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Hi. I love the nib on the Hero 329 old version, but really hate the rubber ink reservoir, it is annoying on a number of levels, and depending on the ink (noodler's bulletproof black in particular), it can be quite problematic at times. I was going to post a topic on whether the Hero 329 can be fitted with a slide/piston converter, but I figure that might too involved, if even possible at all. Instead, anyone knows whether there is a Hero pen with the same exact nib as the 329 old version, but which can take a converter? P.S. I read before that the new 329 is not as good as the old, then later I read that the issue is that the nib on the new version is much smaller, and hence scratchier, which is the reason I would rather avoid such a nib in any new pen I buy. Thanks for all suggestions.

Hello, I just discovered that the Hero 9296 pen often comes bundled with the Hero 234 Carbon ink. Does anyone know if this pen is especially designed for carbon inks? I cannot confirm because all the information I have found so far is in chinese. I ask because I would rather not take any especial precautions when dealing with carbon ink, I would use a pen designed to deal with it. Other pens I have seen bundled with the Hero carbon ink include the DUKE Drawing Fountain Pen, Hero 68, and Hero 6062, all pens I had not seen before till recently.

Does anyone know of a simple and reliable way to increase the forward weight of a Hero 616 Jumbo? Specifically I find the pen a little back heavy when it is posted - it's a light pen already. The balance doesn't feel quite right unposted either. Many thanks.

Full disclosure up-front: I received these pens for free, from Kevin of JustWrite Pens. He’d unexpectedly received a consignment of these pens from one of his suppliers, and wasn’t sure what to make of them. I’d mentioned I was trying to get my kids into fountain pens, so he asked me to have a look at them, to see what my kids thought of them – and let him know if I thought they were marketable. I wasn’t asked to review the pens – but figure they’re not going to be at the top of anyone else’s list of priorities… So I figured I’d do my best to make an honest assessment of them. I’m not going to try and score this pen – that would be to do it a disservice. It is what it is – a cheap plastic pen, aimed as a starter pen for children, and is NOT likely to appeal as an Everyday carry pen for anyone over the age of 12 – but for all that, an extremely smooth writer that will surprise and impress on that score, if not on any other! ______________________________________________________________________ Appearance & Design – Cheap and Cheesy – with cutesy cartoon designs This pen presents clearly for what it is – a ‘cutesy' pen, that will look best in the hands of a young child (or tucked away in a 'Hello Kitty' pen case - remember those?). The pen comes in four different pastel colours (pink, purple, yellow and pale blue) – each colour adorned with a different cartoon animal. What the four colours have in common, though, are a whole lot of Chinese characters I can’t read… and a couple of saying in English which, unfortunately, I CAN read… but that make little sense. “I’m… Happy Every Day”? OK, that one’s straightforward enough – but emblazoned boldly on the packaging, and in somewhat smaller text on the pen, is the enigmatic couplet, ‘Sweet dreams come true, Good tuck is only for you”! http://i.imgur.com/qciPsey.jpg Construction & Quality – Well put together – but very cheap plastic There are a few things that are surprisingly good about this pen: the nib (which I’ll come to), a comfortable grip, a barrel that has no holes or gaps (eyedropper conversion anyone?)… and an inner cap that should keep the nib from drying out. The cap 'snaps' on and off, and posts snugly on the rear of the pen - but be careful not to post too firmly! The pen is big enough to write without posting (especially in a child’s hand), but the cap fits comfortably onto the end of the pen without affecting its balance. http://i.imgur.com/W5oit71.jpg http://i.imgur.com/pc5Ki0T.jpg The pen’s biggest downfall, potentially, is the cheap plastic used in its construction. My son has already managed to crack the cap of his (blue) pen - though it was easy enough to repair with clear sticky tape (and, thankfully, not too unsightly!). Obviously, this is an occupational hazard with any pen made of plastic – but I’d have been happier if the clear pen that the bulk of the cap is made from were less brittle. On the upside… this is a cheap (almost throwaway) pen – so not too many tears if something DOES break! Weight & Dimensions – Designed for children, but fits comfortably in an adult hand. Weighing in at roughly 10g, the Hero 358 pen is 138mm capped, 119mm uncapped, and 152mm posted. The pen barrel is 11mm in diameter - which steps down to a grip section with a 10mm diameter. Not too large for a child's hand - but fairly comfortable for an adult to use. … Nib & Performance – A REALLY smooth writer This really was the most unexpected thing about the Hero 358 for me – clasp the pen, hold your eyes and just write… and you could be excused for thinking this was a much higher-end pen (apart from the feel of cheap plastic - but you get my drift!). The cheap (Pilot Varsity/VPen-like) steel nib just glides across the page, laying a consistent fine-to-medium line. The build quality of this pen, let’s be honest, is inferior to the Pilot Varsity and the Platinum Preppy – both of which I’m more than happy with – but IMHO the nib on this pen is (marginally) better than both of them. http://i.imgur.com/B2l1ipG.jpg[Going clockwise, from bottom left: Hero 358, Sellner Marchtrenk, Jinhao 599, and Pilot VPen] A careful inspection of the pen reveals that this operates on a wick feed – much like the Pilot Varsity. At first, I thought this might be a deal-breaker – but after some months’ experience writing with these pens (and others that use a similar system), I’m becoming persuaded that this helps to explain their consistent moderate flow. And yes, you can wash out one ink colour and swap in another – I had to soak the nib and feed for a while between inks, but the new ink flowed through without troubles… Filling System & Maintenance – Proprietary Cartridges only – though there ARE some workarounds The Hero 358 comes with four fairly generous-sized cartridges, which easily snap in to the pen. The ink in these pens is a rich, dark black that borders on blue-black – though a little prone to spread on the paper, and to show through on cheaper paper. [The pen is a straight medium with the Hero dark blue ink, but closer to a Fine with the other inks I’ve trialled.] http://i.imgur.com/HDv1neY.jpg Close inspection revealed, somewhat to my disappointment at first, that the cartridges are a proprietary design. The ‘aperture’ of the cartridge is of similar diameter to a Parker cartridge – but the barrel of the pen is far too short to accommodate a standard Parker cartridge or cartridge converter. That said, if you’re not a fan of the ink that comes with these pens (or if your pen outlasts the four cartridges that come with it) there are a couple of workarounds. For starters, the cartridges are made of sturdy plastic – they could easily be flushed and refilled multiple times with the ink of your choice. If that sounds too much like hard work… I’ve found that with a bit of ‘encouragement’ a standard international cartridge CAN be fitted into these pens, and work well. http://i.imgur.com/inZ9mJD.jpg Cost & Value –A Cheap, Semi-Disposable Pen at a Competitive Price Make no mistake, this is a cheap pen – but available at a very cheap price and, as I say, it’s really smooth writer. This is NOT a pen you’d take to work (unless you’re a preschool teacher?!) – but I happily write with them at home, and more importantly, so do my kids. Conclusion The Hero 358 ‘Schedule Note’ is not the world’s greatest pen – and I’m not going to pretend otherwise. But for the low price, it writes amazingly well. If you’re wanting a fun-looking ‘starter-pen’ that'll give your kids a good first-up experience with fountain pens - and that you won’t get too upset over if you lose or break it… this is certainly worth a look.

