. The rose gold has a mix of Thornton Red and Yellow. With that ink it is a much drier writer and lays down a finer line than the black pen. With other inks it did not seem so dry but was still an XF. Neither pen has ever given any kind of trouble and I think these are a great choice for the price. The rose gold one has a metallic finish while the black pen looks like shiny paint. Both appear to be metal underneath, but the pens are not terribly heavy.

March 26, 2018

And I have since received a pale green one. It is more like a medium nib which needed minor tweaking to write as well as the previous pens. Overall I am quite happy with this model.