Hero 100 Questions W/ Disassembly Photos

October 22, 2018

I had to disassemble a Hero 100 as it was badly clogged. Unfortunately, I don't read Chinese. There seems to be very little documentation on English sites, so I'm hoping for some information

Some Hero 100s seem to have clear collectors while others are opaque. Any significance to this? Mine's clear (albeit covered in horrible, waterproof residue).
Is there some way to tell how old a Hero 100 is? This one might be 20+. I've heard older pens are more desirable. How are they different?
Were nib widths other than F ever produced?

Click on the photos for larger versions. Believe it or not, I've already scrubbed everything twice. Whatever that blue/black stuff is, it's stubborn!

Exploded view with two parts still stuck together (there's a tabbed plastic ring stuck behind the sac connector). Lots of left-hand threads!

The tabbed ring mentioned above. Pardon the residue. The tabs correspond to notches on the filler cage. Due to spaces for them in the hood threads, the filler cage can only be inserted in two orientations: facing up (press bar aligned with the nib) or down.

Above: brand-new Wing Sung 601 collector and steel nib. Below: very dirty Hero 100 collector and 14k nib.

The 100's collector is longer. The nib is also bigger and has a raised tab that fits into a notch at the front of the collector, such that it can only be oriented one way.

Top: the other Hero 100 parts. Bottom: Wing Sung 601 feed with breather tube inserted.

The 100's feed is longer than the 601's. I discovered something interesting when trying to insert the 100's breather tube backwards: it won't fit. That end's wider. Only the end with the aerometric hole fits the feed. Coincidence? Or extreme attention to detail?

Writing sample. Does it look like a fine nib?

The construction and engineering on this pen is seriously impressive. I'm sure I'll be even more impressed once I find the clog and get it filling properly! Does anyone know how I can clean the collector? It's been soaked for hours and scrubbed with a toothbrush.

Edited October 22, 2018 by bokchoy

October 22, 2018

This pen needs ultrasonic cleaning.

October 22, 2018

Hmm .. to answer yours , point by point ..

Some Hero 100s seem to have clear collectors while others are opaque. Any significance to this? Mine's clear (albeit covered in horrible, waterproof residue).

The clear one are poly-carbonate , the opaque one are ABS .. Hero switch to ABS during the mid 90's as the material is tougher but in real world use no difference at all. Though in long term the ABS tend to stand better to abuse , recent production seems to have switch back to poly-carbonate.

Is there some way to tell how old a Hero 100 is? This one might be 20+. I've heard older pens are more desirable. How are they different?

Now that's a very hard question to answer one had to know that the Hero 100 had been in production since the very very late 50's , really old one in exotic color with rare finishing ( say gold filled cap ) are collectible but if you talk about the pen parts .. well the only change ever made to the Hero 100 since its introduction is a new section circa 2016 but that prove troublesome and since Hero switch back to the old one, and the sac had been updated to modern material ( sometime in the 1970's ) The nib should have a date code though its not always there unfortunately, the date code is just that the year of manufacture. yes there is a consistent myth that old pens are better but having over decades been using the Hero 100 I can only say its likely batch variation and period matters.

Were nib widths other than F ever produced?

Yes, but very rare these days as they were all produced way back before the mid 80's M, B, BB, Stub, and of course EF and very very very rare calligraphy nib , since the late 80's and up to the late 90's EF is the only option and after that you can have F only

And it seems your 100 can do with a new set of sac, collector and coupler ring / sealing ring, those can easily be source as the 100 is still current production and not expensive either.

October 22, 2018

You could try lemon juice to remove the ink residue. It was the only thing I could find that would finally remove a blue-black ink stain on the section of one of my pens.

October 27, 2018

I've reassembled the pen as-is for now. It won't fill beyond 1/4 and there's resistance when pressing the sac, as if airflow is blocked/restricted. But it writes!

Unfortunately, getting an ultrasonic cleaner is low priority right now.

I forgot to check the nib for a date code! I remember seeing the atomic "1" logo, 英雄, 14k and something like nm. A lot of markings for a tiny nib.

Edit: Thanks for the Hero 100 info, it's very interesting.

Edited October 27, 2018 by bokchoy

November 5, 2018

I've reassembled the pen as-is for now. It won't fill beyond 1/4 and there's resistance when pressing the sac, as if airflow is blocked/restricted. But it writes!