Hi Guys, My first post here and I am looking to buy some of the following pens. Can someone point me to any shop in Delhi or Noida which might have these stocked? Parker Sonnet GT Parker 51 Parker 45 Flighter Parker 61 Flighter Hero 850 Steel Grey Hero 616 Hero 329 Pilot Vanishing Point Best Regards, Chander

I like red inks and I use them on every day basis. I'd like to present you short comparison of ten colors. Of course it would be great to compare more reds but then my samples of Oxblood and Monaco Red are empty. Next time. So the inks I've compared are (in alphabetical order): BRILLIANT RED - Diamine http://imageshack.com/a/img834/7010/tg6s.jpg BRILLIANT RED - Pelikan http://imageshack.com/a/img842/8815/x797.jpg BURGUNDY RED - Montblanc http://imageshack.com/a/img843/6245/qxoy.jpg CIEMNY CZERWONY (Dark Red) - Nicpoń* *Nicpoń is chemistry PhD Student that's active on Polish fountain pen network. He'c created limited line of nice, saturated inks in many colors. http://imageshack.com/a/img834/7862/c9n5.jpg GARNET RED - Graf von Faber-Castell http://imageshack.com/a/img834/7862/c9n5.jpg MATADOR - Diamine http://imageshack.com/a/img834/6818/pmh4.jpg MORINDA - Rohrer & Klingner http://imageshack.com/a/img835/3799/pvp4.jpg RED - Hero http://imageshack.com/a/img842/9356/rew0.jpg RED DRAGON - Diamine http://imageshack.com/a/img842/1002/kwg3.jpg RUBY - Diamine http://imageshack.com/a/img836/6886/yi84.jpg There was an accident. I was ready to make "splash painting" with Ruby. The sample was standing near the sink, I don't know why, but I've abruptly turned and my hand pushed the sample. The rest of the ink flow down the sink to some foreign lands. Ruby is a great color, so it's a pity I couldn't compare it this way. SWABS ON SCAN (Canon MP 250) http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/1024x768q90/843/9jsta.jpg SWABS ON PHOTO http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/1024x768q90/842/jpna.jpg FEW DROPS OF INK ON KITCHEN TOWEL http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/1280x1024q90/835/bqr6.jpgTEXT WRITTEN WITH PILOT 78G, B NIB in Oxford notebook http://imageshack.com/a/img838/576/fra5.jpg TEXT WRITTEN WITH PILOT 78G, B NIB in notebook http://imageshack.com/a/img841/5115/eifu.jpg TEXT WRITTEN WITH PILOT 78G (B NIB) IN CALENDAR http://imageshack.com/a/img842/3936/qgzj.jpg TEXT WRITTEN ON CHEAP PAPER (inks are listed as above) http://imageshack.com/a/img845/3366/v4ws.jpg http://imageshack.com/a/img835/7620/sqyd.jpg TEXT WRITTEN ON CHEAP COPY PAPER PRINTED WITH DOTS http://imageshack.com/a/img834/2382/c4e57.jpg http://imageshack.com/a/img834/7564/p4hw.jpg http://imageshack.com/a/img843/7411/bud7.jpg SUMMARY RED DRAGON stomps. It's amazing deep color. I love it. Second and third place are taken by CIEMNY CZERWONY and MORINDA / MATADOR ex-aequo. There are also colors I dislike, namely: Pelikan's BRILLIANT RED (it sucks: I can't find anything interesting about this ink), GARNET RED (moderate flow, dull), BURGUNDY RED (dull, not interesting). What's your opinion? You can choose few inks from the poll.

