Hero 100, 616, 329s Reviews

[Macuser]

Most people on this site are very familiar with the Parker 51. Occasionally I see references to the Hero 100. However, I rarely see anything about the Hero 329 or the 616. I wanted to give you a very brief introduction to these pens and compare them to the Parker 51. Be warned, I am a novice pen user... but here are my observations.

 

Hero 100 Stainless ($27)

 

I really like the minimalist styling of this pen. It is a great flighter, for a reasonable price. It writes beautifully. It is not scratchy, yet writes a fairly fine line. I would argue that its nib is the closest to to the Parker 51 of any of the Heros I own. They both glide across the paper and start flawlessly. All of the metal makes it a medium weight pen, but its thin profile makes it easy to grip. My only complaint with this pen is the clip. It is hinged, but it is stiff and often wants to catch on shirt pockets. The point on the clip seems sharper than the 51 and can pierce fabric if you are not careful. Overall this pen is very reliable and I work it into my rotation often.

 

Hero 616 Jumbo ($10)

 

This pen is sold as a regular version and a Jumbo. The jumbo is almost identical in size to the Parker 51. It is also the closest in styling. Both bodies have a similar clutch ring near the hooded nib. The Parker 51's ring is all metal, while the 616 ring is actually transparent plastic with 2 metal rings surrounding it. The caps are almost identical as well. They both sport the arrow and are virtually indistinguishable. The Parker 51 cap is heavier and made of a higher quality metal. The 616 cap is a lighter metal and it has a subtle design of lines running vertical. The Parker 51 cap is smooth. The 616 writes very smooth and fine line.

 

Hero 329 "Old Style" ($8)

 

There are several versions of the 329 for sale. This is the one sold from iSellPens, listed as "Hero 329 Older Version without arrow". It does not have the arrow design on the body as some of the other older version 329s do. Of the Hero pens I own, this lays down the wettest, thickest line. It is still a fine line, but it is not as fine as the other Heros. The body is very similar to the Parker 51 and the 616, but it is not as fat nor as long. The cap is more torpedo shaped and does not have an arrow. It's clutch ring on the body is much thinner as well. I love the way this pen writes. It's more in line with my Pelikan or Aurora fine.

 

Hero 329 "New Style" ($5)

 

The new styling of the Hero 329 is just plain cheap looking. Although this pen is very reliable and always starts up consistently, it looks like it was put together with spare parts. The cap is silver, but there is a gold colored flat head on it that the clip attaches to. The clip feels like it could bend out of place or fall off at any time. There is also a gold colored section at the bottom of the pen that really looks out of place. This Hero by far lays down the thinnest driest line. I love it for math problems or writing in a checkbook register, but I am too embarassed to take it out of the house

 

All in all, I love all of my Hero pens. They all compare very favorable to the Parker 51. Although I own and use a 51 often, I also work my Heros into my pen rotation. They all have a special place in my collection.

[Macuser]

Here are the caps of the Parker 51 and the Hero 616, so you can see the similarities.

[Macuser]

Lastly, here are the bodies of the Parker 51 and the Hero 616 for comparison.

[French]

Nice comparison of some Hero pens which have similar style to the venerable "51". I have 2 Hero 100s and they both are really great writers. Finer lines than my "51", but quick start up, smooth, the type of pen you want a daily user to be.

 

enjoy your pens,

French

[helius]

Nice to see someone else who appreciates budget pens!

 

My old-style Hero 330 (with the arrow design and gold-coloured cap) is a great budget pen. Starts up every time, has an XF nib that I absolutely love (a little scratchy, but no more so than the XF Esterbrook nibs). Excellent pen for editing articles.

[I am not a number]

With the swing back toward Hero pens I thought that I'd resurrect this rather good review...

[lovemy51]

With the swing back toward Hero pens I thought that I'd resurrect this rather good review...

 

... i'll keep you company... although, i don't know what to say about the hero's, everything has been said! :hmm1:

 

:hmm1: ahhhh... ok, i noticed prices went down a buck on the regular size at isellpens.com (no aff.)

[PensPensPens]

What's the difference between the 616 and 100 in terms of weight?

 

 

Also which one do you think i should go for? the Flighter 100 or black 100?

Edited June 1, 2008 by PensPensPens

[cpsantillan]

Good comparison,I have one 329 burgundy with a fine nib,I ordered it from hisnibs,and I really like how it writes,if you have a tight budget ,it is a good option...

