Is wing sung 601 better than a Hero 616

[matteob]

Hello I am a genuine 51 owner but wondering how the above compare. I have a Hero 616 and while the nib is impressively smooth for a fine the build quality is terrible with leaks and ink gushes. I guess you can expect that for a few dollars but is the WS a step up in terms of quality. I have found Chinese pens to have surprisingly good nibs but sadly gimcrack build and QC.

[Ergative]

I have a WS 601 and it's behaved beautifully. No leaks, cracks, or gushes. I posted a review when I first got mine, and since then I've used it almost continuously with no problems: 

 

[WJM]

Yes, the WS 601 is definitely higher quality than Hero 616. 

[Sailor Kenshin]

Different loading system, too.

[Mech-for-i]

very simple  answer : YES

[J120]

Not a fair fight. 601 

[Flounder]

As a long term user of all three, yes the Wing Sung 601 is better than my Hero 616s, though none of my 616s ever leaked.

 

Also so far as I know there are only two varieties of 601, earlier diaphragm and later o ring based vacumatics. There are many different 616 being churned out, in different sizes, proportions, prices and qualities, even a question over which are genuine, so it's more of a game of chance whether you have a real one or not.

 

To prevent collector overload when filling, the 601 will still need proper filling technique like the 51 vacumatic, pulling up a little air on the last plunger release.

[Seele]

To add to Flounder's post: Hero had several production plants, some of them made the same models, mostly the 616: some are better than others. To add to the confusion, there are also fake ones around, making a question like "how god is the Hero 616" impossible to answer. In the past I said the most dependable ones are the large size from the original Shanghai plant, co-branded "Doctor" on the blister pack, but these days there are even reports of fraudulent ones packaged identically. Comparing my example bought some years ago along with a Lishui-built example, it's clear that the Shanghai-built one was significantly superior.

[Estycollector]

Love the metal silver and gold 601. I agree with learning to fill to prevent leaks which never occurred with the plastic ones, but did with the metal, purely anecdotal experience, however. 

 

And, like the real 51's, it can lay dormmate for months and write on the first try.