http://thefrugalfountainpen.blogspot.com/2014/04/hero-100-fountain-pen.html

Once I'd gotten over the original shock and disappointment of Flounder's April foolery, I started to think about how I could turn the H616 Flighter trick into a treat. I realized that if I sawed off the barrel of a 616 at about an inch, I could file it down a bit and tap a smaller (fake? or just regular size?) Hero cap onto the stub. I was searching all over the workshop for an appropriate barrel finial, when I realized the 616's ink sac guard (which I had previously removed) would fit almost perfectly. The sac itself does not stick out at all. http://i1102.photobucket.com/albums/g456/rezwrrd/pens/56347ECD-FCBD-45FB-BBB4-4EC627EB5A17.jpg Here it is with another 616 and a Hero 340 -- a real Hero flighter. The 616 flighter is heavier than both of the others, similar in heft to a Parker Super 21. http://i1102.photobucket.com/albums/g456/rezwrrd/pens/06e36e8f-64a4-4397-9560-4c60855b6c4f.jpg Surprisingly, it does post. http://i1102.photobucket.com/albums/g456/rezwrrd/pens/6990B865-1E32-4CB0-BF27-90BA5B025A7C.jpg With its length of plastic barrel after the section, it kind of reminds me of the Wing Sung 612A. I've had one of those on my wish list for months now, but something else has always seemed more important. http://i1102.photobucket.com/albums/g456/rezwrrd/pens/55E66A46-3E0D-401D-8D04-6EA561EDF93E.jpg One last thing: here are my two favorite Hero 616s next to one of my Parker Super 21s. Can anybody tell if my 616s are regular or jumbo based on the size of the 21? http://i1102.photobucket.com/albums/g456/rezwrrd/pens/84A4928D-A6CD-41D0-B503-A8591332EE5D.jpg I'm going to try taking notes with the flighter for the rest of the week, and let you guys know how it goes. Wish me luck!

http://thefrugalfountainpen.blogspot.com/2014/04/hero-382-fountain-pen.html

Figured what better way to get into fountain pens than to start inexpensive, fortunately had a couple friends who were able to get me some recommendations on favorable ones. Most were about 10USD or less, the most expensive 'single' pen was the Uranus KSF-301 w/ Box for about 17USD. My favorite of the pack is the Jinhao X750 with the Goulet Extra Fine nib, followed by the Jinhao X450 which I replaced with a Goulet 1.5mm Stub Nib (I put the 2-tone Jinhao M nib from the X450 onto my Nemosine Singularity). On the thin side it's a toss up between the Kaigelu 363 and Jinhao 611. The Hero 616 is probably the least favorite of all the Chinese ones I've tried. Baoer 507 "8 Horse" (one of a three pack I got, I kept the silverish one) http://static.karlblessing.com/pens/intro/baoer_507_8horse.jpg Jinhao 611 in blue, aside from the Hero 616 I have, probably the finest on the nib size I have. http://static.karlblessing.com/pens/intro/Jinhao_611.jpg A Kaigelu 363 and Haushilai 2111, bought them as a pair, I like the Kaigelu better of the two. http://static.karlblessing.com/pens/intro/kaigelu_363_huashilai_2111.jpg A Duke Uranus KSF-301 (~ Medium Partially Hooded Nib) http://static.karlblessing.com/pens/intro/uranus_301_full.jpg Jinhao X450 in "Distressed Black" http://static.karlblessing.com/pens/intro/x450_closenib.jpg Jinhao X750 "Shimmering Sands" with a Goulet 2-tone Extra Fine Nib. Currently my favorite of the chinese pens. http://static.karlblessing.com/pens/intro/x750_ef.jpg Most of them side by side (the non-Chinese ones shown being the Sheaffer Snorkel, Nemosine Singularity, and the unbranded green one in the front) http://static.karlblessing.com/pens/intro/chinese_colection.jpg

Hi everybody, I'm new here so I am not very sure whether I've placed this topic correctly. I hope I have, if not, please accept my apologies. Here goes the question: Would you choose a Kaweco Sport or a Hero 200? Provided (obviously) you have at least tried both. Both pens are pretty cheap (I know Jinhaos and Some Noodler's are cheaper). I've heard good things about both and I want to try some gold (or gold plate). Thanks a lot in advance for your attention. Cheers

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.

