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Hero
'616' series


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Need bottled ink or refills?

"Hi Norman, the repair worked beautifully! The polish is barely visible or tangible, and it’s keeping the ink just where it should be. Thanks so much for your help on it! And thanks once again for providing such great products with your impeccable service. The Hero 616 is amazingly smooth for such a fine nib (and it’s one of the finest I’ve ever used). It will serve very well for marking my drafts and my students’ as I’d hoped it would. The Monza is a great new find as well. It’s good to see Monteverde getting serious about entry-level ones, and the demonstrator look combined with the easy-glide nib makes this a very fun pen to use—and watch! The clear feed is also helpful for making sure I’ve got enough saturation to get right down to writing, and the PR Chocolat looks great in it. Thanks once again, and have a lovely holiday season! Cheers,"
C. T., Easton, PA

 

M. C., Manchester, NH

"Hi Norman, received the two pens (Jinhao Dreadnaught and Hero 616) as well as the pen rolls in record time!  The pen rolls are great.  As you know, I am a huge fan.  They are extremely well made and soft and will protect my pens from daily bumps.  The pen roll design is particularly fantastic for carrying over-sized/long pens (such as my Nakaya) which simply won't fit in standard leather cases. The four pen roll will be my daily pen case.  The Jinhao Dreadnaught with the Monteverde stub nib is simply amazing.  It is surprisingly well balanced (uncapped) being a large pen and is a great writer.  It has to be one of the best values for its price.  The dreadnaught may become my daily note-writing and signature pen (it will definitely be in the rotation). Thanks again for your fantastic service and selection of products."
M. S., Toronto, Canada

"I have given them both a spin, using Waterman Serenity Blue in the Hero and Diamine Syrah in the Ebony Jewel.  The Ebony Jewel nib is not as fine as the Hero and provides a smoother ride; however, both perform very well with no hard starts or skipping at all.  A rare thing these days...You have spent way more time than necessary on a $25 sale, and I want you to know that I appreciate it.  Best for a great day."
C. S., Austin, TX

"Norm, I just can't get over what a great pen this cheap little thing has turned out to be. I'm glad I got two of them....I tend to buy in pairs.....if I can afford it. For $15 you can't beat this. Normally I don't like fine points....too scratchy, but this one is turning out to be my daily writer. When I reach for something to scribble with...it's often the 616. The other thing is....the larger nibs often lay down so much ink that you can only use one side of the page....unless you step up to the 24 lb paper....which is noticeably more expensive. This Hero 616 is great for people who tend to write quickly....scribbling down thoughts. I wish it had a typical converter fill mechanism....for cleaning....but this one seems to work fine...from a confirmed "I don't like fine nibs" writer. I sure do like the Hero 616."
J. H.,
Tampa, FL

"Norman, I am loving my hero 616!  I still cannot believe how well this pen writes, and for $15 at that.  In fact, I will be soon purchasing one from you for my sister for her birthday.  I know the reason this pen writes so well is the excellent nib adjustment you gave it prior to shipping to me."
K. M., Enid, OK

"Hello Norman, I received your pens and the kit yesterday and I must say that both pens look much better in person than I thought they would! I'm usually leery of Chinese pens but thought they would at least write better with your tuning, and they did, quite well! I cleaned them thoroughly as suggested and then inked them up (616 with Private Reserve Claret and Pocket Rocket with Quink Black) and I must say both are really glassy smooth. The 616 produces a very fine line which is perfect for my handwriting. The syringes will come in handy for refilling cartridges for older pens. Additionally, I must add that the handwritten note is a nice touch! All in all, I am a satisfied customer and will be referring back to you for further purchases."
A. B., Farmington Hills, MI

"Norm, Got these today.  I put some Private Reserve Sonic Blue in the green one....Wow...when you said fine you weren't kidding...it is fine.  But you know, it's still smooth...and that's what counts. As a kid my mother had a fine point Shaeffer pen and it was really hard to write with and that's where I probably got my dislike of fine points...but these write really smooth...even though they're fine point.  Hell of buy for $15.  I'll be using these. Thx."
J. H., Tampa, FL

"Norman, received the pen a couple days ago.  Thank you so much!  It truly is the best writing fountain pen with which I have ever written."
K. M., Enid, OK

"Dear Norman, thank you for drawing my attention to the new 'old model' Hero 329s. I would like to order one in dark green, and I would be grateful, if you could send me a PayPal invoice. The 616 arrived two weeks ago. What did you do to the nib? It is very smooth and lays down a slightly thicker line than my other 616s. That's perfect for me. At the moment I use it more often than my Parker 51s where the medium nib tends to be a little too broad for my hand-writing. This is more than just a simple knock-off. In terms of balance, reliability and design it is an exceptionally good pen in its own right. If the old 329 is similar than I will be very happy. Thank you for going to all that trouble for such 'cheap' pens! I have many more expensive ones in my collection, but I do not have the same fun in using them. With thanks and warm regards",
C. S., Tübingen, Germany

