Bahadur 612 Review

[richardandtracy]

This review is of a Bahadur 612.

 

The pen was obtained from 'CameraNation' for £10. The pen was supplied in a roll of foam and a small plastic sheath. I think the pen comes from Pakistan, but as there is no country of origin stamped anywhere on the pen, it's hard to be definitive.

 

First Impressions

When I first looked at the pen I said to my self 'It's a re-badged Hero 330' (see the review https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/in...showtopic=40296 ), but it wasn't, quite. The pen has the same 'Star Trek' style flash above the nib, is the same diameter and has the same shape cap. Infact, I think it's a clone of the Hero 330. So, it's a clone of a clone.

The overall quality and feel of the pen is a small improvement on the Hero 330. It feels to be a nice quality pen and nicely balanced, and feels almost identical to the DUX 612 ( https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/in...?showtopic=7894 ). This pen feels - to me - to be an improvement on the Hero 616.

When compared to a Hero 330, the section length is slightly longer, the cap size is identical and the clip size & shape is identical. The barrels are not interchangable due to a different thread diameter.

 

Size

The pen size is:-

1. 139mm capped.

122mm uncapped.

145mm posted.

11mm barrel diameter.

Weight 14g

 

Construction 4/5

The construction is identical to that of a lower price point Hero pen. The cap is gold anodized aluminium, with a sprung clip. The section and barrel are moulded polystyrene, the connector is clear with a squeeze filler protected by a plated steel sac guard. The end of the barrel has a gold anodized aluminium tassie screwed into a gold anodized fitting on the end of the barrel - as per the MkIII Parker 61's. The mouldings are sharp and precise with very even colour and no stress lines in the plastic. The cap is well formed with no areas indicating over stressing during the forming, and the anodizing colour is uniform. Generally the construction is good.

 

Price 3/5

It is quite expensive for a pen of this type.

 

Looks 4/5

It looks like a slimmer version of the Parker 61. A very elegant shape. The flash above the nib is a bit of a gimmick, but I do like it. The gold anodizing of the cap is not far off the colour of the gold on the P61 Custom cap, so it looks nice and understated.

 

Durability 4/5

Due to the quality of construction I'd expect the pen to be very durable in normal use. The barrel and section are well made and sturdy. The aluminium cap could dent in the future.

 

Writing 4/5

This is the best Parker 51/61 clone pen I have written with - equal with the DUX 612. I would describe the nib as on the fine side of medium, probably a US medium as the UK tends to prefer wider sizes. The line is nice and wet, doesn't skip, is smooth and has a nice level of feedback. The pen writes beautifully whether posted or unposted - the lightweight cap doesn't alter the good balance one jot.

The pen is very lightweight and it is possible to use it for hours. If I have one criticism, the pen is almost too light, in some ways I'd like a little more heft to it.

 

Value for money 4/5

It's a very nice pen. But the price is a bit high.

 

Overall 5/5

I really like this pen. I have reduced the number of inked pens I keep in rotation recently. This, a Dux 612 and my Leonardo are the only non Parker pens I keep in rotation with my Parker 51's, Parker 61's and a Parker 65, as they are the only pens that don't suffer too much by the comparison. Definitely worth having, and I think it's an improvement on the Parker 21 Super.

 

 

Regards

 

Richard.

 

[Univer]

Thank you for the review! Always happy to learn about a new pen (and pen brand).

 

I think the effect is attributable to lack of early-morning caffeine, but when I first saw the topic name, I read "Bahadur" as a reference to Sauron's fortress.

 

Cheers,

 

Jon

[Penache]

Bahadur actually means brave or courageous. Quite a nice title for a pen.

 

 

[Univer]

Agreed - thank you!

 

I certainly didn't mean to impute any maleficence to this unoffending little pen. Please take my post as an indication of my own imperfect eyesight (or pre-coffee mindset).

 

Cheers,

 

Jon

[Penache]

Agreed - thank you!

 

I certainly didn't mean to impute any maleficence to this unoffending little pen. Please take my post as an indication of my own imperfect eyesight (or pre-coffee mindset).