As a relatively new fountain pen user who happens to go to university, I really like Chinese fountain pens. They're cheap, they're fun, and sometimes I feel like I get pretty lucky. While I feel like Hero gets a pretty bad rap for the blatant copying they do of designs (such as Lamy or Parker), I ended up buying this 160 on eBay. I mostly dabbled in Jinhao, and while I like them, I decided to spend a bit more and see if I liked these better. This is my first review, and I'm by no means a photographer, so I apologize if some of the pictures aren't quite as good as what you're used to seeing! First Impressions: The pen came in this pretty simple green box. These kinds of boxes I've received before so it's nothing really extravagant or special, but I do like it. It gets the job done and it's pretty nice. You open the box and once again you have this fairly cheap material protecting the pen, but the pen itself I think is very attractive. The clip is nice and springy, and the top of it has a small five petaled flower design. All around the cap you have these grooves of various lengths that stretch downwards towards the barrel of the pen. The body tapers towards the end, and on the barrel you have a shiny chrome band that says "Hero" and under it "160" with the same Chinese characters that appear on the box. Construction: Note that all my attempts at close-up shots failed, so sadly there will not be any photographs here. The cap is simply a pull off, not a twist sadly, but it functions very well. Not much force is needed to actually remove it, and it is secure enough so that it will never simply accidentally come up when trying to remove it from your pocket or pouch. Overall, the construction is extremely solid. Nothing rattles, the barrel screws on and off tightly, and the whole body seems to be able to stand up to some abuse. Filling: The pen uses an aerometric converter which I had some problems with, but I suspect that those were issues related to my own inexperience with the system rather than the converter being at fault. For now, I removed it and have a Parker converter installed, which fits fine. Note that standard international converters don't seem to fit. The use of a Parker converter was a necessity. Nib: The nib is great. Honestly, I love it. It is a 12k gold semi hooded nib, and it writes excellently. I never experience any skipping or hard-starting, it has a nice, juicy sweet spot, and it provides a kind of feedback that I really like. I've had some Jinhao nibs that are smoother, but I rather enjoy this one more. It's not scratchy, but you feel that you're writing which I think is great. In my experience it's a nice, wet nib that can lay down a nice patch of ink despite it being a pretty fine nib. There is little to no line variation, so if you're a flex freak it's really not for you, but since line variation and lecture notes don't particularly go hand in hand, I don't find that it detracts from the experience at all. Writing Sample: I'm no calligrapher, but I tried to make it as nice as I could for you guys! Overall: I adore this pen. I absolutely love it, and this is one that's always going to be inked. It's very affordable, it's very nice, it's not a boring black, and it just gets the job done. When I was contemplating buying one I couldn't find any reviews on this model, so hopefully this can be helpful to someone who is in a similar situation as I was. Maybe they aren't completely ethical design-wise, but if this is any indication, they make one hell of a pen.

We're having a Christmas Sale and we've reduced prices by up to 50% on selected Jinhao, Baoer, Duke, Hero and some lesser known Chinese fountain pens. We'll be progressively adding specials over the weekend and into next week so if you don't see anything you like, please check again in a few days. I'm sorry but we only ship to Australia and New Zealand at present.

This is a short review of the HERO 725. To begin, I need to say that it is a very cheap pen (about 14 USD). But not only expensive pens are worth reviewing... Fountain pens are for everone after all ! Look: For a 14 USD pen, it is, I would say very very nice. Look very classy, simple... especially the two tone nib that is very well crafted. Nib performance: The nib on this pen performs very decently for such a inexpensive pen. However, if you like very expensive solid gold flexible nibs, there are chances that you're gonna be disapointed! What I mean is that it is a fonctionnal nib there is not a lot of fun to do with that. Is is very stiff and don't try to make it flex... PLEASE!!!! it's gonna flex, but not the way you like it to, and not returning to the initial position... you know what I mean It is not TOO scratchy neither. Weight and balence: I was surprised how well balenced this pen was, posted or not, it is very confortable. It weights about 25.7 grams. Feed : On that point, it is easy to notice that it is a chinese pen... At the begenning of the page, it is gonna be very very wet, and at the end it is becoming dry... but that is not a big issue if you dont write for a long continuous lap of time with it.. but i would say it is a big problem if you're a person who writes 16 pages straight... Conclusion: It is a good pen for the price. I would recommend it, but it is not the first one I would buy in that price range, personnally, I prefer the pilot 78g. I dont like giving a note on 10 or 100... It is very different for each writer and I think it is better to describe the good and the bad points of the pen to let everyone decide if it is a pen for him or not... *English is not my first language, so please understand if I made some mistakes.

