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View Full Version : Hero's homage to the Montblanc 1912?



Paul-H
April 11th, 2019, 01:21 AM
Just seen this interesting Hero fountain pen, any one got one.

Quite similar to the Montblanc 1912 in both appearance and function and a gold nib as well, appears to have a retractable nib and some form of piston filling mechanism. Not bad for under £80 if all those claimed features do actually work, I wonder if any were modified and sold as fake 1912's

https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.co.uk%2Fulk%2Fitm%2F 263696508656

Anyone got one

Paul

Chrissy
April 11th, 2019, 03:41 AM
Why any Company would ever put a monotone gold nib into a pen that has all chrome trim has always been a mystery to me. :facepalm: They never look right.

Paul-H
April 11th, 2019, 11:14 AM
Been doing a bit of googling around and they do seem to getting good reviews, I suspect I might be having one of these arriving soon

Here is a random pitch from YouTube https://youtu.be/WqCbdZZkuj4

Paul

manoeuver
April 11th, 2019, 11:41 AM
I've seen a few. they're solid, a very good value.

aquafox
April 12th, 2019, 01:37 AM
A friend had one. I thought it was a piston filler, but on the net I saw a disassembly report which indicates a captive converter.
Smooth nib and soft-bouncy, but the retracting mechanism is just a gimmick.
Does not post.

ChrisC
April 12th, 2019, 07:55 AM
To be fair, isn't the Montblanc 1912's mechanism also a gimmick? Serves no purpose since it's not a traditional safety filler.

Paul-H
April 12th, 2019, 10:10 AM
I suppose it's only purpose, other than bring a sales gimmick is that it makes the capped pen a little shorter, perhaps they are trying to appeal to the handbag brigade ;)

Paul

Ted A
April 12th, 2019, 11:07 AM
I don't understand the point of a captive converter. It has the small capacity of a converter and you can't see how much ink is in there like any number of systems that don't have an ink window. Sort of a worst of all worlds.

Kaputnik
April 12th, 2019, 12:56 PM
A friend had one. I thought it was a piston filler, but on the net I saw a disassembly report which indicates a captive converter.
Smooth nib and soft-bouncy, but the retracting mechanism is just a gimmick.
Does not post.

Not posting would be a deal breaker for me, even if I were otherwise considering it, which I'm not. Less because I think it would be a bad pen, than because I already have so many good pens, and something like this doesn't trigger the gotta-have-its. If it had come out maybe six years ago, I'd have thought about it. If it posted. Which it doesn't.


Why any Company would ever put a monotone gold nib into a pen that has all chrome trim has always been a mystery to me. :facepalm: They never look right.

The U.S. eBay has them for $99, and you can get it in gray or black as well as chrome. Goes well enough with the gold nib. Here's the link (https://www.ebay.com/itm/Hero-10K-Gold-Nib-Luxury-Full-Metal-Fountain-Pen-Ink-Pens-Hidden-Rotary-Ink/263530429930?var=562563165755&hash=item3d5ba33dea:m:mPIk0XTi2dsB1ByxCiVyECg).


I don't understand the point of a captive converter. It has the small capacity of a converter and you can't see how much ink is in there like any number of systems that don't have an ink window. Sort of a worst of all worlds.

Also I'd want to know that it could be easily replaced if problems developed, possibly with an international converter from a better maker.

A 10k gold nib is the lowest grade of gold nib I've seen not counting gold plated steel. I vaguely recall some other Hero that had a 12k nib. Anyone have any experience with any nibs in that range? Might be fine, of course.

Anyway, it's interesting to know that this exists, even if I'm not tempted.

Paul-H
April 12th, 2019, 02:51 PM
One seller is listing them at £52 including shipping which is about $68 getting tempted now.

Paul

Chrissy
April 13th, 2019, 12:30 AM
I hope you enjoy it. :) Are you confident that the threads won't be uncomfortable under your fingers and thumb when you're writing? I think they would annoy me. My money is safe. :)

Paul-H
April 13th, 2019, 01:27 AM
Starting to think it's just the gimmick of the retracting nib that is attracting me, think the £50 Would be better spent on a vintage pen with history than a new Chinese pen, I have a couple of Chinese pens (Jinhoa 159 and Keigelu 316) so dont realy need any more modern pens. So think I shall try to resist temptation, at least until the Sheaffer Balance and Parker Vacumatic I have my eye out for is in my collection.

Will let you know if I give in to temptation (How I hate this damd OCD) :mad2:

Paul

Scrawler
April 13th, 2019, 08:55 AM
For me its mass would soon outweigh its novelty value.