Hero 202 Blue-Black/dark Blue

[bookworm2109]

 

 

I am very disappointed with this ink. I think the color is washed out and very thin. Dry time isn't too impressive. The water resistance is OK, at best. The only qualities about this ink that make it attractive is the shading and how well it behaves. Other than that I do not recommend this ink.

[Uncle Red]

Were you dipping your pen?

[terminal]

Is it cheap?

[Markk]

Is it cheap?

 

I know the bottles here are about 1 USD and around 60ml.

[lovemy51]

bought one bottle for $4.50 at ebay (vendor in the US) and liked it so much, immediately bought two more!!

 

it has a reverse effect. it starts light on the paper and it gets darker as it dries. nice shading too!

 

great substitute -IMO- for Plikan BB.

[Seele]

lovemy51,

 

Perhaps fellow correspondent bookworm2109 has somewhat different sets of priorities, so you end up with totally opposite conclusions.

 

It's been said by some that the 202 is iron gall, and some said it's not; I have no resource to test it for myself. But it does work like a true blue-black where it gradually turns black after drying, and acquires water-resistance in the process. It's a decent ink regardless of price, and its price is most agreeable too. If there is one thing I am not keen on, it's the tendency to stain silicone ink sacs common in Chinese-built pens with bulb fillers.

[amberleadavis]

Thank you for the review and comments.

[lovemy51]

lovemy51,

 

Perhaps fellow correspondent bookworm2109 has somewhat different sets of priorities, so you end up with totally opposite conclusions.

 

It's been said by some that the 202 is iron gall, and some said it's not; I have no resource to test it for myself. But it does work like a true blue-black where it gradually turns black after drying, and acquires water-resistance in the process. It's a decent ink regardless of price, and its price is most agreeable too. If there is one thing I am not keen on, it's the tendency to stain silicone ink sacs common in Chinese-built pens with bulb fillers.

hi there. my box says it's the 232???!!! I do not know the dif between this and the 202 -I hadn't noticed this until I read your comment!

[Seele]

lovemy51,

 

Very often I have no idea how the Chinese ink companies classify their inks: speaking very generally, each has a regular assortment: red, blue-black, blue, and black. Then there are different tiers of the assortments, normally packaged differently and at different price points. Using the red, blue-black, blue and black sequence, here is what I know of Hero inks made by the Shanghai Ink Factory:

 

Basic: 201, 202, 203, 204. There seems to be a parallel series which may or may not still be current: 261, 262, and 264: I have seen no 263 yet but probably made. There is also a Shanghai-branded 214 in this series, a pigment black ink.

 

Domed bottle: 231, 232, 233, 284; the 234 appellation reserved for pigment black.

 

Squat, concave-sided bottle, Hero Super inks: blue-black 200, black 400. Using the same logic there might be a 100 red and 300 blue but I have never seen them.

 

Squat round or oval bottles, branded Hero Super Ink on the box: with these my notes are totally confused, so I am not confident to share yet.

 

It would be interesting to compare the different styles of each type of ink to see how they differ, but getting hold of them would be tricky if you are outside mainland China, I suppose.

[amberleadavis]

lovemy51,

 

Very often I have no idea how the Chinese ink companies classify their inks: speaking very generally, each has a regular assortment: red, blue-black, blue, and black. Then there are different tiers of the assortments, normally packaged differently and at different price points. Using the red, blue-black, blue and black sequence, here is what I know of Hero inks made by the Shanghai Ink Factory:

 

Basic: 201, 202, 203, 204. There seems to be a parallel series which may or may not still be current: 261, 262, and 264: I have seen no 263 yet but probably made. There is also a Shanghai-branded 214 in this series, a pigment black ink.

 

Domed bottle: 231, 232, 233, 284; the 234 appellation reserved for pigment black.

 

Squat, concave-sided bottle, Hero Super inks: blue-black 200, black 400. Using the same logic there might be a 100 red and 300 blue but I have never seen them.

 

Squat round or oval bottles, branded Hero Super Ink on the box: with these my notes are totally confused, so I am not confident to share yet.

 

It would be interesting to compare the different styles of each type of ink to see how they differ, but getting hold of them would be tricky if you are outside mainland China, I suppose.

 

Do you have pictures of the bottles?

[Seele]

Hi Amber,

 

Sorry for coming in late. Here are some pictures I downloaded from Taobao; note that Hero pens do not own the rights to the Hero name for inks, it's owned by the Shanghai Ink Factory. Instead Hero owns brands such as Dux, Doctor and perhaps others.

 

http://i185.photobucket.com/albums/x101/Seele2015au/WritingInstruments/H-202_zps9480c86c.jpg

 

This is the 202 in old style packaging and probably for domestic sales, note pinyin "Yingxiong" rather than "Hero"; this series uses identical bottles.

 

http://i185.photobucket.com/albums/x101/Seele2015au/WritingInstruments/H-262_zps72963794.jpg

 

This is ostensibly the same, cannot find code number, but claimed to be 262 but I am not totally convinced.

