Hero 359, "Summer Safari" - bring on the clones.

[Bogon07]

Ink of Me Fondly has an article on the Hero 359 a Lamy Safari look-alike:
http://inkofmefondly.blogspot.com.au...-fountain.html

These evidently come in five colours:

Shiny Black, Apple Green Bright Yellow Royal Blue

Mauve-Purple.

[chamindra]

Wow...Hero really isn't even trying to conceal the copying any more are they?

[ardgedee]

Interesting, because Hero's Parker knockoffs are pretty good for us$3-5 dollar pens. I've certainly spent more for worse. And you can certainly do better if you spend more.

Mostly I'm surprised it's taken this long for the Lamy Safaris to be cloned. Safaris seem ubiquitous (and high-priced) on AliExpress, and that's usually a sign that somebody's about to spot a niche that needs filling.

[jacksterp]

Holy hell.

But, I bet they still teach cursive in China...

[Mesu]

I have been waiting for a purple Safari.

Wake up Lamy!! Hero beat you to it

[reprieve]

I have been waiting for a purple Safari.

Wake up Lamy!! Hero beat you to it

My sentiments exactly.

[KrazyIvan]

Oh. My. Gosh. A part of me wants one but the other 95% is getting repulsed.

[kaisnowbird]

Oh. My. Gosh. A part of me wants one but the other 95% is getting repulsed.

I'm with you, KI - mostly repulsed (but slightly attracted to the purple one).

One thing I have never understood about Hero is -- they are the most famous and historical pen manufacturer in China, yet appear to have very little self-respect. I for one couldn't possibly live with myself if my new creations are just cheap and inferior copies of others' original superior work. That has to be depressing...

[Pendragon]

Oh. My. Gosh. A part of me wants one but the other 95% is getting repulsed.

Why repulsed? Do the Hero 359 pens have quality issues?

[ardgedee]

Lamy always did a good job of straddling design esthetics and have gotten away with using bright candy colors on the Safaris without making them look cheap. The Hero pens don't manage that, and in the photos they look pretty cheap.

I'm not interested in trying one of these because I don't find Safaris comfortable to use (they're nice pens otherwise), and can't expect the Hero 359 to be an improvement. I am curious to see what some of the Lamy fans here might think if they get to try it, though.

[Sailor Kenshin]

I'm not at all repulsed. If they had an orange one, I'd HAVE to buy it.

[79spitfire]

I don't know if repulsed is the right word.

More like annoyed... Can't they just come up with an original design???

[ardgedee]

I don't know if repulsed is the right word.

More like annoyed... Can't they just come up with an original design???

They do have original designs. The same vendors who can get you a package of twenty Hero 616 pens for US$25 shipped usually stock various Hero originals as well.

[Laura N]

Oh my gosh, I was just surfing isellpens, and I came across these. I obviously missed this thread.

First, as noted, I'm just gobsmacked by the purple one. Finally there's a purple Safari, but it's not a Safari.

Second, in my opinion, from the photos these things look like a knock-off of the Safari design, including the distinctive clip and nib. I am wondering how this can be legal. Is Lamy challenging this?

I am going to ask my intellectual property lawyer in the morning. But his usual answer is "it depends," so I'm not sure I'll get anything definitive.

[Sailor Kenshin]

The color is much nicer than the isellpens pic.

[brandonh]

Reviewed! See http://fpgeeks.com/forum/showthread....afari-Knockoff

[velo]

I don't really get the point. For an extra $3 you get the real thing.

[stevekolt]

Personally, I couldn't/can't support copyright violations and/or intellectual property theft. This is a blatant rip-off, and I'm sure that Lamy would like to do something about it, but Chinese companies seem to be impervious to legal recourse in cases like this. Some of their companies are doing the same with popular knife models, and I won't buy one of those knock-offs either. Just my .02

[Sailor Kenshin]

Personally, I couldn't/can't support copyright violations and/or intellectual property theft. This is a blatant rip-off, and I'm sure that Lamy would like to do something about it, but Chinese companies seem to be impervious to legal recourse in cases like this. Some of their companies are doing the same with popular knife models, and I won't buy one of those knock-offs either. Just my .02

It's not that straightforward...as a lenghty thread on the other forum reveals (via some people who live in China as well).

[stevekolt]

Personally, I couldn't/can't support copyright violations and/or intellectual property theft. This is a blatant rip-off, and I'm sure that Lamy would like to do something about it, but Chinese companies seem to be impervious to legal recourse in cases like this. Some of their companies are doing the same with popular knife models, and I won't buy one of those knock-offs either. Just my .02

It's not that straightforward...as a lenghty thread on the other forum reveals (via some people who live in China as well).

Sorry, but I'm not going to wade through a lengthy thread over this. Sometimes an issue IS black and white, and not some shade of gray. FOR ME this is one of those issues.