The Hero comes in various numbers 100, 329, 616 etc etc and in pics on internet - all seems similar. I want to have a hooded nib Hero FP. Plz suggest an FP that has section width at least 11 to 12 mm thanks

Recently, by dad brought back two Hero fountain pens, a 7018, and a 7029, both medium nibs (did not actually say on the pen or packaging, my estimate) from china. Both were about 15 USD. The 7018 went to my brother and I got the 29. Within a week, by brother had dropped it nib-first. The strangest thing was that the nib tip did not sustain serious damage. The tines were misaligned, but that was corrected. However, the nib had been pushed into the pen, and since then, I haven't been able to get it out back to where it was (and have been unwilling to try). Top is the 7029, bottom is the 7018 Is there any way to get it pushed out back to where it was? Is it better to leave it the way it is? (it still writes, and I haven't seen a large difference in flow, etc.) (note where the gold flower is)

Dear all, Boring backstory... I've got a Parker 51 that works wonderfully. It's an heirloom pen and as it writes so wonderfully I no longer take it out and about. As such I'm in the market for a new 51 copy, a pen that I won't be fussed about loosing, breaking, nib down dropping, loaning... you get the picture Question: Can you wonderful folks list any 51 copies, and your experiences with them for me? If so I'd really appreciate it! I've heard the Hero 100 is a good imitation, one comment on fpn even suggested that the Hero 100 is a "slight improvement" on the 51. Could this be so! And if so how? Many thanks for your help, Badger

Introduction – I normally don’t buy a pen with this much of gold trims but the interesting nib and low cost made me buy it from a local retailer. Appearance, Design, Build Quality – It is a all metal pen with body black in color (which started to come off after a week use and inside it is the ugly gold color). Grip Section is smooth metal with groove at end for cap locking (again in gold color which is also fading slowly). Cap and its clip is also in gold color, but the texture on the cap is really nice making it somewhat attractive. Hero logo is embossed in the clip and model number near the bottom of cap. Other than color quality construction quality is very good with nib, cap and body parts holding each other faultlessly. Weight and Dimensions – Being a metal pen it is on a heavier side compared to all popular Hero 616s. Grip portion is very thin, I didn’t measure it precisely but I think it would be around 10mm and length would be 140 mm unposted and 150 mm posted. here are few snaps in comparison with Hero 616 and Wality 71J Nib and performance – After I flushed the pen quite rigorously ink started flowing seamlessly. Before that there was lot of skipping observed. But once it started giving output it was the best writing experience I had till that day. It doesn’t have any marking for nib size or grade but it is a steel nib with unique shape and writes between F and EF. Output from feed is on a dry side with a great hand to page feedback and vice versa. Some might feel nib to be a bit scratchy but I observed later on that it was due to Parker ink, so after changing ink to Camlin royal blue it started giving great results. Nib has "W" embossed. I an unaware of its connotation. Filling System – it is typical hero aeromatic filler. Cost and value – as I said it was very cheap around $3. For me it was worth its value.

After a long time recently I started using Fountain Pen once again and my love for it rose once again. I brought this pen from ebay and the price it was being offered i didn't think twice and placed an order. It came in a ebay seller packaging (no company packing) of plastic case covered by bubble wrap. Appearance and design - The first thing you notice about it is a pen with footprints of popular Hero 616 or Parker 51 but with a modern twist specially in the Cap design which is different than traditional Hero pens. The body is black lacquered plastic body with chrome colored metal cap. Build quality is very good for body parts as well as cap. But it is a bit flimsy where it mattered most. The portion were nib assembly (nib along with feed) fits into the body is screwed with the main body with just few threads, even that were not perfectly manufactured resulting in a not so good writing experience. Nib and Performance – While purchasing it description says that it had a flighter nib. Being unsure of what it is I won’t get into that and just put down my observations. As said previously the nib section is screwed to the main body and there is a metal ring in between nib assembly and main body which also acts as lock for cap. Thus it puts more pressure on the small screw section and every time I uncap the pen it feels that the nib assembly has got a bit loose. Another weired thing about this pen which I dint noticed while watching that the angle of nib WRT to body was a bit unusual. Nib tends to point towards centre of the pen. Which gives a unique writing experience which I personally didn’t liked. Filling system – It can take international cartridge/converter, while it came with a sac based aeromatic converter. Which I kinda liked. Cost – Cost was around $2. But I definitely think buying a more traditional Hero 616 would have been a batter choice. Conclusion – Definitely not a daily writer pen. U can take it for collection purpose. After a long time recently I started using Fountain Pen once again and my love for it rose once again. I brought this pen from ebay and the price it was being offered i didn't think twice and placed an order. It came in a ebay seller packaging (no company packing) of plastic case covered by bubble wrap. Appearance and design - The first thing you notice about it is a pen with footprints of popular Hero 616 or Parker 51 but with a modern twist specially in the Cap design which is different than traditional Hero pens. The body is black lacquered plastic body with chrome colored metal cap. Build quality is very good for body parts as well as cap. But it is a bit flimsy where it mattered most. The portion were nib assembly (nib along with feed) fits into the body is screwed with the main body with just few threads, even that were not perfectly manufactured resulting in a not so good writing experience. Nib and Performance – While purchasing it description says that it had a flighter nib. Being unsure of what it is I won’t get into that and just put down my observations. As said previously the nib section is screwed to the main body and there is a metal ring in between nib assembly and main body which also acts as lock for cap. Thus it puts more pressure on the small screw section and every time I uncap the pen it feels that the nib assembly has got a bit loose. Another weired thing about this pen which I dint noticed while watching that the angle of nib WRT to body was a bit unusual. Nib tends to point towards centre of the pen. Which gives a unique writing experience which I personally didn’t liked. Filling system – It can take international cartridge/converter, while it came with a sac based aeromatic converter. Which I kinda liked. Cost – Cost was around $2. But I definitely think buying a more traditional Hero 616 would have been a batter choice. Conclusion – Definitely not a daily writer pen. U can take it for collection purpose.

