Hero 100 Variants- A Comparative Review

[sanyalsoumitra]

Compared and reviewed the three Hero 100 variants I had a chance to buy at China. Welcome your comments if any area missed out.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[sanyalsoumitra]

Hi all there was an incorrect information that had crept in the report above. E-bay price of the Glorious variant is not USD 85 but USD 68 here is the link :

 

http://www.ebay.com/itm/HERO-Glorious-100-Fountain-Pen-14K-Solid-Gold-Nib-Fine-Size-GT-Gold-Black-Finish-/181026076455?hash=item2a25feb727:m:mIudTPVZ3QP-pDGMTnud9kg

 

I was mistakenly using another link which is a slightly different pen. This is the link :

 

http://www.ebay.com/itm/2015-New-Model-Hero-Classic-100-14K-Gold-Pen-Silver-Clip-Without-Box-/331628737477?hash=item4d369cf3c5:g:ivAAAOSwjVVVzfo6

 

Deeply regret the in-accurate information and request all to note the correction.

[DustyR]

Nice, comprehensive review. One question: Could you comment on the quality of the plastic on the all-plastic model's barrel? On comparing my Parker 21's barrel to a Hero 616 I notice the 21's plastic seems thicker, and the threads seem better cut and finished. Do you think there is a difference in the quality of material or finishing between the body of the Hero 616 ("Doctor") and the 100?

Thanks!

[J_MM]

Thanks for the comparison. Any thoughts on how the Hero 1000 compares?

[TimTheZaj]

Nice, comprehensive review. One question: Could you comment on the quality of the plastic on the all-plastic model's barrel? On comparing my Parker 21's barrel to a Hero 616 I notice the 21's plastic seems thicker, and the threads seem better cut and finished. Do you think there is a difference in the quality of material or finishing between the body of the Hero 616 ("Doctor") and the 100?

Thanks!

 

The quality of the plastic on the hero 100 is a heck of a lot better than on the hero 616: much thicker and higher gloss, much more more substantial. On the modern version (post 2000) the plastic does crack very easily, especially the section. On the older ones the plastic is even better quality and does not crack from simple wear. The availability and cheapness of replacement parts, both old and new style does make up for this though.

[TimTheZaj]

Thanks for the comparison. Any thoughts on how the Hero 1000 compares?

The hero 1000 is made of metal with a 10k nib. Personally I prefer the hero 100 dues to the availability of custom parts, the ability to take it completely apart and the better nib, but my hero 1000 is still a very solid pen.

[DustyR]

 

The quality of the plastic on the hero 100 is a heck of a lot better than on the hero 616: much thicker and higher gloss, much more more substantial. On the modern version (post 2000) the plastic does crack very easily, especially the section. On the older ones the plastic is even better quality and does not crack from simple wear. The availability and cheapness of replacement parts, both old and new style does make up for this though.

 

Thanks. Sounds like even if the plastic on the 100 is better than the 616, if the former is prone to cracking I'll likely stay away, given that I can pick up Parker 21s for about the same price (I know people report those as crack prone, but I haven't had that happen yet, and the cracked barrels I've see often look as if they might have been over tightened-cracked perpendicular to the barrel at the threads).

Edited February 13, 2016 by DustyR

[Seele]

Thanks for a nice comparative review. If I may, I would like to add a few notes.

 

Many pens with metal barrel has the short plastics screw thread piece glued to the open end. However, the 100 Flighter has a full-length plastic inner barrel bonded to the steel barrel, which I think is a very expensive, but thorough thing to do from a manufacturing standpoint.

 

Certainly there are many reports of the 100 section cracking in newer examples. But then, users without problems - no matter how big a proportion among owners - would never report this fault anyway. That said, I have read all their comments and tentatively propose a diagnosis. The section hood and the main body of the pen are screwed together and the screw threads are not entirely round, so when the pen is assembled, the irregular shape exerts uneven expanding forces from the inside of the section hood's threaded portion, thus resulting in cracks.

 

A possible explanation is that the tooling for the 100 might have developed some wear over the years. By the luck of the draw one might get one where the threaded portion of the section hood is stressed in such an uneven manner, so cracks might develop in due course.

 

All 100 pens are guaranteed for life, but this warranty is only honoured by Hero's own service department in Shanghai: not a huge problem for those living in China, but it's not very practical for those not in that country.

 

Balancing all the pros and cons, I feel the 100 is a very fine pen, built for effortless writing. I like my Flighter very much and it never fails to please: I bought it used from a local (Australian) eBay seller, so it's been thoroughly tested from use, and I am glad that someone took the depreciation hit for me!

 

Regarding the 1000: think of it as a modern attempt to "upgrade" the 100 using extensive metal parts, and built at the Lishui works rather than Hero's Shanghai HQ. Being quite a bit heavier it is still exceedingly nice to use. Another option is the lesser-known 110.

Edited February 17, 2016 by Seele

[TimTheZaj]

Thanks for a nice comparative review. If I may, I would like to add a few notes.

 

Many pens with metal barrel has the short plastics screw thread piece glued to the open end. However, the 100 Flighter has a full-length plastic inner barrel bonded to the steel barrel, which I think is a very expensive, but thorough thing to do from a manufacturing standpoint.

 

Certainly there are many reports of the 100 section cracking in newer examples. But then, users without problems - no matter how big a proportion among owners - would never report this fault anyway. That said, I have read all their comments and tentatively propose a diagnosis. The section hood and the main body of the pen are screwed together and the screw threads are not entirely round, so when the pen is assembled, the irregular shape exerts uneven expanding forces from the inside of the section hood's threaded portion, thus resulting in cracks.

 

A possible explanation is that the tooling for the 100 might have developed some wear over the years. By the luck of the draw one might get one where the threaded portion of the section hood is stressed in such an uneven manner, so cracks might develop in due course.

 

All 100 pens are guaranteed for life, but this warranty is only honoured by Hero's own service department in Shanghai: not a huge problem for those living in China, but it's not very practical for those not in that country.

 

Balancing all the pros and cons, I feel the 100 is a very fine pen, built for effortless writing. I like my Flighter very much and it never fails to please: I bought it used from a local (Australian) eBay seller, so it's been thoroughly tested from use, and I am glad that someone took the depreciation hit for me!

 

Regarding the 1000: think of it as a modern attempt to "upgrade" the 100 using extensive metal parts, and built at the Lishui works rather than Hero's Shanghai HQ. Being quite a bit heavier it is still exceedingly nice to use. Another option is the lesser-known 110.

 

Yep, i agree with this. I have quite a few modern and vintage hero 100s and only two of the modern ones have cracked, which i was able to replace for 5 dollars.

Personnally i don't have the 110, but i've heard it is a slightly thinner and lighter version of the hero 100

[Seele]

 

Yep, i agree with this. I have quite a few modern and vintage hero 100s and only two of the modern ones have cracked, which i was able to replace for 5 dollars.

Personnally i don't have the 110, but i've heard it is a slightly thinner and lighter version of the hero 100

 

The 110, apparently, is only made as an all plastic-bodied pen with metal cap, and a bit less expensive than the 100. While there are numerous reports of the plastic-bodied 100 has been extensively forged, I have not yet heard anything about the appearance of counterfeit 110s.

 

As this thread piqued my interest I had a look at Taobao and discovered a new variant: the all black version with "Star Trek" with rounded ends.