"Hello Norman, Just to let you know that the Hero 616s arrived a few weeks ago, and I’ve been using them since then.  I couldn’t be happier with the way they write.  The fine point is just what I wanted and it writes beautifully.  These pens are absolutely amazing value and your service was excellent. Thank you."
M. D. S., Australia

"Norman: Received the Hero 616 and Pilot 78G today.  Must say they're great--properly tuned and ready to go to work! The 616 writes just like my beloved Parker 51 Flighter (I'll use it for travel since the Flighter has become to valuable to lose).  The Pilot with the F nib is perfect for my research notebooks (where I tend to write with very small handwriting). Thanks!  Fine pens and great service. Have a great day!"
M. D., West Jordan, UT

"Hi Norman, I received my 616 yesterday. I wrote about twelve pages with it last night and I'm very pleased - as far as I'm concerned the nib is perfect. I don't remember exactly where I saw your site recommended, but I'm glad I did! I'll certainly order again from you in the future."
J. C., Chattanooga, TN

"Hi Norman, thanks again for quick delivery of the pens.  I got mine Thursday and Britta's arrived in CA on Friday.  She immediately filled her 616 and started writing a letter; she loves the retro design and the burgundy ink.  I'm greatly impressed with my 616 demi as well.  I bought it as a "pocket pen," easy to carry and take notes with, and I've already found myself favoring it even over my trusty Pilot 78Gs—it's so light and writes so easily that sometimes it's almost like I'm not holding a pen!  The Mako is a beauty; it feels and writes like a high-class European pen, but the whole family has admired the design and color.  My 4-year-old son volunteered to clean it before I filled it, leaving me to take care of the 616 by myself.  And the penroll is lovely, too—I had a little trouble getting it back from my 2-year-old, who immediately decided such a colorful case should be for his own treasures!  I attended my first writing workshop in years today, and used the 616 the whole time; I'm delighted that using these pens has helped me rediscover my love for writing.  Thanks again, and be well."
C. P., Easton, PA

"Hi Norman, thank you for the pen and the handwritten sealed note. The delivery packaging was excellent. My Hero 616 pen writes really good. I do not know if you had to adjust the nib but it writes without skipping even if I write fast. I cleaned and then inked it as you suggested. Fit and finish is good for the price.
M. M., New York

"Hello Norman, the pen and the ink has arrived about a week ago, and I am thoroughly enjoying them.
The pen works great, it's the thickness I wanted, easy to hold, great to take it anywhere with. It seems to get better with time. Most importantly, I'm slowly understanding how a fountain pen really works, and I feel more personally attached to my pen, especially when I fill it up. Thank you again, and when I feel I am ready, I wouldn't hesitate to come back again to look for that 'pen'."

S. S., Cold Lake, Canada

"Norman:  Want to let you know that I have received my order.  Both pens exceeded my expectation in appearance and performance.  They are added to my small collection. Anyone, who is looking for a fountain pen as a gift or personal use, this is the site of maximum value in your purchase.  Norm, you do provided top of the line value that I trust.  The Hero 616 is my journal pen and the 329 my work pen.  Thank you for your attention to detail.  Best wishes.  I will buy again and recommend your site."
J. A., Richmond, VA

"Got the pens a few days ago and giving the test run. I am really impress by the way the Hero Demi 616, it writes better than a  lot of my brand name fountain pens, such as parker 75, montblanc lapis, or pelikan...I had a Montblanc i think grand 146 and the nib if i remember was 18k med and the pen sucks, it would skip or leave a deep ink spot, such that i got so piss off that i bend the point and threw the pen away and i think i paid $150 + back then in the 1980's. I was hesitant to try a Chinese pen for fear of inferior craftsman ship and poor performance , but i think my mind may have been change by the parker 51 knock off. They really not only copy but seem to improve on the brand name pens...So these Chinese pens will probably give the brand name guys a real run for the money."
K. W., Nutley, NJ

 

Hero 616 Demi Forest Green fountain pen           $15.00
Hero 616 Standard Forest Green fountain pen    $15.00    Sold out

Hero 616 Demi Black fountain pen                        $15.00
Hero 616 Standard Black fountain pen                 $15.00    Sold out

Hero 616 Demi Burgundy fountain pen               $15.00
Hero 616 Standard Burgundy fountain pen        $15.00    Sold out  

 

As you can see, this homage to the great Parker 51 model fountain pen comes in two sizes, much like the original. The Demi, in both the Parker and Hero versions, was slightly smaller in length and girth to the Standard model (in fact, Parker renamed the Demi as the Slender, but I'll stick with the original nomenclature).

