Hero 856

[antichresis]

Hero has made a new pen but has attached a sac filler to it. I may be in the minority here but I prefer c/c fillers (easier to clean, easier to replace due to limited parts availability here). I guess the use of a sac filler follows the vintage aesthetic it's trying to achieve: short waisted section, screw cap, double jewels, "ink window". I do quite like the aesthetics though. Parker Vacumatic?

 

 

Also comes in a fude nib.

 

 

I can't find the photo again but the "ink window" can be removed.

[Ian the Jock]

Now I quite like the look of that

[Mech-for-i]

Its by no mean new at all , Hero acquired the asset of the Gold Star namesake and this is just the re-introduction of the vintage 1950's Gold Star 28. The 856 was introduced 2016. Even Gold Star itself had multiple re run of this very popular model in old days. One thing particular about the model 28 , is that, like the Hero did with 616, Gold Star license this to a whole lot of other local and 2nd tire Mfr in those days so you would see all kind of name and model numbers but basically they are still the same pen.

 

Well Hero at least got the point not to copy it straight as the old 28 had an all black construction, and the clear center section is introduced by another company on their run of their 28 variant. I think I have at least 10 different copies of this pen all of different name and minute detail difference ( some section had different profile, some are not black etc ... )

[sciumbasci]

Doesn't look like a Parker Vacumatic to me

[antichresis]

Its by no mean new at all , Hero acquired the asset of the Gold Star namesake and this is just the re-introduction of the vintage 1950's Gold Star 28. The 856 was introduced 2016. Even Gold Star itself had multiple re run of this very popular model in old days. One thing particular about the model 28 , is that, like the Hero did with 616, Gold Star license this to a whole lot of other local and 2nd tire Mfr in those days so you would see all kind of name and model numbers but basically they are still the same pen.

 

Well Hero at least got the point not to copy it straight as the old 28 had an all black construction, and the clear center section is introduced by another company on their run of their 28 variant. I think I have at least 10 different copies of this pen all of different name and minute detail difference ( some section had different profile, some are not black etc ... )

Thank you for the correction. I was misled by the new-ish looking nib. How do you find yours? Are they worth buying? How large is the pen?

 

Doesn't look like a Parker Vacumatic to me

It does! See this particular model.

[Seele]

Additional information to supplement Mech's post.

 

In the classic era, various pen design specifications were given type numbers. For instance, a small affordable pen meant for students was 50, a larger size pen like this was 28, one size smaller was 26, an extra large pen is 90, etc. Do note that the type number refers to the general specifications rather than design details such as filling mechanism and such.

 

Therefore, numerous pen manufacturers produced pens to these specifications, and they often just named them as such; Golden Star for instance, I also have a Heilongjiang 28 in an early group buy and it's interesting to compare them; they sure differ in many details but it's clear that they are the same in spirit.

 

As Mech said, after Golden Star's closure Hero acquired the firm's assets, including designs, and restarted production of several models, such as the 565. This 856 is indeed a recommencement of production of the final model of the Golden Star 28 under the Hero name; I have an example as well. The most obvious changes is the replacement of the black collar by a clear one that works as an ink window, but a new clip and Hero-made - and branded nib - are fitted as well, so it is indeed a Type 28 in all but name.

 

Originally a lot of Chinese pens were celluloid button fillers, and that applied also to the earliest Shanghai-built (with KSPC code) Golden Star 28, and perhaps Beijing-build ones (with GSPC code). It was much later that Golden Star switched to injection moulded thermoplastics and a simpler bulb filler, and that's carried over to the current Hero 856.

 

Hope this is of some interest.

[Mech-for-i]

Thank you for the correction. I was misled by the new-ish looking nib. How do you find yours? Are they worth buying? How large is the pen?

 

...

 

well to be honest, if you are talking about those old models, NO, I do not think they are worth it these days. unless you are a collector. I kind of acquire them over the years buying this and that and sometime acquiring parts and batches ( which happen to include one ). But they are like twice or even 3 or 4 time the price of the Hero 856 now. And being of such old age they tend to show. The Hero 856, being a true current production sees a great improvement in material, workmanship, assembly tolerance / tightness, and general quality over all. The nib on the 856 write a true medium and the pens is not a small one, 125mm unposted, 142mm capped, and 162mm posted , girth is 13mm+ at the point the barrel meet the cap. The nib is the XX-large type ( larger than a no.6 ) but of this construction its actually a lightweight pen for its size. It write quite well IMHO, and being a medium smoother than most others Chinese pen by default. The wider girth also made it easy to hold the pen with relaxed posture.

 

I will go back and fetch mine and made a photo comparison when I got the time this few days.

Edited May 24, 2017 by Mech-for-i

[antichresis]

Seele, thank you for the added information. I always enjoy a bit of pen history and even more so if it's about the Chinese manufacturers (of which there appears to be very little written on, in English at least). I have seen, I think, a couple of the older pens on eBay but sometimes at hilariously inflated prices for what could end up a dud when you get it.

 

The button filler will hopefully come back in fashion. The Chinese manufacturers seem to have gotten a little inspiration over the past year with the new piston fillers. Hopefully they will look at their old catalog and bring back a couple of pens. I'm sure there's a market for it. It's certainly going to be affordable too.

