Hero 329 Or Hero 616 ?

[tuintu]

Hi all!

 

After reading many reviews about Hero's hooded nibs all day, i decided to ask to the forum at last.

i'm actually looking for smooth nib, and also want a bit long and fat one, but couldn't realize among pictures which one is longer/thicker.

and does anybody have an idea whether hooded nib Hero's have Medium nib option?

Regards!

[cubic archon]

If you are just buying one pen, don't buy a 616. They are very cheap and the quality control is very poor. I don't have a 329 myself, but there seem to be people who find them good. I'm fairly sure the 329 is thicker, too.

[georgeb]

The Hero 329 is thinner than the Hero 616 Jumbo. I don't know the size of the Hero 616 "non-Jumbo".

 

I have the 329 and the 616 Jumbo. The 616 Jumbo is close to the size of a Parker 51 and perhaps a bit thinner than the Parker Super 21.

 

My 329 is a better quality pen than the 616, but the 329 nib is a bit scratchy.

 

If I were to buy another 329 I would buy it from hisnibs.com because he adjusts and tunes the nibs of the pens he sells.

 

I have not yet purchased a pen from hisnibs.com so I don't have direct experience.

[ThirdeYe]

I have a 616 and it is a great writer. I like the light weight of it, and it's easy to use and the nib feels great. The only issue I have with the pen is that sometimes after I write with it for a while, the nib will flood into the cap a little bit, from the feed behind the nib. Other times it will flood from the feed while I'm writing. I've never actually had it flood enough to drip onto the paper, but you can see ink coming from behind the feed that worries me. I have tried to adjust the breather tube and it didn't do anything for the issue. Because of this, I cannot carry the pen with me as I originally had planned to do and started to do. Writing at home though, it's a good little pen.

Edited February 16, 2011 by ThirdeYe

[FlyFast]

I love my Hero 329s, all of them came from HisNibs.com. They all write very well but the nibs are extra fine. I don't think they make a medium nib.

[Motomo]

I have 3 329's and about a half dozen of the 616 Jumbos. The 329 is a thinner and a bit shorter pen. As for quality I find that either are somewhat hit had miss. I have a green 329 that is smooth as butter and writes great but the black one is a bit scratchy and finniky depending on the ink. Its the same for the 616's.

 

Either are a great little pen for the price.

[Flounder]

Does it have to be Parker homage, or are you flexible? I'm put off by the variable reviews on those 2 Heros, but I spotted a medium, hooded nibbed Baoer 100 on eBay (either that or I hallucinated, I can only find fine nibs now). I've been impressed with the weight and quality of Baoer's 388.

[RLTodd]

Note.

 

There is the old pattern 329 and the current pattern 329.

 

I find the old pattern fairly close to a 616. The new pattern 329 as a rather smaller pen, possibly targeted at the lower grade school pen market.

 

I find the old pattern 329 and the 616 to be a toss up. With the new pattern 329, I definitely prefer the 616.

[davidw]

I have the 329 and a jumbo 616. I prefer to write with the 616.

THe 329 I bought 3 years ago feel slimmer. BUt they are all fine size nib.

 

 

I dont mind using them. Its just the weight is so light that is why I

bought the hero 100 " flighter"

 

Wish they make a medium or broad !

[dexaco]

Out of curiosity, I measured barrel diameters, using a plastic dial caliper. For consistency, I measured the pens capped, measuring barrel diameter immediately below the cap. Section diameter will be a tad smaller, but where exactly does one measure on the section of a hooded-nib pen? Results as follows -

 

Parker 21 Super - 11.6mm

 

Hero 616 - 11.4mm

 

Parker 51 - 11.3mm

 

Hero 329 - 10.5mm

 

From a pack of ten Hero 616s, I gave away three and scrapped two. Of the remaining five, four are fairly smooth easy writers, with a perceived nib size varying between EF and F. The fifth is a reluctant starter but okay once it's going. I have three Hero 329s, all EF, and all reasonably smooth first-time writers (with such fine nibs there's bound to be an element of toothiness, I feel - they compare favourably with my Hero 100 in terms of feedback). I only have one 21 Super (F nib) and one Parker 51 (M nib) and they're both smooth, with a touch of tooth from the fine nib on the 21. I don't know if my 329s are old model or new, but the clip shows no homage to Parker's arrow (unlike the 616s) and there is a gold-coloured button/tassie on both cap and barrel. Camera not to hand but I put the pens on the scanner and the image is attached. Order as above from top to bottom.