Hello. I have been running a pen store on eBay and have been wanting to get my chinese pens directly from the companies or a licensed distributer, Has anyone done this? Thanks Pace

I just bought a set of 4 Hero 3106Bs from Ebay (http://www.ebay.com/itm/Lot-4-HERO-3106B-Fountain-Pen-Extra-Fine-Nib-Hooded-Nibs-Cartoon-Students-Pens-/180932388777?hash=item2a206927a9). (They were cheap, what can I say.) I had previously searched both Google and FPN for any information or reviews regarding this specific pen model, but didn't come across anything. Most places only carry the Hero 100, 616, etc. Does anyone have any experience with these pens? They are billed as being for students, but I don't know if that's because of the color scheme, or the funny indents in the barrel.

Here's a link to my illustrated field test review of the Hero M86 calligraphy pen as both a sketching and journaling tool. http://earnestward.blogspot.com/2013/06/my-hero-tools-of-trade-11.html

HisNibs.com update -- Re-stocking from China Greetings all, As it does periodically, Monteverde is retiring some pens to make way for new models. Unfortunately, two of my personal favorites are being effected, the Regatta and the Prima, and I question the wisdom of the decision. We've also just received a large re-stocking of models from China. A few of our favorites were not available this time, but the vast majority were. I'll only mention a couple of the models in this newsletter, but please just go to the homepage http://www.hisnibs.com to see them all listed as 'back in stock'. As this newsletter goes out to a mailing list of thousands of customers, please understand if there's a delay in answering your email queries or orders after one of these is sent. We will respond in order received and as soon as possible! Join us on our Facebook HisNibs.com fan page which can be reached directly at https://www.facebook.com/HisNibs1. Come join us for what has become a lively meeting place for news about pens, ink and handwriting. On the blog...Gorilla reunion ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~in this issue * Monteverde Regatta line retired * Monteverde Prima selection reduced * Jinhao Wooden Chariot * Hero 616 series * Duke '2009' * Picasso Candle Flame * Jinhao Black Dreadnaught * Black leather 48-pen case * Baoer 8-Horse series * 'His Nibs' page on Facebook * On the blog...Gorilla reunion ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Monteverde Regatta line retired http://www.hisnibs.com/MonteverdeRegattaGroupRandom2_small.jpg Why Monteverde has decided to retire the magnetic-capped Regatta is beyond me. Even if sales have leveled off at this point, the innovative magnetic cap (which provides the ease of a slip cap and the security of a screw cap) should argue for its continuance. The Black/Black version has totally sold out, but I've just laid in a final supply of the Chrome/Black and the White/Blue fountain pens, so jump now if you want to add one of these really neat pens to your collection. "Norman, I have received the new pen and ink, and am thoroughly delighted. My handwriting still stinks though. This is a wonderful pen and I look forward to writing with it more and more over the years...Maybe I will even get a few more nibs to go with it!" B. C., Athens, GA "My pens arrived today! I LOVE them both. I remember that you said the F nibs were like an extra fine, but both of these pens are perfect for me! The Invincia (which is much better looking in person-the finish is very luminous) is slightly finer than the Regatta, but I think these will both be daily writers. I love how heavy they both are, and the magnetic closure on the Regatta is very nice. Wonderful pens at a terrific price!" T. D., Anna, TX "Dear Norman: My Monteverde Regatta chrome and black fountain pen arrived today, as did the Private Reserve Purple Mojo bottles. I am absolutely delighted, and although I have only written a couple of sentences with it, I am confident I am going to love it as much as I did my Mont Blanc Ramses II predecessor. So back into the real art of penmanship again - whoopee. thank you." E. L., New Zealand "Hello Mr.Haase, i just got my pen today and it's awesome, it writes so smooth. I just want to thank you for the great review on Youtube, and the great customer service." W. A., New York, NY "The "Monteverde Regatta" as breath taking as a sail catching wind in the Caribbean. Writes with a strong line and holds it's course well." V. B., Naples, FL Read more here... http://www.hisnibs.com/regatta1.htm ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Monteverde Prima offerings reduced http://www.hisnibs.com/PrimaFPGroupSpread2_small.jpg Although the Prima still seems to be 'hanging around' (and probably my personal favorite of Monteverde's current line-up, for what that's worth), a number of the colors/pattterns have been retired. The Black is gone. However, Monteverde found two each of the Brown Stripes, Blue Stripes and Brown Swirl to send to me. I had previously listed the first two as 'permanently retired', so am glad to receive these...but I'll soon have to post that same description again. Act fast if you're interested. "Hi Norman. Just wanted to give a big thank you as the green Prima came this morning. Love it! I saw this pen when it first came out and was immediately struck by the luminous green, as I have an excellent collection of 1920s OS jade Sheaffer Flat=Tops. You tuned the nib perfectly, and I mean perfectly. I like them extra-fine and pretty dry, and this F nib completely fills the bill. This one will become a daily user. I also appreciate your kind and personal note that you put in with it. That makes dealing with you a pleasure, and