~) the official pen thread (~

Discussion in 'The Good Life' started by D.irving79, Apr 16, 2009.

  1. Dr. Mike

    Dr. Mike New Member

    Yeah, I believe it is the knockoff. To be honest, I don't know what the nib is. I would say it is a fine nib, finer than the Reform nib, but not too fine, like my Pilot. I call it my just right pen. Bong would know better - I bought it off of him.

    I really like the pen - the only downside is that the squeeze-fill bladder does not have a huge capacity, like the Reform piston filler, but I get quite a bit of writing out of one fill, so it isn't so bad. I highly recommend it, but then I am also not a huge FP user, so I don't know how it compares in the broader spectrum. But for the prices these sell for, it is a nice pen.
     
  2. nofa

    nofa New Member

  3. Goby

    Goby New Member

    I hope I am not too harsh, but I don't get it.

    A Hero 100 is about $45 - $50 new.

    A restored Parker 51 is about the same?

    I don't get it.... WHY?????????

    Please humor me... get the real thing. They are stunning. This is what I would buy instead (this auction has ended). http://cgi.ebay.com/Restored-Parker-51-M-F-Nib-GF-Cap_W0QQitemZ270452961366QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item3ef840b056&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14

    It's a blue diamond Parker 51, my favorite! And its from a seller that I've bought 4-5 pens from.
     
  4. rodd

    rodd Knotty Boy

    Depends on what model I suppose, but the 100 I bought was purchased new for $27. Sure the Parkers are more prestigious, and nicer, but unless I can buy a vintage pen from someone I know and trust, I would rather buy a new one. I know nothing about restoring them, so that makes a big difference.
     
  5. Goby

    Goby New Member

    I get that. The Zoss list is a great place for restored pens, and that auction I posted was by a seller I trust.

    My favorite Parker 51 was restored by the guy who makes Noodler's ink. Hmmm, maybe you would like to trade some shaving stuff for a restored Parker 51? :)
     
  6. Razor&Pens

    Razor&Pens New Member

    NYC pen show is in less than 3 weeks!!

    (A pen show is the ideal place to buy vintage pens like a Parker 51, by the way; Lots of choices and you get to see before you buy.)

    fwiw, my e perience is that the Hero pens, while servicable, are not more than that.
     
  7. Dr. Mike

    Dr. Mike New Member

    I'm not a pen fanatic, so I don't know what some of the others write like. I also know that I got my Hero 100 for less than that Parker sold for. At this point in my life, I'm not ready to plunk down that kind of change on a pen. Maybe later, but not now. Besides, I tend to lose pens, so I don't want to make that big of an investment. For me, the Hero 100 writes great. I really like it. Is it as good as a Parker 51? If somebody wants to donate one to me, I'd be happy to evaluate.:D As for now, I'll be content in my ignorance.
     
  8. TomPike

    TomPike Active Member

    Inexpensive fountain pens are like inexpensive shave gear. Many work as well or better than their snooty cousins, they're easy to come by, and they're fun! I own a mix of both and really have no preference for price point. Most of the Hero pens I've tried don't really blow my hair back (I like vintage pens), but many have been nice writers. Seems the price has gone up though. I remember picking some up through a friend in Beijing several years back for just a few bucks each. Sign o' the times, I suppose.

    Anyway, use the pens that make you happy and foget the rest of the hype. Oh, and by all means, if you can make it to the NY show (or any pen show for that matter), just do it - you won't be sorry (although your creditors might be sorry). :ashamed001

    :D
     
  9. burningdarkness

    burningdarkness Woot Off

    Have any cheap pens you've tried actually blown your hair back, Tom?

    The Hero 100 is nice, but nothing like the P51 (now I want another 51 to add to my collection).

    For the price, inexpensive Heros, Pilots, etc. perform very well. In my experience, the cost to performance ratio is a lot better than that of more expensive pens.
     
  10. Goby

    Goby New Member


    Oh... the biggie... you lose pens. I love expensive sunglasses (Maui Jim, Action Optics), but I keep them about 4-5 years before they finally die. My wife loses hers within a few months, so she gets hers at Wal-Mart. I have never lost a fountain pen (knock on wood).

    BTW, my fountain pens are pretty "cheap." My Parker 51's were purchased for $10-$80. I'm a country lawyer, and my big city lawyer friends pay $500-$1000 for their limited edition pens. And of course there are those who think you're nuts for buying $20 pens when a 25 cent Bic works fine for them. it's all relative.

    BTW, ignorance is great!! I have a 11 year old Ford Expedition, and thank goodness I haven't driven a 2009 Ford. No thanks! My Expedition is paid for and has cup holders! Ignorance rocks!

    Today I'm using a Mont Blanc that I got as a gift. It writes great (they really do write wonderfully) but it is sooooooo overpriced. But it is orange! I love orange guitars and orange pens.

    ok.. time to get back to work!
     
  11. TomPike

    TomPike Active Member

    Yep, most cheap calligraphy pens make me pretty happy. Sheaffer and Osmiroid especially, but my real favorites amoungst the inexpensive are Reform Calligraphy Pens (with piston fillers). They're pretty cool.

    Of course, if you start counting original prices without accounting for inflation, there are a LOT of pens under ten bucks that would make me almost ridiculously happy!
     
  12. Etoyoc

    Etoyoc Backwards

    I received some pens today.

    First, a Hero 329, it feels cheap, its light, I don't see where any ink went into the resevoir when I ran the aeromatic filler - will have to research that more. But it makes a nice neat, tiny fine print.

