Heros 100, 329 or 616

[Sparky]

I am currious to find out the difference between these three pens, and their approximate costs differences. Has anyone had experience with all three and can comment?

Thanks!

[Richard]

I own all three.

 

The 329 and 616 are very similar internally, both copies of the aerometric Parker "51" but without the tiny hole in the breather tube that would make them truly aerometric. They have steel nibs. The connector onto which you screw the barrel is clear plastic. The 329 and its sibling the 330 have v-shaped arrows set into the shell after the fashion of a Parker 61, and these pens feature caps with a Sheaffer-style sprung clip. The 616 is a more direct "51" copy, with a cap that has a Parker-style washer clip and no arrow on the shell. Nibs tend to be on the extra-fine side but can be tuned to be quite nice. The plastic used for the shell and barrel is polystyrene, and it feels cheap. Fit and finish are cheap, but the pens are very serviceable. You can get these pens for $10.00 each from www.isellpens.com.

 

http://www.richardspens.com/images/collection/zoomed/329.jpg

 

The 100 is built internally like a combination of an aerometric "51" and a 61. It has a true aerometric filler, tiny hole and all, with a nib, feed, and collector that index together like those in a 61. The connector onto which the barrel screws is metal, like that in a 61 (but not a "51"). The nib is 14K, more like a true fine. My three 100s all write very well indeed. The plastic used for the shell and barrel is a more expensive material than the usual cheap polystyrene, and it has a quality feel to it. Fit and finish are also better than on the cheaper pens. These are in the $20.00+ range, also at www.isellpens.com.

 

http://www.richardspens.com/images/collection/zoomed/hero100.jpg

http://www.richardspens.com/images/collection/zoomed/hero100posted.jpg

http://www.richardspens.com/images/collection/zoomed/hero100chrome.jpg

[thewolfgang]

Where do the 156 & 158 fit into this scheme?

[Sparky]

Thank you Richard, for your wealth of informaiton on the Heros pens.... PS I do enjoy reading your articles on your website. Several people I work with were very positive about your services.!

[RLTodd]

I have a couple of the other (later economized?) Hero 329s. They lack the arrow on the end of the shell and have the simple Parker style clip with the rolled over and bent back end.

 

I currently have (3) H329 and (1) H616, all of which required some "adjustment" to get them to write well. One had the barrel shellaced to the connector.

 

I had, for a short time, two Hero 100s. Both wrote extremely well BUT one had a casting defect in the cap that cut the shell open and consequently was bleeding ink on my index finger and the other one had a pressure bar that was unattached and wanted to go south, under the sac when I tried to fill it.

 

I concluded that the folks at Hero have absolutely no concept of Quality Control, and you can frequently get something that should be considered a work in progress. When working they are quite nice. I find my H616 more pleasant to write with than my P'51," because it is lighter and the line is finer yet the nib is still smooth. YMMV

[RLTodd]

" the tiny hole in the breather tube"

 

? Is that the bore of the breather tube, or a latteral hole into the breather tube? What is its function? I thought the filler wouldn't fully fill if the breather tube was compromised.

Edited May 30, 2006 by RLTodd

[Macuser]

I have a Hero 329 and a Hero 100. The Hero 329 is a finer line, but I agree with Richard that it feels cheaper (I guess for $5, what do you expect.) The Hero 100 is great. It is more hearty. I have the silver flighter version. The only bad thing is that the cap scratches the pen finish when posted. Overall I like both pens. I keep the 329 filled with Waterman red so I always have a pen to mark up reports at work before I distribute them. The Hero 100 is in my regular rotation.

[Apollo]

Since this thread is more about Hero pens than Parker pens, let's move it to the Writing Instruments forum.

[Richard]

" the tiny hole in the breather tube"

 

Is that the bore of the breather tube, or a latteral hole into the breather tube?

It's a tiny lateral hole about 1/4" from the feed.

 

What is its function?  I thought the filler wouldn't fully fill if the breather tube was compromised.

When the pen is carried capped and nib uppermost, as is recommended for the duration of the ascent to cruising altitude in an airplane, this itty-bitty hole permits air to bleed out of the top of the sac instead of forcing ink up the breather tube. The aerometric system is a complex, very carefully balanced system that relies on the length of the breather tube, the inside diameter of the breather tube, the presence of this little lateral hole, and proper venting of the cap. An article in the upcoming PENnant, co-authored by Daniel Kirchheimer and me*, explains the whole thing.

 

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* Not "myself," which would be grammatically incorrect because it indicates a reflexive action, such as "I got myself wet." Never say, "He did something to myself" or "He did something to her and myself" or "John and myself did something"; these are all wrong because they are not reflexive usages. End of grammar lesson.

[RLTodd]

It's a tiny lateral hole about 1/4" from the feed.....

Thank you for the clear explanation. It makes perfect sense.