makes me feel like an individual. The website is also very personal, and is one of the best on the web---if not THE best. Thank you x 100 for another excellent purchasing experience. I hope your business multiplies greatly. Others can take lessons from you." S. D., Luthrerville MD "Dear Norman, I have just received the pen and it is superb! The nib is wonderful and a delight to write with. Thank you so much for your frank and excellent advice. I have told my wife that I am thinking of buying another of these wonderful pens with the outstanding stub nib! Warmest regards and I am going to buy the Monteverde turquoise ink for all my official signature work." G. A., New York, NY "Mr. Haase, I received my Monteverde Prima yesterday and got it cleaned up as you instructed and filled with ink and then put pen to paper. I love it. It writes great and keeps up with the pace I write at nicely. Every once in a while it has a little trouble starting But that could be my fault and it isn't a problem really at all. I have been writing different things with it all morning. I also wanted to thank you for the prompt responses to my questions, the quick delivery of the pen, and the personal note. That type of customer service goes a long way with me and you can bet I will be ordering again very soon. Merry Christmas!" A. C., Odessa, MO Many more testimonial here: http://www.hisnibs.com/prima.htm ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Jinhao Wooden Chariot http://www.hisnibs.com/JinhaoWoodenChariotPosted2_small.jpg "I received the Jin Hao Wooden Chariot, and Dancing Dragons today. They are truly works of art as well as reliable smooth- writing pens that actually write better than many of my expensive European models. Thanks for your kind attention, first class service and the hand written note. I look forward to purchasing more pens from you in the near future." K. G., Columbus, OH See more photos here... - http://www.hisnibs.com/wooden_chariot.htm ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Hero 616 series http://www.hisnibs.com/Hero616GroupRandom_small.jpg "Dear Norman, thank you for drawing my attention to the new 'old model' Hero 329s. I would like to order one in dark green, and I would be grateful, if you could send me a PayPal invoice. The 616 arrived two weeks ago. What did you do to the nib? It is very smooth and lays down a slightly thicker line than my other 616s. That's perfect for me. At the moment I use it more often than my Parker 51s where the medium nib tends to be a little too broad for my hand-writing. This is more than just a simple knock-off. In terms of balance, reliability and design it is an exceptionally good pen in its own right. If the old 329 is similar than I will be very happy. Thank you for going to all that trouble for such 'cheap' pens! I have many more expensive ones in my collection, but I do not have the same fun in using them. With thanks and warm regards", C. S., Tübingen, Germany "Hello Norman, Just to let you know that the Hero 616s arrived a few weeks ago, and I've been using them since then. I couldn't be happier with the way they write. The fine point is just what I wanted and it writes beautifully. These pens are absolutely amazing value and your service was excellent. Thank you." M. D. S., Australia "Norman: Received the Hero 616 and Pilot 78G today. Must say they're great--properly tuned and ready to go to work! The 616 writes just like my beloved Parker 51 Flighter (I'll use it for travel since the Flighter has become to valuable to lose). The Pilot with the F nib is perfect for my research notebooks (where I tend to write with very small handwriting). Thanks! Fine pens and great service. Have a great day!" M. D., West Jordan, UT "Hi Norman, I received my 616 yesterday. I wrote about twelve pages with it last night and I'm very pleased - as far as I'm concerned the nib is perfect. I don't remember exactly where I saw your site recommended, but I'm glad I did! I'll certainly order again from you in the future." J. C., Chattanooga, TN Read more here... - http://www.hisnibs.com/%27616%27_series.htm ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Duke '2009' http://www.hisnibs.com/DukeChaplinPosted_small.jpg "...the Duke 'Niner (nee Charlie Chaplin) arrived today and all I can say is OMG! I feel like one of my many nieces when their hair does exactly what they want it to. This thing is so bitching, Norm...And I must say that your "tune-up" has revealed to this poor scribe what a FP is actually supposed to write like. I thought my Sheaffer was all that and a bag o' chips, but the 'Niner beats it hands down. I don't know what you did, but Norm you've got to tell me, because I've got a dozen FPs that don't work quite right and I must get them working at least in the neighborhood of this one." M. H., Salt Lake City, UT See more here... - http://www.hisnibs.com/2009.htm ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Picasso Candle Flame http://www.hisnibs.com/PicassoCandleFlameAngledCap_small.jpg "Norman, hope this email finds you well. I enjoy the Picasso Candle Flame pen a bunch-I'm sure it has a lot to do with your nib prep but it writes smoother than any Pen I own. I'm requesting 2 more. Thanks." R.F., N. Andover, MA "Dear Mr. Haase, thanks so much - I received my "Candle Flame" pen today. It's a real beauty. I usually like to try out a pen in the shop, so I wasn't sure how much to expect from one I bought online. I'm glad to report it writes wonderfully and feels great in my hand. I'll be keeping an eye on your website for new pens. You have a bunch of other interesting models, but it looks like they sell out pretty quickly - I'll have to stay on my toes. Thanks