[Wemedge24]

Have a question for you Parker 51 and Hero 100 fans/users: this morning I'm writing with my Hero 100 and the black resin section cracked. Has this happened to anyone else? Now, I've had the pen for over five years and have used it just about daily, so it's probably due for a bit of a tune up, but it's still a sad day. Anyone know of a retailer of Hero 100 parts?

 

Thanks

Edited October 5, 2009 by Wemedge24

[Sailor Kenshin]

My Hero 616s have become one of my Top Ten faves. They are rarely out of rotation, just a great pen for the money, outstanding if bought in bulk.

[Grigio]

My Hero 616s have become one of my Top Ten faves. They are rarely out of rotation, just a great pen for the money, outstanding if bought in bulk.

 

That's funny. I have the opposite opinion. I hate the 616's that I have. I find them scratchy to the point of being unusable (they collect fibers in between their tines), and of the ones that I have inked, none of them held on to their ink. I wonder if I bought a bad batch...

 

On the other hand, the 329's I have are great and are always inked.

[Sailor Kenshin]

My Hero 616s have become one of my Top Ten faves. They are rarely out of rotation, just a great pen for the money, outstanding if bought in bulk.

 

That's funny. I have the opposite opinion. I hate the 616's that I have. I find them scratchy to the point of being unusable (they collect fibers in between their tines), and of the ones that I have inked, none of them held on to their ink. I wonder if I bought a bad batch...

 

On the other hand, the 329's I have are great and are always inked.

 

As strange as it seems to me, I've heard there are fake 616s. I bought a pack of 10 or 12 off speerbob (ebay) and some individual ones from isellpens---not a bad one in the bunch.

 

Maybe you got the fakes?

[Grigio]

My Hero 616s have become one of my Top Ten faves. They are rarely out of rotation, just a great pen for the money, outstanding if bought in bulk.

 

That's funny. I have the opposite opinion. I hate the 616's that I have. I find them scratchy to the point of being unusable (they collect fibers in between their tines), and of the ones that I have inked, none of them held on to their ink. I wonder if I bought a bad batch...

 

On the other hand, the 329's I have are great and are always inked.

 

As strange as it seems to me, I've heard there are fake 616s. I bought a pack of 10 or 12 off speerbob (ebay) and some individual ones from isellpens---not a bad one in the bunch.

 

Maybe you got the fakes?

 

That would make sense. Their quality seems to low to be real Hero pens...

I can't remember who I bought the 616s from, but it definately wasn't Speerbob or Isellpens.

 

The 329s, I bought from a department store in Hong Kong so I know they are real.

[jniforat]

i have a few p51s and a few hero 616 jumbos from Todd at isellpens.com.

 

i think that if you don't want to spend the money on a p51, these Heros are the next best thing. The only thing i've noticed that if i don't use my p51 for three or so days, it starts up wonderfully, while the hero 616 take a while to get going. also, the nib is REALLY fine on the Heros, so if you like medium nib, stay away.

 

(i know nib size is relative, but these are really fine.)

 

all in all, great pens, just great.

[wing6]

Hero 100 is a good for value pen. Very good student pen then. Now, it is part of my old pen collections.

[Chthulhu]

For style alone, I prefer the Hero 329 old style to the P51 and P21 I recently acquired, but both those Parkers are superior writers to the Hero. I do like all three pens, plus the Hero 330 old style I bought along with the 329; the 330 is a touch scratchier, though still quite usable.

[bluemagister]

I'm going to hit Speerbob up with an order for some 616's and that Hero Carbon ink, now. I NEED MORE PENS IS THIS SOME SICKNESS OR CURSE?

[JohnCruzNg]

I'm going to hit Speerbob up with an order for some 616's and that Hero Carbon ink, now. I NEED MORE PENS IS THIS SOME SICKNESS OR CURSE?

 

Funny thing. That is how I started with fountain pens; with the Hero 616s and the Hero Carbon ink. It is a beautiful sickness.

[PhotoJim]

I like my Hero 616s, but they are fussy about ink. Diamine Saddle Brown dries up in them in no time (a drop of water on the nib and it's good to go again, mind). Waterman Florida Blue works consistently in these pens.

 

I won't say they're my favourite pens; they're not. However, I keep one full of Waterman Florida Blue all the time and will use other inks in them as I discover which ones work. I suspect Lamy Black would work well in them too, given the experiences I'm having with it in other pens.