Hero 300A

[mstone]

The last of my "let's see what's up with this Hero company" reviews. This time, the Hero 300A.

 

 

First impressions: 8

 

This pen is starting to get into Hero's higher-end lines. It comes packed in a nice wooden box with a dragon motif stamped on leather on the inner lid. The pen is nestled in a chamois-like cloth. It somes with a Hero-logoed polishing closth and a piston converter is installed.

 

 

Appearance/Design: 9

 

I tend to find Chinese pen designs a bit over the top, with too much gold and not enough subtlety. So I was surprised when I first laid eyes on this one--the trim is silver colored and the design is fairly restrained. The construction is probably white enamel over brass, with an inlaid pattern in blue. The overall effect is reminiscent of traditional blue and white chinese porcelain. (This is part of why I was attracted to the 300A, as it seemed to be inspired by native Chinese motifs rather than an imitation of a western pen.)

 

Weight & Dimensions: 8

 

The pen is about the same diameter as a Parker 51 or Lamy 2000, but is much heavier due to its metal body. Definitely not a pen to post, as doing so puts the balance much too far back.

 

 

Nib & Performance: 7

 

12k gold, moderately wet, stiff with slight springiness under pressure. It is engraved with the Hero logo & a design complementing that on the body. There is some tooth, and the nib is a little squeaky. Such squeakiness tends to disappear over time, in my experience, so I'll see what happens with that.

 

Filling system: 6

 

Comes with a piston converter. Not much to say there.

 

Cost/Value: 9

 

At about $60, compares well to much more expensive pens.

 

Conclusion: 8

 

I'm happy with the pen. It has fairly solid construction, a nice, distinctive design, and is comfortable to write with.

[andy1m]

The design is very special, but it looked rather big to me. Thanks for sharing.

[QM2]

I was gifted this very same pen and wrote about it on this thread.

 

Having now received and used it, I can say that I agree with you about the tasteful design and the solid construction: In my view, this is a serious step forward for Chinese pens. The pen really is quite beautiful, and I see no flaws in the finish what so ever. The engraving and enamel work are stunning and it looks like a work of art.

 

My only complaints about this pen are that the snap-closure can be improved upon, so that the cap does not rotate, and that the nib, despite being 12K gold, feels to me like a cheap IPG. It is smooth and the flow is perfect, but there is just something not right about it that I can't quite put my finger on.

Edited December 28, 2008 by QM2

[MYU]

My only complaints about this pen is that the snap-closure can be improved upon, so that the cap does not rotate. And the nib, despite being 12K gold, feels to me like a cheap IPG. It is smooth and the flow is perfect, but there is just something not right about it that I can't quite put my finger on.

There is some lack of refinement to the pen, IMHO. The extra step that higher tier pen companies in other parts of the world would take is not quite there with Chinese pens. Finish and alignment may be there, but then fitment is a little off... enough that you perceive it subconsciously. Like that cap which manages to rotate when mated to the section (capped). Or the shape of the exposed feed segment below the nib--a little peculiar.

 

It is my belief that it is a side effect of the Chinese pen company using automation for almost all aspects of the pen manufacturing. They have to cut some quality corners to facilitate the automation machinery. And tolerances are not quite as what you'd find in a top tier German or Japanese pen, for instance.

 

However, just as the Japanese suffered some of these problems at first during post-war manufacturing, so are the Chinese. And eventually they will "figure it out"... In some respects they've achieved it; it's only a matter of time before they apply it to all respects.

[mstone]

It is my belief that it is a side effect of the Chinese pen company using automation for almost all aspects of the pen manufacturing. They have to cut some quality corners to facilitate the automation machinery. And tolerances are not quite as what you'd find in a top tier German or Japanese pen, for instance.

Of course the tolerances aren't as tight as they are on a top tier German pen, it's a cheaper product aimed at a different market. On the other hand, compare a $1 Hero to a $20 Hero to a $50 Hero, and you'll find a steady improvement in quality. Interestingly, it seems that the company does produce higher quality pens (e.g., the manual references 18k nibs) but I can find almost no information about them in English, nor can I find anything from Hero over about $100 from a US reseller. I suspect that's because they don't really market higher end items in the west. (Actually, they don't seem to market anything over here--the low end stuff just slips out because it's cheap enough to sell itself. Their english-language web site is an obviously machine translated version, and probably not a real high priority for them. Quote: "STORE WATER PART: Press spring absorb water machine". The web site also seems to have some security issues, so I don't want to link to it; be careful going there if you use MS Windows.) I'd be really interested to see something like the 50th anniversary pen in person to learn whether Hero's quality continues to scale up. I suspect that it does, and that if there were a US market for $1000 pens from Hero you'd see $1000 pens from Hero over here with very high quality and very tight tolerances. The larger question is whether their relative absence from western markets is because they can't compete, or because they don't see the point. (I understand that they're well respected in their home market, and if they can sell out a couple thousand piece limited edition within the country, why would they bother adding overhead for translators, marketing, etc., to sell the same number of pens to a wider audience?)

[mstone]

I thought I'd update this old review with a couple of items. First some comparisons to get a better feeling for the size:

 

 

 

So capped it's about the same as a Lamy Safari, and posted about the same length as an Esterbrook J (though a bit thicker and much much heavier). The other pen is a 51.

 

Also, I've found that Diamine's Majestic Blue is a wonderful match for the blue in the design (excuse the lousy cell phone picture, but it gives some idea):

 

 

 

And I note that my old link to a higher-end Hero is dead, so let's see if these last a bit longer:

 

http://www.chinapenk...ngolddragon.htm

 

http://www.chinapenk...om/hero9032.htm

 

http://www.chinapenk...verfiligree.htm

 

http://www.chinapenk...wanxizhipen.htm

 

I'd love to see some of those in person.

[Beechwood]

These Heros are reassuringly expensive.

 

I gave a 300A as a Christmas to someone who normally uses a Parker Sonnet, she much prefers the Hero. The criterion is quite low however, I would prefer a sharpened stick to a Sonnet.

[YouUlulate]

Usually I don't like the over-the-top ornateness of these Chinese pens, but this one is actually kind of nice! Thanks for the review!

[lovemy51]

i don't find this particular model "over the top" in it's decoration. and chinese pens are not the only ones with over the top ornateness. see here:

 

http://www.joonpens.com/db_image/CU_luxury_regalScarlet_fp.jpg

 

http://www.joonpens.com/Curtis%20Australia_Luxury%20Classics%20Collection_pens

 

i own a couple of these 12k hero nibs and they are quite good and semiflex.

[Santak]

Do you think this Hero 300A pen is very expensive for this price? (117$)

http://www.ebay.com/itm/H34-HERO-300A-12K-DARK-BLUE-W-GOLD-FLOWER-FOUNTAIN-PEN-/160865644660?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item257456f074