again and all the best!" J. K., Berkeley, CA Read more here... - http://www.hisnibs.com/candle_flame.htm ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Jinhao Black Dreadnaught http://www.hisnibs.com/JinhaoBlackDreadnaughtPosted_small.jpg "Norman -- Thanks for continuing to send the updates. This time it reminded me that I had been meaning to write and tell you how much I've enjoyed the pens gotten from you. That "dreadnaught" is one heckuva pen! Probably the bulkiest pen I own at this moment. I had to find a special pen case to carry it around since it wouldn't fit into the one I normally carry. Even at that size, I find I enjoy it and tend to carry it most days, filled with Waterman purple. The nib is amazingly smooth and always starts right up; the line definitely leans toward the broad side of medium, which I very much prefer." J. T., Marietta, GA "The Dreadnaught FP arrived today . . . it's perfect! The wide girth, nice center of gravity (even when posted), and smooth-writing medium-to-broad (always my preference!) nib makes it my favorite writing instrument. It's every bit as good-if not even better-as you-know-who. . . I might have to purchase another color to have two in my collection. Definitely a superior pen!" C. H., Twinsburg, OH "Hi, Norman, My new Jinhao Black Dreadnaught arrived today. I was so eager to try it, I dipped the nib in ink and wrote with it before even following your washing instructions. Afterwards, I washed it. It fits well in my hand. I very much like the size and weight of the pen. Also, the nib glided over paper smoothly. I was too late to order it the first time you stocked it -- my bad. I am happy you brought it back, and that I bought it this time. Happily Writing," R. D., Melbourne, FL More photos here... - http://www.hisnibs.com/dreadnaught.htm ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Black leather 48-pen case http://www.hisnibs.com/PenCasesBrown48Filled3_small.jpg More pen cases here... - http://www.hisnibs.com/pen_storage.htm ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Baoer 8-Horse series http://www.hisnibs.com/Baoer8HorseAngledPair2_small.jpg "I received the inks and the surprise pen last Monday, which would have been October 1st. I absolutely love the Baoer 8 Horses pen. It writes like a dream and moves across the page so quickly I have to make sure I don't end up scribbling words that don't exist! It's filled with the Private Reserve Velvet Black and I love the ink. I knew I needed black, but I didn't know I would enjoy it so much. Who knew such a 'boring' color could be so much fun to use...I still can't believe how a pen could float across a page. I almost feel guilty that I want to use it more than the other two I have. It might be new pen addiction, but honestly, the pen is simply amazing." K. B., Etna, CA "Thanks Norman for the prompt shipping and careful packaging! I already had one of these "8 horses" pens and it is indeed a challenge to count all 8! It's a great pen and one that I could afford to give as gifts to friends who feel they cannot afford a good fountain pen. This one writes better than my vintage mabie-todd." C. F., Dallas, TX "Hi Norman, I'm gonna rave about the Baoer 8 Horses that came today. It is the smoothest nib I have ever used! That includes many $100-200 pens in my collection. Nobody is going to believe that this is a $20 pen. The brass construction gives it a solid feel, and it balances perfectly in my hand even when posted. I have the bronze finish, and am running Pelikan Brilliant Brown - makes for a nice combination!" T. T., Ann Arbor, MI More photos here... - http://www.hisnibs.com/eight_horses.htm ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 'His Nibs' page on Facebook http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v167/hisnibs/HisNibsFacebookimage.png Join us for daily news updates from around the world about fountain pens, ink, handwriting and more! Click here to visit our Facebook page - http://facebook.com/hisnibs1 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ On the blog...Gorilla reunion A video showing a former 'keeper' being reunited with a his gorilla charge, back in the wild. See the May 13th entry here... - http://hisnibs.blogspot.com Regards, Norman Haase His Nibs.com

I recently acquired a Hero 308 fountain pen and 10 Hero 616. These pens are very risky, they are both from the same company but one is comparatively more expensive (308) than the other (616) by about 30 times. I just wanted to show that cheap pens sometimes can outperform noticeably and can make for a better starter. The 308 has a very cool looking nib, it writes OK and feels very expensive. However upon inspection, not so good. The nib and feed on mine is noticeably misaligned. The tines on the nib aren't parallel, the right tine is slightly bending up. The cap loosened after a few weeks and I had to put stickers in the cap so that the body wouldn't fall out. The metal piece connecting the two pieces of the cap already lost its grip. The piece of steel on the tail of the pen isn't soldered at the right angle so its lopsided. However, it didn't fall apart yet. The 616 on the other hand varies extremely from pen to pen. The feed and actual nib on all 10 of mine are misaligned horribly, but can be fixed in seconds. The build is plastic, so extremely light, a good transition from ballpoints to FP. The squeeze converter contains about 2 ml of ink (a lot). The flow is excellent. But if you are going to get this pen, buy at least 5, I find only 2 or 3 in my collection of 616 that actually feels extremely smooth. So my point is. Maybe get several cheap pens like the 616 instead of investing on a nice display piece.