 

http://i185.photobucket.com/albums/x101/Seele2015au/WritingInstruments/new_packaging_zps1da6fb8a.jpg

 

Current packaging for this family, four colours.

 

http://i185.photobucket.com/albums/x101/Seele2015au/WritingInstruments/H-232_zpscd382cd6.jpg

 

The domed bottle style familiar to many.

 

http://i185.photobucket.com/albums/x101/Seele2015au/WritingInstruments/H-200_zpsfcecc1f0.jpg

 

Ostensibly a higher grade ink, 200.

 

http://i185.photobucket.com/albums/x101/Seele2015au/WritingInstruments/H-222_zps2d3370d5.jpg

 

This is supposedly the top class collection in this squat bottle.

[SteveE]

Immediately I notice that the last picture looks (in the picture) exactly like the Parker Penman bottles from the early 1990's. I wonder if they use the same supplier. (I really doubt that there is any connection between the Shanghai Ink Company and Parker Penman. . .

[Sailor Kenshin]

lovemy51,

 

Very often I have no idea how the Chinese ink companies classify their inks: speaking very generally, each has a regular assortment: red, blue-black, blue, and black. Then there are different tiers of the assortments, normally packaged differently and at different price points. Using the red, blue-black, blue and black sequence, here is what I know of Hero inks made by the Shanghai Ink Factory:

 

Basic: 201, 202, 203, 204. There seems to be a parallel series which may or may not still be current: 261, 262, and 264: I have seen no 263 yet but probably made. There is also a Shanghai-branded 214 in this series, a pigment black ink.

 

Domed bottle: 231, 232, 233, 284; the 234 appellation reserved for pigment black.

 

Squat, concave-sided bottle, Hero Super inks: blue-black 200, black 400. Using the same logic there might be a 100 red and 300 blue but I have never seen them.

 

Squat round or oval bottles, branded Hero Super Ink on the box: with these my notes are totally confused, so I am not confident to share yet.

 

It would be interesting to compare the different styles of each type of ink to see how they differ, but getting hold of them would be tricky if you are outside mainland China, I suppose.

Thanks for the details.

 

Which is the ink that comes packaged in carts with the Hero Summer Colors? I love that one.

 

I bought a Hero Blue and a Blue-Black off fleabay, mix them 50/50, and really like the result there, too.

[Gloucesterman]

In a previous review of the Hero Blue, one of the comments made and then restated by another post, was that the ink "seemed to" clear the "gold plating" off of some nibs. Here is the FPN link to that review -https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/index.php?/topic/219207-hero-203-washable-bluelight-blue/

 

I was thinking about buying some on eBay (four bottle, all same color, four different colors available) for $5.19 shipped (from U.S.). AAlthough I don't have many GP nibs, I decided that I really have enough ink that I don't want any more of the standard colors.

[Seele]

SteveE,

 

I certainly am not sure if the Shanghai Ink Factory and Parker are related, but Hero Pens and Parker Pens were working together for some years, when the latter was still operating out of the US prior to the UK arm's acquisition. Parker was talking to Hero about getting the 45 built for them, while that did not work out Parker gave Hero a set of blueprints for the 45, so the 45-esque Hero pens are not "copies" but fully legit Hero pens, built to Parker's design with Parker's blessing.

[TSherbs]

I recently saw this ink used in a Jinhao x750. Awesome blue-black. Very well behaved, even on cheap paper, great shading and a color like Mont Blanc BlBk. I am going to get me some.

[RaiderSix]

I have both the #202 and #232 inks and decided that a "chromatography" test is in order. I do not see any discernible difference in the colors present.

 

http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j99/raidersix/001_1.jpg

 

http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j99/raidersix/005.jpg

[OCArt]

Hmmm. RaiderSix, my bottle of Hero 232 is an iron gall ink that goes on dark blue and, as it reacts with the paper, darkens to a blue-black. It is also very stable even if soaked in water. For this reason I use it for addressing envelopes that may get wet.

 

Maybe you could run a soak test on a document written with your bottle of 232?

Edited July 22, 2015 by OCArt

[truthpil]

Regarding the 202 Blue-Black, it should be noted that the only way you can tell it is blue-black on the box is if you can read Chinese. The current packaging you can see on the far left in the third picture that Seele posted above is most definitely blue colored, but it is the box for the blue-black. Yesterday I thought I was buying blue ink but got home and was surprised (pleasantly, because I am just getting into blue-blacks) when I put it in my pen. Then I looked closely at the small Chinese print (unlike the "Washable Blue," there is no English anywhere on this box to say the color) that said "blue-black" (蓝黑). So, if you pick this up in a shop make sure you check!

[OCArt]

Immediately I notice that the last picture looks (in the picture) exactly like the Parker Penman bottles from the early 1990's. I wonder if they use the same supplier. (I really doubt that there is any connection between the Shanghai Ink Company and Parker Penman. . .

I ordered a bottle of Hero Super ink that came in that bottle. It was very similar to the parker Penman bottle except it had the Hero name molded in the glass and protruding around the bottom edge.