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Hero's Safari Clone


wieniawski

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The OP of the original thread at penbbs said that while he was not expecting Hero to stoop that far down, he also said there were rumours that this model was ordered by a client from Hero's Lishui works. There is no way of knowing for those outside the Lishui inner sanctum.

No, I am not going to list my pens here.

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for the barrel, the original poster said only the side with the logo is flat, the other side is cylindrical. and there is no engraving on the pen end.

 

also, its name was changed to "summer color".

Edited by kmpn
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for the barrel, the original poster said only the side with the logo is flat, the other side is cylindrical. and there is no engraving on the pen end.

 

also, its name was changed to "summer color".

Thanks for additional info (I saw your reply there in Penbbs!), I just edit my first post.

 

(May I add, your Lamy collection is beautiful!)

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Wow, even for a Chinese pen company, that's a pretty blatant design theft.

Love all, trust a few, do wrong to none.

 

Lisa in Raleigh, NC

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Thanks for additional info (I saw your reply there in Penbbs!), I just edit my first post.

 

(May I add, your Lamy collection is beautiful!)

 

 

thanks for adding the nib photo, i was about to ask the owner for the permission.

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Wancher got in first in re: a 2000 copy. It's a cartridge filler, and the ink window is obviously absent too. An inventively cheap alternative has been designed in: a clear feed!

 

http://i773.photobucket.com/albums/yy19/flounder2009/Wancher/WancherClearFeed.jpg

Latest pen related post @ flounders-mindthots.blogspot.com : vintage Pilot Elite Pocket Pen review

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The internet has been steadily disabusing me of the illusion of originality since the mid '90s -- but this is an outright, shameless rip-off, of an order seldom seen. I wouldn't touch it with a ten foot pole if it were better made than the Lamy.

 

With all the awesome, innovative and interesting pens that come out of that corner of the world (somehow derivative in design, as all things are, some closer to "homages") it's obvious that they don't need to resort to this kind of thing. Just because you can get away with something doesn't mean you have to do it. That manufacturer is giving the entire industry a bad rap. It's time they held each other to a higher standard because it's obvious they're capable of meeting it. [end rant]

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I guess imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. I shall continue to support Lamy.

"In his physiognomy there were what seemed traces of many passions which his will had disciplined but which seemed to have frozen those features they had now ceased to animate."

Il Nome della Rosa, Umberto Eco

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More details emerging: it was ordered by a certain vendor from Hero's Lishui division, not even Hero Group HQ or Hero Pens Shanghai knew about it.

No, I am not going to list my pens here.

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More details emerging: it was ordered by a certain vendor from Hero's Lishui division, not even Hero Group HQ or Hero Pens Shanghai knew about it.

I understand that there could be some miscommunication that's possibily deliberate, but I don't think Hero can duck the blames just because "Yes, it's manufacturing under our label (and they are doing so legally) but it's not out fault because we don't know it!"

 

I was under the impression that Lishui division has becomed a part of the Hero brand and Hero of Shanghai and Hero Factory of Lishui are the same thing (brand label wise). Anyway, correct me if I am wrong.

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I guess imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. I shall continue to support Lamy.

I don't really think Lamy Safari would lose any fan over the Hero. So far, the reviews on the clones are all somewhat negative (kind of consistent with their post-2000 production). For this release, Hero seems to Target the non-fountain pen users who like the look(just the look) of Safari but don't want to pay the price. Those are collectively known as Wenyi Qingnian (like Chinese Hipsters).

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I can see a Chinese company ripping off Mont Blanc pens cause I can see a market for someone that likes the looks of a Mont Blanc Boheme or Starwalker but just doesn't want to pay the money and doesn't mind a $20 lookalike but I just don't see the purpose of copying a $25 pen cause I'm sure every person would rather pay a few more dollars and just get a Lamy Safari which already has an excellent reputation.

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Le sigh. That just makes me want a real purple Lamy even more! :wub:

Ridiculously addicted to my Lamy Safaris.

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The internet has been steadily disabusing me of the illusion of originality since the mid '90s -- but this is an outright, shameless rip-off, of an order seldom seen. I wouldn't touch it with a ten foot pole if it were better made than the Lamy.

 

Thank you for taking the words right out of my mouth.

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I have a Hero 237-1 , with the cap on it looks exactly like a Rotring Rivette , the caps do not interchange , & it has a hooded nib & aerometric filler like the cheap hero 51 copies , where as the Rotring has an exposed nib & uses standard catridges.

 

But capped , they look like they came out of the same mold.

 

I'd add a photo if I could figure out how. How does one upload a photo to FPN?

Edited by MaD Mercantile
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I could tell you stories about knock offs and pure forgeries in China. Not just pens either. There are no intellectual property laws that one could enforce if they wanted to. They have tasted the benefits of capitalism but are still a communist country.

 

I expect Vietnam to be the next China. The entire country is one big seaport and the infrastructure that we built is still there. I returned to look at opportunities but they are not quite there yet.

 

As for people that are serious about their hobbies or have a passion for one thing or another, they (we) will always want the best and the real item. So, by selling a cheap pen it just gets more people interested in the items and will generate more interest and other by products like more ink or better paper.

 

Typically, the manufacturing centers for items are all clustered around each in China and may be in the same building. One company I visited were manufacturing 50k speakers on one floor and 5 dollar speakers on anoher. 90% of speakers were made there and most just had little differences and a different name on the box.

God created man, Sam Colt made them equal!

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