Unfortunately, getting an ultrasonic cleaner is low priority right now.

I forgot to check the nib for a date code! I remember seeing the atomic "1" logo, 英雄, 14k and something like nm. A lot of markings for a tiny nib.

Edit: Thanks for the Hero 100 info, it's very interesting.

The NM engraving on the nib is date code.

NM means 1973. Currently produced nib has only "M" engraving.

I think that your hero 100 is a NOS pen (export version of hero 100). When did you bought it?

Those old hero 100s are more durable.

After early 2000s, the quality of 100 became lower than before, so the plastic parts of it became prone to crack. After 2016.05, hero improved quality of 100 and changed material of plastic part.

So you can't use currently made parts to your old hero 100 FP.

Atomic 1 logo is the logo of Hero 100 FP.

Edited November 5, 2018 by whavkfdl

November 5, 2018

Hmm .. to answer yours , point by point ..
Some Hero 100s seem to have clear collectors while others are opaque. Any significance to this? Mine's clear (albeit covered in horrible, waterproof residue).
The clear one are poly-carbonate , the opaque one are ABS .. Hero switch to ABS during the mid 90's as the material is tougher but in real world use no difference at all. Though in long term the ABS tend to stand better to abuse , recent production seems to have switch back to poly-carbonate.
Is there some way to tell how old a Hero 100 is? This one might be 20+. I've heard older pens are more desirable. How are they different?
Now that's a very hard question to answer one had to know that the Hero 100 had been in production since the very very late 50's , really old one in exotic color with rare finishing ( say gold filled cap ) are collectible but if you talk about the pen parts .. well the only change ever made to the Hero 100 since its introduction is a new section circa 2016 but that prove troublesome and since Hero switch back to the old one, and the sac had been updated to modern material ( sometime in the 1970's ) The nib should have a date code though its not always there unfortunately, the date code is just that the year of manufacture. yes there is a consistent myth that old pens are better but having over decades been using the Hero 100 I can only say its likely batch variation and period matters.
Were nib widths other than F ever produced?
Yes, but very rare these days as they were all produced way back before the mid 80's M, B, BB, Stub, and of course EF and very very very rare calligraphy nib , since the late 80's and up to the late 90's EF is the only option and after that you can have F only

And it seems your 100 can do with a new set of sac, collector and coupler ring / sealing ring, those can easily be source as the 100 is still current production and not expensive either.

Oh, did they changed the material of collector recently?

I heard that the position of hero 100 in hero's FP lineup is kind of competitor of Pilot steel nib pen and Lamy Safari. (from the blog of frankunderwater.)

Did they changed it's position?

The launch of brushed steel hero 100 makes me just curious about it.

November 6, 2018

well I do not think Hero go out to position the 100 as competing for or against any specific others or any specific market. The 100 was introduced ( en mass ) early 1960's and for very very long time its the stable quality pen for the Chinese consumers and its still do today. It's also rightfully earn its namesake in many export market and simply stand on its own. Over the years there were many 100 variant and the new all steel with C/C filling is just another side step to satisfy a different market segment ( so to speak ) asking for this. But in the end , and especially in its home market, the Hero 100 is just that, the Hero 100 .. it doesn't try to be the top end of the top end, but it stand as is the goto pen when asked for.

In fact the Pilot steel nib and Lamy Safari had more competition in the Hero / Wing Sung / others' school pen range in as such that the models usually do not exactly excite nor interest Chinese fountain pen enthusiast, so its really more the youth / teen market thing and the Hero 100 never a youth / teen market product anyway

November 12, 2018

The NM engraving on the nib is date code.
NM means 1973. Currently produced nib has only "M" engraving.

I think that your hero 100 is a NOS pen (export version of hero 100). When did you bought it?

Those old hero 100s are more durable.
After early 2000s, the quality of 100 became lower than before, so the plastic parts of it became prone to crack. After 2016.05, hero improved quality of 100 and changed material of plastic part.
So you can't use currently made parts to your old hero 100 FP.

Atomic 1 logo is the logo of Hero 100 FP.

Thank you! This pen is my grandfather's. I know nothing else about it.

Edit: He probably purchased it in Hong Kong.

Edited November 12, 2018 by bokchoy