Hero 9018 Fude Nib Fountain Pen Review

[Edjelley]

http://edjelley.files.wordpress.com/2013/11/hero-9018-fude-nib-fountain-pen-review-9.jpg Hero 9018 Fude Nib Fountain Pen - Handwritten Review -

• Review Ink: Diamine Aqua Blue
• Review Paper: Maruman Mnemosyne B5

Specs:

• Description: A $9 pen from China that provides well more than $9 worth of fun.
• Nib: Fude Nib, Gold-Plated(?) Steel Nib
• Filling Mechanism: Cartridge / Converter - includes one cartridge
• Weight: 39.6 grams
• Measurements: 5.375" closed, 6" posted
• Ink Capactiy: International Cartridges, ~1ml
• Color : Black with gold accents and clip

Handwritten Review Scans:

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Intro/About:

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I've been wanting a fude nib for a while now, and wow am I glad I got one. At $9.00 with shipping included, I figured I didn't have much to lose. Turns out, this is one of the most fun pens to write with I have encountered. Build quality is awesome for being so cheap, and it doesn't look half bad either. The pen also flies through ink, which I happen to like. It's nice to see the ink level on the bottles on my shelf going down. Really though, this pen is great.

Thanks for reading, enjoy the review!

Appearance & Packaging:

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The paragraph in the handwritten portion of the review was written with the nib upside down, making the finest line that the Hero 9018 is capable of. I'll get packaging out of the way first. The pen was in a crinkly plastic bag, stuffed in a bubble mailer. No branding, no papers, nothing. I don't mind though, I'm fine with keeping the cost low. For $9.00, I'm not complaining. The Hero 9018 is actually a pretty decent looking pen too. It's a shiny black with gold colored accents throughout. The clip sticks out a bit far, and has quite a bit of give to it. I wouldn't be surprised if the clip wouldn't hold up to being stuck to a jeans pocket for prolonged periods of time.

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Moving down the pen, there's some Hero branding with the model number, some Chinese characters, and a small design. The branding on the pen looks cheap as well, but that is surely because the pen is cheap. The grip section of the pen has a grippy textured pattern that looks quite a bit out of place. It does give a good tactile feel and it keeps the pen from slipping around. The nib itself has some light engraving, which I like the design of. The star of the show here is the 55 degree fude nib, which looks like you took a regular fountain pen and dropped it straight on the floor. At first it looks like some sort of horrible accident, but it is unique looking, and provides a really great writing experience. It's a highly affordable pen with some questionable design aesthetics, but at the end of the day, it's still a $9.00 pen and I can't really complain.

Nib Performance & Filling System:

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The nib is the entire reason I bought the pen. The 55 degree fude nib is capable of producing several different line widths, and manages to write smoothly and effortlessly through them all. The line variation here isn't like a flex nib though, so don't expect so much line variation in each written character. The angle at which the nib is held to the paper determines the thickness of the line.

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My regular writing (see the handwritten review, page 2) gets some added character, but when the angle is adjusted, or the pen flipped over, the Hero 9018 is capable of both very fine writing, and HUGE 2MM WRITING. It's decently smooth when writing at it's finest, buttery smooth at a regular angle, and the smoothest when the bend in the nib is in full contact with the page. All of these styles of writing are done by adjusting the angle, or flipping the nib. It's super fun to write with, I couldn't put it down.

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Filling system here is cartridge or converter. The pen comes with a huge converter that holds a nice amount of ink. The quality of the converter is good, and it holds around 1ml of ink. I've said it before, I really don't mind cartrdige/converter pens. Pistons are nice, but at the end of the day, the ink is getting to the page.

Feel:

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Another huge plus about the Hero 9018 is that it does not feel like a pen that cost less than $10. It's got a great weight and balance to it. The materials aren't top notch, and the clip is kind of bendy. The textured grip looks out of place, but it does ensure that the pen isn't slipping around during long writing sessions. I didn't expect the pen to have as much heft as it does.

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It feels great in hand, and I was pleasantly surprised by how nice it is. I have barely put the pen down since receiving it, I really, really love it. When inspecting the pen, I noticed that inside the barrel there appears to be a metal spring coiled up in there for added weight. Whatever works, right? The pen is comfortable to use both posted and unposted and maintains it's balance either way.

Pros:

• Price:Fun ratio is very good
• Unique nib can write in several varying line widths
• Includes a converter with good capacity
• Nice weight and balance

Cons:

• Some design aspects don't work (textured grip)
• Cheap materials (bendy clip)

Conclusion:

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The Hero 9018 is a huge win for me. The writing experience is unique and unlike anything else currently in my collection. The amount of widths that the nib is capable of producing surprises me every time I pick it up. I honestly can't remember the last pen that gave me this much enjoyment, especially for the price. I can't recommend this pen any more, you won't be let down. Even if you are, it's $9.00 shipped! The only bad thing about the pen is that now it has me looking at all of those beautiful Sailor specialty nibs...

The original review, and more can be seen at: http://edjelley.com/2013/11/27/hero-9018-fude-nib-fountain-pen-review/

[andymcc]

Nice review

I really like fude nibs and love sketching with my Sailor Profit Calligraphy pen but the nib is untipped so writing on the back of the nib is rough but this pen looks like it has a tipped nib which would make it smoother, for $9 I might give one a try.

[Scribblesoften]

I've been looking at one of these to use instead of buying multiple Pilot Parallels. You might have pushed me over the edge. Excellent review. Thank you.

[icardoth]

Nice!