 

 

Mech, thank you for the input. The excitement in my original post comes from seeing similar pens on eBay fetching rather high prices (for what it is, with the risk of a dud). I am reminded of the 590 which briefly became a hot commodity. Some reports say that the hit rate of getting a working pen is 50%. Both pens could smell too. I actually ordered a couple from a seller but they never arrived.

 

This pen though looks/is current production so I would think the supply is better, besides your welcome remarks that it is much better built and with a good nib. I do think I'll get a box for myself and to gift to friends. As someone who quite like older designs, the revival is attractive much like those car shops you hear about that retrofits old sports cars with new engines and remade suspensions.

 

I look forward to your photos.

[Seele]

Seele, thank you for the added information. I always enjoy a bit of pen history and even more so if it's about the Chinese manufacturers (of which there appears to be very little written on, in English at least). I have seen, I think, a couple of the older pens on eBay but sometimes at hilariously inflated prices for what could end up a dud when you get it.

 

The button filler will hopefully come back in fashion. The Chinese manufacturers seem to have gotten a little inspiration over the past year with the new piston fillers. Hopefully they will look at their old catalog and bring back a couple of pens. I'm sure there's a market for it. It's certainly going to be affordable too.

 

antichresis,

 

Glad that my input has been of some interest.

 

I have also seen some older Chinese pens which are button fillers, but they are invariably in bad shape and the filling system not fixed: for some reason they're never serviced, as if nobody is willing, or able, to repair button fillers there.

 

Like you, I do hope that someone would get round to finding their roots and produce new pens faithful to their originals. However, the button filler is inherently more complex than the familiar bulb filler requiring more parts and more involved production techniques, which would raise the cost appreciably. And fitting a button filler mechanism to a modern lightweight injection moulded pen might seem a bit of a sacrilege as well. That said, not long before its closure, Wing Sung did make celluloid pens, so there might just be a chance for celluloid to make a comeback, but of course not being in the inner sanctum I am just guessing.

[antichresis]

For context, these are some of the "original" pens (photos attached below in case the listing is pulled down in the future):

 

 

 

[Seele]

antichresis,

 

What you just showed us are the late production Golden Stars, on which the Hero 856 is based. The real original ones are like these:

 

https://world.taobao.com/item/528872476487.htm

 

https://world.taobao.com/item/551516414561.htm

[Seele]

antichresis,

 

By the way these are some of the other makers of the classic Type 28 pens:

 

Xinnongcun 28

 

Yongjiu 28

 

Huwen 28

 

Wm K Rockman (probably 26)

 

Changjiang 28

 

Heilongjiang 28

 

Heilongjiang 90

 

Youlian 28

 

... and many more.

[antichresis]

Thanks, Seele!

 

 

edit: WOW the first two links are expensive

Edited May 24, 2017 by antichresis

[Mech-for-i]

Here's some size comparison and the pen in its component form

 

from left : Jinhao 159, Hero 856, Jinhao 992, Hero 330, and Yongjiu 26

 

Hero 856 vs Jinhao 159 and Jinhao 992

 

Original 28 model components showing the ebonite feed and the Calligraphy nib ( in gold color ) ; note that both the clip and the finale can be removed by screw off the end jewel and even the cap band can be taken off as they are just friction fitted onto the cap

Edited May 29, 2017 by Mech-for-i

[Mech-for-i]

And here's some interesting ones

 

from left : Hero 856 , Changjiang 21 ( often mis-labelled as Changjiang 28 , this model always with calligraphy nib ) , Taikung 91 ( again Calligraphy only ) , Gold Star 28 , & Changjiang 21 ( original 1978 model )

 

Changjiang 21 original model, showing the clear center section it introduce to the family

 

the two calligraphy pen, with nib unit replaced with Hero's on the 21 and with Changjiang's fine nib on the 91

 

to show how many of the component are cross compatible, here's one I construct using a Gold Star 28 barrel, Hero 856 section and pen parts , clear center section from a Changjiang 21 , and the cap from a Taikung 91. look pretty classy

[antichresis]

Thank you, mech!! Those acrylic (?) models look really pretty

[Mech-for-i]

None of these are acrylic, they might look like so but they are just same kind of plastic. Sure interesting color; especially the Changjiang 21, it had a long production run going all the way to late 90's and each and every period and batch had variation in the swirl colors. I have a very late one that look almost white

[Seele]

None of these are acrylic, they might look like so but they are just same kind of plastic. Sure interesting color; especially the Changjiang 21, it had a long production run going all the way to late 90's and each and every period and batch had variation in the swirl colors. I have a very late one that look almost white

 

I no longer have facilities for testing plastics materials, but from my experience they're all injection moulded, thus using some kind of thermoplastics, and it's most likely that it's some kind of polystyrene derivatives such as high-impact polystyrene. They respond to the injection moulding process very well and can give a very glossy finish, but can be somewhat brittle though.

[5thhistorian]

This looks like a cool pen. Right now I can only find them for sale on Aliexpress. How do you know which one you are buying, the fude nib or the conventional one?

[sciumbasci]

I went to check aliexpress as well, if you swipe through the photos, usually the second or third one shows which nib type it is.