 

Derick

Edited February 17, 2011 by dexaco

[nxn96]

I've tried both, and feel that both are at about the same quality level; possibly a slight edge to the 616, but not by much. A good piece of advice would be to buy in multiples, as neither pen has a great reputation for build quality. If someone gave me one, I'd consider it a fun pen, recognizing its limitations. To go out and buy one, depending on where you live, you might be paying more to ship one than you did for the pen itself (another reason to consider buying in multiples). Personally, I think I'd rather check out eBay to see if there are any vintage Parker 45's available at a reasonable price before I'd invest in additional 616's or 329's. I've read that the Hero 100 is much like the 616, but with much better build quality. I've never tried one, but that's what I've read.

[richardandtracy]

For the same, or similar, price I would like to suggest a better quality pen, the Jinhao 321. Both watch_art and I have done reviews:

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/index.php?/topic/166933-jinhao/

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/index.php?/topic/141747-jinhao-321-review

 

Hope this helps

 

Regards,

 

Richard.

 

 

 

[tuintu]

I've read all of your comments one by one and thank you all for your kind posts.

 

i think i'll go for 329. once i'll get one, i'll post my impressions here. actually i like Medium nibs more (because i've a Pilot 78G Fine nib but it's too thin for me) but in the other hand, i love retro design pens (mean hooded nibs). they have no Medium nib option

 

let's see what's next.

 

thank you so much again

[lovemy51]

  On 2/17/2011 at 7:00 PM, tuintu said:

I've read all of your comments one by one and thank you all for your kind posts.

 

i think i'll go for 329. once i'll get one, i'll post my impressions here. actually i like Medium nibs more (because i've a Pilot 78G Fine nib but it's too thin for me) but in the other hand, i love retro design pens (mean hooded nibs). they have no Medium nib option

 

let's see what's next.

 

thank you so much again

just a reminder, like some of the other FPNers have mentioned, the 329 "older" version lays the thickest line of the two. the newer version is called the "line line"...

[tuintu]

Thank you lovemy51

i'll consider that and inform the seller about this option.

[Sailor Kenshin]

  On 2/16/2011 at 10:14 PM, cubic archon said:

If you are just buying one pen, don't buy a 616. They are very cheap and the quality control is very poor. I don't have a 329 myself, but there seem to be people who find them good. I'm fairly sure the 329 is thicker, too.

 

I have both kinds.

 

Actually I think the 616 is fatter, and if you buy them from some reputable source like isellpens or speerbob (ebay) they are good pens.

 

The nib is like a medium-fine, very smooth for the price.

[gadgetjunky]

I have used the 329/330 off and on for better part of 10 years now but just recently discovered the 616 Jumbo last year. In general I would say that the 329/330s that I own exhibit better fit and finish, but I prefer writing with the 616 Jumbo. Maybe I just got lucky with mines (I ordered first a few loose ones and then later a 10 pack all from isellpens.com) but all the ones that I have inked up so far have filled and written just fine. Most tend towards a slim fine nib. I have two inked in the flower frog on my desk right now; a burgundy one full of PR Black Magic Blues and a black one full of Heart Of Darkness. Both work great.

 

I also had a 100 Flighter for a while and it was much nicer than any of the others. I traded it off because I was on a broad / stub nib kick, but now wish that I hadn't.

Edited February 18, 2011 by gadgetjunky

[Flounder]

Hi it was a Jinhao I was thinking of, not a Baoer. The Jinhao 325 has that look, with a medium nib.

 

 

 

 

Here's one on eBay at the moment. I might try to find a flighter :-)

 

 

 

 

 

[davidw]

between the 616 and the 329. I prefer the 616 or the jumbo.

 

But if you can afford a bit more. the hero 100 is a much better pen. its the 616 with more weight.

[davidw]

how is the jinhao 325 weight compare to the 616. is it heavier ? similar to a parker 51?