    Next, a Haolilai 601F - Good weight and good size. I know that I have read that for prolonged writing, you should go for a lighter pen, but I don't write that long at a time. Filled it up with Widowmaker and got a better red than I did on the Sheaffer caligraphy pen. This dries true red. On the sheaffer, it was drying a bit brown. I wonder if I contaminated the cartridge when refilling. Anyway, love the Haolilai!

    Next, a Jinhao X750 I don't understand why or how I got it for so little. It is a bit heavier than the 601F, and it a larger nib. However, it writes smooth as can be and feels great in my hand.

    edit: OK... got the Hero loaded. I just wasn't waiting long enough
     
  13. Rene

    Rene Well-Known Member

    Are the Haolilai and the Jinhao a daily user or more prone to use for caligraphy?

    Must say I never heard of both :ashamed001
     
  14. Etoyoc

    Etoyoc Backwards

    I am new to the pen thing, so I can't comment much on them. I will be using them for daily use. The Haolilai will probably be used for grading and the JInhao for other writing. I saw lots of suggestions on the fountain pen network for the Haolilai as a good starter level pen.
     
  15. Dr. Mike

    Dr. Mike New Member

    I don't know how the Hero 329 compares to the 100, but I honestly love my 100. I haven't tried any higher end pens, so I guess I don't know what I am missing, but the pen works for me. The aeromatic filling system is not bad - it doesn't hold a ton of ink, but I get a good deal of writing out of one filling. It writes very nicely.

    The other pen I use regularly is the Reform - there is a guy at Fountain Pen Network that sells them for a really decent price. The nib is a bit bigger than the Hero 100, so it doesn't write as thin a line as I prefer, but it has the piston filler system, and holds a ton of ink, and is a nice pen for the price.

    What ink are you using? I haven't tried a ton, but I have really enjoyed the Mont Blanc Violet and the Waterman Florida Blue. I have a Paradise Pen store locally, and was able to pick both up there. Right now, though, I am using my Noodler's Standard Green in my Hero 100. At first it was a bit darker, as I hadn't cleaned it out from when I was using the MB Violet, but now it is a cleaner, brighter green.
     
  16. Etoyoc

    Etoyoc Backwards

    Currently I am using a sample of Noodler's Widowmaker and some Gruene Cactus that I got with the pens. Both are great. The Widowmaker was drying a bit brown at first in my cartridge pen that I refilled; however, in the new pens it is drying wonderfully red. I must some contamination in the old cartridge on the Sheaffer caligraphy.

    I am liking the Hero 329 more and more. It is small for my hands, but light weight and writes a very small and fine line. It is great for filling out student passes, etc... where I don't have much writing space and feathering would be a problem.
     
  17. rodd

    rodd Knotty Boy

    Nice Justin! Enjoy! I have a couple of the Hero 329s, and they definately do feel cheap, but they are cheap, at about $5, and they really do write very well.
    I haven't tried the other ones you mentioned, but I have been pretty happy with the Chinese pens I have, with the exception of one Wing Sung #234 that leaked above the nib. I noticed that the seller no longer carries that brand.


    I am currently carrying a Kaweco Sport, I wish these things came with a fine nib, I love the convenience for a pocket pen though.
     
  18. Etoyoc

    Etoyoc Backwards

    Well... that is certainly true. However, I got my Janhao X750 for less than the Hero, and it feels and looks expensive in comparison. And heavy... :eek: I put both this and the Haolilai in my pocket to take to work. I could feel the extra weight all the way here! :happy102

    OK, It looks like the X750 is usually about $13 + shipping, so I got it at a steal, so I should stop using it to compare to the Hero. Maybe I am just prejudiced against the hero because it is a hooded nib. Realistically, the Hero is probably going to get the most use because I can write smaller with it. I foresee a future purchase for a red hero for the WidowMaker ink.
     
  19. Etoyoc

    Etoyoc Backwards

    OK, another set of questions...

    The X750 was writing smoothly but then started to write like it was about out of ink. When I tried writing on a different surface it was fine. I forgot about it until it just started writing bad again. I opened it up and saw all the ink was held on the wrong end of the converter. Once it was tapped down, the pen worked fine.

    Did I miss a step?

    Was I supposed to shake/stir the ink before putting it into the pens?

    Is this part of the reason for lubricating "eel" inks?

    Am I supposed to tap these things occasionally to get the ink flowing down (I assumed the little bead in the converter was supposed to do that on its own when you turned the pen over and wouldn't this cause the ink to drip out?)


    Am I supposed to occasionally turn the converter down to push the ink out (wouldn't this cause a buildup of pressure and potential leaks?)

    Is it possible that the tiny bead does have the needed mass/density to work with this ink? Could this just be a symptom of a cheap pen?
     
  20. Razor&Pens

    Razor&Pens New Member

    Not really, but continue reading

    Noodler's black can use a shake before using, but in general, no.

    No. Those are to lubricate piston filling mechanisms.

    Should not be necessary to tap, but a little tap shouldn't cause leaking.

    Not something you supposed to need to do, but there's no harm in it. With some pens I sometimes will turn the converter enough to get some ink in the feed, then turn the converter back!

    Not really - it is a symptom that can affect any new pen, although it shouldn't.

    You may be able to resolve this by 'cleaning' the inside of the converter by sucking in then spitting out a dilute solution with a bit of regular dishwashing liquid.
     

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