Having both versions of the Parker 51 at hand, here's the measurement comparison I come up with:

  Capped Posted Cap held aside
Parker 51 Demi 5" 5-1/2" 4-5/8"
Hero 616 Demi 5-1/4" 5-1/4" 4-1/2"
       
Parker 51 Standard 5-3/8" 5-7/8" 5"
Hero 616 Standard 5-3/8" 5-5/8" 4-15/16"

So, not exact matches, but close enough for government work.

 

 

I'd rate the steel nibs on the two versions of the Hero 616 to be equivalent to a typical western fine.

 

 

 

                                                           

Both versions of the Hero 616 reprise the Parker arrow clip, and are crowned by steel 'jewels'. The caps are etched with separated groupings of pinstripes (7 per group for the Demi, 11 for the larger Standard cap) and have the Chinese characters for 'Hero' and the model number '616'.

                       

 

Once the slip cap is removed, the clutch ring at the join of the barrel and hood is displayed. However, unlike the all-metal ring of the 51, the Hero ring also serves as a small ink-view window, enabling one to see if there's ink left in the reservoir.

Unscrewing the barrel reveals the pump-style filler, again similar to the aerometric filler of the original Parker 51 (there are subtle differences that I won't go into here) for use with bottled ink.

           

 

 

 

The pens come with a pump-style filler or bottled ink. As with all new pens, I recommend to run a dilute solution of dishwashing soap (two or three drops to a small bowl of water) through a new pen a few times, followed by water only. Step one is effective at removing manufacturing oils that can tend to make the ink less than enthusiastic in heading from the converter/filler to the nib, and step two removes the traces of the detergent you've used...which tends to have the opposite, diuretic effect.

                                               

IMPORTANT SERVICE NOTE: Every nib that ships from His Nibs is closely examined under high magnification and tuned or adjusted if needed. About 85% of modern nibs need some adjustment out-of-the-box from the manufacturer for an optimal writing experience. Most commonly, the tines of the nib are misaligned -- which would cause scratchiness at the minimum; the slit between the tines is partially or fully closed -- which would starve the nib of ink and at best cause skipping; or the slit between the tines is too wide -- which will either again cause skipping, or conversely, flooding. There are other factors  -- such as separation of the nib from the feed -- that are inspected and repaired before any pen leaves the Palace.

The only 100% guarantee of course comes when the pen is actually filled with ink and written with for the first time, but our pre-shipping inspections and tunings have eliminated 99.99999 (my finger is getting tired) of the frustrations that a customer experiences when first using a new fountain pen. Although this can be time-consuming on occasion, it affords our customers a much more pleasant experience when receiving a fountain pen from His Nibs -- and saves us the frustration of dealing with returns!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ordering Procedures & Returns

International customers, please note, we will not falsify shipping documents

Please send your order and shipping address (along with any questions) to:

orders@hisnibs.com
(on PayPal transactions, the email address may also display as stonebri@verizon.net)

We will email you back with your order total (PA residents please add 6% sales tax)

Credit cards, for the quickest fulfillment of your order, are accepted through PayPal, a secure site allowing you to use your credit card without us even seeing the information. If you'd like to make use of this credit card service, please let us know when you email your order and address, and we'll email you the appropriate Request for Payment, and instructions for the simple payment procedure (you don't need to join PayPal to use it).

                                                                                               

If you would like us process your credit card directly instead, then please email us:

1. Card # (dividing this number in two, between two emails, will ensure security)
2. Expiration date
3. Name on card
4. Address for billing statement
5. Card verification # (3-digit number printed on the back of your card. It appears after and to the right of your card number, or 4-digit number on the front of your AMEX card).
 

If you'd rather pay by money order or check, kindly make payable to:

His Nibs.com
  434 N. Leh St., 1A
  Allentown, PA 18104

We ship via insured Priority Mail
(email for cost)

 

 

Warranties and returns

If an item proves to be defective, in most cases the manufacturer's warranty will apply. However, please email us first so that we can determine the easiest way to resolve the problem to your satisfaction. In the case of fountain pens -- which are a bit more individualistic than other writing instruments -- what may at first appear to be a defect (hard starting or poor flow for example), can in almost all cases be resolved with a few simple 'tweaks' to the nib, which we'll be happy to guide you through or perhaps suggest returning to us for adjustment.

Should you wish to return a non-defective item within 3 days of receipt because it doesn't suit you for some reason, again please email us and we'll arrange an exchange, credit or refund (minus any shipping/insurance charges), if the item is returned in an 'as new' condition. If you've dipped a fountain pen to try its writing characteristics, kindly clean off any ink residue prior to shipping -- to save us both a nasty surprise .

We want you to be happy with your purchase from HisNibs.com and hope to have you join the ranks of our many long-term, repeat customers!

 

Revised: August 19th, 2023

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