Hero 9018 Fude, Nos Rotring Ink, Quick Impressions

[Sailor Kenshin]

As stated in my siggy line, I collect fude-nibbed fountain pens, so when I learned of this model I was eager to try it. And as I had also found one of my first (long-gone) inks ever, I was really set to go.

 

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7405/10743006043_dc229463ef_z.jpg

 

http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2887/10742725276_2828846c47_z.jpg

 

This is a fat, thick and heavy pen, and its plastic section has some texture, which makes holding it somewhat easier.

 

As noted, the pen is back-heavy when posted. But it's still writing! I don't know whether it's the massive fins on the feed or because the section spent some time sitting in the bottle soaking up ink before I fished it out and stuck in a partly-loaded cart.

 

Both pen and ink are from fleabay. The pen came from China quicker than the ink came from England, lol.

 

Any other fude fans out there?

[mhguda]

I wouldn't go so far as claiming to be a fude fan, but I have a few, and they're interesting to play with. Recently I realized that the Camlin SD that was part of a group buy earlier this year has a sort of fude nib, although the forward bended part is much smaller in relation to the rest of the nib than in the case of a true fude nib. This makes for an interesting writing experience, where you hold the nib in a standard position and still get some, very subtle, line variation. Or so it seems to me. It is very subtle but you do feel it. (Or at least I do). I tried replicating this with a nib that is a bit too fine for my taste, and slightly bent the tip of the nib forward a bit. That one too gives me the subtle line variation when I write in just one attitude.

[richardandtracy]

I'm sorry. I speak UK English & 'Fude' is a term that leaves me utterly bewildered. What does it mean?

 

Regards,

 

Richard

[henkm]

I'm sorry. I speak UK English & 'Fude' is a term that leaves me utterly bewildered. What does it mean?

 

Regards,

 

Richard

 

It's apparently a bent tip on the nib. Such as here: http://www.leighreyes.com/?p=4021

[richardandtracy]

There was me thinking that was a 'Chinese Calligraphy/ Brush nib'. Live & learn. Maybe.

 

Regards,

 

Richard

[Sailor Kenshin]

They are called both but 'fude' is easier to type.

Edited November 11, 2013 by Sailor Kenshin

[notimetoulouse]

I'd read a blog post by Ed Jelley about this pen, and had my finger hovering over the buy button (it's only £5.50 English money (p&p free), but of my last five Hero's, four have needed so much work to even get them usable that I hesitated, searched around and found....

 

A Sailor Profit fude nibbed pen @ £9 with free postage (Engeika) - the body is cheapo plastico with golden lettering, but the nib writes like a dream. There are two angles to choose from, the normal 55 degree and a 40 degree pen (my choice). It's really nice to mess around with different writing styles, just by tilting the nib in a certain direction.

Upside down it provides the finest lines I've ever produced on paper - I love it!

 

A thing to look out for is that nib style - as Richard has mentioned, it's normally called a calligraphy nib mostly, and Fude is just creeping in. The first Fude pen I bought actually was a real Fude pen, which is in fact a brush.

 

Re the ink mentioned by Sailor K above - If anyone is interested, a UK fleabay seller pilotfishpens (absolutely no affiliation) is currently selling his stock of NOS Rotring Brilliant Ultramarine ink at the knockdown price of 2 bottles for $6.55 (30m complete with retro box and label) - when they've gone they've gone.

It's a really really vivid blue ink, too bright for me, but I've still bought two bottles just in case I'm hit by a bolt of conservative ink lightning later on down the line.

Thanks for the post SK.

[Sailor Kenshin]

You're welcome! Wouldn't you know I have the Sailor Profit fude, too. It's neck and neck with the Guanleming 193 as my all-time favorite.

[notimetoulouse]

SK why oh why oh why did you have to mention the 193?

I've just found one on eeeebee and bought it immediately. This is not a good afternoon! ;-)

[Sailor Kenshin]

Heeheeeheee....

 

It is an excellent little pen, and with my lefthanded overwriting, it gives some really nice variation to my poor letter forms!

[henkc]

I've just got a Hero 2088 (or that's what's written on the cap). I was looking for flex nibs and this claimed to be one. The full fleabay name was HERO Senior Collection Golden & Black Famous Style Flex Medium Nib Fountain Pen. By the time I had worked out that it wasn't one, I decided to order it anyway to give it a try.

 

It's fun to write with. I may try a review a little later.