 

Cheers,

 

Jon

 

No worries. My eyes and brain are often at odds pre-tea.

 

It does seem like a brave little pen to face the world as a clone of a clone.

[Bruno]

A Bahadur was the subject some years ago of one of Giovanni Abrate's pen quizzes on Pentrace. You could ask Giovanni about the country of origin.

[mitto]

The pen shown in the picture costs only a friction of a Doolar here in pakistan. Nearly 30 cents/30 Pak Rupees. There are , however , more sturdy , well built and relatively expensive models of Bahadur ( Blaze , Bold and Buddy ) pens that costs 100 to 120 Pak Rupees/$ 1.00 to $ 1.20. Also these are original designs. Not clones. Here are some :

Edited January 6, 2015 by mitto

[mitto]

This review is of a Bahadur 612. The pen was obtained from 'CameraNation' for £10. The pen was supplied in a roll of foam and a small plastic sheath. I think the pen comes from Pakistan, but as there is no country of origin stamped anywhere on the pen, it's hard to be definitive.First ImpressionsWhen I first looked at the pen I said to my self 'It's a re-badged Hero 330' (see the review https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/in...showtopic=40296 ), but it wasn't, quite. The pen has the same 'Star Trek' style flash above the nib, is the same diameter and has the same shape cap. Infact, I think it's a clone of the Hero 330. So, it's a clone of a clone.The overall quality and feel of the pen is a small improvement on the Hero 330. It feels to be a nice quality pen and nicely balanced, and feels almost identical to the DUX 612 ( https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/in...?showtopic=7894 ). This pen feels - to me - to be an improvement on the Hero 616.When compared to a Hero 330, the section length is slightly longer, the cap size is identical and the clip size & shape is identical. The barrels are not interchangable due to a different thread diameter.SizeThe pen size is:-139mm capped.122mm uncapped.145mm posted.11mm barrel diameter.Weight 14gConstruction 4/5The construction is identical to that of a lower price point Hero pen. The cap is gold anodized aluminium, with a sprung clip. The section and barrel are moulded polystyrene, the connector is clear with a squeeze filler protected by a plated steel sac guard. The end of the barrel has a gold anodized aluminium tassie screwed into a gold anodized fitting on the end of the barrel - as per the MkIII Parker 61's. The mouldings are sharp and precise with very even colour and no stress lines in the plastic. The cap is well formed with no areas indicating over stressing during the forming, and the anodizing colour is uniform. Generally the construction is good.Price 3/5It is quite expensive for a pen of this type.Looks 4/5It looks like a slimmer version of the Parker 61. A very elegant shape. The flash above the nib is a bit of a gimmick, but I do like it. The gold anodizing of the cap is not far off the colour of the gold on the P61 Custom cap, so it looks nice and understated.Durability 4/5Due to the quality of construction I'd expect the pen to be very durable in normal use. The barrel and section are well made and sturdy. The aluminium cap could dent in the future.Writing 4/5This is the best Parker 51/61 clone pen I have written with - equal with the DUX 612. I would describe the nib as on the fine side of medium, probably a US medium as the UK tends to prefer wider sizes. The line is nice and wet, doesn't skip, is smooth and has a nice level of feedback. The pen writes beautifully whether posted or unposted - the lightweight cap doesn't alter the good balance one jot.The pen is very lightweight and it is possible to use it for hours. If I have one criticism, the pen is almost too light, in some ways I'd like a little more heft to it.Value for money 4/5It's a very nice pen. But the price is a bit high.Overall 5/5I really like this pen. I have reduced the number of inked pens I keep in rotation recently. This, a Dux 612 and my Leonardo are the only non Parker pens I keep in rotation with my Parker 51's, Parker 61's and a Parker 65, as they are the only pens that don't suffer too much by the comparison. Definitely worth having, and I think it's an improvement on the Parker 21 Super.RegardsRichard.

Well , Bhadur pens are definitely produced in Pakistan. These are not from india. Stand corrected please.

Regards.

Edited January 6, 2015 by mitto